A History of What Comes Next: The captivating speculative fiction perfect for fans of The Eternals

This book was not to everyone's taste it has to be said although all agreed that it was well written. The lack of speech marks was difficult for some to follow and not too many found the will to read to the end. One thing that was unclear was where the Kibsu originated and whether the Trackers were from the same lineage. The mixture of fact and fiction was appreciated and the time shifts helped to explain the main purpose of Mia and Sarah and to outline just how long they had been working towards their goal. The references to climate change were pertinent and enlightening again to show how long the problem has been recognised and necessary actions considered. We felt the story ended too abruptly but then realised that it was intended to be the first of a trilogy. Very few felt they would read the next books. We gave it a score of 6 out of 10 which reflected some who scored it very highly and those who did the opposite. A marmite book.

What a clever book! The author, Sylvain Neuvel, has written this tale combining an intricate and accurate history of developing science and the space race from its beginning. It is told through the eyes of a girl called Mia and her family. It just happens that this family is a super race of women who breed solely for the purpose of producing brilliant and talented girls to further the course of science on Earth. These women somehow only carry the genes of their mother and nothing of their father. Their role is to manipulate men into making the scientific discoveries to enable the eventual ability of space travel.
In reading this book I was most impressed with the detailed historical research that went into this book. I am not a great reader of sci-fi but this was such an intriguing take on the space race between the US and the USSR that I couldn't put it down. Tying together ancient Egypt, the Mongol Hoard, World War II and the 1960s was imaginative and well done.
I look forward to reading more from this author.

The Space Race between two of the world’s superpowers (the US and the USSR) was a competition to achieve advanced spaceflight technology. It had its origins in WW2 ballistic missile development and this is where the novel begins. Although the book follows accurate historical fact, things are not quite what they seem as Historical fiction meets Science fiction. Enter the Kibsu, an alien race with superior powers who have come to earth to oversee the development of the space flight technology. The Kibsu operate in mother/daughter pairs. Mia is the main protagonist, responsible for orchestrating the efficient development of space flight on earth and she and her mother are the 99th pairing. The book follows the fortunes of the Space Race up until 1961, mixing hard fact with creative fiction.

This is a very cleverly constructed novel and quite a complex one. An enormous amount of historical fact has been introduced, but the interpretation of these facts has been creatively and subtly altered. It’s a rewriting of the history books, looking at events from a slightly different perspective without interfering too much with the basic facts. It is innovative, creative and very well researched. Before reading it my expectations were low as I am not a great lover of either Sci-fi or historical fiction, but this book not only exceeded my expectations, it surprised me by being a gripping and exciting novel. Reviewers who have read previous books by this author do not necessarily think that this one compares favourably but this was my first book by Sylvain Neuvel and I really enjoyed it, albeit with a few hiccoughs along the way.

My problem with the book stems almost entirely with the writing style, which is somewhat haphazard and chaotic. This makes it quite difficult to follow at times. There are jumps between timeframes as well as constantly switching Points of View as different characters take over the storytelling in alternating chapters. The book tries to mirror the narrators’ thought processes which, by their very nature are often random – this results in a “stream of consciousness” style of writing in places (although thankfully with short sentences!). Another issue was that I didn’t understand the motivation of the Kibsu – why were they so desperate to save us from ourselves and find a way for us to leave the planet before we destroy it? I felt that the book generally left more questions asked than answered, presumably to make way for a second book.

I had never come across this author before but would certainly read more of his work. It is an absorbing novel that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys an interesting read.

I am a big sci fi fan so may be more biased towards a favourable review. I really enjoyed the blend of science fiction into science fact and human history. The conversational tone of writing was a bit different, and the playlist and suggestions for further reading were a nice touch. A fun read.

Science fiction is not a genre I readily turn to. Although this book has not changed my mind, it is engaging and well written. I found the earlier part of the book more enjoyable but was glad to have persevered to the end. A novel idea with the feint chance that this could really have happened.