The Future Summary

The Future by Naomi Alderman is set in the future. The novel is about how the wealthiest people exploit and destroy the world for selfish interests. The rich people have constructed safe bunkers for themselves in case the world ends. The world has technology billionaires, entrepreneurs, and ordinary people. Ordinary people are on the receiving end because their lives hang on balance. The main characters in the novel include Martha Einkorn, Lenk Sketlish - CEO of the largest social network, and Lai Zhen a survivalist internet influencer.

The novel opens with Martha Einkorn escaping from her father's secluded home in Oregon. Martha Einkorn is unhappy with her cult father because he is overprotective, controlling, and ruthless. Martha Einkorn wants to live independently and have the freedom to exploit her potential. However, Martha Einkorn does not know that she will end up working with influential people and surrounded by the powerful companies that control the world. A few days later, Martha Einkorn lands a job with Fantail, the largest social network owned by Lenk Sketlish. Martha Einkorn is Lenk's assistant and interacts with his influential friends. Lenk and his friends want to control the world because they own companies that design private weather and lethal weapons. Martha Einkorn watches how powerful people run the world, and she links their activities to her father's summons that predict the world's end.

The narrator shifts to Lai Zhen's assassination attempt in Singapore. Lai Zhen is an internet survivalist and influencer and discovers her life is in danger when assassins follow her to the mall. When Lai flees, anonymous software in the phone directs her to a safe location. Lai manages to flee to safety but does not know the owner of the software and his intentions in saving her life.

The novel concludes with a few billionaires allying to end civilization. These billionaires have constructed luxurious bankers where they will hide when the world ends. Lai Zhen and Martha Einkorn's lives collide, and they scheme how they can save the world from a calamitous end of evolution.