The Future of War with Elliot Ackerman | WorldNow

What will war look like in 2084 – in a world devastated by climate change?

Join us on WorldNow with Jim Falk as we sit down with Elliot Ackerman, author of 2084: A Novel of the Future of War; NYT bestselling author, and contributing writer at The Atlantic.

In 2084, decorated military officers and award-winning authors Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis write a world on the brink of war, divided between equatorial countries ravaged by climate change and the wealthier, politically fractured countries like China and the U.S. 2084 follows their two previous novels, envisioning a war between the U.S. and China in 2034 and the breakdown of American politics fueled by AI in 2054.

WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, and presented in partnership with Councils nationwide: World Affairs Councils of America, Alaska World Affairs Council, Colorado Springs World Affairs Council, Columbia World Affairs Council, Columbus Council on World Affairs, Foreign Policy Association, Global Santa Fe, Angeles World Affairs Council, Montana World Affairs Council, Off the Record, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, World Affairs Council of Austin, World Affairs Council of Charlotte, World Affairs Council of Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, World Affairs Council of Hampton Roads, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, World Affairs Council of New Orleans, World Affairs Council of Northwest Ohio, World Affairs Council of Orange County, World Affairs Council of San Antonio, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, and WorldOregon.

Meet the Guest

Elliot Ackerman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Halcyon, 2034, Red Dress In Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, as well as the memoir The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan, and Places and Names: On War, Revolution and Returning.

His books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and nonfiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize among others.

He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and Marine veteran who served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. He divides his time between New York City and Washington, D.C.

Meet the Host

Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About the Book

2084 (A Novel of Future War) by Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis

“Gripping…Ackerman and Stavridis stage a harrowing global conflict that pits military might against an appetite for justice… equal parts haunting and entertaining.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

A gripping drama and chilling prophecy about the possible path to war for a planet devastated by climate change

In their novel 2034, decorated military officers and award-winning authors Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis imagined a war between the US and China. In their follow-up novel, 2054, they envisioned a breakdown in American politics fueled by a radical advance in AI. Now they make their boldest, most astonishing, and arguably most necessary leap—imagining the consequences of a climate war.

By the year 2084, the world is divided into the equatorial countries that bear the brunt of the climate crisis—led by Nigeria, Brazil, and Indonesia—and wealthier countries like China and the US, beset by their own problems after a series of civil wars. Tensions between the two sets of countries have reached a breaking point, until finally the so-called Reparationist nations of the equator decide that only military force can bring them justice.

A fascinating and disturbingly plausible extrapolation from current realities, 2084, like other classics of the genre such as Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future and Neal Stephenson’s Termination Shock, deploys a global cast of characters, all protecting their interests as the fate of human civilization hangs in the balance. Individuals often seem small in the face of the forces that drive global change, but in the end human agency proves surprisingly decisive. Big doors can swing on small hinges. We have it within ourselves to write a different destiny, if only we can imagine it.