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The Key to Reality
An Elite Cybersecurity Analyst. A Desperate Rebellion’s Best Hope.
Brandon thought the assignment was just another standard security assessment. Wrong. As he peels back the layers of a deepening conspiracy, he discovers everything he thought he knew about his reality is a lie.
And he’s the only one who can save it.
Exiles from another reality see Brandon’s new knowledge as the key to victory over their tyrannical king and his immortal army. Pursued by both loyalists and rebels as he crosses the borders between realities, Brandon must protect his family, while figuring out who to trust.
Choosing well means rescuing his family, and saving both worlds, but choosing poorly will empower a malevolent evil to wipe out humanity.
Brandon thought the assignment was just another standard security assessment. Wrong. As he peels back the layers of a deepening conspiracy, he discovers everything he thought he knew about his reality is a lie.
And he’s the only one who can save it.
Exiles from another reality see Brandon’s new knowledge as the key to victory over their tyrannical king and his immortal army. Pursued by both loyalists and rebels as he crosses the borders between realities, Brandon must protect his family, while figuring out who to trust.
Choosing well means rescuing his family, and saving both worlds, but choosing poorly will empower a malevolent evil to wipe out humanity.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2023
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Ted Atchley
9 books146 followersTed Atchley formerly published under the name F. Ted Atchley.
Ted Atchley is a writer, gamer, geek, cat parent, and a professional computer programmer. Whether it’s crafting code or weaving tales, Ted’s always writing.
Ted is a graduate of the Your Novel Blueprint course taught by 21-time New York Times best-selling author, Jerry Jenkins.
He invites readers to escape into fantastical worlds where the misfits, the Not-Quites, and the Never-Get-It-Right find meaning, purpose, and value.
Ted lives in beautiful Charleston, SC with his wife and children. When he’s not writing or reading, he enjoys schooling his kids at Smash Bros, and Mario Kart, as every geeky dad should. During the fall, you’ll find him cheering on his beloved Carolina Panthers.
You can find more about Ted at his website: https://tedatchley.com/
Ted Atchley is a writer, gamer, geek, cat parent, and a professional computer programmer. Whether it’s crafting code or weaving tales, Ted’s always writing.
Ted is a graduate of the Your Novel Blueprint course taught by 21-time New York Times best-selling author, Jerry Jenkins.
He invites readers to escape into fantastical worlds where the misfits, the Not-Quites, and the Never-Get-It-Right find meaning, purpose, and value.
Ted lives in beautiful Charleston, SC with his wife and children. When he’s not writing or reading, he enjoys schooling his kids at Smash Bros, and Mario Kart, as every geeky dad should. During the fall, you’ll find him cheering on his beloved Carolina Panthers.
You can find more about Ted at his website: https://tedatchley.com/
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 1, 2023
Welcome to the Earth-analogue world of Dokimadzo, where IT security hacker (I believe they're referred to as "white hat" hackers) Brandon attempts to strike a work / life balance and fails so cataclysmically it breaks the fabric of space-time.
Author F. Ted Atchley is a self-professed geek in love with Jesus, a clean sci-fi / fantasy author (Atchley, not Jesus ... although I'm not going to lie, Jesus the sci-fi author kind of rules as a concept). So let's see what that translates as, under the hood. I should start up front with a warning for anyone who might be upset by this (it's me, I'm anyone) - he kills the protagonist's daughter off as a plot driver. I resisted my initial urge to stop reading, and I would cautiously urge other readers in my position to do the same.
Speaking of warnings up front, Atchley had a very interesting opening of his own - an author's statement of faith. I checked it out, out of interest since it seemed like an integral piece of context to the story and a not-often-seen example of authorial intent in the wild, and let me tell you, it was a lot. But you know what? Its heart was right and its soul was right, and so ultimately I deemed it all to be fine. We are moving on.
Our protagonist Brandon makes bad decisions immediately out of the gate, although I'm sure the story where he went to his kid's dance recital instead of doing hacker stuff was a fine story too. But as we find later, everything happens for a reason. I found myself quite immersed in the cosy family drama that was unfolding, and the interesting little hints about the world - are we in a post-interstellar diaspora? An alternate history? - not to mention the tantalising references to Brandon's haunted past in the form of Edgar Vega and the slightly fashy cops.
Brandon is a Jadonist, a dominant monotheistic religion of Dokimadzo (or at least the part of it he lives in), having converted for his wife's sake when they married. It's all very wholesome, although Brandon struggles with his doubts and cynicism. When the Lady In Red Associates (LIRA) do a terrorism on their church and kill their daughter, the idyllic illusion comes crashing down. Edgar returns from Brandon's past as a key figure in the terrorist group, and Brandon begins to investigate the massacres with the assistant of a very sketchy government agent.
