Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

I got recommended this because I had read and liked Blake Crouch's [book:Recursion|42046112], and if you liked that book, this one is absolutely going to scratch the same itch.  It's propulsive as hell, and the use of multiple styles of writing (transcripts, texts, articles, tumblr posts, etc) gives some nice texture to the narrative.  The ending felt a little abrupt (and it's a little tech bro-y overall), but I devoured this over the course of a day and had a blast the entire time.

I read this book in less than 24 hours, and if that’s not a recommendation I don’t know what is!

In all seriousness though, I thought this was a really clever critique of the power technology companies have in the modern world. The premise is that the two main characters, Adi and Ben, develop a technology that allows you to transmit information from the future and read it in the past. This leads to the classic time-travel exploration of cause and effect, free will, and ethical dilemmas. Despite the well-worn themes, I felt like this book did a good job of portraying the social responsibility of scientists/sellers of technology and calling out the ways technological companies have been largely skirting responsibility in the real world. I did find some of the present day references to Theranos, Cambridge Analytica, TikTok and Tr*mp’s tweets a little tacky (although very timely), but that’s a minor annoyance and just something that bugs me personally.

Another plus is that both the main characters are people of color, and it was really great to see Black and Desi men as leaders in their field and protagonists of a story instead of pigeon-holed into the sidekick/best friend role. I liked that both characters had some deep flaws but remained sympathetic characters, and I especially liked the emphasis placed on their friendship. Both Adi and Ben are also described as neurodivergent (Adi is said to be “on the spectrum”, while Ben has ADHD), but I can’t really speak to how well these characters captured the experiences of neurodivergent folks. Since this novel is told almost entirely in transcripts, text messages, and news articles, I think it’s difficult to capture those nuances. I also caught a minor cultural error (at some point, Adi says something about “goddess Shiva” but Shiva is a Hindu god – not goddess – and a very quick google search will tell you that), so I’m not totally sold on the research that went into creating these characters.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and would definitely recommend it for people who enjoy Sylvain Neuvel’s Sleeping Giants series. The characters in Sleeping Giants were more compelling, but this book is similarly fast-paced and tackles social ills through science fiction.

The Future is an exceptional read, it was my first time reading Dan Frey and I loved it. I think this book will be especially fun for fans of tech and all it does, and will do. I really dug the way the story was told through various forms. Meaning, Dan Frey was hella creative by telling the story in paragraph form, plus using the formats of emails, texts, and a congressional hearing. The characters had excellent depth and the plot had numerous turns, many of which were unexpected. Aldi's story arc was flat out great as was the ending. This is a writer I need to keep my eye on.

In Dan Frey’s latest novel, The Future Is Yours, best friends Ben Boyce and Adhi Chaudry create a computer that allows users to see and communicate one year into the future. But while charming and business-savvy Ben wants to take their product to market immediately, computer-genius Adhi has reservations, fearing it may result in catastrophic consequences if people try to change their timeline or it falls into the wrong hands. And Adhi isn’t the only one with ethical concerns about how their invention might be used. But when the going gets tough, rather than stick together, the two friends clash, and Adhi disappears and is soon declared missing.

Told through a series of emails, court documents, online news articles, and text messages, Frey has constructed a page-turning narrative that reveals Ben and Adhi’s past, present, and hypothetical future. Although the narrative structure makes conflicts feel like they're resolved a little too quickly and easily, it does allow Frey to create a good amount of suspense. But more importantly, the structure keeps Frey's characters and their struggles—rather than the tech—front and center, reminding us that at the heart of any technological advancement are complicated and imperfect human beings navigating the grey area between right and wrong.

The premise of the story I Love! LOVE! The characters, not so much, except for co-founder Adhi Chaudry, to a certain extent, the brains behind the revolutionary technology, a computer that can connect to the internet one year into the future. 

