Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by nickartrip102
The Fantasies of Future Things by Doug Jones
4.0
I requested and received and eARC of The Fantasies of Future Things by Doug Jones via NetGalley. The Fantasies of Future Things follows two Black men working for a development company heralding in the revitalization of the Summerhill neighborhood during the 1996 Olympics. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Jacob is a recent Morehouse graduate who must balance dreams of his future with his parent's expectations. Daniel is an Atlanta native and who is disillusioned with his job. Both men grapple with their sexuality, familial pressure, and the difficulty of the situation they find themselves in with their job (aiding in the gentrification of a predominantly black neighborhood.)
The scenes in this novel are presented so vividly, the language is evocative and really centered me in this reading experience. From the opening pages of The Fantasies of Future Things, there is this deliciously, simmering tension that really drew me in. This tension is well-reflected through Jacob and Daniel’s internal struggles, as they wrestle with their roles in the project and the hidden pressures of their personal lives. Daniel’s family dynamic and history was a highlight for me. Daniel has a somewhat fraught relationship with his mother that captured my attention, and the flashback scenes included were wonderfully written and really made me ache for his character, his mother, and his siblings. I was equally fascinated by Jacob and his story with Sherman, but I really think this novel shines when Daniel and Jacob share the page.
Jones uses the 1996 Olympics and the revitalization project as a very compelling backdrop to explore a variety of issues in this tenderly crafted character study. The Fantasies of Future Things interrogates what it means to be Black and queer, and how those identities intersect, in a way that is raw and vulnerable, neatly intertwining the personal and the political (which are inseparable, but even more so for other) in a narrative that is forceful and highly effective. In terms of length and readability, this is an easy work to breeze through, but it’s much more pleasing to spend take time appreciating Jones’ words and digesting them. He has a lot to say in this book and does it exceedingly well through a narrative that is beautifully and thoughtfully written.
The scenes in this novel are presented so vividly, the language is evocative and really centered me in this reading experience. From the opening pages of The Fantasies of Future Things, there is this deliciously, simmering tension that really drew me in. This tension is well-reflected through Jacob and Daniel’s internal struggles, as they wrestle with their roles in the project and the hidden pressures of their personal lives. Daniel’s family dynamic and history was a highlight for me. Daniel has a somewhat fraught relationship with his mother that captured my attention, and the flashback scenes included were wonderfully written and really made me ache for his character, his mother, and his siblings. I was equally fascinated by Jacob and his story with Sherman, but I really think this novel shines when Daniel and Jacob share the page.
Jones uses the 1996 Olympics and the revitalization project as a very compelling backdrop to explore a variety of issues in this tenderly crafted character study. The Fantasies of Future Things interrogates what it means to be Black and queer, and how those identities intersect, in a way that is raw and vulnerable, neatly intertwining the personal and the political (which are inseparable, but even more so for other) in a narrative that is forceful and highly effective. In terms of length and readability, this is an easy work to breeze through, but it’s much more pleasing to spend take time appreciating Jones’ words and digesting them. He has a lot to say in this book and does it exceedingly well through a narrative that is beautifully and thoughtfully written.