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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE
UNDER THE SPELL OF A COLLECTIVE DIGITAL LOBOTOMY
The Brain Machine Interface, once hailed the world-changing and glorious access to the augmented world, has become the perfect commercial distraction for the denizens of the New West--the pablum that keep the poverty-ridden masses working for their New East managers. Thomas Bell, a graduate student studying advanced programming, spends his nights subjected to virtual torture for cash to pay for his mother's vital medical treatments and hopes one day to rebuild his family. Because that's what a pragmatic young man does after witnessing his father get snuffed out by his own idealistic, rebellious dreams. To Thomas, brains and pain tolerance are all he needs to make a future for himself and his mom, the only family he has left.
Thomas is initially elated when he's tapped to join an elite, accelerated internship working inside the Architecture--the structure that controls the Brain Machine Interface and enables every person in the New West to access the artificial realities that keep the world turning. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, with the financial rewards to match. But once he's inside, he finds he's dedicated his genius to crafting new layers to a system that is more vast and nefarious than he realized. How does Thomas find a way forward once he realizes there's no way out?
The Brain Machine Interface, once hailed the world-changing and glorious access to the augmented world, has become the perfect commercial distraction for the denizens of the New West--the pablum that keep the poverty-ridden masses working for their New East managers. Thomas Bell, a graduate student studying advanced programming, spends his nights subjected to virtual torture for cash to pay for his mother's vital medical treatments and hopes one day to rebuild his family. Because that's what a pragmatic young man does after witnessing his father get snuffed out by his own idealistic, rebellious dreams. To Thomas, brains and pain tolerance are all he needs to make a future for himself and his mom, the only family he has left.
Thomas is initially elated when he's tapped to join an elite, accelerated internship working inside the Architecture--the structure that controls the Brain Machine Interface and enables every person in the New West to access the artificial realities that keep the world turning. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, with the financial rewards to match. But once he's inside, he finds he's dedicated his genius to crafting new layers to a system that is more vast and nefarious than he realized. How does Thomas find a way forward once he realizes there's no way out?
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 6, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 8, 2024
Fuck the new east
April 10, 2024
I was so fortunate to get this in the mail several days before its official release date, and when I started reading, the book wasn’t even listed in Goodreads. Shoutout to USPS for hustling!
The improvement in writing and story from PROX to A Brief History of the Future was significant. This novel was easier to follow, and I was sucked in pretty much immediately. The science and tech terminology were a bit more simple and the characters showed more emotion.
I’m trying to puzzle out the connection between A Brief History of the Future and the track of the same name, the prologue on Divisions. I’m not entirely certain on who the character of that monologue would be- I don’t think it was Thomas, and I don’t think it was Aston, although Aston is a recurring character in Starset’s lore and media. I’m leaning towards the narrator of the monologue being MinSec, but that doesn’t super line up narratively- MinSec probably doesn’t have any complaints about the world “being a desert for the mind” and “void of real thought.”
There were a few typos that got my attention thanks to being unable to shift out of editor work mode, though there were two to three tops compared to PROX’s numerous. The only thing I wish ABHOTF had were some more callbacks to Starset’s songs, as PROX was filled with references. There was a line towards the end of the book that noted a character “curled into a tight ball” which made me think of “Other Worlds Than These,” probably because it’s my favorite, but that’s it.
I have no idea when or if Dustin and Co. will release another novel, but I eagerly await the day.
The improvement in writing and story from PROX to A Brief History of the Future was significant. This novel was easier to follow, and I was sucked in pretty much immediately. The science and tech terminology were a bit more simple and the characters showed more emotion.
I’m trying to puzzle out the connection between A Brief History of the Future and the track of the same name, the prologue on Divisions. I’m not entirely certain on who the character of that monologue would be- I don’t think it was Thomas, and I don’t think it was Aston, although Aston is a recurring character in Starset’s lore and media. I’m leaning towards the narrator of the monologue being MinSec, but that doesn’t super line up narratively- MinSec probably doesn’t have any complaints about the world “being a desert for the mind” and “void of real thought.”
