In the year 2050, the vast majority of Americans make up the liberated class: promised freedom from labor, but given inescapable poverty and societal decay. In spite of his dystopian upbringing, 18-year-old "libertine" Henry Simon starts a band with his friends in a desperate attempt to find meaning and happiness in a world ruthlessly deprived of both by its automated authoritarian government.
Meanwhile, Helene Shock is a fully conscious musical "autogen" whose continual refinement as an artist and outsized clout as a superstar leads her to help the forsaken libertines in any way she can. As their paths cross, Henry and Helene must navigate the treacherous conditions of the liberated cities, mind-bending developments in automated technology, and the overwhelming political pressures placed upon them by a government increasingly controlled by the autogens that ushered in their dangerous new world.
Jam-packed with music, humor, and politics, NextGen is the apocalyptic story of one generation's headlong plunge into a world dominated by automation, and the next generation's fight to reclaim their humanity. Steven Cary's first novel offers thrilling suspense, thoughtful analysis, and-most importantly-a bright glimmer of hope.
After all, the future is unwritten...
About the Author :
NextGen is the first novel by author Steven Cary, who draws upon his double life as a professional musician and political attorney to fill its highly musical and politically fraught pages. Inspired by a lifelong passion for classic world literature and punk rock, Cary mixes gritty action-packed prose with a literary philosophical flair to create a dystopian world that's not without its comforts; much like his home in sunny Florida.
Review :
"Cary's dystopian SF novel is rife with music and revolution. (His) worldbuilding is intricate and very patiently deployed; instead of the author dictating the book's reality, the characters seem to bring it to life by existing in it. The social parallels with the present day are deftly handled. It's all smartly and entertainingly done. A taut and insightful dystopian novel." - Kirkus Reviews (Verdict: Get it)
"Original, deftly crafted, and a riveting read from start to finish, author Steven Cary's dystopian novel, NextGen is a clever extrapolation of current trends with respect to AI, the music business, and the ever widening gap between the ultra wealthy and everyone else. All the more impressive when considering that NextGen is author Steven Cary's debut as a novelist, it is especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dystopian science fiction fans." - Midwest Book Review
"Henry's and Helene's parallel journeys in Steven Cary's NextGen remind readers that, in a world where things feel hopeless, music can unite, heal, and bring balance in a way that seems almost magical." - IndieReader
