Future-to-Be
By Jules Rivera
I think about the future often. I used to work in Union Square and would have to look at that countdown clock every day. Let’s be candid: I’m worried about the climate, guys. But don’t worry, this blog post isn’t about that, we’ve already got one covering that topic!
This blog post is about what the future could be, but in a financial, workplace, circumstantial way. These books, while surreal and fantastical, are not too far off from where we could be headed. Stay alert out there, y’all! Read these books!
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee
After reading Bex’s interview with Molly I just had to read this book. Thanks for the copy, Bex! Imagine a world where you’re able to get a job to relieve your accumulating debt by becoming a dream auditor for the government. Now imagine you’re Jonathan Abernathy and just trying your best! When approached by government agents in his dreams to apply for the job, why wouldn’t he take it? This book practically had me groaning in love and pain by the last few pages. A surreal, fun, and meaningful masterpiece.
Be Here to Love Me at the End of the World by Sasha Fletcher
Picture Brooklyn: now picture it at the end of the world. The weather patterns are so extreme some people try to kill billionaires in the street about it. Rent is at an all time high (are you surprised?). The President is giving ostrich (head in the sand). And yet, none of this stops Sam and Eleanor from being in love! This is a normal love story with extraordinary circumstances. An absurd and hilarious book about an insane world, that could very well be ours soon, that a couple is just trying to love each other in. Relatable! Crazy!
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin
Okay, roll with me here. This book is about little creatures, run by real people, that can travel to any part of the world and act as sort of a pet, but, like, not. They’re almost like little furbies? Only sentient? Very strange. It’s almost like a VR situation where someone controls it completely while accompanying someone else wherever they are, while being completely anonymous. This sounds cool but what happens when they interact with your family? Your kids? There’s a consciousness in there! Is that even ethical? Why are kids even involved?! Samanta Schweblin addresses all of this and more in this book. They’re cute, but also creepy. Be prepared!
We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets
This one is a bit darker. Kayleigh is strapped for cash so she get a job at this unnameable social media company. Her job is to moderate online servers and clear out the violence, hate, and overall horrible and grotesque content. Seems pretty simple right? Nope! The company rules are always changing, adjusting to the world as best as they can. What happens when Kayleigh, and the rest of her coworkers, start to lose their ability to discern between good and bad? What if when they see more and more horrible imagery, their gauge and tolerances become more and more skewed over time? A wonderful commentary on media literacy and desensitization to violence in media. This is a tougher read, but a good one.
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Loretta and Hamara, or Hurricane Staxxx, are the two main faces and fan faves of the Chain-Gang All-Stars: a pinnacle part of CAPE (Criminal Action Penal Entertainment) a program in which prisoners fight death matches in order to lessen or completely break free of their sentences. This is a bigger possibility for Loretta, after just a few more wins. She’s a queen who quite literally slays. But what happens when she’s finally out? How has all of this changed her? How will it change the people she leaves behind, and the world she’s re-entering into? A striking and passionate exploration and critique of the prison industrial system, the dangers of capitalism, racism, and what freedom truly means and costs. Gorgeous, painful, powerful.
Finna by Nino Cipri
An old lady falls into a portal into a furniture store that is NOT Ikea and slips into another dimension. It’s now up to two ex-girlfriends, Ava and Jules, to save her and protect the company’s image. They have to fight their way through the abnormalities of the different dimension (like VERY hungry furniture) while also dealing with the “will they won’t they” aspect of their relationship. This book begs the question: is that underpaying job really worth it? Also, maybe don’t date your coworkers? A fun trip!