There were a few typos that got my attention thanks to being unable to shift out of editor work mode, though there were two to three tops compared to PROX’s numerous. The only thing I wish ABHOTF had were some more callbacks to Starset’s songs, as PROX was filled with references. There was a line towards the end of the book that noted a character “curled into a tight ball” which made me think of “Other Worlds Than These,” probably because it’s my favorite, but that’s it.
I have no idea when or if Dustin and Co. will release another novel, but I eagerly await the day.
April 11, 2024
Starset (Dustin), you have outdone yourselves with this one. Absolutely fantastic continuation of the narrative. Was completely engrossed into the story and had no clue how it ultimately would end and what lies ahead!
January 21, 2025
I wish I could recommend this book. I really do. I'm a Starset fan; I enjoy their music and videos a lot, even to the point that I generally think the grandiose sci-fi theme that accompanies their work adds to rather than detracts from it. Unfortunately, A Brief History of the Future is just not well-written story.
Poor Thomas Bell is a protagonist who's quickly sidelined in his own novel. By the two-hundred-page mark, he hasn't done much of any real consequence. He wanders about and does things, sure, but nothing that has any bearing on the plot or the world around him. Instead, the reader's attention for the majority of the book is directed to a cast of supporting characters, and most of them are more interesting than Thomas is. In fact, the novel reads as though the author wasn't sure what to do with him until the last third. He's given a motivation that more or less works and might endear him to the reader - providing for his ailing mother - until he acquires a love interest and forgets about dear, old mom.
Perhaps that's not entirely accurate. He doesn't actually forget about his mom. He just implicitly decides that his exciting romance with his cute colleague is more important, and his subsequent actions to preserve their relationship (a sudden romance that is not developed very well) necessarily jeopardize his mother's medical care. He insists, though, to himself and the reader by extension that his priorities have not changed. Then, as though the author suddenly remembered that Thomas is supposed to be the protagonist, he assumes a central role in the action of the last fifty to seventy-five pages of the book.
Similarly, the novel's antagonist is bland and unremarkable. I cannot name him here because he doesn't have a name for most of the story. He's simply referred to by his title over and over, and when he is eventually given a name, there's nothing personal or meaningful about it. Like Thomas, he also doesn't do much - that is, aside from strut and march from one scene to the next adorned with military regalia and engaging in a limited variety of mustache-twirling villainy.
The novel generally struggles to make its characters engaging. Attempts to depict them as smart, capable, and motivated fall flat at practically every turn. At the risk of coming across unnecessarily harsh, reading A Brief History, I was reminded of a post online which read, "To a stupid person, smart people are indistinguishable from wizards." This remark came to mind during a scene in which members of an underground rebellion are preparing to abduct a senior government official. Their brilliant plan involves luring the target into an apartment, setting off a flash-bang inside, and shooting everyone in the target's entourage with tranquilizer darts to subdue them. It's ambitious and audacious, but not too out of the ordinary for a work of fiction. But we're not done. Then the rebels will use a Faraday cage to cut off signal traffic between the apartment and the world outside, restrain the target, wrap him in mesh to complete a makeshift cage around his person, move him out of the apartment through a secret passage and into an adjacent elevator shaft, then another in an adjacent building, and take him to the basement, where they'll load him into a waiting vehicle. The kicker? The rebel leader expects to accomplish all of this in less than a minute. This is nothing short of absurd, and whoever is in charge of the rebels' operational planning should be fired yesterday.