Here's where my own inherent biases and expectations brought me to the brink of failing this book. I thought I knew what was happening, and the agendas at play. It was almost manipulated to produce this response, right down to the story's introductory metadata. I can do no better than to quote my review notes directly in order to illustrate the journey I took as a reader:
"A cheap shot like killing the kid would normally make me stop reading. Killing a kid for impact isn't what I'd call clean, and aside from the fact that this is a made-up planet identical to Earth and a made-up not-Christmas, I don't see how it's sci-fi yet either."
"Seems like a coder hacker dude with a haunted past lost his kid and went into a revenge spiral with a side-order of boo hoo persecution complex (Christians are not being persecuted, y'all). But fine."
"I am extremely distrustful of the meta narrative here."
So then I reached the 25% mark, and everything changed.
I won't go into too much detail about the plot that unfolded after that point (the blurb and other book descriptions floating around provide something of a spoiler as to the nature of the story, but not how marvellously abrupt and total the shift is), but the result is basically "what if John Carter had been born in the late 20th Century and become a computer technician instead of a soldier in the Civil War era United States?" meets "what if Aslan's Country / Nangijala, but bird mutants and cannibal zombies?". We're treated to some fascinating philosophy and uncertainty right to the end as Brandon faces the changing landscape of ideology and his own doubts and insecurities. And not for nothing is the overall vibe of the story compared to The Matrix saga. I get it.
Good stuff, let's go to the meters.
Sex-o-meter
Brandon has a wife and kids. They presumably produced them biologically according to the Dokimadzo rules of engagement. I'm reaching here, there's no sex. A lot of the reproduction happens in tubes. And they're not even very sexy tubes I don't think. A test tube out of a possible separatory funnel for The Key to Reality. Seriously, go look at separatory funnels sometime and tell me they don't have it going on in all the right places. I'm not saying this book had me googling laboratory glassware to stimulate myself, but I'm not *not* saying that either.
Gore-o-meter
Some variously-coloured blood spillage and sort-of-kind-of cannibalism, as well as some tastefully understated terrorist massacring. There's also a bit of religious iconographic blood-stuff that relates back to the aforementioned. All in all nothing too harrowing though. Let's give it one and a half flesh gobbets out of a possible five, and bump it up to two because the first casualty was the protagonist's daughter (but not go any higher than that because of the rest of the book, which - you know, read it).
WTF-o-meter
The opening on Dokimadzo with the strange dates and not-quite-Earth nature of reality was puzzling at the start, as was the introduction of Jadonism and the not-a-Christmas-tree. Like I said, we hit the real weird at the 25% mark and from there on in it was a ride to make The Matrix, John Carter of Mars and The Rains Came Down look on in abiding approval. Let's give it a very disrespectful Body of Christ out of a possible whatever Scientologists think comes blasting out of volcanoes. Thetans, I guess? Yeah, thetans.
My Final Verdict
It was really interesting to read a book with such a thick lens of upfront authorial intent and established reader bias and expectation. It was almost as if that was part of the story, part of the experience. As an exploration of self, belief, and behaviour, it was a great success. What did it really mean? That's going to be different for everyone. Four stars!
Author F. Ted Atchley is a self-professed geek in love with Jesus, a clean sci-fi / fantasy author (Atchley, not Jesus ... although I'm not going to lie, Jesus the sci-fi author kind of rules as a concept). So let's see what that translates as, under the hood. I should start up front with a warning for anyone who might be upset by this (it's me, I'm anyone) - he kills the protagonist's daughter off as a plot driver. I resisted my initial urge to stop reading, and I would cautiously urge other readers in my position to do the same.
Speaking of warnings up front, Atchley had a very interesting opening of his own - an author's statement of faith. I checked it out, out of interest since it seemed like an integral piece of context to the story and a not-often-seen example of authorial intent in the wild, and let me tell you, it was a lot. But you know what? Its heart was right and its soul was right, and so ultimately I deemed it all to be fine. We are moving on.
Our protagonist Brandon makes bad decisions immediately out of the gate, although I'm sure the story where he went to his kid's dance recital instead of doing hacker stuff was a fine story too. But as we find later, everything happens for a reason. I found myself quite immersed in the cosy family drama that was unfolding, and the interesting little hints about the world - are we in a post-interstellar diaspora? An alternate history? - not to mention the tantalising references to Brandon's haunted past in the form of Edgar Vega and the slightly fashy cops.
Brandon is a Jadonist, a dominant monotheistic religion of Dokimadzo (or at least the part of it he lives in), having converted for his wife's sake when they married. It's all very wholesome, although Brandon struggles with his doubts and cynicism. When the Lady In Red Associates (LIRA) do a terrorism on their church and kill their daughter, the idyllic illusion comes crashing down. Edgar returns from Brandon's past as a key figure in the terrorist group, and Brandon begins to investigate the massacres with the assistant of a very sketchy government agent.
Here's where my own inherent biases and expectations brought me to the brink of failing this book. I thought I knew what was happening, and the agendas at play. It was almost manipulated to produce this response, right down to the story's introductory metadata. I can do no better than to quote my review notes directly in order to illustrate the journey I took as a reader:
"A cheap shot like killing the kid would normally make me stop reading. Killing a kid for impact isn't what I'd call clean, and aside from the fact that this is a made-up planet identical to Earth and a made-up not-Christmas, I don't see how it's sci-fi yet either."
"Seems like a coder hacker dude with a haunted past lost his kid and went into a revenge spiral with a side-order of boo hoo persecution complex (Christians are not being persecuted, y'all). But fine."
"I am extremely distrustful of the meta narrative here."
So then I reached the 25% mark, and everything changed.
I won't go into too much detail about the plot that unfolded after that point (the blurb and other book descriptions floating around provide something of a spoiler as to the nature of the story, but not how marvellously abrupt and total the shift is), but the result is basically "what if John Carter had been born in the late 20th Century and become a computer technician instead of a soldier in the Civil War era United States?" meets "what if Aslan's Country / Nangijala, but bird mutants and cannibal zombies?". We're treated to some fascinating philosophy and uncertainty right to the end as Brandon faces the changing landscape of ideology and his own doubts and insecurities. And not for nothing is the overall vibe of the story compared to The Matrix saga. I get it.
Good stuff, let's go to the meters.
Sex-o-meter
Brandon has a wife and kids. They presumably produced them biologically according to the Dokimadzo rules of engagement. I'm reaching here, there's no sex. A lot of the reproduction happens in tubes. And they're not even very sexy tubes I don't think. A test tube out of a possible separatory funnel for The Key to Reality. Seriously, go look at separatory funnels sometime and tell me they don't have it going on in all the right places. I'm not saying this book had me googling laboratory glassware to stimulate myself, but I'm not *not* saying that either.
Gore-o-meter
Some variously-coloured blood spillage and sort-of-kind-of cannibalism, as well as some tastefully understated terrorist massacring. There's also a bit of religious iconographic blood-stuff that relates back to the aforementioned. All in all nothing too harrowing though. Let's give it one and a half flesh gobbets out of a possible five, and bump it up to two because the first casualty was the protagonist's daughter (but not go any higher than that because of the rest of the book, which - you know, read it).
WTF-o-meter
The opening on Dokimadzo with the strange dates and not-quite-Earth nature of reality was puzzling at the start, as was the introduction of Jadonism and the not-a-Christmas-tree. Like I said, we hit the real weird at the 25% mark and from there on in it was a ride to make The Matrix, John Carter of Mars and The Rains Came Down look on in abiding approval. Let's give it a very disrespectful Body of Christ out of a possible whatever Scientologists think comes blasting out of volcanoes. Thetans, I guess? Yeah, thetans.
My Final Verdict
It was really interesting to read a book with such a thick lens of upfront authorial intent and established reader bias and expectation. It was almost as if that was part of the story, part of the experience. As an exploration of self, belief, and behaviour, it was a great success. What did it really mean? That's going to be different for everyone. Four stars!
September 14, 2023
While this is not my typical genre, I was very intrigued by this book. Once I started reading it, I was immediately attached to the characters. It’s one of those books that you just want to keep turning the page to find out what’s next. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, not only those who read this genre, but to all readers
June 13, 2023
Average guy Brandon is struggling to balance his cybersecurity job assignment with making time for his family, so the last thing he needs is to become a key player in a conspiracy that spans dimensions. As his life falls apart and Brandon gets sucked ever deeper into a power play between alien beings, more and more layers of perception are pulled back to reveal a startling picture of ultimate reality---it's a picture Brandon has a hard time accepting, but one he can't escape.
In this highly entertaining novel, Atchley undertakes the daunting task of combining elements of religious allegory with a sci-fi/fantasy adventure. The author does an excellent job of dropping hints about Brandon's world from the beginning, which helps build a strong sense of intrigue. As the stakes are raised, we see a protagonist, driven by love for his family, rise to the occasion and adapt to his mind-boggling circumstances.
As with any allegory, this tale includes some theological confusion, but there is no denying the author has crafted an exciting roller-coaster of a tale, with plenty of breakneck action, surprising twists, turns and vivid, highly satisfying world-building.
