Although published as science fiction, Ministry For The Future is a very political novel, which speculates on a future history of the next 40 to 50 years. It's a huge feat of imaginative writing, a massively powerful book about what we may be facing, and the action required to prevent catastrophe and make a new, better world. Optimistic in the end, the human race is not without significant challenges to overcome. Whether the political and public will exists to do what Robinson suggests, I'm doubtful, but this extraordinarily addictive book is rich with ideas and ideals. Some very, very bad things may be going to happen if we don't attend to the climate, and inequality. This book is source material, as well as being a terrific story, for the corrections we need to make. It's urgent.