The Future

The Future (2023) is a speculative science-fiction novel written by Naomi Alderman. Set in the near future after an unspecified apocalypse has occurred and the CEOs of the three biggest technology companies on the planet have seemingly disappeared, the novel explores the nature of the future and the impact of technology and corporate control on humanity and the environment. Alderman previously wrote The Power (2016), another novel that examines the intersection of technology, power, and humanity in a near-future setting. It received the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2017.

All quotations in this guide come from the 2023 Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.

Content Warning: The novel and this guide contain depictions of death by suicide and substance misuse.

Plot Summary

In Part 1, an unspecified global disaster has occurred. The CEOs of the three most powerful technology corporations on the planet are allegedly securing themselves and their families in fully stocked bunkers at undisclosed locations. While the rest of the world might suffer after such an event, the wealth and privilege afforded to Lenk Sketlish of Fantail, Zimri Nommik of Anvil, and Ellen Bywater of Medlar should insulate them from the fallout.

In Part 2, survivalist expert Lai Zhen shops at Seasons Time Mall in Singapore. As the largest mall in the world, Seasons Time is dedicated to the consumer experience, and Zhen is there to check out the latest in survival technology. However, her shopping is interrupted by an active shooter, who appears to be targeting her. She thinks her attacker might be a member of the Enochites, a religious faction about whom she made some disparaging comments. She remembers making these comments when interviewing Martha Einkorn, Lenk Sketlish’s assistant, back in January. She and Martha engaged in a brief affair at the time, but it has been months since Zhen has heard from her. In the midst of the attack, a program called AUGR is activated on her device. It helps her to defend herself against the attacker. Zhen wonders if this might be the enigmatic gift Martha claimed to have given her at the end of their affair.

Part 3 reveals that Martha is also known as OneCorn on the Name The Day survivalist web forum. She speaks about the Enochites, to whom she used to belong; her father was the self-appointed leader. She posts about the story of Lot and how it represents the inherent corruption of cities. She also talks about the Rabbit and the Fox: Rabbit represents the frightened urban dweller who desires security in an uncertain world, while Fox understands the value of living off the land.

Another Name The Day user, ArturoMegadog, turns out to be Albert Dabrowski, the ousted CEO of Medlar. He has become disgusted with the unethical behavior that he sees in these corporations: He believes that his husband died of grief after Fantail bought out his company. He and Martha become unlikely friends, even though she is assistant to the CEO of Fantail, and he introduces her to Selah Nommik, the disaffected wife of Anvil CEO Zimri Nommik. Martha enlists Selah in their cause, and she, in turn, introduces Martha to Badger Bywater, the daughter of Medlar’s current CEO. The four concoct and implement a plan to disrupt the technologies of the companies, which wreaks unforeseen havoc. These companies are so interconnected, and people are so dependent upon them, that they cannot simply disappear. Thus, Martha and her friends must devise a new plan.

In Part 4, Zhen reaches out to her online friend, the hacker and professor Marius. She enlists his help in trying to figure out what AUGR actually is. She disabled it after the incident at the mall, and Marius informs her that she must connect it at the source to reboot the program. Thus, she and Marius break into Nommik’s bunker, re-activating AUGR and destroying the bunker in the process. She immediately receives a ping about the impending apocalypse. AUGR gives her instructions to meet a driver and follow his instructions.

Part 5 begins with Zhen falling from a great height. She is wearing a CrashJacket and lands safely, finding a nearby survival suit that has been left for her. As she walks through the jungle of an apparently deserted island, she happens upon the three missing CEOs. Confused, Zhen listens to their explanations: The Pigeon Flu has spread throughout the globe, killing millions. The world as she knew it has ended. The four are stranded on Admiral Huntsy Island, a remote FutureSafe zone with restricted airspace; they do not have communications or transportation. The CEOs believe someone will shortly be coming for them, but their suspicion of each other quickly turns violent. Zhen decides she must keep herself hidden from them, faking her death for Lenk to witness.

At the end of Part 5, Martha Einkorn ascends to the top of an office building to begin work early as CEO of Fantail. She turns off the alarm that has sounded, each day for the last three years, on Lenk’s old laptop. By turning off the alarm, she signals that Lenk is alive and well. If the alarm were allowed to send its notification out, the authorities would be alerted to his location.

In Part 6, it is revealed that the faux apocalypse was engineered by Martha and her cohort, including Selah Nommik, Badger Bywater, and Albert Dabrowski. In three years, they have managed to seize control of the behemoth technology companies and create positive change for the environment and humanity—though Martha has never been informed about Zhen’s presence on the island. Once she knows the truth, she approaches Zhen and learns, shockingly, that Zhen was enlisted in the cause all along. She destroyed the communications systems to keep the CEOs captive. While Zhen has sacrificed much, the narrative implies that she forgives Martha and the two of them reunite.

This, however, is not the end of The Future. In a final section, the narrator suggests that the future never ends. One hundred years later, a fugitive dodges the authorities while trying to convey information to another rebel group. The rebels are conspiring against the new Enochite president, who wishes to form an authoritarian, and globally unified, government.