In this highly entertaining novel, Atchley undertakes the daunting task of combining elements of religious allegory with a sci-fi/fantasy adventure. The author does an excellent job of dropping hints about Brandon's world from the beginning, which helps build a strong sense of intrigue. As the stakes are raised, we see a protagonist, driven by love for his family, rise to the occasion and adapt to his mind-boggling circumstances.
As with any allegory, this tale includes some theological confusion, but there is no denying the author has crafted an exciting roller-coaster of a tale, with plenty of breakneck action, surprising twists, turns and vivid, highly satisfying world-building.
September 26, 2025
The Key to Reality is a gripping blend of science fiction, fantasy, and high-stakes adventure. What starts as a routine cybersecurity assignment quickly spirals into a mind-bending journey where nothing is as it seems. Brandon, the protagonist, is thrust into a battle that spans realities, with both his family and the fate of humanity on the line.
I really enjoyed how the book balances tech intrigue with epic fantasy elements. The conspiracy threads kept me guessing, while the introduction of exiles, immortal armies, and a rebellion gave the story an almost cinematic scale. Brandon is a relatable character, an ordinary man forced into extraordinary circumstances, whose choices carry weighty consequences.
The pacing is fast, the stakes are high, and there’s a good mix of action, suspense, and emotional depth. I also appreciated the moral dilemmas Brandon faced, choosing between saving his family or risking it all for humanity added a compelling layer of tension.
I really enjoyed how the book balances tech intrigue with epic fantasy elements. The conspiracy threads kept me guessing, while the introduction of exiles, immortal armies, and a rebellion gave the story an almost cinematic scale. Brandon is a relatable character, an ordinary man forced into extraordinary circumstances, whose choices carry weighty consequences.
The pacing is fast, the stakes are high, and there’s a good mix of action, suspense, and emotional depth. I also appreciated the moral dilemmas Brandon faced, choosing between saving his family or risking it all for humanity added a compelling layer of tension.
June 13, 2023
Where you end up in "The Key to Reality" is not where you will expect from the beginning, but at the same time you feel like it was inevitable you end up there. That's the feeling I got both with the plot AND with the themes and characters in the story. Familiar at times in its beats and how it unfolds, Atchley's story upends that familiarity at the right times to give you that "stomach drop" sense of world-turning-upside-down that is not only key to this story, but to an exciting story experience. It has thrilling action sequences, beautifully written set pieces, but for me what endures is the deeper meaning the main character has tried to find his entire life and how he grapples with that search. "The Key to Reality" is exciting enough to keep the pages turning, but has depth enough to keep you thinking about it long after the last page is finished.
November 16, 2025
The Key to Reality pulled me in much faster than I expected. Brandon seems like an ordinary cybersecurity analyst at first, but once he uncovers the conspiracy surrounding his assignment, the story snowballs in the best way. I liked how the book blends grounded tech details with big, reality shifting stakes it never feels confusing, just intriguing.
Watching Brandon get caught between rebels, loyalists, and an immortal tyrant kept the tension high, and his struggle to protect his family added a real emotional weight. The world hopping elements were fun, and the sense of danger felt constant without being overwhelming.
Overall, it’s a solid, thoughtful sci-fi story with enough action and mystery to keep you turning pages.
Watching Brandon get caught between rebels, loyalists, and an immortal tyrant kept the tension high, and his struggle to protect his family added a real emotional weight. The world hopping elements were fun, and the sense of danger felt constant without being overwhelming.
Overall, it’s a solid, thoughtful sci-fi story with enough action and mystery to keep you turning pages.
November 30, 2024
Good read.
An interesting blend of sci-fi and mystical fantasy with lots of computer knowledge on the side. Atchley borrows an idea from a well known movie (saying which one might spoil the story) and uses it as a jumping off point for a creative and page turning read. Definitely worth picking up.
An interesting blend of sci-fi and mystical fantasy with lots of computer knowledge on the side. Atchley borrows an idea from a well known movie (saying which one might spoil the story) and uses it as a jumping off point for a creative and page turning read. Definitely worth picking up.
September 29, 2023
The Key to Reality is a thought-provoking novel with well-developed characters and intriguing world-building incorporating clever technology. It follows the main character, Brandon on an action-packed journey filled with twist and turns to discover the truth.
June 12, 2023
Ted's dedication to write for the good of his audience is without question and his protagonist feels human and relatable, two crucial factors for great storytelling.
June 14, 2023
An alternate reality tale with panache! If you’re a science fiction fan, "The Key to Reality" delivers the goods—imaginative world-building, fluid action, strong characters. Check it out!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews