What, pray tell, might a third world war look like? Would it be a gentleman’s war, conducted with the decorum of a particularly aggressive chess match? Or would it be the kind of war where your Wi-Fi goes down, your fridge starts speaking Mandarin, and nuclear missiles begin their uncomfortably swift journey across the sky? If you suspect the latter, then 2034: A Novel of the Next World War may just be the literary anxiety spiral you’ve been waiting for.
Elliot Ackerman, former Marine and noted wordsmith, joins forces with Admiral James Stavridis, who has held the extremely normal and not-at-all-ominous title of Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. They tell a tale that is, fundamentally, a cautionary tale that unfolds a decade hence, positing the unthinkable: a third World War in the year 2034. It underscores the unforeseen consequences of escalating international tensions, accentuated by the rapid evolution of technology. The conflict unravels through the eyes of vividly drawn characters hailing from America, Iran, China, and Russia, whose personal stories become intrinsically entwined with the larger narrative of the world teetering on the brink of annihilation.
Their novel is equal parts chilling, plausible, and likely to make you eye your smartphone with the deep suspicion usually reserved for obviously cursed artefacts in horror movies.
Story
Unlike other books that slap the word “future” onto their covers and proceed to be spectacularly wrong about everything (cough 1984, you tried), 2034 treads a finer line between prophecy and educated guesswork. It’s a cautionary tale that does not involve zombies, asteroids, or a plucky band of teenagers who somehow overthrow an entire dystopian regime using nothing but sheer pluck and attractive bone structure. Instead, it presents a world frighteningly adjacent to our own, just with slightly more fire and substantially less internet access.
Ackerman and Stavridis paint a hauntingly credible picture of the great powers United States and China clashing in a conflict neither desired, yet could not avoid, due to miscalculations and escalating cyber warfare. This geopolitical thriller opens with an incident in the South China Sea — because, historically speaking, international disputes over water have always gone super well. The United States, ever a fan of sailing around and making its presence known, finds itself embroiled in an escalating conflict with China.
Before you can say “geopolitical quagmire,” the Chinese attack the DDG John Paul Jones during a ‘freedom of navigation’ patrol, cyber warfare is in full swing, and the book descends into a frighteningly realistic depiction of what happens when digital superiority is no longer an American birthright. Naval fleets are paralysed, AI runs amok, and international diplomacy spirals into a game of “Which Superpower Blinks First?” Spoiler: nobody blinks, and that’s the problem.
Much like how World War II started, this story threatens to turn into a global conflict, involving North Korea, war in Ukraine, violations of Iranian airspace, etc. And with the threat of nuclear weapons, this could lead to World War III.
The book introduces a cast of characters who each embody different national perspectives, from an Iranian fighter pilot to a Chinese admiral to an American diplomat who has presumably long since abandoned the notion of sleeping peacefully at night. These figures humanise the larger conflict, but at times, they feel like they were constructed in a lab labeled “Narrative Device: Geopolitical Edition.” Their arcs, while serviceable, occasionally take a back seat to the plot’s relentless march toward doom.
Review
The narrative, however, is not without its shortcomings. While it boasts a compelling geopolitical plot, the character development in large part often seems secondary to the events unfolding. The authors maintain a brisk tempo, ensuring the plot never falters, but in doing so, some characters seem thinly veiled, their personal stories occasionally reduced to narrative tools.
Moreover, the novel occasionally slips into “lecture mode,” where the dialogue is less “two people having a conversation” and more “a TED Talk with minor character development.” It’s difficult to fault the authors — one does not simply ascend to Supreme Allied Commander of NATO without having countless opinions — but the didacticism can momentarily pull the reader out of the tension.
That said, the prescient dread that permeates 2034 is its greatest strength. When the book gets into the nuts and bolts of cyber warfare, it is genuinely terrifying. The scenario of a military fleet that is almost paralysed, communication systems that are gone, and AI that is growing at a rapid rate shows a world where technology may become a problem instead of a blessing. The recent invasion of Ukraine, while not specifically covered in the book, certainly echoes some of these themes. The prospect of a future where technology is no longer a safeguard, but an active liability, will make you want to communicate exclusively via handwritten letters delivered by trusted carrier pigeon.
Verdict
2034: A Novel of the Next World War is not an escapist fantasy. It is not a hopeful look at humanity’s ability to rise above its worst impulses. It is, in essence, a 300-page reminder that things could go south very, very quickly. But for those who appreciate their military thrillers with a healthy dose of reality, it is a gripping and necessary read.
If you wish to sleep soundly at night, perhaps give this one a pass. If, however, you enjoy staring into the abyss of the near future with equal parts dread and fascination, then 2034 is the book for you.