The Future We Left Behind by Mike A Lancaster (review)

In this companion to Human.4, scattered bits of data and corrupted files have been compiled to unveil a brave new world on the brink of revolutionary change, a change that many believe was predicted a thousand years before by the legendary Straker tapes, a sort of audio Nostradamus. Peter Vincent has been raised to believe that those who believe in the Straker tapes are delusional; when he falls head over heels for Alpha, a self-professed Strakerite, he is forced to reexamine his assumptions, especially when she shows him evidence that the human “upgrades” mentioned in the tapes are real and that another upgrade is looming. Desperate to prevent the prophesied change, Peter uncovers a vast conspiracy to cover up the reality of the Straker tapes, a conspiracy led by his own father. Told through layers of unreliable narration, the story explores the limits of human memory and the perils of relying on networks and technology to store and access humanity’s collective knowledge. This truly thought-provoking outing gives the reader plenty of big questions to grapple with, including how you know what you know, the line between science and faith, and the very nature of humanity. The characters are less well realized than the concepts, but there’s still plenty of passion between Peter and Alpha. Fans of Anderson’s Feed (BCCB 11/02) will recognize the challenge to technological overreliance, and they’ll find this stimulating read well worth contemplating.