Short but gripping dystopian novel. As we repeatedly go through "unprecedented times", these books become kinda spooky to read. The focus on communication, unity, friendship and hope was refreshing to read. People in this future world are inherently good, which is something we want/hope for. Can't wait to see where the triology goes!

Such a wonderful book. I am so happy I decided to read it now. A fabulous example of Hopepunk, which I have a growing fondness for. This combines a favorite trope (dystopian/post-apocalyptic), with Hopepunk. We don’t get much background except for a few mentions of the “world before” which is quite clearly ours and a few artifacts that exist to remind us of where this society came from. There is conflict, which arrives in the peaceful kibbutz-like commune in the form of a raiding party.

The true villain of the story is a little over the top evil, but I’m sure men like him actually exist (sadly).

I absolutely loved that the main character, the leader of the commune is an older disabled woman. There aren’t enough books with just quietly competent older women in them.

Many thanks to Interstellar Flight Press for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This novella was quite a surprise, to be honest. I was expecting something quite a bit darker and sadder, being that civilization as we know it has ended in this world. But I was pleasantly surprised that it showcased humans in a pretty positive light, and ended in a upbeat and hopeful note.

The countdown device is quite satisfying, and it blends with the story itself very well.
The main characters are empathetic and easy to connect with, and the groups of side characters are all interesting and, although not the most original I've read, they fit the story they are in and make sense in the world.

All in all, a very enjoyable read and a series I intend to continue!

I really loved this! Dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction can be very hit or miss for me, but this novella falls in the hopepunk subgenre which is something I love to see.

From the first page I was invested in the community and I loved the thought experiment of these two very different cultures meeting and trying to find a way forward. I thought Meridel Newton handled the multiple perspectives very well, especially considering the page count. This is a novella, but the world and the individuals all felt fully realized. It is very much a snapshot of the community on this one day of high tension but Newton does a great job of making it feel like there is depth to the world. We got three dimensional characters and nuanced looks at community and I am obsessed. I especially loved the tension of each chapter heading being the top of the hour as we followed this community throughout the day.

Overall, this is pretty much a perfect novella for me and I am very much looking forward to checking out the rest of this trilogy and anything else Meridel Newton might publish.

4 Stars - Hopeful tale of a dystopian future

This fairly short novella takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where the remaining humans live in small groups which are constantly under threat to fall prey to groups of raiders. One such village is Osto, led by old but wise Vasha, who is doing her best to create a community that has a chance to survive in a very hostile environment. When a band of raiders threatens to siege them Vasha suggests a deal to their leader Drake: he tries to lead the community for one day and then everybody (the people of Osto and the raiders, who are numerous) may together vote who will be the future leader of Osto. Drake does take the chance to take Osto without fighting and casualties, because even the raiders are wary and maybe ready to settle down. After all, how difficult can it be to manage a small community?!

As can be expected, Drake turns out to be not terribly competent at job this because he does not really understand how a community with families, agriculture and conflicts that need resolving works. A group of raiders is quite a different beast to manage after all.
The way these events play out feels very natural and plausible, the story always stays character driven and the issues Vasha and then Drake have to deal with make a lot of sense. There is a subplot that involves a patriarch with a very quarrelsome personality in conflict with another family, which creates a none too small problem for the whole community and is not easy to solve at all. There was just one thing that did not make a lot of sense to me: Vasha comes up with her plan very quickly, seemingly within seconds which did not really work for me. After all, the stakes are very high and one would think that she either has been thinking about something like that for a while before the arrival of the raiders or would at least have needed some time to come up with this idea after being menaced by them.

Other than that I loved the focus on which things are needed to create and sustain a thriving community in difficult circumstances, and Newton makes a very good point that seemingly 'useless' things like art are absolutely essential, as is creating a welcoming, cooperative culture that values every member of a community. I was also a fan of choosing an old lady with a disability as the leader and the overall hopeful tone.

