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Max is a Berlin-based novelist who loves diving into “what if” scenarios through the lens of near-future fiction. His stories are set at the intersection of society and technology, aiming not just to entertain, but also to explore what makes us human. Off the page, he enjoys the simple pleasures of life, whether it's spending time with loved ones, exploring nature, or indulging his endless curiosity. Join him on a narrative journey that seeks to understand, question, and transform our world, one story at a time.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
The Human Relief Project: When The World Stops Working by Max Malterer is a dystopian novel set in 2038, where AI has liberated humanity from the need to work. Bert, a conductor for the global Human Relief Project, experiences firsthand the societal upheaval caused by this radical shift. As he witnesses lives torn apart and relationships strained, his own convictions are tested. Meanwhile, Alex, the Project’s leader, battles political and cultural resistance to ensure a future free from work. This novel explores personal growth, societal transformation, and the essence of human fulfillment in a post-work world.
Author Max Malterer’s exploration of a world without work raises deep questions about fulfillment and progress, offering readers a thought-provoking reflection on the role of labor in a world that we have only ever known to be about industry and success. Bert and Alex are well-developed, multidimensional characters whose personal crises and evolving beliefs reflect the broader societal conflict, and the close focus on their individual problems allows readers to have an accessible perspective on this concept and understand it better. Malterer paints a meticulous picture of 2038 around them, with realistic technological advancements of the very near future and political and social dynamics that feel both new and familiar. Readers can see how these factors shape their attitudes and affect the decisions they make in the plot. There’s also a really interesting debate about AI that causes readers to question what they think they know about the nature of work and what it does to people, and this bigger picture develops naturally underneath the interesting character-driven plot. Overall, The Human Relief Project is a fascinating dystopian work that will certainly please fans of intelligently penned and realistic speculative fiction.
