Max’s Year In Books

Max’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Max’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Max’s Bookshelves

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Max Malterer

Goodreads Author

Born

in Munich, Germany

Website

https://www.maxmalterer.com

Genre

Science Fiction, Contemporary, Fiction

Influences

Kim S. Robinson, Matt Haig, Ling Ma, Cixin Liun, Octavia E. Butle ...more

Member Since

March 2024

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I write near-future novels that feel close enough to touch—stories where intimate lives collide with plausible technologies and the hardest choices are human.

My debut, The Human Relief Project, explores a society being “freed” from work and the people deciding what remains of purpose and dignity when jobs fall away.

Before turning to fiction, I spent years building systems in non-profit, tech, and strategy roles. That work taught me how incentives, policies, and good intentions ripple through everyday lives—lessons that now shape my storytelling.

I call my approach Speculative Realism: character-first fiction where big ideas are carried by lived moments rather than explanation, and realistic what-ifs quietly reshape how we see familiar choice ...more

34 posts
Max Malterer's Blog

Stage Whisper

Hey everyone,

Germany has several important state elections coming up in September, and the results could shape the country’s political direction for years to come. Then, in November, the US midterms will likely have consequences far beyond the US.

Don’t worry—I’m not about to turn this newsletter into political commentary. There are enough pundits out there already, many of them with a level of sop

Combine Editions
Max Malterer’s books

Average rating: 4.43 · 68 ratings · 35 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Human Relief Project: When The World Stops Working (A Novel) 4.26 avg rating — 46 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Birthright: A Near-Future Novel 4.77 avg rating — 22 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Max’s Recent Updates

Max Malterer wrote a new blog post Stage Whisper Hey everyone,Germany has several important state elections coming up in September, and the results could shape the country’s political direction for y Read more of this blog post »
Aug 21, 2026 06:58AM · like
Max Malterer liked Melany Vergara-Suarez's review of Birthright: A Near-Future Novel: "New and relevant concepts for scholars to explore Birthright explores what happens when an Ideological State Apparatus, as theorized by Louis Althusser, fails in its basic function of generating productive forces within a neoliberal economy. In this " Read more of this review »
May 27, 2026 09:35PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Birthright by Max Malterer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Birthright by Max Malterer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Max Malterer liked Adry's review of Birthright: A Near-Future Novel: "Birthright was such an easy and engaging read, even as it explored complex societal dilemmas that made me question my own moral values. It’s an intimate, daring, and chillingly honest story about the cost of perfection, with a plot twist that kept me" Read more of this review »
May 27, 2026 09:35PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Birthright by Max Malterer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Birthright by Max Malterer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Max Malterer liked Dalla Torre's review of Birthright: A Near-Future Novel: "A topic that gives you pause for thought. Would it be better for humanity if we all raised children according to a template? Encouraging and shaping them individually, but all according to the norm? Max Malterer does an excellent job of describing th" Read more of this review »
May 27, 2026 09:35PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Birthright by Max Malterer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Birthright by Max Malterer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Max Malterer has read The Human Relief Project: When The World Stops Working (A Novel) by Max Malterer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 14, 2026 04:58AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Human Relief Project by Max Malterer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Human Relief Project by Max Malterer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Max Malterer has read Birthright: A Near-Future Novel by Max Malterer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 11, 2026 10:58AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Birthright by Max Malterer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Birthright by Max Malterer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Max Malterer finished reading The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 05, 2026 10:53AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Max Malterer is currently reading The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 03, 2026 04:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Max Malterer has read How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 03, 2026 04:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Max Malterer has read I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 05, 2026 11:06PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">