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Tomorrow's Children
From Hugo Award nominated author comes a high-octane post-apocalyptic romp set in the ruins of Manhattan.
Tomorrow, the funk descends on Manhattan, a noxious cloud which separates the island from the rest of the world and mutates the population. Some generations on, the surviving population exists amid the rubble of modernity, wearing our cast-off clothing, worshipping celebrities as dim gods and using emojis in place or written language. The Island exists in a state of uneasy peace, with each neighborhood an independent fiefdom, protecting itself with scrap metal spears and Molotov cocktails.
But something new has come to the Island, the first tourist in centuries, and this uneasy equilibrium is about to shatter…
Tomorrow, the funk descends on Manhattan, a noxious cloud which separates the island from the rest of the world and mutates the population. Some generations on, the surviving population exists amid the rubble of modernity, wearing our cast-off clothing, worshipping celebrities as dim gods and using emojis in place or written language. The Island exists in a state of uneasy peace, with each neighborhood an independent fiefdom, protecting itself with scrap metal spears and Molotov cocktails.
But something new has come to the Island, the first tourist in centuries, and this uneasy equilibrium is about to shatter…
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2024
68 people are currently reading
1178 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Polansky
35 books1,249 followersDaniel Polansky is the author of the Low Town trilogy, Empty Throne duology, the Hugo-nominated novella The Builders, and A City Dreaming. He can be found in Los Angeles, mostly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
October 28, 2024
Imagine Lord of the Flies but in a major city and lasting for generations. Also there are girls (which I suppose is necessary for it to last more than one generation). And eventually some people develop superpowers, and written language has devolved into hieroglyphs. Skip the book's description if you can, it takes away from the reading experience of coming to understand the setting yourself through the text.
This is an interesting and experimental genre-bending book, from a writer known for speculative fiction with an experimental, literary bent, published by Giant Robot which I have come to recognize for its books' experimental, literary bent. (The other recent title of theirs I've read is Gogmagog).
The post-apocalyptic (sort of) society here feels almost child-like, but in the realistic manner of children not being at all simple. It's well thought out, with interesting economic, technological, nutritional, religious and social outcomes based on the available starting resources.
The story comes through short, choppy segments, through chapters rife with subtitled sections, through a large cast of characters and an omniscient POV. The central plot doesn't make itself fully known until roughly the half-way point, although you can pick out the main characters well before then. If the author engendered less trust, it would be easy to drift away from the book, but the writing quality is sufficient to carry on despite the vagary of plot early on. You feel like a tourist visiting an unknown culture in a vaguely familiar location, from which you can depart any time you wish, but maybe you want to put on your anthropologist hat and stay to learn more.
This is an interesting and experimental genre-bending book, from a writer known for speculative fiction with an experimental, literary bent, published by Giant Robot which I have come to recognize for its books' experimental, literary bent. (The other recent title of theirs I've read is Gogmagog).
The post-apocalyptic (sort of) society here feels almost child-like, but in the realistic manner of children not being at all simple. It's well thought out, with interesting economic, technological, nutritional, religious and social outcomes based on the available starting resources.
The story comes through short, choppy segments, through chapters rife with subtitled sections, through a large cast of characters and an omniscient POV. The central plot doesn't make itself fully known until roughly the half-way point, although you can pick out the main characters well before then. If the author engendered less trust, it would be easy to drift away from the book, but the writing quality is sufficient to carry on despite the vagary of plot early on. You feel like a tourist visiting an unknown culture in a vaguely familiar location, from which you can depart any time you wish, but maybe you want to put on your anthropologist hat and stay to learn more.
March 13, 2024
I guess this is as close to the sequel of "A City Dreaming" as we get.
December 18, 2023
If I had to summarize my review in three words this would be it.. Trust the process!
This will for sure be a polarizing book and in all honesty it doesn't do itself any favors.
For starters, it throws you out of the gate amid clan battles and politics and no explanation is provided. The amount of characters we're introduced is overwhelming and to make things even harder we hardly get any background for any of them and we have to make sense of everything as we go along. Due to this being a post-apocalyptic version of Manhatan, the inhabitants use some strange dialect that takes some getting used to to fully comprehend what is being said. And finally the author chooses to use a confusing structure with short chapters that even paragraph by paragraph we jump from one place to another.
All of the above I think will make a lot of readers give up on this, even before the halfway point. And that would be a shame, because...
...this is really very good. It's full of humor, great action and has pretty charismatic and interesting characters. The story really starts to make sense after the 60% mark, but when everything came together I really couldn't stop reading. The setting is a great example of a post-apocalyptic world and the authors imagination really signs in this aspect with the different clans portrayed here. The pacing is non-stop and that evens out the complexity of the first half mentioned above.
I wish that the author had given us some more info on the protagonists though (not for all of them, because as I said the cast is huge), cause that would have given the thrilling conclusion some extra emotional impact and also some of them were really fucking cool.
To summarize.. go into this expecting to not make sense of much in the beginning, go along with the zanny characters and you'll be rewarded.. As I said "Trust the process..."
This will for sure be a polarizing book and in all honesty it doesn't do itself any favors.
For starters, it throws you out of the gate amid clan battles and politics and no explanation is provided. The amount of characters we're introduced is overwhelming and to make things even harder we hardly get any background for any of them and we have to make sense of everything as we go along. Due to this being a post-apocalyptic version of Manhatan, the inhabitants use some strange dialect that takes some getting used to to fully comprehend what is being said. And finally the author chooses to use a confusing structure with short chapters that even paragraph by paragraph we jump from one place to another.
All of the above I think will make a lot of readers give up on this, even before the halfway point. And that would be a shame, because...
...this is really very good. It's full of humor, great action and has pretty charismatic and interesting characters. The story really starts to make sense after the 60% mark, but when everything came together I really couldn't stop reading. The setting is a great example of a post-apocalyptic world and the authors imagination really signs in this aspect with the different clans portrayed here. The pacing is non-stop and that evens out the complexity of the first half mentioned above.
I wish that the author had given us some more info on the protagonists though (not for all of them, because as I said the cast is huge), cause that would have given the thrilling conclusion some extra emotional impact and also some of them were really fucking cool.
To summarize.. go into this expecting to not make sense of much in the beginning, go along with the zanny characters and you'll be rewarded.. As I said "Trust the process..."
December 27, 2023
I’m not sure I actually *liked* this book but once I’d cracked the first quarter, it became a compelling read nonetheless: not an easy book to get into. I liked the concept and its grit but there was no one character that really stood out to me. I dont think this is Polansky’s best work. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
December 20, 2023
There is a trap in writing fall-of-man, post-apocalyptic fiction, and that trap is future slang. You might be willing to work out quite how much technology or knowledge may be lost, but accurately predicting the change of language is really tough and leaves you open to something not reading well. Not everyone can write A Clockwork Orange, and that's not exactly a breathless read. Tomorrow's Children, a story of post-apocalyptic gang warfare on the island of Manhattan is full of both devoluted slang, and evolved language, some of which makes sense, some of which is clumsy, and some which seems willfully obtuse. Asphalt becomes phalt, and now just means the ground. I can see that, its linguistic path follows a pretty standard route. But how "night" becomes "dim", and "day" becomes "bright" seems less clear, and that's a pity because Polansky sticks to that one religiously. Mix that up with Manhattan neighbourhood slang (Stuy for Stuyvesant Park, the Ef-De-Ar) you'd hope the prose style wasn't too stylised just to make it accessible. Unfortunately, the prose style is florid in places.
For a New York native, this might grab you like the tales of London gangs of Borribles did me as a kid, though that was always very readable. Instead, there is this tale of multiple gangs starting a war while something tries to reconnect to the mainland all while the mysterious "funk" 9which caused the apocalypse) closes in. And cute gags and short Vonnegutian chapters notwithstanding, it didn't really connect to me at all.
For a New York native, this might grab you like the tales of London gangs of Borribles did me as a kid, though that was always very readable. Instead, there is this tale of multiple gangs starting a war while something tries to reconnect to the mainland all while the mysterious "funk" 9which caused the apocalypse) closes in. And cute gags and short Vonnegutian chapters notwithstanding, it didn't really connect to me at all.