Did I mention the other rebel leader, who gets three to five chapters dedicated to following her exploits, all of which amount to practically nothing? She's introduced to the reader in a scene that's meant to show her off as a badass operative. Said introduction sees her assassinating a target with a sniper rifle from eighteen stories above street level. She jumps out a window and rappels down, detonating explosives hidden in her sniper's nest, all of which is part of a grander plan the rebels have been cooking up for some time. But the target is a stooge, and his assassination has no bearing on the plot. The rebels' plan falls apart, and the leader in this case eventually disappears from the pages of the book, never to be seen again, her presence in the story ultimately being inconsequential. This does not, however, stop other characters from continuously talking about how effective and inspirational she was as an operative, despite her rookie mistake setting them back months or even years. Huh?
Things just happen in this story. Characters seem to stumble on and off the page over time as though they themselves aren't really sure what they're supposed to be doing in the grand scheme of things. Serious actions are taken, and instead of giving the reader and the characters time to breath and absorb the implications of them, the plot rockets forward with reckless abandon. People make jokes that don't land because the timing isn't appropriate either within the setting or the story. The events that take place, forming the plot itself, are sometimes woven together in threadbare fashion. Even the novel itself seems held together with duct tape and chewing gum. The amount of typos I found, especially in the last act, are definitely what I would call unacceptable.
I'm giving two stars because the story itself does have potential. There are some good ideas in this book, but they're not handled well. It could have been a more modern take on something like The Matrix. Unfortunately, what we're given instead is a fairly generic story featuring an evil empire and a ragtag resistance, forgettable characters whose skill and degree of competence are informed rather than demonstrated, and only superficial time and attention given to the broader, deeper themes the novel is trying and failing to explore. I would argue there is only one character who's somewhat compelling, and he only shows up for half the book.
I hate to say it, but do yourself a favor and skip this book.
Poor Thomas Bell is a protagonist who's quickly sidelined in his own novel. By the two-hundred-page mark, he hasn't done much of any real consequence. He wanders about and does things, sure, but nothing that has any bearing on the plot or the world around him. Instead, the reader's attention for the majority of the book is directed to a cast of supporting characters, and most of them are more interesting than Thomas is. In fact, the novel reads as though the author wasn't sure what to do with him until the last third. He's given a motivation that more or less works and might endear him to the reader - providing for his ailing mother - until he acquires a love interest and forgets about dear, old mom.
Perhaps that's not entirely accurate. He doesn't actually forget about his mom. He just implicitly decides that his exciting romance with his cute colleague is more important, and his subsequent actions to preserve their relationship (a sudden romance that is not developed very well) necessarily jeopardize his mother's medical care. He insists, though, to himself and the reader by extension that his priorities have not changed. Then, as though the author suddenly remembered that Thomas is supposed to be the protagonist, he assumes a central role in the action of the last fifty to seventy-five pages of the book.
Similarly, the novel's antagonist is bland and unremarkable. I cannot name him here because he doesn't have a name for most of the story. He's simply referred to by his title over and over, and when he is eventually given a name, there's nothing personal or meaningful about it. Like Thomas, he also doesn't do much - that is, aside from strut and march from one scene to the next adorned with military regalia and engaging in a limited variety of mustache-twirling villainy.
The novel generally struggles to make its characters engaging. Attempts to depict them as smart, capable, and motivated fall flat at practically every turn. At the risk of coming across unnecessarily harsh, reading A Brief History, I was reminded of a post online which read, "To a stupid person, smart people are indistinguishable from wizards." This remark came to mind during a scene in which members of an underground rebellion are preparing to abduct a senior government official. Their brilliant plan involves luring the target into an apartment, setting off a flash-bang inside, and shooting everyone in the target's entourage with tranquilizer darts to subdue them. It's ambitious and audacious, but not too out of the ordinary for a work of fiction. But we're not done. Then the rebels will use a Faraday cage to cut off signal traffic between the apartment and the world outside, restrain the target, wrap him in mesh to complete a makeshift cage around his person, move him out of the apartment through a secret passage and into an adjacent elevator shaft, then another in an adjacent building, and take him to the basement, where they'll load him into a waiting vehicle. The kicker? The rebel leader expects to accomplish all of this in less than a minute. This is nothing short of absurd, and whoever is in charge of the rebels' operational planning should be fired yesterday.
