Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum

by Michael J. Fox, Nelle Fortenberry

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A poignant, heartfelt, and funny memoir about how, in 1985, Michael J. Fox brought to life two iconic roles simultaneously—Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties and Marty McFly in Back to the Future. An amazing true story as only Michael J. Fox can tell it

In early 1985, Michael J. Fox was one of the biggest stars on television. His world was about to get even bigger, but only if he could survive the kind of double duty unheard of in Hollywood. Fox’s days were already dedicated to rehearsing and taping the hit sitcom Family Ties, but then the chance of a lifetime came his way. Soon, he committed his nights to a new time-travel adventure film being directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg—Back to the Future. Sitcom during the day, movie at night—day after day, for months.

Fox’s nightly commute from a soundstage at Paramount to the back lot at Universal Studios, from one dream job to another, would become his own space-time continuum. It was in this time portal that Alex P. Keaton handed the baton to Marty McFly while Michael J. Fox tried to catch a few minutes of sleep. Alex’s bravado, Marty’s flair, and Fox’s comedic virtuosity all swirled together to create something truly special.

In Future Boy, Fox tells the remarkable story of playing two landmark roles at the same time—a slice of entertainment history that’s never been told. Using new interviews with the cast and crew of both projects, the result is a vividly drawn and eye-opening story of creative achievement by a beloved icon.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Biography, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Media Tie In

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2025

About the author

Canadian/American film and television actor.

His roles include Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy (1985–1990); Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties (1982–1989), for which he won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award; and Mike Flaherty from Spin City (1996–2000), for which he won an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He also starred in Doc Hollywood and Secret of My Succe$s and the lead voices in Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire and in the film Stuart Little and it's sequel.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, and disclosed his condition to the public in 1998. As the symptoms of his disease worsened, he retired from full-time acting in 2000.

Reviews

[Scottsdale Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of behind-the-scenes Hollywood stories, Back to the Future, or Michael J. Fox himself, Future Boy is an essential read. This memoir offers a glimpse into one of the most iconic films of all time, chronicling the whirlwind period when Fox was juggling his role on Family Ties by day, and filming Back to the Future by night. Released in celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary, the book is a quick-read and delivers a candid and compelling account of how Fox stepped into the role of Marty McFly—after Eric Stoltz was replaced six weeks into production. – Diana F.

[BiblioPeeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1985 Michael J. Fox was at the height of ‘Family Ties’ fame and he took on making ‘Back to the Future’ at the SAME. TIME! He literally filmed ‘Family Ties’ (season 3) during the day and ‘Back to the Future’ at night and this memoir explains how he managed to do that.

Michael J. Fox relates his time during this period with his characteristic kindness and humor! As a huge fan (of both him and the movie) I didn’t expect to learn anything new, but there were a few behind-the-scenes tidbits he shared that I didn’t know! Those Nike sneakers for example… There’s also some great candid photos included. It was interesting how he juggled the differences not just between two characters, Alex P. Keaton and Marty McFly, but between filming a television series and a big movie production.

I chuckled often and appreciated and enjoyed the movie lines Fox uses in a playful manner throughout the book. This is a movie I know by heart, so I recognized allllll the little nods to the film. In fact, I can guarantee you’ll be itching to watch the movie yet AGAIN, once you’ve read this!

FUTURE BOY is such a fun, fast and FEEL GOOD read! If you’re a fan of Michal J. Fox and/or ‘Back to the Future’, this is a MUST READ. Trust me, you kids are gonna love it! 😉

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge Michael J Fox fan and I loved Family Ties as well as Back to The Future. If you like any one of the three things I listed, you'll love the book as much as I did. I was unaware of the taping schedule of the sitcom and the movie. Life for Michael must have been unbelievably crazy! It was great to read about the back story and all that went into the making of these productions. Now I want to rewatch the Family Ties series and the Movies. I would highly recommend this book and I gave it a 5 star rating. #MichaelJFox #FlatironBooks #NelleFortenberry

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible audio
----

Had fun with this one :). His voice was hard for my brain 🧠 to focus on for a bit so I rewound alot eep! I slowed 🐌 my usual listening speed down some and it helped.. my brain decided later that "okay we like this now" lol 😆 and smoother sailing it was after that.

He's a very interesting person... I'm fascinated with the behind the scenes stuff in Hollywood (especially old Hollywood)... seeing how decisions were made and all that.. could have listened all day 👍🏼.