As I delved into THE FUTURE IS YOURS, my first and lasting impression of one of the main characters and co-founders of THE FUTURE, Ben Boyce, is that he comes off as a complete and utter arrogant, greedy, [Insert your choice of expletive here]. 

How it all began…

Ben Boyce and Adhi Chaudry met at Stanford University in California as roommates. (hence the use of ‘Bro!’ and ‘Dude!’ and I was waiting for the occasional ‘Sweet!’, but that didn’t happen) I’m from California, so…yeah. I mean, ‘Like, Totally Fer Sure!’ ;)

Chaudry is working towards his Ph.D. in Computer Science, that is, until the department put the kibosh on his thesis and Chaudry drops out of the program.

With a good word from Boyce (kudos to him for that), Chaudry lands a job with Google. 

A short while later… 

Ben asks to read Adhi’s thesis paper, which begins the ball rolling.

For any big idea to get off the ground, it takes startup money, and that’s where Boyce comes in, even if he has to lie to potential investors to get it, while later treating them and his staff like the dung on his shoe.

Overall, I wanted to love this book in its entirety, but that didn’t happen.

 I liked the formatting and narrative style—using emails, text messages, blog posts, transcripts, and online news articles.

I look forward to reading what Frey comes up with in the future. Next up by Frey, the Audible Original, THE RETREAT. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing, for loaning me an eGalley of THE FUTURE IS YOURS in request for an honest review. 

Scheduled For Release – February 9, 2021 (Subject To Change)

”We all live with the uncertainty of not knowing what’s coming. We can never be fully present because we’re so fixated and fearful about what’s next. But it doesn’t have to be that way.”

The Future Is Yours is propulsive and unputdownable. Written as science fiction that is uniquely accessible, regardless of comfort level with the genre, the novel asks the question, “What would you do if you could see your future?” and paints a picture of a reality where that very scenario is suddenly possible.

”I have learned that I cannot help myself. If given the chance, I will always open Pandora’s box.”

Ben Boyce and Adhvan Chaudry are former college roommates, each prodigious in their own way. Ben is charming, well-liked, and ambitious; Adhi is a scientific genius with a soft spot for quantum engineering. Together, they invent a computer that can transmit data across time - simply put, they make it possible for anyone, anywhere, to see what’s going to happen in the future. But the ethical implications of their discovery are perhaps more complex than anyone can calculate...

”It is a technology that increases information, but diminishes choice—and the results for everyone are catastrophic.”

With feather-light touches on many of the complex issues that pervade American society today (everything from suicide, substance abuse, infidelity, and behavioral addictions, to immigration, poverty, loss, and loneliness), Dan Frey subtly offers more than enough reasons that demonstrate exactly why anyone might seek out this kind of technology. The hope of avoiding pain/loss, or somehow using knowledge of the future to shape a better world, is alluring - both to the creators and their would-be users.

”If we can see the future, can we change it?”

The narrative style of this book is unique, in that it is told entirely through emails, text messages, transcripts, and even a handful of memes. I worried that it would feel like “all-tell-and-no-show,” as is common in interview-style and epistolary novels, but honestly, I was so captivated by the story and plot lines that I didn’t even notice if that was the case.

”Empowering people with a dangerous tool and trusting them to make perfect choices is a recipe for disaster.”

I had never read a science fiction book before this one, and went into it with a bit of hesitation, not really knowing what to expect. I found The Future Is Yours to be utterly fascinating. The data-specific time-travel element was intriguing, and Frey consistently raised excellent questions about the harmonious coexistence of agency and inevitability; the nature of free will vs. predetermination; the causal relationship between what we expect and how we behave in response to our expectations; and whether change is ever really possible.

”Sci-fi, like religion, is concerned with the big questions, the cosmos, epic metaphors to explore the human condition.”

I knew it was a 5-star read at the halfway-point, and then I got to the ending, and now I’m looking for a 6th star to award it. I’m fangirling at this point and should probably stop, but I can’t overstate how much I loved The Future Is Yours and Dan Frey’s genius mind. I think I’m a sci-fi fan now!

