Read ‘The Ministry for the Future’ With The SciFri Book Club
While we live on the precipice of global climate disaster, this work of speculative fiction creates a drama out of the near future.
Welcome to the SciFri Book Club page about The Ministry For The Future. There’s lots of ways to participate: Read the book, join our community space, attend an event, or send a message on the SciFri VoxPop app.
This February, the SciFri Book Club will dive into a work of speculative fiction about the near future with The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. The story introduces readers to a familiar version of some of the key players stoking the fire of climate change—from miscommunications between government organizations to individual greed—all while highlighting the human beings that could be affected by exponential environmental decline. In a world ravaged by the effects of climate change, this book follows the story of a protagonist determined to save what remains.
The Ministry for the Future brings together a range of topics, including the climate crisis, geopolitics, global ecology, emerging economic ideas, and more—and we’ll touch on these ideas throughout this Book Club season. You can get your copy from your local bookstore or on Bookshop.org.
This Book Club season kicks off Wednesday, February 1, and you can read along with us! We’ll be (loosely) following this schedule, but all our readers are welcome to join us at their own pace:
- Chapters 1-23 from February 1-5
- Chapters 24-56 from February 6-12
- Chapters 57-81 from February 13-19
- Chapters 82-106 from February 20-28
Plus, we’ll be hosting virtual and in-person events throughout the month! Keep an eye out on our website or join our Events newsletter to be the first to know.
There are so many ways to dive in and participate! You can grab a copy of the book (and support the author and SciFri), read an excerpt from The Ministry for the Future, join the discussion in our online Book Club community, sign up for our email newsletter, or RSVP for our upcoming Book Club events. Check out all the details below.
Grab Your Own Copy
If you’d like to get a physical copy, we encourage you to start local! Below are our SciFri Book Club partner bookstores and libraries—if you’re in the area, consider supporting your local bookseller or public library (plus, mention our Book Club for a percentage off your purchase at participating shops!).
- A Novel Idea in Philadelphia, PA
- A Room of One’s Own in Madison, WI
- Annie Bloom’s Books in Portland, OR
- Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, TX
- Green Apple Books in San Francisco, CA
- Little City Books in Hoboken, NJ
- Kansas City Public Library in Kansas City, MO
- Mac’s Backs in Cleveland, OH
- New Dominion Bookshop in Charlottesville, VA
- Skylight Books in Los Angeles, CA
- The Book House in St. Louis, MO
- Village Well in Culver City, CA
- Visible Voice Books in Cleveland, OH
- White Whale Bookstore in Pittsburgh, PA
If they don’t have the book in stock or you’d rather purchase online, you can support Science Friday by buying your copy on our Bookshop.org page.
Save The Date: SciFri Book Club Events
The Ministry for the Future: A Global (and Fictional) Response to Climate Change
In his 2020 novel, The Ministry for the Future, Kim Stanley Robinson imagines a not-so-far away future where the new Ministry is tasked with advocating for future generations, and begins to do so with ambitious and controversial projects around the effects of climate change—but not everyone is on board with the risks they plan to take.
Join us for a conversation with the author on the science and speculative fiction in the SciFri Book Club pick for February 2023. Come with your queries and wonderings—we’ll be taking your questions in the livestream comments!
SciFri Book Club February community meeting: The Ministry for the Future
Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book selection, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meeting is the place for you!
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in The Ministry for the Future. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about the climate crisis, geopolitics, global ecology, emerging economic ideas, and the human response to environmental catastrophe.
Join Our Community Space
And as you start reading, join us on our online community space: the Science Friday Book Club is now on Mighty Networks, a platform where we can gather, read and discuss science books together. We’ve built this community space because you told us you wanted a better way to be connected with other SciFri Book Clubbers, and we hope you’ll join us there!
Read An Excerpt
Not sure this is the book for you? Want to read an excerpt before you commit? We’ve got you covered.
Orbit Books, the publisher of The Ministry for the Future, has offered SciFri Book Clubbers an excerpt of the book! You can read this sample on our website.
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Reading recommendations, straight to your inbox. We send emails a few times per week. If you want to learn more about what we’re reading, you can check it out on our Book Club spotlight page.
Meet the Writer
About Diana Plasker
@funkministerDiana Plasker is the Senior Manager of Experiences at Science Friday, where she creates live events and partnerships to delight and engage audiences in the world of science.