Have to applaud Michael for his insane work and sleep schedule during that period. I get a couple nights with insomnia having a party 🥳 and I'm.. not great, maybe hia guardian angels helped give him energy or something , who knows?

The crew also deserved 👏 all the praise and respect!


I vaguely remember watching the film and thinking it was okay.. methinks. May have to watch it again someday soonish.

Would recommend 👌 👍🏼.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Future Boy by Michael J. Fox! My husband and I are huge movie watchers! (We met at a movie theater where he worked and I went with friends to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Since he worked at a theater we saw a lot of movies free when we first started dating).

I loved reading about what it was like being on set on Back to the Future. How the scenes played out and the ad libbing. I love reading about what happens behind the scenes, how movies and TV shows get made. It looks so easy on screen. The famous lines we repeat to each other seem flawlessly easy on screen yet may have taken multiple takes to get right. I loved reading about the people he worked with points of view from costars to producers to directors.

Mr. Fox had teamsters pick him up at his apartment for work and take him back home late after his double shifts, reminded me of the movie My Chauffeur starring Deborah Foreman, as chauffeur, Casey Meadows. Casey had to get the rock star to the stadium no matter what, which she eventually does.

His teamster chauffeurs got him to each set on time and back home again. I am still in awe of how he did two "full-time" jobs each day for months and his coworkers didn't notice a change in his work ethic, he still gave 100% to each project.

If you're a fan of Michael J Fox like me, or Back to The future movies of just movies in general, it's a must-read for all! It's a great read for teens and tweens too even with the swear words.

#MichaelJFox #FutureBoy #BackToTheFuture #BehindThe Scenes #MovieMaking #Memoir #SchoolLibrary #SchoolLibrarians #PublicLibraries #PublicLibrarians #ReadABook #Books #Read #SummerReading #Edelweiss

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first saw Back to the Future at the cinema (at the age of 20) way back in 1985 it became one of my favourite films ever-and it still is! In fact my family and I saw it at the Royal Albert Hall last week, with an orchestra playing the music live, and a surprise appearance from composer Alan Sivestri.
In Future Boy Michael J Fox tells his story of starring as Marty McFly in this classic film, while also appearing in the TV series Family Ties. It seemed an impossible task to act in a major Hollywood film and a hit TV series at the same time, but Fox (then aged 23) managed to do both with incredible success.
I've read quite a lot about the making of Back to the Future over the years, but Fox comes up with plenty of new stories and there are also new interviews with the cast and crew. This was a short, but highly enjoyable read and another great book from Michael J Fox. Can it really be 40 years since I first saw Back to the Future ?! Great Scott!!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

How much did I love this book? I willingly read instead of sleep, and each minute of this book was terrific.

Anytime Fox described a scene, I kind of remembered it, but it was obvious I was going to have to rewatch the movie and despite seeing it several times over the years, watching it through the eyes of Michael J Fox was a delight.

it's not a very long book, but I loved the writing style and now I have to say to Michael J Fox.......please do a second book, in this genre, detailing Family Ties and maybe Spin City, but definitely Family Ties.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back To The Future is a movie that’s become a classic.
If you were born in the 80’s or earlier and told me that you’d never seen it, I’d be shocked!

Since I hadn’t watched it in over 20 years, I decided to stream it the day before I started this book (it’s currently available on Netflix).
I’m really glad that I did this because in the book when Michael J. Fox referred to specific scenes, they were fresh on my mind.

I had no idea that when he started filming Back To The Future he was still filming Family Ties.
Michael would be on the Family Ties set all day, then be shuttled to Back To The Future’s set and film until about 2 AM.
Every 24 hours he was averaging about 4 hours of sleep, but when you watch the movie he never shows how exhausted he was.
I also never knew that he wasn’t the original Marty McFly.
A little ways into filming the directors decided to change the cast, and basically start over.

This was an interesting book that any Back To the Future fan or anyone who enjoys learning about how movies are made would enjoy.
And at only 186 pages, it can be read in a day.

He also includes several pictures at the end, which I’m sure look much better in a physical copy of the book (I do 90% of my reading on my Kindle).

[Kylara Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but entertaining narrative about the making of back to thr future. I enjoyed the audio book. it used clips from the movie and included narrations from those being quoted

[Chrissie Whitley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely niche book, released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future, and it absolutely worked for me. Fox focuses on the surreal period in 1985 when he was shooting Family Ties all day and then heading to Universal at night to step into the role of Marty McFly — after Eric Stoltz had already filmed six weeks of the movie. He writes candidly about the exhaustion, the pressure, the behind-the-scenes chaos, and the way he had to essentially sacrifice himself to keep all the plates spinning: “trying to be Marty, Alex, and Mike was too much — and one of them had to go.” There are glimpses of his early life, but the heart of the book is the creative grind and the team effort that made an iconic film possible. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Fox himself, and was genuinely happy he was able to record it. A heartfelt, funny, and surprisingly moving look at a remarkable moment in his career.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favourite movies, Tv shows and actors.. what’s not to love

[Marika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actor Michael J Fox writes about his time working on both the sitcom Family Ties and the movie Back to the Future. This is a memoir of the entertainment/performing arts type as it is not a memoir about his family or health but centers solely on his work during a specific time. Very quick read, well written and fans of his work will appreciate it.

*I read an advance copy and was not compensated

[Ben A · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great look back at Michael J. Fox's experience filming Back to Future that only makes me love both him and the film even more when you consider what he went through to make it. So much fun and filled with happiness and love. What a guy.

[enjoyingbooksagain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you read or listened to this yet. I loved that Michael J. Fox read this first he’s so good at telling stories .
He tells us of behind the scenes of the iconic Back to the Future story and how he worked on Family Ties and Back to the Future and other movies he did.
How did this young kid do all this? I enjoyed listening to this short story and if you love Michael j Fox or the Back to the Future pick this up I listened to it but I did see the book on Amazon and it has pictures.

[Diana Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read focused on Micheal J Fox's experience filming Back to the Future at the same time as Family Ties. Timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the film: the date on the Delorian was Oct 26 1985 / 1955. (Then Oct 21 to go forward to 2015.)

It was a fun read and one I'd recommend to Back to the Future/ MJF fans.

[Jodie Kirkland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adore this man.

Now excuse me whilst I watch every Back To The Future film back to back.

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did we really need this tiny book that rehashes a few small factoids about making Back to the Future? The simple answer is "no." Mike Fox adds almost nothing new to the movie's history (done much better in the book "We Don't Need Roads") nor his time at Family Ties (better stated in Gary David Goldberg's memoir). It's unclear whether most of the information in this book was stolen from those other publications or was based on original interviews with all involved, but based on the fact that we've heard almost everything before my guess is that it was mostly borrowed from outside sources with some email exchanges with those Fox worked with.

No matter how it came about, there is very little of substance to this. The extremely short, small book with lots of white space doesn't even devote all of its pages to Back to the Future. Instead we get Fox again covering his start in Hollywood and too much space on Family Ties. This man has already written memoirs covering that time period.

This feels simply like a late-in-life money-grab that is filled with non-stop thank yous to everyone Fox ever worked with or his childhood friends and family. Nothing negative is said about anyone, and the star even lets Lea Thompson off the hook for being so mean to him when he began shooting the movie (he replaced her friend and alleged lover Eric Stolz).

There are also a few mistakes in the book. His claim that "By 1984, two seasons into its run, Family Ties was a bona fide hit, consistently near the top of the Nielsen ratings." Totally, 100% false. The sitcom was a flop in its first two seasons, ranking #56 its first year and #42 of all shows in its second. The comedy didn't hit it big until The Cosby Show premiered as its lead-in during fall of 1984, catapulting Family Ties to #5 by 1985 before a couple of seasons as the #2 show on television.

He also claims he changed his voice entirely for the film. Seriously? It sounded to me like Alex P. Keaton with a slightly higher-pitched squeak tossed in.

The best part of the book is actually the very short epilogue, where he reveals that he recently had a two-hour meeting with Eric Stolz for the first time in his life. What an amazing "get," since Stolz doesn't talk about losing the role. But...Stolz refused to go on record for any of it. What a disappointment, like so much of this.

The memoir is incredibly repetitive to pad the pages, includes script chunks, and some of what he does say is difficult to believe (giving very specific claims of time stamps and quotations from 40 years ago while he was working 18 hour days?). I think the guy is a great actor and has had a fascinating career, while admiring him for his charity work, but this is one case where he should not have taken a trip back to the future.

[Garrett Skinner]

Michael j Fox is such a cool person. His near unbreakable optimism and kindness are just so inspiring. I knew a lot of the info he shared in this book, but it was so cool hearing about the behind the scenes from Michael himself. His humility and his willingness to compliment all of his other costars is super admirable. He’s also an extremely good writer. I kept chuckling while listening to him read this book.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slice of life, movie memoir, fans will love this one.

The audio is read by Fox and includes a decent sprinkle of costar/crew interview clips. I knew he had pulled double duty during this time. I had no idea to what extent. I loved it, but I am also a fan.

[Noel (noelreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Back to the Future movies are some of my all time favorites (second only to the LoTR trilogy), so I was incredibly excited to read this book, and it did not disappoint.

I didn’t know about pretty much any of the behind the scenes tidbits about Back to the Future, so this was absolutely delightful to read. It brought the movie to life for me in new ways and has made me love it even more. It’s a touching and heartwarming tribute to a fantastic film.

I only wish there was more. This book just talks about the first movie (and Michael J. Fox’s early life as well), but I very much want to hear about the making of the second and third movies of the trilogy too (especially the third as that one is my favorite of the three) 🥹💛

I highly recommend this book if you’re a fan of the movie. And if you haven’t seen Back to the Future I highly recommend watching it as soon as possible (and then reading this book too) 🤗

Thank you Flatiron for the free book! #flatironpartner

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to the future is one of my favourite movies so I couldn’t give this anything less than a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up on a healthy diet of Michael J. Fox...he WAS the eighties! Back to the Future, Teenwolf, and Family Ties, I loved them all!

However what we didn't know was that in order to delight his fans, Fox was going full on burn out working back to back, day and night in order to keep his fans happy. This is that story...

It's a fairly short read with Fox's honesty and humour shining bright from the pages.

October 31st 2025 celebrates the FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY of the first time we went Back to the Future.

It's funny to think think back then it seemed an eon before 2025 arrived...and now that second trip back to the future on October 21st 2015 is already TEN YEARS into the past!

[Katie Huggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The 63 year old me, couldn’t help but smile, recognizing that the 23 year old me in the embodiment of Marty McFly will remain forever young. It’s done now, and I’ll never do something on that scale again, but I finally appreciate Back to the future for what it is: a near perfect movie.”

I find it hard to rate this one. I had someone that I follow and respect on here recently write a review that talked about how he was glad that the book he read was great, and how he was pleasantly surprised to find that there weren’t a bunch of contrarian reviews. While I don’t think he was particularly calling me out specifically, it’s still one of those things where, “if the shoe fits”… then I must lace it up and own it.
And so I have been telling myself I need to stop doing that, because I’m sure thats frustrating as hell. That being said, I feel like this one might be a contrarian review.
Simply because I absolutely love Michael J Fox and Back 2 the Future was movie being played on repeat growing up. For those two reasons alone, I knew that I had to give this one a read. When I saw that Fox narrated his audiobook himself, I decided to skip picking it up at the store or library, and instead get in line to check this out as an audiobook.
Unfortunately, it was a bit difficult for me to understand him at different parts, as it sounded like he needed to take a deep breath and try to speak a bit slower and clearer. Since we all know that Michael has Parkinson’s, and I never want to be an ableist of any kind, I’m glad that he was able to narrate his own book… I just wish I could have understood it a bit better.
And then there was the subject matter itself. Sure, I did learn some interesting tidbits about the film. For example, I had no idea that there was another actor who was supposed to play Marty McFly, but he was a bit too somber in the role, as the original Marty thought the movie should be more tragedy. The director/producers decided last minute to reshoot almost the entire film because Michael J. Fox was able to bring the comedic chops. (And thank god for that, I don’t know if I would have loved it as much if it was more sad than funny.) Overall though, it felt like we were getting a watered down version, that included a lot of driving on the way to and from the studio. And I guess I was hoping for a bit more.
And here’s where my contrarian butt comes into play, haha. 🤣 Even though I was hoping for a bit more “tea” as the kids say, and I had hoped for Michael to touch on more about his personal life, I still found the book entertaining. After all, I know he has put out a memoir (possibly two?) by now, and so if I want to learn more details about his life, I can (& I will) check them out. I think for me, a person who is incredibly sensitive and loves anything that brings back happy memories from my childhood, the nostalgic part of my soul loved it… in the same way that I’ll always support my favorite authors, directors/producers, artists, etc.
So over all, I feel like it could have had a little more details involved, but I still enjoyed it. I understand the rush to get this book finished while the actors (& fans) are still with us. After all, it has been FORTY years since it came out. I just wish the director had been alive to see how much of a cult classic this happened to be, and how his films were from the 80s are still cherished today.




PS. I wanted to share Michael’s thoughts on how to deal with bullies, as I had chuckled for this bit, and it’s a philosophy I carry in the real world myself.

