Exit Party Explores Two Fragile US Futures Through Mandel's Human Lens

In a WIRED interview, Emily St. John Mandel discusses Exit Party, a near-future novel that imagines two possible U.S. futures—one a post-civil-war fracturing and the other a totalitarian surveillance state—and emphasizes resilience, community, and moral choice when civilization destabilizes. Mandel began writing the book in 2022, noting that while she didn’t claim clairvoyance, the real-world polarization and ICE-style surveillance sharpen the realism of Ibari’s and Ari’s intertwined fates, exploring identity, trust, and what kind of person one becomes after collapse. The conversation also touches on her career arc from Station Eleven to Exit Party, her multiverse approach, and her nuanced stance on AI’s role in writing and publishing.