2084 (2026) by Eliot Ackerman

Audiobook Review

2084 (2026)

by Eliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis

  2084 is book three in the series these two started back in 2021 with 2034: A Novel of the Next World War. 2054 followed in 2024 and now we are up to volume three, 2084.  As anyone might reasonably expect, it's a situation of diminishing returns.  2034, which basically is about a small-scale nuclear war between the United States and China, was gripping.  The scenario described was grounded in contemporary science and geopolitics, and when San Diego got nuked, I almost cried.  2054 moved away from the strengths of the authors (the experience of soldiering and naval battles) into the realm of AI: the plot dealt with the danger of the development of a "singularity."  I thought 2054 was pretty weak because it was pretty clear the authors didn't have a firm grasp on the science. 

  2084 gets back to basics in the sense that it describes a conventional war between "Reparationists"- the countries of the global south who need to rehome their citizens from parts of the earth which have become uninhabitable and "the Consortium" a coalition of China, US and parts of Europe.  Unfortunately, AI once again shows up in the form of a deus ex machina- an implausibly sophisticated computer program that emerges half-way through the book to make strategic decisions.  There are also some ridiculous plot points- like the Chinese navy running a surprise attack down the length of the Mississippi river without the United States government hearing about it.

  As always, there is no description of the world from any other perspective than that of military personnel, politicians and business elites- no information about what the real world actually looks like out there in 2084.  I'd guess that this is the last one, unless it makes a ton of money.