The Future Perfect by Kirk Mustard

In this dystopian future, Zenith works at TOAC, coming up with incredible marketing ideas and making them work. A few of the products go into production immediately and some are the fad of the day, only lasting a few hours but selling millions.


He lives in the future and loves it, always looking to make things bigger and better. In this time, mankind has destroyed nature with everyone living in the cities. No one lives in the suburbs, with weeds and pests, it's too dangerous. People don't walk, they have escalating sidewalks. They don't really die, they go nophy, a computer generated version of themselves, that lives forever, just without a body.

Zenith realizes that what the world really misses is nature, so he and his co-workers come up with the idea of the Smelix. A computer-genetically designed animal that all of mankind could love. It's never been made, but the idea becomes an instant best-seller, with the Smelix on coffee mugs, tshirts and more.

When the government decides that mankind wants nature back, but not to live in, just to gaze at and maybe pet an animal, it goes into high-gear. Wild Kingdom is a plan of an aging scientist, to bring back all of the extinct animals and have nature flourish again, as well as help with food produce. The current food market has to be grown indoors because of the pests.

But another company thinks it can do it better and have mankind live with nature. It must be voted on by the public, but in the meantime, Zenith works fervently to get the Smelix really made, instead of just a glimmer in his imagination.

The Future Perfect is a wild ride into the future, unknown like anything I have ever envisioned. Clagg's imagination is remarkable, knowing no boundaries and yet holding this reader within his genious virtual reality. The characters are likable, funny, determined and yet quirky. The world-building is unbelievable and so detail oriented, I could quickly build the world in my mind, down to the finest pebble. Glass flowers and linoleum deserts are just the tip of what this futuristic novel has to offer. Romance, suspense, competitive science and excellent writing, The Future Perfect is genious! I totally enjoyed it!