History of What Comes Next

A History of What Comes Next is a 2021 science fiction alternate history novel by Canadian writer Sylvain Neuvel. It was first published in the United States in February 2021 by Tor Books, and in the United Kingdom in March 2021 by Michael Joseph. The book is the first of three books in Neuvel's Take Them to the Stars series, followed by Until the Last of Me (2022) and For the First Time, Again (2023). A History of What Comes Next is set between 1945 and 1961 during World War II and the Cold War. It is about a group of women who manipulate history for their own ends. Some of the historical figures included in the book are German and Soviet rocket scientists Wernher von Braun and Sergei Korolev. Historical events covered include the United States' Operation Paperclip and the Soviet counterpart, Operation Osoaviakhim. The novel's chapter titles are titles of songs from the period in which the chapters take place.