Did I mention the other rebel leader, who gets three to five chapters dedicated to following her exploits, all of which amount to practically nothing? She's introduced to the reader in a scene that's meant to show her off as a badass operative. Said introduction sees her assassinating a target with a sniper rifle from eighteen stories above street level. She jumps out a window and rappels down, detonating explosives hidden in her sniper's nest, all of which is part of a grander plan the rebels have been cooking up for some time. But the target is a stooge, and his assassination has no bearing on the plot. The rebels' plan falls apart, and the leader in this case eventually disappears from the pages of the book, never to be seen again, her presence in the story ultimately being inconsequential. This does not, however, stop other characters from continuously talking about how effective and inspirational she was as an operative, despite her rookie mistake setting them back months or even years. Huh?
Things just happen in this story. Characters seem to stumble on and off the page over time as though they themselves aren't really sure what they're supposed to be doing in the grand scheme of things. Serious actions are taken, and instead of giving the reader and the characters time to breath and absorb the implications of them, the plot rockets forward with reckless abandon. People make jokes that don't land because the timing isn't appropriate either within the setting or the story. The events that take place, forming the plot itself, are sometimes woven together in threadbare fashion. Even the novel itself seems held together with duct tape and chewing gum. The amount of typos I found, especially in the last act, are definitely what I would call unacceptable.
I'm giving two stars because the story itself does have potential. There are some good ideas in this book, but they're not handled well. It could have been a more modern take on something like The Matrix. Unfortunately, what we're given instead is a fairly generic story featuring an evil empire and a ragtag resistance, forgettable characters whose skill and degree of competence are informed rather than demonstrated, and only superficial time and attention given to the broader, deeper themes the novel is trying and failing to explore. I would argue there is only one character who's somewhat compelling, and he only shows up for half the book.
I hate to say it, but do yourself a favor and skip this book.
May 26, 2025
I liked this book but I actually think I enjoyed their first one better. This one felt all over the place with different character's viewpoints every chapter so it was a bit hard for me to keep track of everything and see how it all fit together, which didn't really happen until the final part of the book so it was hard to keep my attention. Love all their lore and the stories behind the music! I'd love for them to write another one.
Read
May 26, 2025it reminds me of the matrix mixed with like brave new world or something
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2024
I cannot speak of the stand-alone quality of this book, as I'm extremely biased in not just being a STARSET fan for 7 years, but also being an avid follower of their lore for just as long. I still believe this book would be an enjoyable read with no knowledge of the band, I just cannot say.
With said knowledge, the book is certainly very interesting. The world it builds is very gripping and you feel the fear and control being exerted over the people. I'd be honest and say plot wise, it's more generic than it's predecessor. It's a rebel story, but the setting makes it work very well. Maybe it's just me, but the idea of the whole world being monitored in their very heads and people having to be careful with what they even glance at is terrifying, and it was through the whole book.
On the STARSET side, I have to admit I'm disappointed with the lore weight of this book. Slight spoilers..... The book doesn't connect with the previous one, like at all. Despite having faces we've been familiar with for years, in no way is the story being told connected to almost anything. It's similar to the first book in that, it's not really a book that makes sense of the Starset story, more like a foundation of its world, still leaving threads unconnected.
The one negative I have against this book is chapter 1. Not because it's written bad, quite the opposite, I just wish it was. *spoilers* it's a whole chapter of torture, explained in detail. It does its job of getting you uncomfortable and stuff, I just wish it didn't exist cus it did its job TOO well.
Overall, I see myself revisiting this book, but not as much as the previous one. The story is gripping, but the originality of the first just draws me more.
ALSO WE HAD A BADASS LESBIAN REBEL. I KNEW I COULD TRUST MY GLORIOUS KING DUSTIN BATES.