“Here’s how I dealt with bullies, and still do today. Option one: try to diffuse the situation by diffusing the antagonist. Most bullies aren’t that smart, and they are fairly easily confused. Tell a joke, make them laugh. Maybe they’ll answer with one of their own. Option two: flea. Option three: not wholly reliable, in fact kind of dangerous, but hit them back. Better yet, hit them first. Then revisit option two. I did a lot of running. My goal as a child was self preservation.”

[brewdy_reader]

Not rated because I don’t rate memoirs, but highly recommended if you enjoyed these films!🎥

If, like me, you grew up in the eighties, the movies of the time had a profound impact on you.  Films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Goonies, GhostBusters, and The Lost Boys all come to mind, but without question, Back to the Future is towards the top of my list. 

The scenes with Marty playing guitar, whether plugging into an exploding amp, the failed Battle of the Bands audition or the dance in the 1950s: I knew I wanted to do that. 

When I saw @realmikejfox had a book about the making of the movie, I immediately wanted to read it.  The drama of replacing lead actor Eric Stoltz six weeks after filming started & complications of filming Back to the Future and Family Ties at the same time, oh my! And of course I appreciated his insight into filming guitar scenes. 

It is a quick read at under 200 pages, but well worth the time.  It brought me back down roads I hadn’t wandered in a long time, but then again, “where we’re going we don’t need roads.”

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||။‌‌‌‌‌|• 🎧 The narration by Michael J Fox makes clear his struggles with Parkinson’s disease, and shows his humanity.

[Renée | apuzzledbooklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5 stars

This was such a nostalgic book to listen to! It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since Back to the Future was released in movie theaters. ⚡️

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. Michael shares his experiences of filming the movie and also Family Ties as well. 

I still remember going to see the movie at the theater. I was in high school.

I did need to slow the narration way down, I listened at .85 speed. It was absolutely worth it to listen to the author narrate his story. I’m even more of a fan now. My husband and I watched the movie last night. It was so fun to be taken ‘back in time.’ 

CA | Contains a bit of strong and mild profanity, not frequent

[Deanna (she_reads_truth_365) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Future Boy was narrated by author Michael J. Fox. His voice was a household favorite back in the day. I had to slow the speed way down for this one. Listened at 1.25x. Despite that, the narration was perfect. I enjoyed the interview clips that were included in this book as well!

I grew up watching Michael J. Fox on television and in blockbuster movies. This memoir was a delight to read and took me on a trip back down memory lane. It was interesting to hear all the behind the scenes stories. This book is perfect for movie lovers!

Thank you to Macmillan audio for the gifted audiobook and the opportunity to preview this book. All opinions are my own.

[Matty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book for fans of BTTF & Michael J Fox.
I’ve read a lot of books and other resources about the making of Back to the Future (my favourite film of all time)… but to hear about it from the lead actors’ perspective and to get more in-depth insight into what it was like to make a sitcom all day & then work on a film all night, is amazing! I’ve also read most of Fox’s memoirs, but what I really love about this was the hyper-focus on one moment in time… it’s not a couple of chapters in a larger life story - it’s really geared to shed light on one incredible Hollywood story. Huge props to MJF, who did something no one else had or likely will again. And who not only worked that hard, but smashed both roles & made the show and movie so successful. 👏🏽

[The Reading Raccoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Future Boy by Michael J. Fox

Future Boy is a memoir about the chaotic stretch of time when Michael J. Fox was filming his hit TV show Family Ties while simultaneously shooting Back to the Future.

In this short memoir, Fox shares how he stepped into the iconic role of Marty McFly after the original actor was let go. Because he was still filming Family Ties, he spent weeks rushing back and forth between sets to make the impossible schedule work. I loved the behind-the-scenes details and the interviews with cast and crew about their experiences during this hectic period.

It’s really fun to see Fox’s continued enthusiasm and appreciation for the role that made him a star, and I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys ’80s nostalgia or filmmaking stories.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Narration notes: The audiobook is narrated by Fox himself, which is always my preference for memoirs. It makes the experience feel conversational and authentic.

Disclosure: An advanced listening copy was provided by Macmillan Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[natalie zander · Rating 4 out of 5]

i once again wanted something short & silly goofy to listen to as i braved newark airport the sunday before xmas 🫠 but this was actually super entertaining and convinced me that i need a back to the future rewatch asap

UPDATE: I’VE JUST DISCOVERED BACK TO THE FUTURE IS AN IN FLIGHT MOVIE OPTION GOD IS A GAEL

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice celebration of 40 years since Back to the Future began. It was neat to hear behind-the-scenes!