April 24, 2024
Sve što Bojan voli, imaginacija, lepo pisanje, taman doza brutalnosti, humor, još humora al crnog, fusnote, epski momenti... jedna od onih knjiga u kojima sam uživao od prvog slova do poslednje tačke.
April 19, 2024
I struggled with this book a LOT more than I usually do with Polansky novels. It was clever, had the typical prose, humor, dialogue, edge I expect from Daniel, but it just wasn't quite the right book for me. I got invested after the slower start to the book, but it never quite clicked. Enjoyable, but not my favorite from Polansky.
February 4, 2024
Tomorrow's children :
Tomorrow's Children is set in a post-apocalyptic New York, destroyed by the funk, a sort of mortal mist.
Let's start with the positive; I think the world building is pretty original, I love that they developed powers which make it kind of sci-fi/ urban horror fantasy vibe ? The history of the gangs was well made, the fact that there's still capitalism and social classes was really funny to me (in a good way).
That particular post apocalyptic setting is also pretty original, since it's not directly post apocalyptic but many generations after the end of the world.
The writing in itself is fluid and simple, the author is certainly a man of action more than words and its ok, although I think he really nailed the individualisation of the dialogues.
BUT, there is also some negative points : I think the world building would have been clearer with a map ? I've never been to New York so trying to make sense of the different gangs and neighbourhood was hell, I quickly abandoned the fact that I will understand what TriBeCa is ! I also thought that emoji replacing words, and in such that everybody was illiterate really sounded silly to me, knowing that I think knowing how to read is a need that even parents in post-apocalyptic era would learn to their children (I know they're approximately the 4/5 generations after the mist but still), moreover since they don't have phones how do they know about it ? My last criticism would just be taste and colours ; I think there's too much characters and it drove me out of the story since I wasn't able to know any and was confused 90% of the time.
Summary : Very original ideas, characters and setting. Although, some details frustrated me ( illiteracy with use of emojis instead and too many characters for my liking).
Tomorrow's Children is set in a post-apocalyptic New York, destroyed by the funk, a sort of mortal mist.
Let's start with the positive; I think the world building is pretty original, I love that they developed powers which make it kind of sci-fi/ urban horror fantasy vibe ? The history of the gangs was well made, the fact that there's still capitalism and social classes was really funny to me (in a good way).
That particular post apocalyptic setting is also pretty original, since it's not directly post apocalyptic but many generations after the end of the world.
The writing in itself is fluid and simple, the author is certainly a man of action more than words and its ok, although I think he really nailed the individualisation of the dialogues.
BUT, there is also some negative points : I think the world building would have been clearer with a map ? I've never been to New York so trying to make sense of the different gangs and neighbourhood was hell, I quickly abandoned the fact that I will understand what TriBeCa is ! I also thought that emoji replacing words, and in such that everybody was illiterate really sounded silly to me, knowing that I think knowing how to read is a need that even parents in post-apocalyptic era would learn to their children (I know they're approximately the 4/5 generations after the mist but still), moreover since they don't have phones how do they know about it ? My last criticism would just be taste and colours ; I think there's too much characters and it drove me out of the story since I wasn't able to know any and was confused 90% of the time.
Summary : Very original ideas, characters and setting. Although, some details frustrated me ( illiteracy with use of emojis instead and too many characters for my liking).
March 4, 2024
3.5*
Well, this was a bizarre book! I won't lie, it took me some time to get into. Like, to the point where I thought about stopping because I was so lost? But at some point it just... started growing on me? I don't fully understand how or why, but I ended up feeling invested in the character and story, so there you have it.
It's the future, long after some apocalypse or another wreaked havoc on the world. And it seems to be clinging onto Manhattan specifically, in the form of some kind of fog they call "the funk". Now, most of the characters use slang that has evolved over the years, a lot of which I had trouble understanding. So while I think I understand stuff, who knows if I actually do. Anyway, the city is divided into several factions, and they seem totally down with killing each other if it is so needed. Also, they eat dogs, so maybe a TW for that? But yeah, most of the plot involves the factions trying to overthrow each other and also some attempts to destroy the island.
There is a lot of personality in this book, that is for sure. The footnotes in particular I enjoyed, and there were definitely a lot of (dark) humorous moments, which I appreciated. Also, it seems that the world in general may not be quite as messy as Manhattan, which I kind of wish had been discussed a bit more because I was very intrigued. I also found the vast differences between the factions interesting, and like I said, many of the characters grew on me, even if it was kind of against my will. And be aware, there are a lot of characters (thanks again to the footnotes, they do help!)
Bottom Line: This was a strange book, yet one that ended up sucking me in even if I was overwhelmed for a bit.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Well, this was a bizarre book! I won't lie, it took me some time to get into. Like, to the point where I thought about stopping because I was so lost? But at some point it just... started growing on me? I don't fully understand how or why, but I ended up feeling invested in the character and story, so there you have it.
It's the future, long after some apocalypse or another wreaked havoc on the world. And it seems to be clinging onto Manhattan specifically, in the form of some kind of fog they call "the funk". Now, most of the characters use slang that has evolved over the years, a lot of which I had trouble understanding. So while I think I understand stuff, who knows if I actually do. Anyway, the city is divided into several factions, and they seem totally down with killing each other if it is so needed. Also, they eat dogs, so maybe a TW for that? But yeah, most of the plot involves the factions trying to overthrow each other and also some attempts to destroy the island.
There is a lot of personality in this book, that is for sure. The footnotes in particular I enjoyed, and there were definitely a lot of (dark) humorous moments, which I appreciated. Also, it seems that the world in general may not be quite as messy as Manhattan, which I kind of wish had been discussed a bit more because I was very intrigued. I also found the vast differences between the factions interesting, and like I said, many of the characters grew on me, even if it was kind of against my will. And be aware, there are a lot of characters (thanks again to the footnotes, they do help!)
Bottom Line: This was a strange book, yet one that ended up sucking me in even if I was overwhelmed for a bit.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
July 25, 2025
Arguably Polansky’s strongest work since The Builders.
The book is a mashup of the film The Warriors but more post apocalyptic. And a deep sense of NYC, with made up terms like “Walk to Jersey” instead of “Go to Hell”.
Very short chapters that bunch around to countless POVs in the city. Takes a bit to acclimate to who the main players are, but the mystery of all the short stories were worth the bigger picture.
It’s arguably much of the same from Polansky. You can see a lot of The Warden or The Captain here. Run down society bringing out the worst in people.
But it’s a ton of fun, too.
The book is a mashup of the film The Warriors but more post apocalyptic. And a deep sense of NYC, with made up terms like “Walk to Jersey” instead of “Go to Hell”.
Very short chapters that bunch around to countless POVs in the city. Takes a bit to acclimate to who the main players are, but the mystery of all the short stories were worth the bigger picture.
It’s arguably much of the same from Polansky. You can see a lot of The Warden or The Captain here. Run down society bringing out the worst in people.
But it’s a ton of fun, too.
Read
March 22, 2024"Tomorrow's Children" by Daniel Polansky takes readers on a wild ride through a post-apocalyptic Manhattan where gangs rule and language has taken a bizarre turn. The slang might trip you up at first, but it adds a gritty charm to the story. Polansky's world-building is immersive, painting a vivid picture of a city in chaos. While some language choices might seem strange, they ultimately contribute to the novel's authenticity. If you're into dystopian tales with a linguistic twist, this one's worth a read.
May 6, 2024
2 1/2 stars.
Tomorrow's Children is a strange book, even after finishing it, I still feel like I didn't fully understand everything that I had read and what was going on despite groups of different gangs fighting over things and spaces.
While it did seem interesting, the style of the writing was a little too strange for my liking but I did enjoy the shorter chapters and even the sub chapter headings within them too.
Tomorrow's Children is a strange book, even after finishing it, I still feel like I didn't fully understand everything that I had read and what was going on despite groups of different gangs fighting over things and spaces.
