Life in 2038 was simple, if a little dull, for database administrator Kelly Malone. That is, until an error in The System causes widespread chaos and an apocalyptic meltdown of a society over-reliant on technology. Finding the cause of the problem (the clue is in the title) is one thing, but fixing it requires a journey that will change her forever.

Packed full of humorous yet depressing visions of a dystopian future, this book is a little like Orwell’s classic 1984, except for the key difference that it is set in 2038.