With said knowledge, the book is certainly very interesting. The world it builds is very gripping and you feel the fear and control being exerted over the people. I'd be honest and say plot wise, it's more generic than it's predecessor. It's a rebel story, but the setting makes it work very well. Maybe it's just me, but the idea of the whole world being monitored in their very heads and people having to be careful with what they even glance at is terrifying, and it was through the whole book.
On the STARSET side, I have to admit I'm disappointed with the lore weight of this book. Slight spoilers..... The book doesn't connect with the previous one, like at all. Despite having faces we've been familiar with for years, in no way is the story being told connected to almost anything. It's similar to the first book in that, it's not really a book that makes sense of the Starset story, more like a foundation of its world, still leaving threads unconnected.
The one negative I have against this book is chapter 1. Not because it's written bad, quite the opposite, I just wish it was. *spoilers* it's a whole chapter of torture, explained in detail. It does its job of getting you uncomfortable and stuff, I just wish it didn't exist cus it did its job TOO well.
Overall, I see myself revisiting this book, but not as much as the previous one. The story is gripping, but the originality of the first just draws me more.
ALSO WE HAD A BADASS LESBIAN REBEL. I KNEW I COULD TRUST MY GLORIOUS KING DUSTIN BATES.
September 21, 2025
As a fan of Starset and its lore, this book is incredibly helpful. The albums will convey an incredibly interesting and unique story, however, it is not always very clear about who and what is going on. The music videos help somewhat, especially the Horizons ones, but the best they’ll give you is explaining the philosophical questions raised by the story. Who, exactly what, and why these things are happening Within the story is never really clear. But, here, the answers are conveyed perfectly. The character Thomas Bell is the protagonist of this, and you definitely see him grow as a man and a character within the story. He is realistic, grounded and intelligent but not ever so much that he becomes a self insert character. However, his other fellow characters are not quite as engaging. TBdetermined is one of the only male characters that the story follows, and the gender ratio is almost funny at times. It can teeter into the realm of a personal fantasy when TB is in focus but it is generally not an issue due to both the narrative within the book and his more internally focused character arc balancing it out one by or another. An example would be my personal favorite moment in the book where he sees a woman who seems to look a little… off, like she seems too pretty or perfect, he turns off a certain overlay in his BMI that shows a more heavily augmented reality, and then says that she was a more natural kind of beautiful. The moment exposed two inherent things about the story and the world, both the deeper philosophical question of how we can become more than complacent when we reach too far with our technology, we could easily become vain and addicted by it. It also shows Thomas Bell’s more complacently hateful view of his world. The other characters, however, do not receive quite as much depth and development. Probably the best character to complement Thomas in the book is the daughter of two BMI modifiers who alter the machines illegally, turning off all of the different overlays and censoring. Unfortunately, to their destruction, as the two parents are arrested when one of their patients is discovered and their memories lead them to the two. This character, who is victim to the book’s unfortunate tendency to give poor names to most people, and I couldn’t remember her name for the life of me so I’ll call her Gean. Gean is probably the best character to compliment the story besides Thomas himself, and she has a character arc that’s less of growth and more of uncovering a mystery. Her perspective is very necessary to the story but she herself could be easily replaced.
Overall, if you like Starset, you will definitely enjoy this book but if you’re not, it’s better that you just go listen to their albums instead. If I could drop a serious criticism, the book isn’t that well edited. It’s well written, the world is grounded and terrifying, and TB himself has a very strong character arc, but there is no shortage of misspellings, grammar errors and Captions wHere there shouldn’t be captions. But if you have a thick tolerance for it, you’re a Starset fan, and you would like to read a shockingly punchy political commentary that almost anyone can learn from, then I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Overall, if you like Starset, you will definitely enjoy this book but if you’re not, it’s better that you just go listen to their albums instead. If I could drop a serious criticism, the book isn’t that well edited. It’s well written, the world is grounded and terrifying, and TB himself has a very strong character arc, but there is no shortage of misspellings, grammar errors and Captions wHere there shouldn’t be captions. But if you have a thick tolerance for it, you’re a Starset fan, and you would like to read a shockingly punchy political commentary that almost anyone can learn from, then I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2025
This follow-up to *The PROX Transmissions* was just as much of a wild ride as *PROX* was. The story bounces between multiple perspectives, all of them equally important to the story and the world as a whole. The main character is Thomas Bell, a teenager/young adult living in the New East (or the New West, I honestly don't remember) and going to school for this future's equivalent of a computer science degree. His mother is inspecialized care for a disease that's slowly degenerating the brain tissue around her BMI, and he has to participate in a virtual torture game to earn enough money to take care of her since his father died. Thomas gets drafted into an elite program to further his skills and performs well enough to be selected as the assistant to the Director of the program, who turned out to be Aston Wise, a character from the first book. Thomas, during his research with Wise, figured out how to occupy other BMIs. This knowledge got shared with the New East, who used it to turn supplicants into remote-controlled zombies. The rebellion also comes into play, and Thomas joins towards the end of the book when his love interest gets supplicated and occupied. The rebels attack and take down the BMI transmitters to liberate the New West, and for now, it seems that peace and safety have been reached.
*ABHOTF* did a great job at explaining and exploring BMIs and supplication, and all of the twists and turns throughout were incredible. The return of Aston Wise was incredible and forced the reader to realize that this future wasn't as far off as we might have originally thought. Furthermore, Wise being the Architect put his character in a whole new perspective, and he got some incredible character growth by joining the rebellion to free the New West from the Architecture and from MinSec/Overseer. The QR code at the end of the book led to a video from Stephen Browning, informing the viewer that the Order had been working in secret since the New East took over and that they were finally heading to space...to PROX. The set-up for book 3 has been given, and I cannot wait to see what Dustin has in store for us next.
*ABHOTF* did a great job at explaining and exploring BMIs and supplication, and all of the twists and turns throughout were incredible. The return of Aston Wise was incredible and forced the reader to realize that this future wasn't as far off as we might have originally thought. Furthermore, Wise being the Architect put his character in a whole new perspective, and he got some incredible character growth by joining the rebellion to free the New West from the Architecture and from MinSec/Overseer. The QR code at the end of the book led to a video from Stephen Browning, informing the viewer that the Order had been working in secret since the New East took over and that they were finally heading to space...to PROX. The set-up for book 3 has been given, and I cannot wait to see what Dustin has in store for us next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2025
I absolutely loved the first book and did not expect this book to blow the first out of the water. I loved that this one took place in a dystopian not so distant future and it introduced one of the biggest aspects of the Starset universe: this horrifically possible VR/AR implant called the brain machine interface (BMI). I’m pretty sure Elon Musk has teased some sort of similar thing with implanted microchips that hook you up to the internet or something so it is absolutely a possible future. The actual system behind it is based in real computer science and engineering which only adds to the realism.
It also introduces a future dictatorship/fascist government that controls all information and resources and mandates all citizens have BMIs. As it is connected into each individuals mind and senses, everyone essentially serves as a security camera, monitoring those around them. So all of that is also absolutely terrifying considering what is currently happening in our country’s government as we speak.
You don’t need to have read the first one as they are technically two different timelines, but the first one will definitely enhance your enjoyment of this book and create some jaw dropping moments as you make insane connections to the other world. Can’t recommend enough, it is insane to me these books aren’t bigger than they are.
My only complaint would be the abrupt, unclear ending with not very many loose ends wrapped up. I’ve heard it is supposed to be a trilogy, but it felt more unfinished than it felt like a cliffhanger. But I don’t really care because I loved it 🤷♀️
It also introduces a future dictatorship/fascist government that controls all information and resources and mandates all citizens have BMIs. As it is connected into each individuals mind and senses, everyone essentially serves as a security camera, monitoring those around them. So all of that is also absolutely terrifying considering what is currently happening in our country’s government as we speak.
You don’t need to have read the first one as they are technically two different timelines, but the first one will definitely enhance your enjoyment of this book and create some jaw dropping moments as you make insane connections to the other world. Can’t recommend enough, it is insane to me these books aren’t bigger than they are.
My only complaint would be the abrupt, unclear ending with not very many loose ends wrapped up. I’ve heard it is supposed to be a trilogy, but it felt more unfinished than it felt like a cliffhanger. But I don’t really care because I loved it 🤷♀️
April 26, 2024
"𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡."
•••
A dark and horrific tale of societal collapse, spiraling down the most obscure corners that modern science could conjure, where every living person is a pawn ready for use... Following the insignificant citizens of the New West, entangled in an ever-growing matrix under the oppressing monitoring of the mysterious New East, the book successfully crafts a credible reality with its clear social ladder based on the BMI - the all-powerful technology intimately integrated in the daily life of every person. Atrophied bodies wander the infinite realms of virtual reality in their minds, thanks to a God-like technology (half Neuralink half Metaverse) offered to the people by a shady organization who knows there is far more at stake than it appears. As we realize the machine grows out of control, is it too late to go back? And how could isolated individuals make a change?
•••
After The Prox Transmissions (2016), this 1984-esque depiction of the future decades expands the immersive lore of the multimedia cinematic rock band STARSET. Not only does it offer a solid context to all the music videos and teasers released these past 5 years, but it also develops a gripping story of its own, a story of humanity and resilience.
•••
Fuck the New East
•••
A dark and horrific tale of societal collapse, spiraling down the most obscure corners that modern science could conjure, where every living person is a pawn ready for use... Following the insignificant citizens of the New West, entangled in an ever-growing matrix under the oppressing monitoring of the mysterious New East, the book successfully crafts a credible reality with its clear social ladder based on the BMI - the all-powerful technology intimately integrated in the daily life of every person. Atrophied bodies wander the infinite realms of virtual reality in their minds, thanks to a God-like technology (half Neuralink half Metaverse) offered to the people by a shady organization who knows there is far more at stake than it appears. As we realize the machine grows out of control, is it too late to go back? And how could isolated individuals make a change?
•••
After The Prox Transmissions (2016), this 1984-esque depiction of the future decades expands the immersive lore of the multimedia cinematic rock band STARSET. Not only does it offer a solid context to all the music videos and teasers released these past 5 years, but it also develops a gripping story of its own, a story of humanity and resilience.
•••
Fuck the New East
August 2, 2024
A Brief History of the Future is a great short story. Stacked with characters, with a few to fall in love with. This book is packed with great moments and a non nihilistic tale of overcoming our own comforts in life with doing what is right and necessary to make the future a better place.
Although great, there was much left to be desired. It was easy to follow along as a fan of Starset and the lore following the band. But if a reader were to come in without any prior knowledge of the world of Starset, there could be a potential to be a little lost. As it is a short story, I desired to know more about the side characters, rather than only knowing them at face value.
The book ends rather quickly, leaving much more to want to know how characters end up. Unless there is a sequel in the future.
Overall I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. Every moment felt intense, that there was always something at risk for our heroes.
Although great, there was much left to be desired. It was easy to follow along as a fan of Starset and the lore following the band. But if a reader were to come in without any prior knowledge of the world of Starset, there could be a potential to be a little lost. As it is a short story, I desired to know more about the side characters, rather than only knowing them at face value.
The book ends rather quickly, leaving much more to want to know how characters end up. Unless there is a sequel in the future.
Overall I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. Every moment felt intense, that there was always something at risk for our heroes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2024
I loved the second book even more than the first. I think it's visible how much the writing has matured. As a very small nit-pick, I got a bit pulled out of the story by the slightly frequent (but not too much to be annoying) use of words like "dank" and "zigging and zagging" but hey, maybe it's just the Architecture making the characters repeat these in their inner thoughts :D
Overall, I was fully immersed in the story and had a hard time putting the book down and focusing on work. It's well written and a great exploration of the story behind all the music. I love that the characters were not black and white in their beliefs and actions.
