What do you think?
Rate this book
NextGen
Can a punk rock band save humanity from itself?
This is the story of one generation's headlong plunge into a world dominated by automation; and the next generation, who must fight to reclaim their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Henry Simon and his friends are young "libertines"—members of the liberated class promised freedom from work, but given inescapable poverty. They want to start a band, but in their collapsed totalitarian society, all jobs have been automated (including that of "band"). Helene Shock is a fully-conscious musical “autogen” whose continual refinement as an artist and clout as a superstar among the pampered anchor class prompts her to help the forgotten libertines in any way she can. As their paths cross, Henry and Helene must navigate the treacherous liberated cities, the mind-bending developments in automated technology, and the overwhelming pressures placed upon them by a government increasingly controlled by the autogens that ushered in their dystopian world.
Jam-packed with music, humor, and adventure, NextGen offers adults and young adults accessible meditations on the nature of politics, creativity, and consciousness, thrilling suspense, and most importantly, a bright glimmer of hope.
After all... the future is unwritten.
"Original, deftly crafted, and a riveting read from start to finish, author Steven Cary's dystopian novel, NextGen is a clever extrapolation of current trends with respect to AI, the music business, and the ever-widening gap between the ultra-wealthy and everyone else. All the more impressive when considering that NextGen is author Steven Cary's debut as a novelist, it is especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dystopian science fiction fans."
--Midwest Book Review
This is the story of one generation's headlong plunge into a world dominated by automation; and the next generation, who must fight to reclaim their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Henry Simon and his friends are young "libertines"—members of the liberated class promised freedom from work, but given inescapable poverty. They want to start a band, but in their collapsed totalitarian society, all jobs have been automated (including that of "band"). Helene Shock is a fully-conscious musical “autogen” whose continual refinement as an artist and clout as a superstar among the pampered anchor class prompts her to help the forgotten libertines in any way she can. As their paths cross, Henry and Helene must navigate the treacherous liberated cities, the mind-bending developments in automated technology, and the overwhelming pressures placed upon them by a government increasingly controlled by the autogens that ushered in their dystopian world.
Jam-packed with music, humor, and adventure, NextGen offers adults and young adults accessible meditations on the nature of politics, creativity, and consciousness, thrilling suspense, and most importantly, a bright glimmer of hope.
After all... the future is unwritten.
"Original, deftly crafted, and a riveting read from start to finish, author Steven Cary's dystopian novel, NextGen is a clever extrapolation of current trends with respect to AI, the music business, and the ever-widening gap between the ultra-wealthy and everyone else. All the more impressive when considering that NextGen is author Steven Cary's debut as a novelist, it is especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dystopian science fiction fans."
--Midwest Book Review
459 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 9, 2025
3 people are currently reading
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 10, 2026
Henry, Constance and Todd are starting a band…but can they? A post transition period in America. But transition to what exactly? It’s been all over the news lately. Tech and robotic humans have advanced to such a degree that we have all this free time on our hands. Should be Great, right? Sure. Steven Cary has woven a tale so wild yet utterly believable here in 2026
Humans interacting w humanoids. The good and the not so good. How will it go for us? For Henry and his friends? You’ll love Monica, the Senators daughter and Anchoress, the social media upcoming star with a heart of gold. Helene Shock leads her own pop-rock band, Castle Clock. The music is So Good. Stirring the emotions of their fans. Especially Ivan 70789
He’s one of the good guys
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!
Humans interacting w humanoids. The good and the not so good. How will it go for us? For Henry and his friends? You’ll love Monica, the Senators daughter and Anchoress, the social media upcoming star with a heart of gold. Helene Shock leads her own pop-rock band, Castle Clock. The music is So Good. Stirring the emotions of their fans. Especially Ivan 70789
He’s one of the good guys
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!
January 15, 2026
I found myself really pulled in. Like most people I've read a lot of dystopian tales. But the combination of music, especially from an author who's a musician, and the role of true human creation of music versus synthesized music in both supporting an undermining totalitarianism, was unique. Plus it had some really funny dialogue and interesting world building.
Highly recommend
Highly recommend
December 15, 2025
I loved this book! Great job expressing the feeling you get making music and how that can awaken the spirit.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews