/lit/ - Literature

>>23314723
The narrative covers from 2013-2043. The future, 2025, begins with Book II, at 12%, which means 88% of this is speculation about the future. The most evident break from our timeline is that neither Trump nor Biden won the 2024 election. They both exist but it's never explain what happened. Whether it's science fiction is arguable. There's a lot of science exposition, the breadth of research involved is impressive and admirable, but that's more for the education of the reader than as an exploration of the technology. I'd describe the scientific advancements as important, yet unexciting.

What The Deluge is most about is drama. There's climate, political, relationship, and family drama. Fortunately there's rarely what I'd consider melodrama. Some of the climate and political events seemed improbable, though that may only be because I wouldn't want them to happen and it's likely that I don't know what's probable. However, much of it is that which has happened before, only worse. Expect ruinous events, from the personal to the global. If one were to be uncharitable and reductive, much of the story could be described as doomerism in the form of disaster and misery porn, much like the news industry itself, though I believe that misses the point.

In terms of politics it's very cynical and there's vitriol for the entire political spectrum. There's something to upset about anyone. Both major political parties are considered evil. However, none of the viewpoint characters could reasonably be considered as social conservatives or even right-wing by current US standards. It's more complicated than that, as people tend to be, especially when their actions don't align with their professed beliefs. There's also considerable concern given towards how dangerous religious demagogue can be, especially when fused with modern conspiratorial thinking.

This is not about a pre-established dystopia where the reader accepts that as a premise. This is a death by a thousand cuts dystopia realized despite and because of the characters' efforts as well that which is out of their control. This is not an uplifting story about the heroic efforts of a few. This is the story of many very flawed people, as we all are, who tried to do what believed what was the best they could do at the time given their circumstances and what they knew.

Rating: 5/5