Author: Sylvian Neuvel
Series: A History of What Comes Next #1
Publisher: Tor.com
Released: February 2^nd, 2021
Received: NetGalley

I received a copy of A History of What Comes Next in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A History of What Comes Next, written by Sylvian Neuvel, is almost certainly one of the most unique historical fiction novels I’ve ever had the opportunity to read. It blurs the lines between fact and fiction, in beautiful yet subtlety horrifying ways.

Mia and her family have spent generations, a hundred of them, in fact, shaping a course for the human race to follow. From scientific advancements to impossible decisions, and everything in between. Her family is connected to all of it.

The end goal? To get humans out into space. Any effort that pushes the space race is a worthy one, in this dark and twisted satirical novel.

“We’ll never know if we played a part in any of these things. Perhaps some of our research from the past…It did not matter.”

I’ll admit it, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with A History of What Comes Next. On the one hand, it is so creative and so wonderfully written. On the other hand, there’s something decidedly uncomfortable about reading fiction surrounding real people – about seeing their real lives changed for the sake of a story.

The end result is something fairly unsettling, which actually feels like the intent behind A History of What Comes Next. The satire is impossible to miss, and it absolutely succeeds in hitting home on more than one occasion.

If you are fascinated by alternative histories, by the events of the World Wars, by the space race, then this might just be the perfect novel for you. It isn’t ashamed or afraid to dive into the technical aspects of those worlds, and thus anybody enjoying those facts will flourish alongside the writing.

All things considered, I don’t regret reading A History of What Comes Next. It had an impact on me, even while I didn’t fall in love with the narrative. I’m undecided on if I’ll read the next two novels or not. It may just depend on how curious I’m feeling at the time.