Genre: Short
Story Collection/Science Fiction
Description:
"Early Adopter is a collection
of short stories from the edge of human progress. Eight stories hold dark
mirrors to our own world… experience thought-provoking sci-fi, technologic
tragedy, and pulse-pounding thrillers.
To Run Again: Dr. Laura Brandie is ready to change the world.
She's the lead researcher behind the KSE, a
revolutionary cure for paralysis and neurodegenerative conditions. And now, by
good fortune, she's found the perfect candidate for her first human trial: a
man who suffers from locked-in syndrome.
Brett Harmon's paralysis is total: he can't
move his arms, legs, torso, neck, or face. To the outside world, he's little
more than a statue that breathes... but Dr. Brandie's KSE might be the miracle
that allows Brett to run again.
Homonoia:
The world faces an unprecedented alignment of catastrophes and failing systems,
far too intricate and interconnected for any human to solve. Frank Burman joins
with seven other volunteers for Project Homonoia--a radical, last-ditch effort
to postpone the apocalypse. Separate minds link to form one multidisciplinary
consciousness, the world's first human superorganism... a hive mind. But with
the world's health rapidly failing, can Project Homonoia work out its kinks in
time to make a difference?
Early Adopter: A loner enters into a relationship with a new type
of partner: an AI agent, programmed to be the "perfect companion."
Sure, it's all self-deception and a game of pretend, as she's not actually real... but where simulated consciousness is concerned, maybe the lines between real and real enough can get blurry.
And many more!”
By day, Drew Harrison is a teacher who “writes on the side.” He had
previously published two novels, one science fiction and the other a thriller.
Appraisal:
This collection has eight short stories, the three outlined in the
description plus five more. As indicated, they are from “the edge of human
progress.” I’ll define that as things that aren’t real today, but based on the
rate of progress the last several decades and the things that are known to be
possible today, all of the things explored in these stories seem like possibilities
to come to fruition sometime between tomorrow and a few decades from now.
While the stories explore multiple technological advances, from the
current hot topic of artificial intelligence to the creation of a virtual world
to technological ideas that you’ve probably never considered (I sure hadn’t),
the stories all get you thinking, which is obviously the point of these
stories. It sure worked for me.
Buy now
from: Amazon US Amazon UK
FYI:
A small amount of adult language.
Format/Typo
Issues:
I believe this was a pre-release advance reviewer copy, so I can’t
gauge the final product in this area.
Rating: *****
Five Stars
Reviewed
by: BigAl
Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words
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