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The Futures Trilogy #2
Basic Living
"There will always be the poor. The question is what to do with them." -- Senator Miriam Baxter, R Arizona, architect of the Basic Living Act, 5/14/28.
Basic Living is a work of speculative fiction. It is the second book of the Futures Trilogy and a tangential sequel to Peace Out.
Basic Living is a work of speculative fiction. It is the second book of the Futures Trilogy and a tangential sequel to Peace Out.
224 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2013
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184 people want to read
About the author
G.M. Whitley
9 books22 followersGuang Ming Whitley makes her home in Charleston, South Carolina. Her children’s middle names are, respectively, Aenea, Ender, Seldon, and Deckard.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 25, 2014
I read this book in two days. It would be cliche to say I couldn't put it down, but also inaccurate, because I did indeed put it down several times (I have this thing called a job that sometimes has to take priority over my reading, go figure). But the brilliance of this book was that every time I picked it back up, I felt like I had never left. I fell immediately back in to whichever story I was reading.
Each of the linked stories, revealed in alternating chapters, is compelling in its own way. Victor and Mari are high school sweethearts who've grown up on Basic Living ("BL", or a futuristic expanded version of welfare) and find they have different ideas about how to get off and stay off of BL. Two other storylines focus on young males who are delivered from BL through the largesse of the wealthy: a rich old man plucks one of his building's valets up to the penthouse to be a personal assistant, and a rich corporation gives a hefty scholarship to a talented adolescent. Finally, an older couple scrimps and saves at the end of their lives -- they're not on BL, but they're only a half-step ahead of it and never seem to gain ground. Their stories are woven together and speckled with little quotations from fictional-but-very-realistic sources based on the present: you get sound bites from future politicians, the Trinity Broadcasting Network, The New Yorker, even Reddit.
Most of the characters are so well-drawn and sympathetic that it was easy to forget I was reading speculative fiction at all. Then a carefully thought out detail, like the algae-based GL diet, would startle me out of my comfortable reading and make me think about the construction that went into the world G.M. Whitley created. I'm not quite sure whether or not I want to live in this future, but I am sure I want to read more about it. Good thing book 3 of the trilogy is due out soon.
Each of the linked stories, revealed in alternating chapters, is compelling in its own way. Victor and Mari are high school sweethearts who've grown up on Basic Living ("BL", or a futuristic expanded version of welfare) and find they have different ideas about how to get off and stay off of BL. Two other storylines focus on young males who are delivered from BL through the largesse of the wealthy: a rich old man plucks one of his building's valets up to the penthouse to be a personal assistant, and a rich corporation gives a hefty scholarship to a talented adolescent. Finally, an older couple scrimps and saves at the end of their lives -- they're not on BL, but they're only a half-step ahead of it and never seem to gain ground. Their stories are woven together and speckled with little quotations from fictional-but-very-realistic sources based on the present: you get sound bites from future politicians, the Trinity Broadcasting Network, The New Yorker, even Reddit.
Most of the characters are so well-drawn and sympathetic that it was easy to forget I was reading speculative fiction at all. Then a carefully thought out detail, like the algae-based GL diet, would startle me out of my comfortable reading and make me think about the construction that went into the world G.M. Whitley created. I'm not quite sure whether or not I want to live in this future, but I am sure I want to read more about it. Good thing book 3 of the trilogy is due out soon.
March 7, 2016
With Basic Living, Whitley has seen into the future. A future full of rich and poor, hard workers and lazy bums, tough choices and even tougher consequences. A future that could very well be just over the horizon. This reader was immersed in the tale immediately and didn't want the story to end. Each character is fully fleshed-out and inhabits a well-drawn, realistic world full of moral quandaries and ambiguity. Every chapter begins with a brilliant caption of various future media posts, interviews and articles, each one in an original and highly creative voice; easily the best part of the book. Baited breath for the third installment!
September 9, 2013
Just finished this book! A great page turner and sequel to Peace Out. I liked Peace Out but this one was much better. It's a fast paced book with very interesting story lines. What I love most about the author's writing is that I am always challenged/pushed beyond my comfort zone on what I think about really hard topics. Peace Out focused on assisted suicide and Basic Living focuses on welfare. I thought I had a pretty good grasp on my views but Basic Living really makes you dig in and think about this important issue, and most importantly, the people affected by it.
November 5, 2013
This one is actually better than #1 (which I also enjoyed). The author does a great job making you question and refine your opinions about very complex social issues. The character development was much better in #2. This is my favorite book I've read this year.
August 29, 2013
An intriguing follow up to Peace Out....I enjoyed the concept of "Basic Living" and how it would impact our society. Thought-provoking in the best way.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews