NextGen

In the year 2050, the vast majority of Americans make up the liberated class: promised freedom from labor, but given inescapable poverty and societal decay. In spite of his dystopian upbringing, 18-year-old “libertine” Henry Simon starts a band with his friends in a desperate attempt to find meaning and happiness in a world ruthlessly deprived of both by its automated authoritarian government.

Meanwhile, Helene Shock is a fully-conscious musical “autogen” whose continual refinement as an artist and clout as a superstar leads her to help the forsaken libertines in any way she can. As their paths cross, Henry and Helene must navigate the treacherous conditions of the liberated cities, mind-bending developments in automated technology, and the overwhelming political pressures placed upon them by a government increasingly controlled by the autogens that ushered in their dangerous new world.

Jam-packed with music, humor, and politics, NextGen offers thrilling suspense, thoughtful analysis, and—most importantly—a bright glimmer of hope.

After all, the future is unwritten...

"Smartly and entertainingly done. A taut and insightful dystopian novel.”
--Kirkus Reviews

"Original, deftly crafted, and a riveting read from start to finish, author Steven Cary's dystopian novel, NextGen is a clever extrapolation of current trends with respect to AI, the music business, and the ever-widening gap between the ultra-wealthy and everyone else. All the more impressive when considering that NextGen is author Steven Cary's debut as a novelist, it is especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dystopian science fiction fans."
--Midwest Book Review

NextGen is the first novel by author Steven Cary, who draws upon his double life as a professional musician and political attorney to fill its highly musical and politically fraught pages. Inspired by a lifelong passion for classic world literature and punk rock, Cary mixes gritty action-packed prose with a literary philosophical flair to create a dystopian world that's not without its comforts; much like his home in sunny Florida.