——

A huge thank-you to Dan Frey, Del Rey Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

——

Follow @letteredlibrary on Instagram!

This was a very original and interesting read. While some of the science felt a little over my head, Frey does a great job making the philosophical aspects of the story feel very approachable. I can’t remember the last time I read a piece of fiction that made me really think and reflect as much as this one did.

In addition to making the philosophical conundrums approachable, Frey does a great job making the sci-fi itself feel approachable. It’s light enough and rooted enough in a familiar reality that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this title to someone who doesn’t generally read sci-fi. There’s enough of the contemporary in this world and its characters that the audience for this read is much broader than for many sci-fi titles.

Frey’s characters feel very realistic and he does a great job making sure many different ethical/moral aspects are represented. He makes it easy for readers to align where they will and really consider what they themselves would do in a similar situation.

The story itself reads very quickly, both in pacing and format. Presented as a dossier of sorts, the tale is told through a collection of transcripts, emails, text conversations, news articles, etc. I love a good epistolary novel and considering the subject of this book, I think that formatting choice works especially well here.

Summary: A quick, fascinating read that forces the reader to consider the characters’ plights from within their own shoes. The sci-fi content is easily accessible, even for people who aren’t fans of the genre. Would definitely recommend widely.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always find books about startups to be fun.  They are full of excitement, greed, and betrayal.  Add predicting the future into the mix, and you have yourself a rollicking good time.  This book had me invested quickly in the pipe dreams of the two main characters.  I loved the science-fiction aspect of their invention, and the moral dilemma it presented.   If you could know what happens to you a year into the future, would you take a peek?

What I Liked:  

Premise:
 The book's premise, that a Silicon Valley start-up creates a computer that can download news articles from the future,  is an instant hook.  It has all the drama of the Facebook startup (nerdy genius, his flashy salesman friend, greedy investors, lawsuits), together with the moral ambiguity that comes with predicting the future.  How will the technology be used?  Will people be able to get lottery numbers, and stock tips?  Would they use it to prevent terrorist attacks?  Or could it be used to plan terrorist attacks?  There are so many scenarios where this information could be abused.  

Characters:

The book has two main characters, Adhi, a genius computer guy, and Ben, his college roommate who is looking to be part of the next "big" thing in Silicon Valley.  While Adhi is making this invention to see if it can be done, Ben is straight up trying to use it to get rich,  Their friendship is the glue that holds the project together.  But, as Ben finds eager investors he begins to see the company's rise as inevitable.  He gets ahead of himself and starts acting like a bigwig.  Adhi, on the other hand, begins to see the potential dangers in such  power.  I really liked that Adhi had a soul, and could see the wider implications of knowing the future.  Ben was less likable, as he only seemed motivated by greed.

Story:
The story is played out as a Congressional hearing where the government is investigating the potential impact of the device on national security.  It then has a series of flashbacks to show the reader how the guys met in college, and how they came about creating the company called, The Future.  It was a fun, and easy format. 
 
I really liked that Adhi started to immediately think about  "quality control" to test the accuracy of the predictions.  He thought about if they knew something bad would happen, could they then prevent it from happening.  Or would their interference actually create the tragedy?  Essentially, he tried to answer the age-old question in science-fiction time travel:  Can your actions change the future?  Can future actions change the past?  This was a really fun aspect of the book.

The Future is Yours is Ready Player One meets The Social Network if Ready Player One was more focused Halliday, Ogden, and the creation of OASIS. I’m not sure if that aspect of that book was an inspiration to the author to start writing this or not, but I felt like it worked as an exploration of creators creating something that becomes bigger than themselves while still being human and having their own desires and conflicts.

It was a quick read that was full of drama. Even though I could sense the direction or possible situation with the two partners clashing, the ending was still very surprising.