The prose was lovely and thoughtful, the pacing relaxed but not slow. This story is very much focussed on the human side of things and less on action, but since this is such a short read I think it would appeal to almost everyone who enjoys human stories and/or dystopian settings.

I have received an advance review copy via NetGalley and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you very much!

I really loved the beginning of this story. It reminded me of many of the short works featured on Tor, and I enjoyed the slower character building even if most of the characters didn’t end up being very dynamic. A lot of the characters fit into neat boxes (even the ones that had a bit more duality), so there weren’t many twists in plot or character to looked forward to. My main negative with this one was only that I don’t personally tend to relate well with idealist literature, so the ending felt cheesy and I was dreading it for the last 20% of the book. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC

I'm afraid I gave up at 33% as I just couldn't get engaged with this novella - the story didn't seem to be going anywhere, the characters felt flat, and there didn't seem to be a particular reason for the dystopian setting, it could have been set in the past as much as in the future. Perhaps all became clear, but life is short and there are too many books.

"The future second by second" was an entertaining read in the overall, but lacked surprises and emotion, in my opinion. For readers that are unfamiliar with the book's main theme, it would be a better experience, but seasoned readers in the genre will possibly find it flat.

The plot was interesting: a village in the post-apocalyptic world that needs to protect itself from raiders, but its headman decides to offer the leader of the attackers to have a chance at managing the settlement in exchange for a safer take-over. But everything that you could potentially expect from this situation happened and followed the text-book disagreements and clichés of this genre.

The social commentary of the book was well placed, but felt too forced. For me, this whole book felt somewhat forced, as if the author couldn't let the reader get nuances, or was scared of the possibility of some detail escaping attention.

It could also be that I have read too many post-apocalyptic books to recognize the same tropes. But it could also be that Newton tried to hit 10/10 with the situations that would technically add to the drama. Even so, it was well-written and fast paced. I had a good time reading, but it just wasn't remarkable and I don't see the need of this being a trilogy considering how it ended.

The Future Second by Second is maybe not a book I'd normally read anymore. Taking place over the course of one day, the story is set in a dystopian world in which raiders surround a colony and the people's leader is forced to strike a deal with the leader of the raiders. I started it with apprehension, thinking I would most likely DNF as I'm not too big on science fiction books (and haven't read many dystopias since my YA fiction days) but I was pleasantly surprised by how well the writing flowed and how much of a quick, easy, and enjoyable read it was (it's not 135 pages though as Goodreads seems to think, it's more like 270 pages).
I quite liked the development of the story even though the politics seemed a little bit too on the nose at times. I could really visualize the world and the characters and felt the world-building was super strong. There's a lot of potential for a TV show here as the base is expertly set for expanding upon.
However, while I appreciated the shortness of the book and the fact that it's a quick read, I did feel that there was a lot missing in terms of development and pacing and it could have probably benefited from being a bit more drawn out with a bit more character complexity. As it is, everything seems to happen a bit too quickly with all the characters making important life-changing decisions from one page to another. I get that a lot of that is a result of the format (the story taking place in such a short amount of time) but I do feel like the author could have made more use of the parallel POVs and really milked the drama and the political element of the story.
Overall though, this is quite a high 3, more like a 3.5, and if you're into this type of story, I'd definitely recommend it!

Surprising a refreshing post-apocalyptical book that takes place many years in the future, well after the world we know is dead…vasha she is around 60 years old and she is the lider of the village of Osto, in the old days people only lived inside the shelter, now things are much better and they also have a kind of a vilage around the shelter, its a wonderful village, people all share what they have, all things belong to everyone, all people work to feed, dress and keep everyone safe, its a village that also have artisans and is full of life and happiness… until certain morning, a big storm is coming, theres still produce in the fields and they could lose everything and to make things more dire, two young ones of the village are missing, they belong to families that don’t meet eye to eye, and of course this give vibes of Romeo and Juliet, and before vasha have time to address these problems someone comes rushing telling vasha that riders are coming, this is a big force and vasha needs to put things on hold… and she gives a very interesting proposal to the leader of the raiders, and that keep me going.

