Description

Chosen by Barack Obama as one of his favourite reads of 2020

Established in 2025, the purpose of the new organisation was simple: To advocate for the world’s future generations and to protect all living creatures, present and future. It soon became known as the Ministry for the Future, and this is its story.

From legendary science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson comes a vision of climate change unlike any ever imagined.

Told entirely through fictional eye-witness accounts, The Ministry For The Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, the story of how climate change will affect us all over the decades to come.

Its setting is not a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us – and in which we might just overcome the extraordinary challenges we face.

It is a novel both immediate and impactful, desperate and hopeful in equal measure, and it is one of the most powerful and original books on climate change ever written.

‘The Ministry for the Future ranks among Robinson’s best recent works, a collection of actions and observations that adds up to more than the sum of its eclectic and urgent parts’ Sierra

‘A breathtaking look at the challenges that face our planet in all their sprawling magnitude and also in their intimate, individual moments of humanity’ Booklist (starred review)

‘Gutsy, humane… This heartfelt work of hard science-fiction is a must-read for anyone worried about the future of the planet’ Publishers Weekly (starred review)

‘Portrays a vision of the near future where, if some people work hard enough, maybe everything won’t come to an end’ Entertainment Weekly

Also by Kim Stanley Robinson:
Red Moon
New York 2140
2312
Aurora
Shaman

Publisher Review

Utterly immersive and unexpectedly hopeful -- RT BOOK REVIEWS One of the most exciting books in climate change fiction yet written... Both immensely readable and timely -- LITHUB There have been more than a few environmental catastrophe tales set in a future New York, but possibly none of them have been this interesting -- LOCUS Sci-fi fans will love the detail and the optimism about humanity's future in space * Wall Street Journal * This may well be Robinson's masterpiece and is surely the most important piece of sf in years -- MORNING STAR Beautiful descriptions of lunar landscapes * Guardian * One of the finest writers of his generation * Locus * Only sci-fi can drown Manhattan and make you want to live there -- BLOOMBERG BUSINESS WEEK Starkly beautiful and fundamentally optimistic -- THE CONVERSATION A compelling vision of the future * Science * The lunar landscape is a source of beautifully described detail * Kirkus * Like all great sci-fi, New York 2140 is as much inward-looking as it is forward- . . . Robinson's work has a strong, intelligent social conscience -- GQ It's near impossible to capture the vibrance of the entire city in the span of one single novel, yet Kim Stanley Robinson manages to do just that and more -- NEWSWEEK Another stellar effort from one of the masters of the genre * Booklist * A wise and big-hearted novel to read and then, straight away, read again * SFX * Even at 600-plus pages, there's a leanness to the prose that keeps the plot moving forwards . . . Robinson handles setpieces with aplomb -- SFX Any new novel by the great Kim Stanley Robinson is always an event and Red Moon doesn't disappoint * Independent * Robinson's writing is so evocative that you can imagine that any one of his paragraphs could feature in the film of the book . . . a thoughtful, innovative page turner -- STARBURST Robinson seamlessly binds together characters and narrative strands . . . An immensely enjoyable reading experience * SciFiNow * A breathtaking look at the challenges that face our planet in all their sprawling magnitude and also in their intimate, individual moments of humanity * Booklist * A deeply realised world that feels more like a peep into our future than a work of fiction * New Scientist * A masterpiece * The Times * Bestseller Robinson again tackles climate change head-on in this gutsy, humane view of a near-future Earth careening toward collapse . . . Robinson masterfully integrates the practical details of environmental crises and geoengineering projects into a sweeping, optimistic portrait of humanity's ability to cooperate in the face of disaster. This heartfelt work of hard science-fiction is a must-read for anyone worried about the future of the planet * Publishers Weekly (starred review) * Robinson is one of the world's finest working novelists, in any genre. New York 2140 is a towering novel about a genuinely grave threat to civilisation -- GUARDIAN