Even though this book is definitely tech focused since they created the machine that could access the future, it was written in a way I feel makes it accessible to people not interested in tech or specs of the machine itself. It was more of a story about people at the end of the day and I definitely recommend it.

For fans of Illuminae and Recursion, this had the epistolary style, time travel - in the form of being able to receive data from the future, and plenty of nerdy references. I found this very readable, easy to just pick up and go, and I think it would be very interesting in full-cast audio too. The science was interesting, but not overly technical, and instead much was focused on the drama between the characters, and those intent on stopping the technology from becoming mainstream. The ending was very solid, in my opinion, and I enjoyed the whole experience.

This was a fun read! 

Its pseudo-epistolary format (interviews, texts, emails, blog posts, etc.) makes for an absolutely effortless read, and the plot grabbed my attention immediately. Instead of the typical approach to time travel, these guys invent a <i>computer</i> that can connect to itself one year in the future. This is very intriguing because of how vaguely possible it actually seems, and also because the hard one-year limit makes things way more interesting than the usual "all of time and space" time travel.

I read this book in two days, despite being insanely busy. It's not particularly challenging, despite the questions of free will and regulation that it brings up, but was a perfect palate-cleanser and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

The subject of this novel is the practical implications of time travel, but at the same time it is a fast-moving mystery. It tells the story of a startup technology company called The Future, which is preparing to launch a quantum computer that can communicate with itself one year in the future. It is structured as a series of documents, such as emails, a transcript of a congressional hearing, texts, essays, and news stories retrieved online. As befits a time travel story, the chronology is not completely linear, but not enough to disrupt the plot. Much more than a structural gimmick, it offers an interesting perspective, allowing all of the characters to speak for themselves with no apparent narrator. As the product launch date approaches, things start to go mysteriously wrong. The conclusion answers all of the questions, while also revealing a surprise narrator behind the entire manuscript. A satisfying resolution which is implied rather than directly stated.

Ben and Adhi have created a monster- a machine that can look at the internet a year from now.  Yes, it seems like a great idea but it raises the obvious ethical questions (can you, should you change the future).  This is less about ethics, however, and more about how Silicon Valley and venture capitalism works.  Know that the story is told in emails, memos, texts, blogs etc., which is appropriate in some ways and yet at the same time creates a bit of distance for the reader for the characters.  It's their very success that drives these two apart and yet, when push comes to shove, they know they must pull together.  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.  Fans of the tech thriller might think this light but those, like me, who aren't as immersed in the culture will find it illuminating.  A good read.

Of all the once-fashionable structures for novels that have fallen out of favor over the years, the epistolary novel is one that has always brought me joy whenever I see it revived. Even Stephen King gave it a shot, with Carrie, giving us a postmortem of horrors constructed from a variety of sources, playing with voices and perspective in clever ways. Indeed, that willingness to embrace subjective narrators has only improved the epistolary novel; free of the need to only give us detailed recaps of plots and stories, these takes on the form can make the unpacking of perspectives itself part of the story, leaving us unsure of who we can trust and what the reality of it all is.

Dan Frey’s The Future is Yours embraces the epistolary novel in a great way, using modern technology to deal with the usual questions raised by the genre (“How does everyone remember conversations verbatim in these letters?”), constructing a narrative out of blog entries, email chains, text messages, and, most intriguingly, the transcript of a Senate hearing about the new technology created by two young entrepreneurs.

That technology isn’t exactly a secret; indeed, Frey opens the book with a tease of what’s to come, as the first email of the tale comes to our two protagonists from themselves…one year down the road. Because what these men have created is a device that allows them to connect to the internet one year into the future, seeing what’s to come and getting a glimpse into…well, the future. Of course, this raises all sorts of questions – can this future be changed? What does it say about fate? What kind of responsibility do creators of something like this have to the world in which they unleash it? All questions that The Future is Yours takes the time to engage with – but first, there’s the worrying issue that the future seems to be…not responding anymore.

Thanks to its style, The Future is Yours is a rapid-fire read, one that moves along like a rocket, buoyed by conversation and kept moving thanks to a lack of superfluous narration and detail. But what becomes obvious along the way is that Frey’s choice of narrative structure also keeps us from always being able to get a read on our characters and the reality of the situation. Motivations are hidden; fights are alluded to but not explained; and most of all, it’s clear that some important aspects of the story are only gradually being revealed, including one at the very end of the book that throws everything we’ve read into a very different light.

The Future is Yours isn’t perfect; a lot of the rich questions of the book feel a little sidelined to questions of ego and failed romance, which just fundamentally aren’t as interesting as the bigger ideas that it’s playing with; what’s more, while I really like the final reveal of the book, it – intentionally – leaves the story a little untold, not in terms of needing a sequel, but in terms of an ambiguity that I respect even as I admit it left me a little frustrated. (That one is hard to get into without spoiling the book, but the ending feels right in many ways, all while being frustrating as a reader.) But its ambition is strong enough, and the storytelling engaging enough, as we get to know these men through their words and actions, that it’s going to be hard to not find yourself a little caught up in this wild, imaginative, thought-provoking piece of writing.

3.25/5 - I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading The Future is Yours and I'm happy to say I came out of it pleasantly surprised.  

I've read a few other books that are told through emails/texts/articles/etc. and it's always hit or miss for me but that format translated really well for this story.  I didn't really like the two main characters, Ben and Adhi, but I don't feel like I really needed to.  They felt very real and their reactions to what was going on around the and what was happen to them felt very real.

I could have done without the reveal of Adhi's "love interest".  It was a bit too cliche and overused.  For a bit I thought that was going in a different direction and would have liked that one a lot more.  

All in all, I liked this one and would recommend it for sci-fi fans.

*Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Future Is Yours by Dan Frey is a highly recommended tech thriller that explores the realm of time travel and the relationship between two entrepreneurs.

Adhi Chaudry is by all accounts a genius (and on the spectrum) and Ben Boyce has been his best friend since college. Adhi has the theory that a quantum computer can be made that will see into the future. Ben believes in his friend and the two join together to create a startup to deliver the device, The Future. Adhi's job is to develop the technology, while Ben will hustle up the funding. And they do it. They create a prototype computer that can see one year into the future, and the future they glimpse looks bright. Ben is ready to be Silicon Valley's next tech billionaire, while Adhi begins to see changes in the future and becomes concerned.

The narrative in The Future Is Yours is told through written records, mainly a transcript of Ben's testimony before a congressional committee, but also text messages, emails, and blog posts. This epistolary technique works well in the novel as you need to read in-between the lines and infer what may be going on behind the scene that is not being shared. The sci-fi elements of being able to see one year in the future is very intriguing, but The Future Is Yours focuses more on the past and present relationship between the characters and the implications of the technology. (The concept of time travel paradoxes is introduced in a simple manner, especially the effect on free will as in Newcomb's paradox.)

The characters are developed through their own words and actions. It becomes clear that Ben is focused on the wealth and prestige he plans to amass from The Future. Adhi clearly has a conscious and begins to question the moral and personal implications of looking ahead a year in the future and how this alters individual actions and thoughts.

This is a fast read and will hold your attention throughout. The novel does focus more on the human aspect of the story and the relationship between Adhi and Ben rather than the science behind time travel, or in this case glimpsing information from the future. I was fascinated with the idea of seeing information from one year in the future, but also questioned the implications of this information and Adhi does do this even though The Future is his technological invention. Personally, I would have liked to see the paradoxes explored a little more. Ben is all about "show me the money" and becomes increasingly reprehensible as you see he will do anything to see that big payout. This makes The Future Is Yours an interesting psychological and moralistic study of the friendship between two very different men.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Random House Publishing Group.
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

We’ve all thought, “If only I had known what the future would bring…”What if you could? What if technology could make time travel possible? Would it be the beginning of a perfect world, or the end of everything? Welcome to Dany Frey’s THE FUTURE IS YOURS where two friends create a computer program that allows contact with the future and open themselves and the world up to chaos on a level never imagined.

