2040: A Fable

by Bruce Piasecki

"A thoughtful and absorbing read, with a message to the world. Bruce Piasecki writes with energy and a vision." - Jay Parini, International Best-Selling Author of The Last Station.Is it possible to define yourself in a world that is desperate to define you? And is ceaselessly getting better at it? 2040: A Fable takes us forward into the near future, a world not too distant from ours, but weathered by years of The Virus, the steady beat of climate storms, and the ever-watching eyes of the Event Police. A world where technology and social media have evolved into scorecards, where your value is judged daily, and can be rewritten quickly. But in his quiet neighborhood of Saratoga Springs, George has established an oasis for himself from the chaos of the world outside. Surrounded by family and old friends, he is able to focus on his beloved books and old debates, and ignore the endless reports and gossip pinging from everyone's devices. Until an unexpected dinner invitation leads to suspicions about a neighbor, and what that might mean about the State and its constant-surveillance culture. As George begins to question, he must challenge his own beliefs, especially when the neighborhood's eyes turn on an eccentric uncle, who may be a risk to them all, or may be showing them a path forward. With 2040, Bruce Piasecki presents a thoughtful and entertaining fable that examines how we understand ourselves, what we owe to each other, and how to hold on to both in the face of life's storms.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2021

About the author

NYT bestselling author, speaker, advisor on shared value and social response capitalism. For more thoughts find me on Medium at http://brucepiasecki.medium.com

Reviews

[Franchesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking, cautionary tale of a near (dystopian) future that includes thoughts and memories being stored and edited by machines, the Event Police, and increasingly hostile weather. There are many good insights in this book, and lessons and morals worth heeding, eye-opening to those still blind to the things happening all around us in society and in nature. The story kept me entertained and interested throughout, inspiring conversation in my household as I read this aloud, while listening to the seemingly endless rain pattering on the roof.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway!