Starred review from January 8, 2024
Former Marine Ackerman and retired Navy admiral Stavridis follow up 2034 with another top-shelf thriller about near-future geopolitical turmoil. The decade-long rule of American president Angel Castro, whose American Dream Party has weakened both the Democratic and Republican parties to the point of near-extinction, ends suddenly after he collapses during a public speech. At first, Castro’s administration covers up the incident, digitally altering images to make it seem as if he only stumbled. When Castro dies a short time later, however, the deception is exposed, exacerbating political tensions across the country. As the U.S. teeters on the edge of civil war, tech leaders privately struggle with concerns that Castro’s death—the result of a mysterious growth on his heart—may be connected to a nascent biotechnology that can alter human cells via remote gene editing software. If so, the incident may mean that humanity is approaching “the Singularity” long predicted by technologist Ray Kurzweil, in which human and machine merge “into a single consciousness.” White House aides, doctors, tech experts, and military personnel attempt to track down Kurzweil for guidance while keeping the existing shards of American democracy intact. Spreading the narrative’s focus over many characters and nations, Ackerman and Stavridis paint a sweeping and resonant portrait of a world faced with a powerful technological advancement it doesn’t fully understand. The results are genuinely chilling. Agent: Andrew Wylie, Wylie Agency.
July 1, 2024
National Book Award finalist and former Marine Corps special operations team leader Ackerman (The Fifth Act) and retired U.S. Navy admiral Stavridis (To Risk It All) offer a follow-up to their previous work, 2034, set 20 years further into the future. Audiences familiar with 2034 will recognize some characters or their descendants, but new listeners can easily jump right in to the new novel. The story opens after the assassination of the American president, with the fate of the country's democracy hanging in the balance. Opposing political parties fight to gain control as it becomes clear that advances in AI and an event known as the Singularity may have carried out a remote assassination. While the ensemble of narrators helps listeners keep track of the various characters and better understand their motivations, the somewhat slow pacing is at odds with the book's propulsive events. Additionally, while the book's many threads are intriguing, listeners may be frustrated by plot lines that aren't fully developed and a predictable ending that wraps up a little too neatly. VERDICT While this title may appeal to fans of 2034, the sequel doesn't quite live up to the hype. An optional purchase for most libraries.--Jessica Caniglia
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