Using an interesting format, Dan Frey builds his tale around emails, texts, blogs and more, as well as government documents and inquests as two young men build a multi-million dollar empire around their achievement. This is their story, told in a rapid pace that is personal, yet not personal, depending more on the media then on inter-personal actions.

Sometimes it reads more as a documentary of events as opposed to “living” events. I never felt I fell into the story and often found myself second guessing the ramifications of their creation, asking myself what about?...

Certainly entertaining, especially for techno mavens although the pettiness of humanity does get pretty heavy at times. Can you imagine knowing the future? How would you use the knowledge you gain? Would it be used for greed or selflessness?

An intriguing, yet not mesmerizing read.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Del Rey! This is my honesty and voluntary review.

Surprisingly engaging in an epistolary format and accessible despite the quantum and string theory that is thrown around regarding the prototype. I found this engrossing and difficult to put down. At times it was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. The combination of web articles, emails, text messages, blog posts, hearing transcripts, and even a best man speech worked for me. It brought to mind the two latest books from Blake Crouch -- 'Dark Matter' and 'Recursion.' If you are a fan, this book is for you. Can Ben and Adhi's friendship survive their journey as entrepreneurs? What about Ben's marriage? And, most importantly, have they unintentionally set in motion a world apocalypse? Hang on for the end. It may surprise you, too!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Seeing into the future was intriguing enough for me to request this books as an ARC. 
The book starts with an email from the future. Exciting! Then a congressional hearing follows directly after. Ominous. The entire book is a collection of written communication pertaining to the invention of a computer that can connect with another computer in the future. And then what happens after.
The Black Hole Anonymous Musing of a Scifi Superfan inserts were very thoughtful and intellectual and helped the reader see more into the introverted character Adhvan. As the reader, you don't see much into the emotional side of him besides these. They give him dimension. I felt empathetic towards him throughout the book and the musing helped strengthen his character. 
The other main character, Ben, is a pretentious and manipulative person who knows just the right thing to say to someone to get them to do something, even if it is wrong. And you see this throughout the book as the plotline progresses.
The author was able to provide a depth to the main characters without the extra descriptions that go into traditionally written  books. Overall, the simplicity of this type of book provides just enough depth to attract and hold my attention. A quick, easy must read book.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Future is Yours

Author: Dan Fray

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: mixed media format, ya, sci-fi

Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Publisher: Del Ray

Pages: 352

Recommended Age: 15+ (rogue AI, slight language, romance, slight sexual content)

Synopsis: If you had the chance to look one year into the future, would you?

For Ben Boyce and Adhi Chaudry, the answer is unequivocally yes. And they’re betting everything that you’ll say yes, too. Welcome to The Future: a computer that connects to the internet one year from now, so you can see who you’ll be dating, where you’ll be working, even whether or not you’ll be alive in the year to come. By forming a startup to deliver this revolutionary technology to the world, Ben and Adhi have made their wildest, most impossible dream a reality. Once Silicon Valley outsiders, they’re now its hottest commodity. 

The device can predict everything perfectly—from stock market spikes and sports scores to political scandals and corporate takeovers—allowing them to chase down success and fame while staying one step ahead of the competition. But the future their device foretells is not the bright one they imagined.

Ambition. Greed. Jealousy. And, perhaps, an apocalypse. The question is . . . can they stop it?

Told through emails, texts, transcripts, and blog posts, this bleeding-edge tech thriller chronicles the costs of innovation and asks how far you’d go to protect the ones you love—even from themselves.

Review:I had to dnf this book at about 45% of the way through. much like the supercomputer in this book I found this book way to predictable for my liking. I'm not saying that I've read this before and that it's plagiarism, but I do feel like I know the story already.

Verdict: Not for me but maybe for you!