skybridge

sethdmichaels.bsky.social · @sethdmichaels.bsky.social@bridge.neodb.net

Rated The Power 10/10

Really compelling, absorbing and thought-provoking. I'd heard a lot about this book and knew the basic gist but wasn't quite prepared for this to have the ominous, almost Biblical force it has. It really leans into the dark, unpleasant aspects of its argument, so it's *a lot*, but of course the point is to be confrontational; this isn't so much dystopian sci-fi as a mirrored reflection of a dystopic state of affairs that already exists. Grimly engaging as you watch the stories unfold and root for a better outcome even as you know from the beginning that you're not going to get it. Cleverly executed and well worth reading. I tore through this in three days but one might prefer to get it in smaller doses -it's heavy.<br/><br/>Weirdly enough, the book this reminds me of the most is [b:World War Z|8908|World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War|Max Brooks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1528312647s/8908.jpg|817], which is a lot lighter but similarly takes a global view of an emergent phenomenon. It also made me think about the movie "Sorry to Bother You," which similarly uses a speculative and uncanny story to talk about power and social relations.

#book

Published 2026-08-18 14:47 UTC · bridged from Atmosphere