Booksmith and Berkeley Arts & Letters are thrilled to present the bestselling, award-winning author of The Power, Naomi Alderman, for her new novel The Future, in which a handful of friends plot a daring heist to save the world from the tech giants whose greed threatens life as we know it. Save the date and join us!

About the book

When Martha Einkorn fled her father’s isolated compound in Oregon, she never expected to find herself working for a powerful social media mogul hell-bent on controlling everything. Now, she’s surrounded by mega-rich companies designing private weather, predictive analytics, and covert weaponry, while spouting technological prophecy. Martha may have left the cult, but if the apocalyptic warnings in her father’s fox and rabbit sermon—once a parable to her—are starting to come true, how much future is actually left?

Across the world, in a mall in Singapore, Lai Zhen, a famous internet survivalist, flees from an assassin. She’s cornered, desperate and—worst of all—might die without ever knowing what's going on. Suddenly, a remarkable piece of software appears on her phone telling her exactly how to escape. Who made it? What is it really for? And if those behind it can save her from danger, what do they want from her, and what else do they know about the future?

Martha and Zhen’s worlds are about to collide. An explosive chain of events is set in motion. While a few billionaires assured of their own safety lead the world to destruction, Martha’s relentless drive and Zhen’s insatiable curiosity could lead to something beautiful or the cataclysmic end of civilization.

By turns thrilling, hilarious, tender, and always piercingly brilliant, The Future unfolds at a breakneck speed, highlighting how power corrupts the few who have it and what it means to stand up to them. The future is coming. The Future is here.

About the author

Naomi Alderman is the bestselling author of The Power, which was the winner of the 2017 Baileys’ Women’s Prize for Fiction. It was longlisted for the 2017 Orwell Prize and chosen as one of the best books of the year by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly and the San Francisco Chronicle. The Power topped Barack Obama’s list of his favorite books from 2017 and has been translated into more than thirty languages. Naomi grew up in London and attended Oxford University and UEA. Photo by Annabel Moeller.

Please note:

• This is a ticketed, in-person event to be held at the Internet Archive, 300 Funston Ave. in San Francisco, CA.
• Masks will be required throughout the duration of the event and capacity will be limited to allow indoor distancing. Protocols are subject to change.
• Because we’re limiting capacity for safety purposes, we can't guarantee we'll have space for walk-ins. The best way to ensure you’ll get a seat is to order a ticket now.
• We are happy to offer *signed copies* of The Future: order a ticket if you'd like to pick up a signed copy at the event, or order here if you just want a signed copy and no admission. We ship worldwide and offer free domestic shipping for orders > $50.
• Questions? Concerns? Accessibility requests? Write [email protected].