I don’t know how, I just finished this book in a siting, lately I am feeling a bit under the weather but this book keep me going and it was full of hope in a kind of situation that you weren’t supposed to be full of hope…

I really recommend this book to fans of post-apocalyptical books, where rebuilding the world is important, yeah it kind of tickles all the boxes

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

A quiet, thoughtful and thought-provoking story about a dystopian world where relying on others and forming communities are the key to survival and thriving in a difficult world.

The community of Osto has been an island of safety and relative plenty for many years. Vasha, the current administrator, has ensured that the community has what it needs in food, security, and even art. Osto has also withstood numerous raids by violent bands, closing the doors of their large, sturdy building, where most of Osto lives.

When a new band threatens Osto, Vasha decides to try something different, rather than simply let the current band of Esteben's Men lay siege to the settlement. She invites them in, and gives them a condition: Drake, the leader, can manage Osto for one day, and at the end of the day, the villagers and the raiders can vote for who they want to manage Osto.

Despite it seeming a rash and very risky thing to do, Vasha senses something in Drake that gives her the sense that Osto will not fall to this band. Also, Drake very quickly runs afoul of the arrangements and the various routines and balances Osto's people have created over many years. The night's vote is suitably tense as, despite trusting in Vasha, I still worried about how things would turn out. (The story's title cleverly highlights the importance of time to the tale, as well as the tension over the vote's outcome, and to how clocks figure in the story.)

This book was such a pleasant surprise. Though we only get one window into this difficult and harsh world, the conflicts within Osto as well as those between the raiders and Osto are rich with story possibilities. Vasha proves herself to be remarkably canny at reading people's intentions; though there are some misunderstandings between the two groups resulting in violence, the whole story provides an unusual take on a dystopia. Instead of taking the obvious route of bloodbaths, we have people talking and trying to connect and understand one another. It's refreshing.

The cast of characters is large, and we really only get good insight into Vasha, with her worries and concerns. Author Meridel Newton does spend some time with a few of the other characters, but as this is the start of a story, I hope the author delves deeper into the characters I became fond of over the course of the novella, such as Ahmed and Amaya.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Interstellar Flight Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

THE FUTURE SECOND BY SECOND is the first in a series of novellas from Interstellar Flight Press proposing an alternative to the usual post-apocalyptic narratives-- stories that emphasize optimism and cooperation over pessimism and violence. In that vein, this book tells an engaging story that shows us how peace can be achieved with conversation and effective leadership instead of destruction. It treats this theme with a kind of realistic hopefulness-- there are struggles, outbreaks of violence, and bad actors, for sure, but this doesn't necessarily have to lead to a cataclysmic outcome. Meridel Newton's writing and storytelling manages to be efficient and quickly paced yet also allows the characters and their interactions to breathe. An impressive feat!

I was given this eARC by the publisher, Interstellar Flight Press, through Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Thanks for the opportunity!

Over the long weekend I was looking for something short enough that I could get through it quickly on the train, and I happened to have this sitting on my TBR shelf. I'm also not an avid ebook reader, but I found myself turning page after page until there was no more left to read! It's very short, and I finished it in an afternoon, which is more than I can generally say for ebooks...

I'm also not a big dystopia, or post-apo fan, but the blurb had me intrigued: what I do enjoy quite a lot are stories of hope. And I think this delivered pretty well!

Newton's world is one where tech has disappeared, electricity is a thing of the past and raids are common. Within that though, the little commune of Osto has survived for a lifetime, as people work together to take care of their harvest and animals, craft their clothes and build new systems to evolve in this new world. It's not all rosy though, and I appreciate that even within this tight knit community it's made clear that there's always, always gonna be conflicts, abusers, etc. There's even a strong theme of domestic abuse for a few of the characters. So while it's a story about hope, it's not about blind hope.

But at the end of the day it truly is about cooperation and making the best of what you got, and communities coming together and building bridges. When you consider the state of the world today, especially with the climate crisis... I want to say "looming" but at this point it's no longer looming, it's definitely there... I think we need more of these kinds of stories that actually tackle the issue and what we can/could do in those situation, without it being just guns and violence. Hopepunk it is!

The story plot was all right and engaging. The characters are relatable in terms of surviving in a post-apocalyptic era. The future of Osto depends on an election after an army of raiders invaded their community. Their aging leader, Vasha, strikes a bargain to avoid violence.

The story was an easy read and captivating but fell short with the ending. I was expecting a more realistic end rather than an ideal one.

I hope that the sequels in the series will have more interesting plots and twists that the readers will look forward to.

I thank Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read and review a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I bought copies for the shop and for all my friends. It's the right book for the moment, that's for dang sure. A post-apocalyptic future, but rather than the cruel and strong winning, it's community--partnership--the arts--culture--that has the highest value. It reads almost like a parable of the past you'd read in the far off future, if that makes sense? After society has collapsed and been rebuilt, we'd look back at this story of rebuilding and what to do when that's threatened.

I'm doing a display table with this, The Past Is Red by Catherynne Valente, and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.

The Future Second by Second is about the community of Osto as they try to survive in a dystopian world. The community and its people are thriving until they're attacked by a band of raiders they have no hope in defeating. With no other option in site Osto’s leader Vasha makes a mad deal to try and save her community.

The book was very interesting and fast paced and I liked how its not your typical dystopian story.

Really the only drawback it had was the ridiculously huge cast of characters for a novella. I felt like the book would have been better if Newton would have given us a smaller cast than they could have fleshed the characters out more.

All in all though it was a very enjoyable read and I'd like to thank Insterstellar Flight Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

I don’t typically read novellas but I really enjoyed this one! It grabbed me from the get go and was fast paced. I was actually disappointed when it ended because I wanted more.

Considering how short it was, the author does an excellent job getting you invested in the characters and story. I love post apocalyptic books and this one was done really well. I’m excited to read the next two novellas in the trilogy.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I got an ARC of this book.

Guess who is behind on book reviews because of a nasty reading slump and being 3-7 people on a daily basis at work since FEBRUARY. That’s right, its me. Expect to see more reviews shortly, there are some books I am really excited about that just came out or are coming out soon that I haven’t been able to gush about yet. This book is one of them.

This is a book I snuck in a few pages every time I went to court and at night when I couldn’t sleep. It was short enough that every page made that percentage read go up enough that it felt rewarding even when reading was hard. It is a great reading slump book partially because of that.

The plot and the characters were perfect for me. It is like Becky Chambers came down from space and wrote a post-apocalyptic world instead. So it was right up my ally in every way. People were generally good. There was good dialogue. Interesting ideas. Community. Found family. It was just so lovely. Then there were little nods to the beauty of fiber arts which always makes me happy being a fiber artist.

It is the first book in a trilogy and I immediately need books two and three. I should not have to wait for these books. Please understand, I am not patient and this book was perfect for me. It was gentle and deep. It was beautifully written while not being overly written. I really can’t say enough about it. I loved that some of the main characters were older. I am a sucker for an older woman being in charge and just being uniquely her.

The format of the book also was great. Every chapter was an hour or so. It really helped me keep pace with how much time was left in the deal and gave extra urgency to what was happening in a subtle way. It also allowed for smaller bites of the story to happen without dropping any action. I really recommend this book.

I absolutely loved this book.

It was capitulating and had you wanting to read more and more.

I loved the story and the different characters.
Initially it was the cover that caught my attention it was bright and bold, very colourful.
The world building and the feeling you get, the community of the village was warming.

I absolutely love dystopian novellas especially when they are done right. In The Future Second by Second the author is able to create a whole new world and society without spending hundreds of pages on backstories and details. Also can we talk about how smart Vasha is? She's the leader of her group and does she ever deserve to be. With lots of well developed characters and looming deadline Meridel Newton hooked me right in and now I can't wait to read more about this world.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.