Manna
★★★★★
This is a short polemic setting up two futures as a result of the obsolescence of all work by AI and robotics - one where everyone but the rich is on subsistence welfare, and a post-scarcity utopia.
The author has some interesting thoughts, but the utopia comes across as naive, smug, and preachy - it’s perfect with no conflict and interesting only as an academic exercise. This is essentially a non-fiction book masquerading as a novel.
And that’s the big problem - there’s absolutely zero plot, it’s basically either the narrator’s didactic exposition or characters explaining to each other. Literally nothing happens.
This could have been interesting if the ideas were less black and white and there was a story woven through, but as it was it’s just bland and naive.
About this book
Manna by Marshall Brain (1961–2024) , first published in 2003.
Genres: science fiction
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