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BIT ROT: A NOVEL
When an aging athlete gets a second chance to help his family, can he survive the machinations of big tech gone mad?
Chicago, 120 years in the future. Elliot Lock limps toward the end of his professional dreams.
Hiding a bum knee and battling a constant ringing in his ears, the discontented football player’s opportunity to live up to his father’s legacy is crumbling as fast as his dad’s health. But when he’s offered a way to fix his parent’s brain injury in exchange for joining an innovative digital sports league, he stifles his doubts and signs on for a miracle cure.
Thrilled when his new employers fulfill their promise, the former quarterback works with his illegal AI friend to put together a titans team of physical players and virtual hackers. But when his father begins to exhibit strange behavior and a rebel investigative reporter delivers a cryptic warning, Elliot fears he’s stepped into a hardcoded lethal nightmare…
Pulled deep into a dark web conspiracy of clones and control, can Elliot expose the dangerous truth?
BIT ROT is the gripping first book in the BIT ROT science fiction thriller series. If you like wounded but resilient heroes, high-tech plots, and exploring what it means to be human, then you’ll love Jason Baronette’s visionary tale.
Buy BIT ROT to reboot fate today!
Chicago, 120 years in the future. Elliot Lock limps toward the end of his professional dreams.
Hiding a bum knee and battling a constant ringing in his ears, the discontented football player’s opportunity to live up to his father’s legacy is crumbling as fast as his dad’s health. But when he’s offered a way to fix his parent’s brain injury in exchange for joining an innovative digital sports league, he stifles his doubts and signs on for a miracle cure.
Thrilled when his new employers fulfill their promise, the former quarterback works with his illegal AI friend to put together a titans team of physical players and virtual hackers. But when his father begins to exhibit strange behavior and a rebel investigative reporter delivers a cryptic warning, Elliot fears he’s stepped into a hardcoded lethal nightmare…
Pulled deep into a dark web conspiracy of clones and control, can Elliot expose the dangerous truth?
BIT ROT is the gripping first book in the BIT ROT science fiction thriller series. If you like wounded but resilient heroes, high-tech plots, and exploring what it means to be human, then you’ll love Jason Baronette’s visionary tale.
Buy BIT ROT to reboot fate today!
344 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2023
6 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 8, 2023
Pulled Me In Within the First Few Minutes
Sometimes I start a book and understand within a few minutes that it’s going to be a book I’m going to fly through. That was the case with Bit Rot. I’d read some of the book descriptions when I posted it in my new and notable. And again when I said, “This sounds good today.” But picking something up and allowing it to surprise you is one of my favorite things. I’ve never read anything from Jason Baronette before this and dang did he knock my socks off.
At first glance it feels like it’s going to be about a new sport, it’s the near future and the NFL just isn’t want it used to be. This really starts to trigger and piss off Elliot Lock, who is nearing the end of his prolific career with his hometown Chicago team. His father’s legacy looms large over him when he’s approached to try out a new up-and-coming sport.
I thought that Baronette nailed both the sport and the little sprinkles of intrigue. This was one of those books that I thought would be much more about the game, but in true speculative fiction form, there was something bigger and darker looming in the background.
Now, to give this book the review it deserves I would have to spoil a lot of the things that Baronette keeps hidden behind intrigue and I won’t be doing that. But what I can say without hopefully ruining it is that this was one of the most interesting and unique science fiction/technothrillers I’ve read in a long time. It had the feel of an Eliot Peper book mixed with old-school Michael Crichton — where the science feels real along with the pacing of a seasoned Thriller author. I went into it thinking it was a sports near future book and left with my mind reeling.
Bit Rot is a book I won’t soon forget, and when I was grabbing some information from ‘zon I saw that there is another book in the series coming out. Hopefully, the audiobook will come out soon after or with it.
And, speaking of the audiobook, I thought that Bill Davis did a wonderful job. He was able to match the pacing and storytelling that the author threw at him and elevated it. He does use some voice-modulation for a few parts of the story and it was used sparingly enough that it didn’t bug me and especially at the end of the book it really added to the atmosphere.
Sometimes I start a book and understand within a few minutes that it’s going to be a book I’m going to fly through. That was the case with Bit Rot. I’d read some of the book descriptions when I posted it in my new and notable. And again when I said, “This sounds good today.” But picking something up and allowing it to surprise you is one of my favorite things. I’ve never read anything from Jason Baronette before this and dang did he knock my socks off.
At first glance it feels like it’s going to be about a new sport, it’s the near future and the NFL just isn’t want it used to be. This really starts to trigger and piss off Elliot Lock, who is nearing the end of his prolific career with his hometown Chicago team. His father’s legacy looms large over him when he’s approached to try out a new up-and-coming sport.
I thought that Baronette nailed both the sport and the little sprinkles of intrigue. This was one of those books that I thought would be much more about the game, but in true speculative fiction form, there was something bigger and darker looming in the background.
Now, to give this book the review it deserves I would have to spoil a lot of the things that Baronette keeps hidden behind intrigue and I won’t be doing that. But what I can say without hopefully ruining it is that this was one of the most interesting and unique science fiction/technothrillers I’ve read in a long time. It had the feel of an Eliot Peper book mixed with old-school Michael Crichton — where the science feels real along with the pacing of a seasoned Thriller author. I went into it thinking it was a sports near future book and left with my mind reeling.
Bit Rot is a book I won’t soon forget, and when I was grabbing some information from ‘zon I saw that there is another book in the series coming out. Hopefully, the audiobook will come out soon after or with it.
And, speaking of the audiobook, I thought that Bill Davis did a wonderful job. He was able to match the pacing and storytelling that the author threw at him and elevated it. He does use some voice-modulation for a few parts of the story and it was used sparingly enough that it didn’t bug me and especially at the end of the book it really added to the atmosphere.
July 26, 2023
This is Jason Baronette's debut novel, and what a debut it is!
Set in future Chicago, Elliot Lock is a down on his luck NFL Quarterback. Battling injuries, and complete indifference from the fans, an opportunity arises to perhaps mend the broken pieces of his life, including a deal to heal his legendary father's traumatic brain injuries.
Enter Titans and Operators, a new game, sorry, SPORT complete with evolving battlegrounds, hard hits, strategy, technology, haptics (think the vibration feature on your phone while playing games but at a much more advanced level). Jinx, a genius, enigmatic, entrepreneur is offering all this to Lock, and who could say no to having your life fixed all in one fell swoop!
But you know, of course, nothing is ever that simple...
Full of intrigue, action, and engaging characters, and set in a not quite dystopian future, but one that has subtle undercurrents of it, this is a fun and thought-provoking read. There are a lot of themes to relate to, dangers of technology, family, friendship, big-tech, cyberpunk, sports, and of course, an increasingly heightened sense of tension, and danger (period!).
Be prepared for the unexpected, the twists and turns, and happy reading!
Jason also writes and records music that is worth checking out, under the name "Athanase". Wolves, Lion, and Shoreline are particular favourites of mine.
Set in future Chicago, Elliot Lock is a down on his luck NFL Quarterback. Battling injuries, and complete indifference from the fans, an opportunity arises to perhaps mend the broken pieces of his life, including a deal to heal his legendary father's traumatic brain injuries.
Enter Titans and Operators, a new game, sorry, SPORT complete with evolving battlegrounds, hard hits, strategy, technology, haptics (think the vibration feature on your phone while playing games but at a much more advanced level). Jinx, a genius, enigmatic, entrepreneur is offering all this to Lock, and who could say no to having your life fixed all in one fell swoop!
But you know, of course, nothing is ever that simple...
Full of intrigue, action, and engaging characters, and set in a not quite dystopian future, but one that has subtle undercurrents of it, this is a fun and thought-provoking read. There are a lot of themes to relate to, dangers of technology, family, friendship, big-tech, cyberpunk, sports, and of course, an increasingly heightened sense of tension, and danger (period!).
Be prepared for the unexpected, the twists and turns, and happy reading!
Jason also writes and records music that is worth checking out, under the name "Athanase". Wolves, Lion, and Shoreline are particular favourites of mine.
November 23, 2023
Titans and Operators is the new sport and aging and battered NFL quarterback, Eliot Lock, is just the man to put together a team of players and virtual hackers with his illegal AI friend. His pay off is a guarantee that his father’s brain injuries will be fixed, but things are not as they seem. A very fast paced techno-thriller that doesn’t quite do it but does keep you there throughout. The plot is interesting enough and the pace is relentless but the game parts are pretty sketchy. An OK read and a name to look out for in the future.
December 19, 2023
From my own reading I would put Jason Baronette along with Jeffrey Deaver and James S.A. Corey. A fascinating plot of what unbridled A.I. could do mixed with sports, drama and energy. Techno-thriller defines the book perfectly. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel I see is coming next year! "Put me in coach!"
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews