“2040: The Battle for Life” by Sanjay Mittal is a fast-paced, action-packed novel that explores the world in the year 2040. The book is a romantic thriller at one level, but deeper down, it is an insightful love story, a look into future technologies, and a warning of the dangers facing the world. The story is laced with humor, suspense, and a classic tale that readers won’t be able to put down. Even though set in the future, the novel contains plenty of references from the present and ensures that the readers do not lose track of the happenings in the future, which is in citation with the events that have shaken human life altogether.
Mittal’s “2040” is set in a world where terrorists have nuclear weapons and biological weapons placed in over 30 cities worldwide, creating an international emergency. This world shows the protagonists Rohit Singh and Priyanka Grover, news anchors for the MwM channel, are reporting on the story second by second. They are part of India’s psychological operations team, tasked with reporting on the events unfolding and keeping the public informed. In addition to a thrilling plot that grips the readers’ imagination in no time, “2040” also shows the author’s capability to predict and imagine the future, which is born through careful research, exploration and explanation in a scientific manner. In that sense, the novel breaks ground, thus becoming unique and one of its kind among the canon.
As the story unfolds, the reader is taken on a journey through a world where technology has advanced beyond recognition. From cars that drive themselves to artificial intelligence that can carry out complex tasks, the world is a very different place from what we know today. The book is a window into the future, and Sanjay Mittal has done an excellent job of painting a vivid picture of what that future might look like. This picture seems real with the probability of the occurrence of events as they are strongly rooted in the present.
The story is not just about technology and the dangers that it brings. It is also a love story between Rohit and Priyanka. The two characters are thrown together by circumstance and develop a strong bond as they work together to report the terrorist threat. Their relationship is at the heart of the story, and it is beautifully written. Mittal has a real talent for creating believable, well-rounded characters that readers can connect with.
One of the things that make this book stand out is the way it tackles the question of the ultimate purpose of all human endeavor. What possible reason can justify the destruction of all life? This is a theme that runs throughout the book and gives it a depth that is often missing from action-packed thrillers. At the same time, it is interesting to observe how the author draws frequent parallels with the present-day world and connects it with future happenings. These events make the readers aware of reality as well as invoke existential ideas simultaneously.