While it did seem interesting, the style of the writing was a little too strange for my liking but I did enjoy the shorter chapters and even the sub chapter headings within them too.
April 14, 2025
I finished this one because I love post-apocalyptic literature. It seems to be the perfect novel for me and yet it was over complicated. There is a reason every alien Captain kirk meets speaks English—so we can understand the story. I don’t mind stressing that language changes or adding in new slang to emphasize that language is lost but this is overkill and confuses the reader. It is another that becomes convoluted and difficult to follow and in the end I’m not sure what the plot was. There were time when it had some great future moments but other that leave confusion.
March 16, 2024
Those last few China Mievilles, where you arent quite sure what he is trying for? I think this is it.
November 13, 2023
I'm honestly not sure how to feel about this book. I love Polansky's work, but this one took a long time to get into. Like....most of the book. But once I got into it, I couldn't really put it down.
First of all, the cast of characters is massive. It's so hard to keep track of who's who, especially at the beginning when it jumps from character to character very quickly and you're only getting quick snippets without getting to know any of them. However, over the course of the book, you do get a feel for some of the main characters such as Gillian, the Kid, Ariadne, Hope, Ael, and a few others. But overall, I felt that a lot were very shallow and didn't have much connection to them.
The world itself, set in some kind of post-apocalyptic New York was interesting, but you never find out what the funk is, which is a little frustrating, despite the fact that it is central to the plot. Not a lot is handed to you and you have to work things out for yourself, which a lot of readers will like, but personally, I do like things to be a little clearer.
That said, once I got into the book, I did like all of the twists and turns that it took. There's a lot of backstabbing and betrayal from unusual places. You just have to stick with it through the first third or so.
All in all, I would say it's a solid 3.5 stars.. I rounded up because I genuinely like Polansky as an author.
First of all, the cast of characters is massive. It's so hard to keep track of who's who, especially at the beginning when it jumps from character to character very quickly and you're only getting quick snippets without getting to know any of them. However, over the course of the book, you do get a feel for some of the main characters such as Gillian, the Kid, Ariadne, Hope, Ael, and a few others. But overall, I felt that a lot were very shallow and didn't have much connection to them.
The world itself, set in some kind of post-apocalyptic New York was interesting, but you never find out what the funk is, which is a little frustrating, despite the fact that it is central to the plot. Not a lot is handed to you and you have to work things out for yourself, which a lot of readers will like, but personally, I do like things to be a little clearer.
That said, once I got into the book, I did like all of the twists and turns that it took. There's a lot of backstabbing and betrayal from unusual places. You just have to stick with it through the first third or so.
All in all, I would say it's a solid 3.5 stars.. I rounded up because I genuinely like Polansky as an author.
July 26, 2024
This was an experience and honestly I'm still not sure how to rate it, because none of the stars feel right. I spent a large amount of time confused as hell, but also intrigued when I finally saw the plot through the mess. The dialogue was difficult for me for a good chunk of the start of the story because the future slang was confusing, when I did finally start to get it, it did get easy to follow, but there was still a few times where I had no clue what was going on in the conversation. I also hated the emojis, this was never actually explained and its just used in this world and it got to the point where I would physically just skip over it, even though it was supposed to be a name of a location but I did not understand how I was suppose to infer this, I really think the execution was done poorly with the emojis. I do think these are aspects that will turn a lot of readers off of this book, and the overall intrigue is what will keep a reader and not everyone has the patience or the interest in wanting to wait for the story to start to make sense.
The world building is weird and I don't fully get it to be honest. There was lots of action but also scenes that did nothing for the overall story. Like why did I have to read about the lady biting the dudes junk off? That was just there. I mean I found it funny, because this is the 2nd book I have read where this happens and both have been written by men so I don't know what that says but it says something haha. There is a lot of drugs, sex and violence just for the sake of it, its honestly absolute chaos which just ads to more of the confusion.
There was only one character that I overall really enjoyed and I don't even remember his name but all he wanted to do was fight and kill people, and then got all philosophical at the end which was wild, but totally fit the overall narrative of the story.
Tomorrow's Children is a chaos drug induced experience and I don't know what to really think about it aside from "Well that was..a book" I'd say if you are intrigued by the chaos, crazy and unexpected to give it a shot, but also if it isn't working for you let it go. This is a book that is made for a specific type of reader group and I don't even know who that group is haha.
The world building is weird and I don't fully get it to be honest. There was lots of action but also scenes that did nothing for the overall story. Like why did I have to read about the lady biting the dudes junk off? That was just there. I mean I found it funny, because this is the 2nd book I have read where this happens and both have been written by men so I don't know what that says but it says something haha. There is a lot of drugs, sex and violence just for the sake of it, its honestly absolute chaos which just ads to more of the confusion.
There was only one character that I overall really enjoyed and I don't even remember his name but all he wanted to do was fight and kill people, and then got all philosophical at the end which was wild, but totally fit the overall narrative of the story.
Tomorrow's Children is a chaos drug induced experience and I don't know what to really think about it aside from "Well that was..a book" I'd say if you are intrigued by the chaos, crazy and unexpected to give it a shot, but also if it isn't working for you let it go. This is a book that is made for a specific type of reader group and I don't even know who that group is haha.
March 19, 2024
Convoluted, confusing, and ultimately, in my opinion, not worth the effort. The worldbuilding is all surface-level, the plot takes far, far too long to kick off, and the constant drifting of focus made it difficult for me to actually care about any of the characters. I’m sure some of the stylistic choices could be amusing to someone else, but they made an already frustrating book more of a chore. I can certainly appreciate what the author was attempting, but I just didn’t feel any payoff from it.
2/5 stars what which they use for ratings.
2/5 stars what which they use for ratings.
May 15, 2024
“Tomorrow’s Children” by Daniel Polansky is a creative, frenetic, insane fever dream of violence and youth. A masterful use of formatting and language creates a vivid and colorful new world…but really doesn’t make a lot of sense. I loved how creative Polansky’s work is, but it starts to border the problem of “all style, no substance”
This book is worse if you know the twists going in. As a result, I’m going to write a quick, spoiler-free review if you are interested. After that, it’s spoilers away! So fair warning.
Spoiler-free: The world is really interesting and creative, but not really well thought out. The characters are fun, but some of them just seem to lack motivation and come off as less compelling. Finally, the magical aspects of the book were grand, but tottered towards over explanation. A fun read and a solid 4.
Okay, next we are spoiling some things, so if you plan to read this book: don’t read ahead!
The main question of the book is two-fold: who is the Kid and what is he doing? I found both of the answers disappointing.
My favorite aspect of the work was the reflection of the two crews. Gillian’s hunter squad was a more mature, developed version of the Kid. I saw a natural growth of a new Island upcomer in the Kid, whereas Gillian represented the last generation. In fact, this idea of heirs and children is the primary thrust of Polansky’s work…just look at the title!
Anyways, it’s revealed that Gillian is the mother of the Kid and is bankrolling his operation. So disappointing to me. How did no one really find this out, especially with all the mind readers on retainer? It makes no sense to me and hurts the story.
Once it is revealed that the two groups are in cahoots, it’s then revealed their goal: to destroy tourists, people from the outside world that want to claim the Island for their own.
Wat
Let’s look at Polansky’s world. So long ago did the funk arrive, that the words for “day” and “night” change. Bullets are “booms” and guns are “cannons”. Hell, people don’t even know what noon is - the entire lexicon of society has changed. To me, that would say it’s been hundreds of years. How else could all conception of time be gone? Books still exist in Manhattan, right? Books filled with old world description? For this to be forgotten, it would require all knowledge of the outside world to disappear.
When the tourists arrive, they are around our level in technology. Their submachine guns and assault rifles, alongside their large warship, is the most advanced they get. How is this possible? What has the outside world doing? Mr. Simpson makes it sound like the world watches Manhattan with sadness…but no one has gone inside? No one had family members when the funk came down?
It doesn’t make any sense. Funk also…makes no sense. Mr. Simpson’s motives barely make any sense.
I don’t mind things making little sense! The funk and the Last King of TriBeCa are very cool parts of the story, adding a little mythology to the tale. I really enjoyed this and thought it was clever and fun.
The problem is, the entire story rests on the question of why. In that regard, it HAS to make sense. Otherwise, your reader (me) is going to question the entire book. The premise of the work is the question, but the answer had no thought behind it. I found myself really disappointed.
That rant all out of the way, I want to talk about the things I enjoyed. Polansky’s world and writing for it are some of the most unique expressions of society in a dystopian novel I’ve ever seen. It reminds me of how Star Wars is still “sci-fi” with wizards and magic. “Tomorrow’s Children” is like a dystopic opera of myth and magic, I really enjoyed that part of it!
Secondly, the small vignettes of other characters is really enjoyable. Even if they don’t amount to much, it gives small windows into this world. The vignette of the two male lovers in the Sacred Band was one of my favorite portions of the book. Some of these vignettes were truly pointless to the plot, but the plot kinda sucked anyways.
The message of the story is good, if not somewhat bungled by the confused ending. I like the conception of tomorrow’s children being wholly different than us, but Swan’s interaction with Ael at the end kind of punctures that view. I think Polansky was more caught up in having fun than having a strong thesis.
Finally, let’s talk about the formatting. I thought it helped the story feel more chaotic and was overall good for the book, but probably wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t there at all. The end-notes were especially annoying and pointless to me, but the subtitle headings were really cool. So somewhat good, somewhat bad.
Long story short, I have such strange feelings about Polansky’s work. While I loved the world and the characters’ personalities, I can’t help but feel the world is somewhat superficial. If the plot and thesis of the book were stronger, I could see “Tomorrow’s Children” being my favorite sci-fi book of the year. Unfortunately, that was not the case, but it is still a very fun and creative read. 4/5, read if you are a dystopia fan or if you like really action-packed books!
This book is worse if you know the twists going in. As a result, I’m going to write a quick, spoiler-free review if you are interested. After that, it’s spoilers away! So fair warning.
Spoiler-free: The world is really interesting and creative, but not really well thought out. The characters are fun, but some of them just seem to lack motivation and come off as less compelling. Finally, the magical aspects of the book were grand, but tottered towards over explanation. A fun read and a solid 4.
Okay, next we are spoiling some things, so if you plan to read this book: don’t read ahead!
The main question of the book is two-fold: who is the Kid and what is he doing? I found both of the answers disappointing.
My favorite aspect of the work was the reflection of the two crews. Gillian’s hunter squad was a more mature, developed version of the Kid. I saw a natural growth of a new Island upcomer in the Kid, whereas Gillian represented the last generation. In fact, this idea of heirs and children is the primary thrust of Polansky’s work…just look at the title!
Anyways, it’s revealed that Gillian is the mother of the Kid and is bankrolling his operation. So disappointing to me. How did no one really find this out, especially with all the mind readers on retainer? It makes no sense to me and hurts the story.
Once it is revealed that the two groups are in cahoots, it’s then revealed their goal: to destroy tourists, people from the outside world that want to claim the Island for their own.
Wat
Let’s look at Polansky’s world. So long ago did the funk arrive, that the words for “day” and “night” change. Bullets are “booms” and guns are “cannons”. Hell, people don’t even know what noon is - the entire lexicon of society has changed. To me, that would say it’s been hundreds of years. How else could all conception of time be gone? Books still exist in Manhattan, right? Books filled with old world description? For this to be forgotten, it would require all knowledge of the outside world to disappear.
When the tourists arrive, they are around our level in technology. Their submachine guns and assault rifles, alongside their large warship, is the most advanced they get. How is this possible? What has the outside world doing? Mr. Simpson makes it sound like the world watches Manhattan with sadness…but no one has gone inside? No one had family members when the funk came down?
It doesn’t make any sense. Funk also…makes no sense. Mr. Simpson’s motives barely make any sense.
I don’t mind things making little sense! The funk and the Last King of TriBeCa are very cool parts of the story, adding a little mythology to the tale. I really enjoyed this and thought it was clever and fun.
The problem is, the entire story rests on the question of why. In that regard, it HAS to make sense. Otherwise, your reader (me) is going to question the entire book. The premise of the work is the question, but the answer had no thought behind it. I found myself really disappointed.
That rant all out of the way, I want to talk about the things I enjoyed. Polansky’s world and writing for it are some of the most unique expressions of society in a dystopian novel I’ve ever seen. It reminds me of how Star Wars is still “sci-fi” with wizards and magic. “Tomorrow’s Children” is like a dystopic opera of myth and magic, I really enjoyed that part of it!
Secondly, the small vignettes of other characters is really enjoyable. Even if they don’t amount to much, it gives small windows into this world. The vignette of the two male lovers in the Sacred Band was one of my favorite portions of the book. Some of these vignettes were truly pointless to the plot, but the plot kinda sucked anyways.
The message of the story is good, if not somewhat bungled by the confused ending. I like the conception of tomorrow’s children being wholly different than us, but Swan’s interaction with Ael at the end kind of punctures that view. I think Polansky was more caught up in having fun than having a strong thesis.
Finally, let’s talk about the formatting. I thought it helped the story feel more chaotic and was overall good for the book, but probably wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t there at all. The end-notes were especially annoying and pointless to me, but the subtitle headings were really cool. So somewhat good, somewhat bad.
Long story short, I have such strange feelings about Polansky’s work. While I loved the world and the characters’ personalities, I can’t help but feel the world is somewhat superficial. If the plot and thesis of the book were stronger, I could see “Tomorrow’s Children” being my favorite sci-fi book of the year. Unfortunately, that was not the case, but it is still a very fun and creative read. 4/5, read if you are a dystopia fan or if you like really action-packed books!
December 19, 2023
8/10 stars
My full review on my blog.
Has anyone seen the 1979 Walter Hill movie The Warriors? I watched it as a kid and thought it a pretty obscure ‘70s dystopia (I asked around and nobody I asked has even heard of it), but Polansky definitely has, and made it the beating heart of his new novel.
Tomorrow’s Children is a happy, explosively energetic bastard child of The Warriors and The Stranger Things, delivered by the unlikely midwife in the shape of Snake Plissken from Escape from New York. I realize that the works I mentioned above are all visual media – and that’s intentional, for Polansky’s newest novel reads like a movie script. It’s fast and furious, full of teenage hubris and hope, angry and slick and overflowing with the youthful feelings of invulnerability and greedy, indifferent ambition – until it doesn’t, and it’s a well earned lesson indeed. The city of New York is a character of its own in this novel, its burroughs and its streets, its rivers and its parks, even its subway lines all playing a substantial role in the events unfolding with precision across geographic locations.
As with many of Polansky’s books, explaining too much of the premise might spoil the fun, so I will be cryptic. It starts with a bang, one that will probably turn away a few prospective readers. Intentionally, I assume – after all, not everybody opens a story with a guy who tries to kill a dog for food.
Having that out of the way, let’s take a look at the setup. A few generations after a little apocalypse, in which New York had been wrapped in a cloud of noxious gas known only as “funk” that killed most of the population, mutated a number of those who survived, and returned the general populace to the illiterate, pseudo-medieval state of civilization, New Yorkers keep themselves busy fighting their tribal wars among the ruins. There is a feudal elite consisting of a handful of the most cut-throat gangsta types who assumed noble titles such as Pope, Mayor, or Commissioner, but don’t be misled – they are just tribal chieftains obsessed with the power they have and with how much more power they can get. Add into the mix a mismatched bunch of teenagers with the explicit desire to destroy the system, and an experienced gumshoe with a hidden agenda, and you have the beginning of Tomorrow’s Children. Nothing is as it seems, and discovering the hidden motives and relations is a big part of the fun. An even bigger part of the fun, to me, was Polansky’s description of the various factions, or tribes, each more flamboyant and over the top than the previous one, each distinct and tragicomical in their worldviews and behaviour. This part was a clear homage to The Warriors, down to the descriptions of colours, traditions, and gear of the gangs.
[...]
Tomorrow’s Children is dazzling and rabid, cruel and softhearted in equal measures. If there is one criticism I have it is the too abrupt ending, hanging in the air and begging for a sequel – and at the same time denying any rationale for a sequel, since the story is almost entirely self-contained: a tale intentionally extracted from a larger tapestry, making no references to the world beyond and yet being pulled into it against its will. Well, we’ll see soon enough, I guess, if Polansky decides to return to this world and give us a tour of some other part of it.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.
My full review on my blog.
Has anyone seen the 1979 Walter Hill movie The Warriors? I watched it as a kid and thought it a pretty obscure ‘70s dystopia (I asked around and nobody I asked has even heard of it), but Polansky definitely has, and made it the beating heart of his new novel.
Tomorrow’s Children is a happy, explosively energetic bastard child of The Warriors and The Stranger Things, delivered by the unlikely midwife in the shape of Snake Plissken from Escape from New York. I realize that the works I mentioned above are all visual media – and that’s intentional, for Polansky’s newest novel reads like a movie script. It’s fast and furious, full of teenage hubris and hope, angry and slick and overflowing with the youthful feelings of invulnerability and greedy, indifferent ambition – until it doesn’t, and it’s a well earned lesson indeed. The city of New York is a character of its own in this novel, its burroughs and its streets, its rivers and its parks, even its subway lines all playing a substantial role in the events unfolding with precision across geographic locations.
As with many of Polansky’s books, explaining too much of the premise might spoil the fun, so I will be cryptic. It starts with a bang, one that will probably turn away a few prospective readers. Intentionally, I assume – after all, not everybody opens a story with a guy who tries to kill a dog for food.
Having that out of the way, let’s take a look at the setup. A few generations after a little apocalypse, in which New York had been wrapped in a cloud of noxious gas known only as “funk” that killed most of the population, mutated a number of those who survived, and returned the general populace to the illiterate, pseudo-medieval state of civilization, New Yorkers keep themselves busy fighting their tribal wars among the ruins. There is a feudal elite consisting of a handful of the most cut-throat gangsta types who assumed noble titles such as Pope, Mayor, or Commissioner, but don’t be misled – they are just tribal chieftains obsessed with the power they have and with how much more power they can get. Add into the mix a mismatched bunch of teenagers with the explicit desire to destroy the system, and an experienced gumshoe with a hidden agenda, and you have the beginning of Tomorrow’s Children. Nothing is as it seems, and discovering the hidden motives and relations is a big part of the fun. An even bigger part of the fun, to me, was Polansky’s description of the various factions, or tribes, each more flamboyant and over the top than the previous one, each distinct and tragicomical in their worldviews and behaviour. This part was a clear homage to The Warriors, down to the descriptions of colours, traditions, and gear of the gangs.
[...]
Tomorrow’s Children is dazzling and rabid, cruel and softhearted in equal measures. If there is one criticism I have it is the too abrupt ending, hanging in the air and begging for a sequel – and at the same time denying any rationale for a sequel, since the story is almost entirely self-contained: a tale intentionally extracted from a larger tapestry, making no references to the world beyond and yet being pulled into it against its will. Well, we’ll see soon enough, I guess, if Polansky decides to return to this world and give us a tour of some other part of it.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.
February 14, 2024
There are plenty of post-apocalyptic media set in and around New York. On the film front you have Escape from New York, the original Planet of the Apes films and I am Legend. And on the book front there is everything from Colson Whitehead’s zombie apocalypse Zone One to Kim Stanley Robinson’s clifi 2140. Which is all to say that Daniel Polansky’s new novel Tomorrow’s Children, set 6-7 generations after something called the “funk” has decimated New York has plenty of antecedents.
There are so many characters in Tomorrow’s Children that it is hard to know where to start. The action is set in a New York divided into territories that are run by different gangs. The book opens with two critical events, the arrival of a “tourist” to the city and the wiping out of one of those gangs, creating a power vacuum. The story broadly follows two groups – those sowing chaos for reasons that eventually become clear, and those employed to the ruling Commissioner, “the sheriff”, the track them down. But nothing is that simple and readers who can stay with it will find plenty of twists in that particular tale.
Part of the problem though it the sheer number of characters and the telling of the story in short episodes. While this is in some ways immersive in Polansky’s world it will take readers a long time to understand who is who and just what is going on. The stakes are unclear as are many of the character motivations. That said, those characters, are just weird and engaging enough to keep readers’ interest.
Tomorrow’s Children also some clear influences from across the post-apocalyptic spectrum. It’s combination of neo-barbarism, retro-futurism and western tropes recalls a range of influences, including Mad Max and the Fallout video games. It is not that this book feels derivative but it never feels like it gets far enough away from its influences to be truly original. The most original is the funk, which is like a cloud that can both kill and somehow give a high and possibly also cause visions. But it is never really explained – where is came from, why it is possibly only around Manhattan, what it actually does.
The overall impression that Tomorrow’s Children gives is anarchic fun. Polansky revels in plots, explosions, chases, sword fights and the futuristic use of emojis. He creates a violent vibrant world, throws a wrench in the machine, and then sits back to watch the chaos play out. Which some readers will respond to and enjoy, others may just find derivative and exhausting, particularly as this type of narrative has been done better elsewhere.
There are so many characters in Tomorrow’s Children that it is hard to know where to start. The action is set in a New York divided into territories that are run by different gangs. The book opens with two critical events, the arrival of a “tourist” to the city and the wiping out of one of those gangs, creating a power vacuum. The story broadly follows two groups – those sowing chaos for reasons that eventually become clear, and those employed to the ruling Commissioner, “the sheriff”, the track them down. But nothing is that simple and readers who can stay with it will find plenty of twists in that particular tale.
Part of the problem though it the sheer number of characters and the telling of the story in short episodes. While this is in some ways immersive in Polansky’s world it will take readers a long time to understand who is who and just what is going on. The stakes are unclear as are many of the character motivations. That said, those characters, are just weird and engaging enough to keep readers’ interest.
Tomorrow’s Children also some clear influences from across the post-apocalyptic spectrum. It’s combination of neo-barbarism, retro-futurism and western tropes recalls a range of influences, including Mad Max and the Fallout video games. It is not that this book feels derivative but it never feels like it gets far enough away from its influences to be truly original. The most original is the funk, which is like a cloud that can both kill and somehow give a high and possibly also cause visions. But it is never really explained – where is came from, why it is possibly only around Manhattan, what it actually does.
The overall impression that Tomorrow’s Children gives is anarchic fun. Polansky revels in plots, explosions, chases, sword fights and the futuristic use of emojis. He creates a violent vibrant world, throws a wrench in the machine, and then sits back to watch the chaos play out. Which some readers will respond to and enjoy, others may just find derivative and exhausting, particularly as this type of narrative has been done better elsewhere.
April 17, 2024
This is probably the best book that I'll never finish.
Since Low Town was first published, I claimed that Daniel Polansky is one of the best prose writers in the field of fantasy. I would add Daryl Gregory, Max Gladstone and more recently Christopher Ruocchio to this list. Polansky wrote the seminal work of grimdark in his Low Town trilogy and I was very excited by the premise of Tomorrow's Children, so I eagerly awaited this new novel of his and started reading it immediately.
I was not disappointed. Polansky managed to take a tired old trope and give it a new life, with his depiction of post-apocalyptic New York being original, well thought-out and equally bewildering and wondrous. His toying with the language as a way to show that a lot of time has passed from this day and age is masterful and is almost like a separate character in itself. Diverse social structure in his novel seems organic and even logical in some weird Lord of the Flies meets Gangs of New York kind a way. His characters are deceptively simple, but extremely well developed and masterful in their haiku-like characterization. The plot is interesting, and it draws you to read it - but then, there are triggers...
I dnf-ed Tomorrow's Children at 60%. I simply could not take it anymore. I don't want to spoil anything to someone who will maybe pick up this book because their interest was tickled by these words, so I'll just say that there are certain practices concerning food in this novel that I simply couldn't bear anymore. I guess that's saying something about first world problems, decadence of western civilization, to whom I willy-nilly belong, or about my general snowflakeness, but I just... can't.
I strongly suspect that this was done on purpose by the author and kudos to him. It certainly is provoking and makes sense it the context of the novel. But still...
My hat off to you, Sir. You've managed to achieve something that neither Clive Barker or De Sade didn't - to make me so uncomfortable that I couldn't read a book to the end.
Anyhow, I'm counting Tomorrow's Children among the books I did finish this year and I'm giving it 4* for its merits - and I really recommend it to the readers who are looking for something different in the fantasy field, that has become a bit stale as of late.
Since Low Town was first published, I claimed that Daniel Polansky is one of the best prose writers in the field of fantasy. I would add Daryl Gregory, Max Gladstone and more recently Christopher Ruocchio to this list. Polansky wrote the seminal work of grimdark in his Low Town trilogy and I was very excited by the premise of Tomorrow's Children, so I eagerly awaited this new novel of his and started reading it immediately.
I was not disappointed. Polansky managed to take a tired old trope and give it a new life, with his depiction of post-apocalyptic New York being original, well thought-out and equally bewildering and wondrous. His toying with the language as a way to show that a lot of time has passed from this day and age is masterful and is almost like a separate character in itself. Diverse social structure in his novel seems organic and even logical in some weird Lord of the Flies meets Gangs of New York kind a way. His characters are deceptively simple, but extremely well developed and masterful in their haiku-like characterization. The plot is interesting, and it draws you to read it - but then, there are triggers...
I dnf-ed Tomorrow's Children at 60%. I simply could not take it anymore. I don't want to spoil anything to someone who will maybe pick up this book because their interest was tickled by these words, so I'll just say that there are certain practices concerning food in this novel that I simply couldn't bear anymore. I guess that's saying something about first world problems, decadence of western civilization, to whom I willy-nilly belong, or about my general snowflakeness, but I just... can't.
I strongly suspect that this was done on purpose by the author and kudos to him. It certainly is provoking and makes sense it the context of the novel. But still...
My hat off to you, Sir. You've managed to achieve something that neither Clive Barker or De Sade didn't - to make me so uncomfortable that I couldn't read a book to the end.
Anyhow, I'm counting Tomorrow's Children among the books I did finish this year and I'm giving it 4* for its merits - and I really recommend it to the readers who are looking for something different in the fantasy field, that has become a bit stale as of late.
June 12, 2025
I have a soft spot for Polansky though I always admire his books rather than love them. His books, though rooted in genre conventions, are always a shade too experimental to really ever be popular or (I assume) financially successful. But he still churns out something every few years, seemingly unphased by that and happy to do his own thing. You've got to admire that.
This initially comes across as post-apocalypse but you eventually realise it is actually more like an update of Lord of the Flies with a bunch of children play-acting as adults, devolving into chaos and violence.
This takes place 5 or 6 generations after some unknown apocalypse -- "the funk" -- has settled around Manhattan cutting it off from the rest of the world (presumably affecting everywhere else, too, but being cut off they don't know what's happened anywhere else) and inducing mutations. This kind of post-apocalypse -- but a long time after -- is pretty uncommon. Usually writers like to give us the immediate aftermath so it is always interesting to see something a few generations removed.
This is a book full of unlikeable characters -- though there aren't really any "bad guys" here, just two sides out for different things that clash. There's also a ton of action but, as the reader, you have no idea why anyone is doing anything until about 2/3rds of the way in. The Kid clearly is trying to achieve something, he's following a plan. But we have no idea in service of what.
I personally found the characters, setting, and action enjoyable enough that I didn't overly mind this but I can imagine there are a number of readers out there who will be frustrated by this approach.
It doesn't help that when the why is finally revealed it felt a bit underwhelming. That's it? The explanation for The Kid -- similar reaction. If it weren't for those two things I probably would have given this 4-stars. My enjoyment on this one was largely down to overall vibes rather than being able to point to anything concrete like plot or characters.
This initially comes across as post-apocalypse but you eventually realise it is actually more like an update of Lord of the Flies with a bunch of children play-acting as adults, devolving into chaos and violence.
This takes place 5 or 6 generations after some unknown apocalypse -- "the funk" -- has settled around Manhattan cutting it off from the rest of the world (presumably affecting everywhere else, too, but being cut off they don't know what's happened anywhere else) and inducing mutations. This kind of post-apocalypse -- but a long time after -- is pretty uncommon. Usually writers like to give us the immediate aftermath so it is always interesting to see something a few generations removed.
This is a book full of unlikeable characters -- though there aren't really any "bad guys" here, just two sides out for different things that clash. There's also a ton of action but, as the reader, you have no idea why anyone is doing anything until about 2/3rds of the way in. The Kid clearly is trying to achieve something, he's following a plan. But we have no idea in service of what.
I personally found the characters, setting, and action enjoyable enough that I didn't overly mind this but I can imagine there are a number of readers out there who will be frustrated by this approach.
It doesn't help that when the why is finally revealed it felt a bit underwhelming. That's it? The explanation for The Kid -- similar reaction. If it weren't for those two things I probably would have given this 4-stars. My enjoyment on this one was largely down to overall vibes rather than being able to point to anything concrete like plot or characters.
February 16, 2024
I'd like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I really liked Tomorrow's Children, overall. It's a fast paced, interesting story that gave me serious Fallout New Vegas vibes, with the gangs fighting for territory and the powerful few living in a well manicured paradise while corruption and bloodlust course underneath. I loved the characters -the Kid, Gillian, Slim my faves in that order- and the direction the plot took after tying the two main POVs. There's a lot of slang specific to this new world and it takes some getting used to but the meaning can be picked up through context anyways.
I do have two critiques to an otherwise perfect book: one, some slang doesn't make sense - language tends to simplicity, especially with no formal education, but we see the words "day" and "night" changed to "bright" and "dim" - dimtime, the dimmest, brightest, etc. It just doesn't feel natural.
And speaking of not feeling natural, critique #2 would be the emojis. From a practical point of view, the emojis showed too large in my Kindle so the line height went crazy whenever they appeared (2x or 3x normal), and from a narrative flow point of view the task of having to translate them into regular english also took me out of the story - asides from the fact that we don't all call emojis the same, so is it The Drunken Hen or the Dizzy Chicken? Story wise this seems like the least natural path for an illiterate society: having no electronic devices to just tap and get the emoji, drawing something this complex on a board doesn't strike me as neither efficient nor fast (i.e. for the news peddlers).
In any case - these two details are just that, details: the writing is excellent, the story is gripping and I very much enjoyed it.
I really liked Tomorrow's Children, overall. It's a fast paced, interesting story that gave me serious Fallout New Vegas vibes, with the gangs fighting for territory and the powerful few living in a well manicured paradise while corruption and bloodlust course underneath. I loved the characters -the Kid, Gillian, Slim my faves in that order- and the direction the plot took after tying the two main POVs. There's a lot of slang specific to this new world and it takes some getting used to but the meaning can be picked up through context anyways.
I do have two critiques to an otherwise perfect book: one, some slang doesn't make sense - language tends to simplicity, especially with no formal education, but we see the words "day" and "night" changed to "bright" and "dim" - dimtime, the dimmest, brightest, etc. It just doesn't feel natural.
And speaking of not feeling natural, critique #2 would be the emojis. From a practical point of view, the emojis showed too large in my Kindle so the line height went crazy whenever they appeared (2x or 3x normal), and from a narrative flow point of view the task of having to translate them into regular english also took me out of the story - asides from the fact that we don't all call emojis the same, so is it The Drunken Hen or the Dizzy Chicken? Story wise this seems like the least natural path for an illiterate society: having no electronic devices to just tap and get the emoji, drawing something this complex on a board doesn't strike me as neither efficient nor fast (i.e. for the news peddlers).
In any case - these two details are just that, details: the writing is excellent, the story is gripping and I very much enjoyed it.
February 20, 2024
Note: ARC provided by Angry Robot via NetGalley
This book was a wild ride: an enjoyably wild ride. With shades of Mad Max and Fallout, Polansky envisions a world in which Manhattan has been cut off from the outside world by an ectoplasmic ‘funk’. The ensuing battle for survival has created a survival-of-the-fittest world, with Manhattan divided up by rival gangs, with the whole thing tenuously held together by an overseeing Council. The novel is a somewhat satirical take on the post-apocalyptic genre, and one that works successfully, with keen observations on how cliques form and reform on a city-wide scale.
I loved this world that Polansky has created. It was frequently laugh-out-loud absurd and filled with every eccentric you could imagine in a society whose main diet is dog (yes, dog, and if not that then rat or pigeon). The main cast is varied, each clinging to their motivations as outside forces begin to exploit the strangeness of this new-Manhattan. Gillian and the Kid, the two characters we spend the most time with, are interesting and multi-layered, with Gillian being our window through which we can understand this strange world, and the Kid an engaging mystery to be worked out. My one complaint is that, for most of the story, characters feel too powerful – winning every fight and getting the jump on any potential barrier to success.
Polansky uses clever world play with character names, dialogue and gang names which left me re-reading lines to grin at his references. He plays with structure, filling the narrative with brief vignettes which lets us learn about facets and niches of a city that is both familiar and oh-so-weird. This novel is a wonderful vision of a Manhattan gripped with rivalries, dogma, street law and people just trying to find their place.
This book was a wild ride: an enjoyably wild ride. With shades of Mad Max and Fallout, Polansky envisions a world in which Manhattan has been cut off from the outside world by an ectoplasmic ‘funk’. The ensuing battle for survival has created a survival-of-the-fittest world, with Manhattan divided up by rival gangs, with the whole thing tenuously held together by an overseeing Council. The novel is a somewhat satirical take on the post-apocalyptic genre, and one that works successfully, with keen observations on how cliques form and reform on a city-wide scale.
I loved this world that Polansky has created. It was frequently laugh-out-loud absurd and filled with every eccentric you could imagine in a society whose main diet is dog (yes, dog, and if not that then rat or pigeon). The main cast is varied, each clinging to their motivations as outside forces begin to exploit the strangeness of this new-Manhattan. Gillian and the Kid, the two characters we spend the most time with, are interesting and multi-layered, with Gillian being our window through which we can understand this strange world, and the Kid an engaging mystery to be worked out. My one complaint is that, for most of the story, characters feel too powerful – winning every fight and getting the jump on any potential barrier to success.
Polansky uses clever world play with character names, dialogue and gang names which left me re-reading lines to grin at his references. He plays with structure, filling the narrative with brief vignettes which lets us learn about facets and niches of a city that is both familiar and oh-so-weird. This novel is a wonderful vision of a Manhattan gripped with rivalries, dogma, street law and people just trying to find their place.
February 18, 2024
Thank you to Angry Robot for this utterly blinding introduction to the writing of Daniel Polansky. The premise is genius, the content well-constructed, highly detailed and completely immersive and the execution? Simply chef's kiss!
Taking contemporary knowledge, culture symbols and language and evolving them into a whole new language, deities and means to traverse the world is simply brilliant. Now, I will admit, that the first few pages almost made me pull a John Wick (ie the first few scenes prevented me watchhing this glorious film series for years because of his dog - I don't blink at many things, but animals are a soft spot) however, it was a case of setting the scene
The languague hits you first. I love the Boston accent, it's unique and easily identifiable, but imagine it evolving through an apocalypse, how much broader it would be, the inflections and slang. Polansky weakes in contemporary slang and reworks it and in turn creates a whole new language
The story begins with a toxic cloud enveloping Manhattan (the funk) Manhattan is isolated, its inhabitants mutated, a whole new soceity is born from the rubble, different tribes emerge (think Mad Max without cars meets Gangs of New York and you are just about there, but make sure to put on a bit of extra polish!) but, like any fragile soceity, throw a stranger into the mix and things start to get spicy, and not in the good way!
Tomorrow's children is a fantastic read, a wry wit, strong character building (the names!) solid world building and a completely immersive narrative that flows so well, you will be fluent in the new slang
Very, very good book and a great new direction in the Post-Apocalypse Dystopian Genre
Thank you to Netgalley, Angry Robot and Daniel Polansky for this highly entertaining ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
Taking contemporary knowledge, culture symbols and language and evolving them into a whole new language, deities and means to traverse the world is simply brilliant. Now, I will admit, that the first few pages almost made me pull a John Wick (ie the first few scenes prevented me watchhing this glorious film series for years because of his dog - I don't blink at many things, but animals are a soft spot) however, it was a case of setting the scene
The languague hits you first. I love the Boston accent, it's unique and easily identifiable, but imagine it evolving through an apocalypse, how much broader it would be, the inflections and slang. Polansky weakes in contemporary slang and reworks it and in turn creates a whole new language
The story begins with a toxic cloud enveloping Manhattan (the funk) Manhattan is isolated, its inhabitants mutated, a whole new soceity is born from the rubble, different tribes emerge (think Mad Max without cars meets Gangs of New York and you are just about there, but make sure to put on a bit of extra polish!) but, like any fragile soceity, throw a stranger into the mix and things start to get spicy, and not in the good way!
Tomorrow's children is a fantastic read, a wry wit, strong character building (the names!) solid world building and a completely immersive narrative that flows so well, you will be fluent in the new slang
Very, very good book and a great new direction in the Post-Apocalypse Dystopian Genre
Thank you to Netgalley, Angry Robot and Daniel Polansky for this highly entertaining ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
January 16, 2024
Thank you to Angry Robot, Daniel Polansky, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Tomorrow's Children in exchange for an honest review.
I do not know how I feel about this book. In some aspects it was great. But in many other aspects, I was just confused. This story takes place in post-apocalyptic Manhattan, which is surrounded by something called the funk. The concept itself sounds good. However, the clearest explanation of what is going on comes from the summary on the back of the book. It should not take me until the last 10 chapters to know that the apocalypse took place 6-7 generations ago or to know random details about the society. Readers are thrown into the middle of the action with a large cast of characters and there never is an explanation about what is going on or what the society is. The language is different and while using emojis as writing is a cool idea, there was never a footnote or an index that actually told you what the emoji word was. I will say, that having the footnotes to clarify what was what and who was who was really helpful. There is a part of me that wonders if listening to the audiobook if/when it comes out will help me to make more sense of what is going on. However, first I need to decide if I actually want to know what is going on. This might just be the case for a book that is not my cup of tea and that is okay. I will say, that people should give this book a chance themselves rather than relying solely on reviews because what does not work for someone just might be another individual's favorite book of the year.
I do not know how I feel about this book. In some aspects it was great. But in many other aspects, I was just confused. This story takes place in post-apocalyptic Manhattan, which is surrounded by something called the funk. The concept itself sounds good. However, the clearest explanation of what is going on comes from the summary on the back of the book. It should not take me until the last 10 chapters to know that the apocalypse took place 6-7 generations ago or to know random details about the society. Readers are thrown into the middle of the action with a large cast of characters and there never is an explanation about what is going on or what the society is. The language is different and while using emojis as writing is a cool idea, there was never a footnote or an index that actually told you what the emoji word was. I will say, that having the footnotes to clarify what was what and who was who was really helpful. There is a part of me that wonders if listening to the audiobook if/when it comes out will help me to make more sense of what is going on. However, first I need to decide if I actually want to know what is going on. This might just be the case for a book that is not my cup of tea and that is okay. I will say, that people should give this book a chance themselves rather than relying solely on reviews because what does not work for someone just might be another individual's favorite book of the year.
September 20, 2024
Manhattan has been engulfed by a noxious gas cloud, which causes ghastly mutations in those caught within it, and separates the island from the rest of the world. The surviving population of the island exist in a new civilisation, surviving off dog or rat meat and the remnants of the modern era, with each neighbourhood controlled by individual factions, each fighting to expand their territory.
I can say in all honesty that I’m not totally sure what the plot of this book actually was. There is a distinct linear plot-progression throughout the story, but it is told in such a haphazard way that I found it really difficult to figure out who was actually trying to achieve what.
However, that is by no means a complaint. The story is told in short chapters alternating between characters, often with the perspective changing from person-to-person within a single chapter. This sounds chaotic (and it is) but has the effect of showing multiple plot-threads occurring at once and was surprisingly easy to follow. There is also very little world-building; the book kicks off straight from the start with minimal explanation of who is who and what has happened up to this point. But again, I don’t think this hindered my enjoyment or my understanding of this post-funk Manhattan. If anything, being thrown straight into the action and having to figure out what was going on for myself only helped to make the book more engaging.
The cast is huge, the plot is complex and the pacing is incredibly fast, but this is still a highly entertaining, original and thrilling novel.
I can say in all honesty that I’m not totally sure what the plot of this book actually was. There is a distinct linear plot-progression throughout the story, but it is told in such a haphazard way that I found it really difficult to figure out who was actually trying to achieve what.
However, that is by no means a complaint. The story is told in short chapters alternating between characters, often with the perspective changing from person-to-person within a single chapter. This sounds chaotic (and it is) but has the effect of showing multiple plot-threads occurring at once and was surprisingly easy to follow. There is also very little world-building; the book kicks off straight from the start with minimal explanation of who is who and what has happened up to this point. But again, I don’t think this hindered my enjoyment or my understanding of this post-funk Manhattan. If anything, being thrown straight into the action and having to figure out what was going on for myself only helped to make the book more engaging.
The cast is huge, the plot is complex and the pacing is incredibly fast, but this is still a highly entertaining, original and thrilling novel.
May 30, 2025
The majority of the book is setting up for the big reveal and fight at the end. I found it hard to follow all the various characters and "gangs" and felt it flitted between different people too much for me. I wasn't able to gain much attachment to any characters.
Despite this, I did enjoy a lot about the book and I was between 3 and 4 stars. The last 100 or so pages were my favourite as things were being pulled together for the big fight. Though at that point, unlike a good mystery, every reveal left me confused about whether it was completely out of the blue or I missed something earlier in the mess of different characters and mini subplots. I wish the writing had been more organised (especially in setting up early on) and focused on just a few plots more strongly. I would have appreciated an appendix with names of characters and established links/"gang" affiliations to familiarise myself with.
The footnotes of this author's style are very humorous and interesting to see how one line descriptions of the same character can differ.
I liked the storyline with Newton, but there was nowhere near enough time to explore it well.
Though a lot of time was spent with Gillian, I feel her character was a bit flat.
I did have a reading break around page 250, so perhaps that disrupted the flow and made the plot feel more disjointed. After the break, I did still want to continue reading and felt myself enjoying the end of the book much more than I did the beginning. Certainly different from anything else I've read, a unique writing style, but too busy of a plot.
Despite this, I did enjoy a lot about the book and I was between 3 and 4 stars. The last 100 or so pages were my favourite as things were being pulled together for the big fight. Though at that point, unlike a good mystery, every reveal left me confused about whether it was completely out of the blue or I missed something earlier in the mess of different characters and mini subplots. I wish the writing had been more organised (especially in setting up early on) and focused on just a few plots more strongly. I would have appreciated an appendix with names of characters and established links/"gang" affiliations to familiarise myself with.
The footnotes of this author's style are very humorous and interesting to see how one line descriptions of the same character can differ.
I liked the storyline with Newton, but there was nowhere near enough time to explore it well.
Though a lot of time was spent with Gillian, I feel her character was a bit flat.
I did have a reading break around page 250, so perhaps that disrupted the flow and made the plot feel more disjointed. After the break, I did still want to continue reading and felt myself enjoying the end of the book much more than I did the beginning. Certainly different from anything else I've read, a unique writing style, but too busy of a plot.
February 5, 2024
I so wanted to love this book, everything about the premise spoke to me but I just could not get into the story, develop a bond with the characters or understand the dialect. Now either I was just not bright enough to truly keep up or this was too large an attempt to be smart that didn’t translate.
We’re introduced to many new characters in each chapters all of whom speak in a new dialect but there’s no ability to understand what they are discussing. The use of emojis as their way of writing sounded so promising but in reality I had absolutely no idea what they were meant to tell me and I trudged and waded through chapters of this book completely confused and unmotivated.
Spoiler alert *
Within just a few sentences of the book we’re subject to something that personally I could have done with a trigger warning for..I’m all for artistic license but I struggled with the graphic description of animal abuse. I can completely appreciate why it was there, they world it’s painting but it was too much for me personally and left ne dreading that another scene like that would be written.
Ultimately I ended up DNF’ing this book. I still believe the premise and idea for this book sounds fantastic and enjoyable. Perhaps the published version will contain a dictionary for the slang, a description of what the emojis mean and a map to help immerse the reader but without it I couldn’t continue.
We’re introduced to many new characters in each chapters all of whom speak in a new dialect but there’s no ability to understand what they are discussing. The use of emojis as their way of writing sounded so promising but in reality I had absolutely no idea what they were meant to tell me and I trudged and waded through chapters of this book completely confused and unmotivated.
Spoiler alert *
Within just a few sentences of the book we’re subject to something that personally I could have done with a trigger warning for..I’m all for artistic license but I struggled with the graphic description of animal abuse. I can completely appreciate why it was there, they world it’s painting but it was too much for me personally and left ne dreading that another scene like that would be written.
Ultimately I ended up DNF’ing this book. I still believe the premise and idea for this book sounds fantastic and enjoyable. Perhaps the published version will contain a dictionary for the slang, a description of what the emojis mean and a map to help immerse the reader but without it I couldn’t continue.
March 3, 2024
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Tomorrow’s Children by Daniel Polansky is a post-apocalypse novel exploring what would happen when society has already collapsed in Manhattan. A cloud of noxious gas called the funk has changed Manhattan and the generations after the gas cloud descended live in an uneasy truce until the first tourist comes. From Wall Street to TriBeCa to the Honey Swallowers, their peace is about to be shaken.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started Tomorrow’s Children. This is far from my first post-apocalypse book, but each one is different and takes different ideas for what is going to change and what isn’t. Daniel Polansky uses emojis in place of the written language in several places (such as place names) and the Christian cross continues to survive as the Tiny t. Dogs are also now eaten as most forms of meat appear to be unavailable.
This is a more dialogue-heavy book and there are a lot of POV characters to show the different aspects of this unending turf war. Different parts and pieces are revealed slowly over time and this is a book that requires paying attention to who is talking and when. I would say that this is a worldbuilding forward book, which works with the exploration of ideas as a thought experiment.
I would recommend this to readers of post-apocalypse stories, fans of what if scenarios regarding New York, and readers who prefer more worldbuilding and multi-POVs.
Tomorrow’s Children by Daniel Polansky is a post-apocalypse novel exploring what would happen when society has already collapsed in Manhattan. A cloud of noxious gas called the funk has changed Manhattan and the generations after the gas cloud descended live in an uneasy truce until the first tourist comes. From Wall Street to TriBeCa to the Honey Swallowers, their peace is about to be shaken.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started Tomorrow’s Children. This is far from my first post-apocalypse book, but each one is different and takes different ideas for what is going to change and what isn’t. Daniel Polansky uses emojis in place of the written language in several places (such as place names) and the Christian cross continues to survive as the Tiny t. Dogs are also now eaten as most forms of meat appear to be unavailable.
This is a more dialogue-heavy book and there are a lot of POV characters to show the different aspects of this unending turf war. Different parts and pieces are revealed slowly over time and this is a book that requires paying attention to who is talking and when. I would say that this is a worldbuilding forward book, which works with the exploration of ideas as a thought experiment.
I would recommend this to readers of post-apocalypse stories, fans of what if scenarios regarding New York, and readers who prefer more worldbuilding and multi-POVs.
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