Cannot wait to see what happens next, especially with that QR code at the end of the book already looking very interesting.
Overall, I was fully immersed in the story and had a hard time putting the book down and focusing on work. It's well written and a great exploration of the story behind all the music. I love that the characters were not black and white in their beliefs and actions.
Cannot wait to see what happens next, especially with that QR code at the end of the book already looking very interesting.
April 23, 2025
So listening to STARSET’S music there’s certain lines that always made me wonder if there was a reader in the band. Lines like “oh, how I hate silver line.” And “Goodbye to what we made. No matter anyway” and “I’ve made an art of digging shallow holes. I’ll drop the darkness in and watch it grow.” Just strike me as coming from someone who reads and honestly make me love the band so much more being a reader myself. So now finding out there’s STARSET books!🤯 Mind BLOWN! 🤯 I need these in my life. I just discovered STARSET recently, and to be honest they’ve become my whole personality in a very short time.💚
May 6, 2024
I went to the Starset concert with NO CONTEXT with a friend. I left a HUGE fan! The music, the videos, the AR - all of it sucked me in to the world they’ve created. I immediately picked up this book and LOVED it. While it starts off a BIT graphic, the rest of the ride is a super interesting dystopian thriller that explores the future of technology, free speech, and personal responsibility among revolution. All that said, the story is FUN and I really enjoyed the characters throughout!
July 18, 2025
Holy cow. I said it about their first book, and I'll say it again. These guys are amazing story tellers. Which goes hand-in-hand with their story telling in their songs.
I was struck by some of the similar themes in this story and in real life. The billionaires seeing people as expendable workers, just existing to make them richer. The dismantling of civil rights and the fight to take them back.
Gripping, thrilling and another can't put this book down.
I was struck by some of the similar themes in this story and in real life. The billionaires seeing people as expendable workers, just existing to make them richer. The dismantling of civil rights and the fight to take them back.
Gripping, thrilling and another can't put this book down.
June 20, 2024
Dustin’s writing has come a long way since Prox. I have been keeping up with the lore for many years and this book did not disappoint. I would love maybe a novella about the war and how people adapted to getting the BMI. Reading these books even makes listening to the music more interesting than it already is. All in all this was a great book and FtheNE!
April 22, 2024
Very thrilling continuation from the first book. I was pulled in from the first chapter. Overall enjoyed reading, just got kinda of irritating after awhile, even with the first book, that every random person is described as 'pudgy' or 'heavyset' and no other characteristics. Not really even describing how the main characters look, kinda leaves an open hole while trying to picture the story.
May 15, 2024
A must read for any Starset fan due to the connection with the band's lore but I was also thoroughly engrossed with the story. Dustin Bates is an incredible lyricist and his writing ability comes across in this novel as well. It's well paced and full of action. I hope there will be more to come!
August 9, 2024
Giving it five stars because I absolutely loved this book. I don’t care what anyone else says. Starset has once again proved why they’re my number one! I like being able to get into the lore of something, so it makes me happy when I get to dive into the world behind STARSET. They are truly unique .
May 22, 2025
Loved it! It's a warning to us all where our future may be headed. Makes you think about what side of history you want to be on and what kind of future you want to live in (or not live in). Looking forward to the next one.
December 7, 2024
Loved it!!
January 12, 2025
Very good, easily one of the best books i read in the last year!
July 18, 2024
Full review here now!! This was an improvement on Dustin’s writing skills. The story was incredible throughout; I liked the different POVs. The sci-fi action was cool and feeling out where the music for the band comes in is interesting. I keep thinking about the spoken word parts of the songs from *Divisions*, where they come in, or where they would be in the story, who says them.
Overall, very fun read! Sad I took a while to get through it!
Also: FUCK THE NEW EAST!!
Overall, very fun read! Sad I took a while to get through it!
Also: FUCK THE NEW EAST!!
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