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Topeka
America's heartland has become the center of the global hi-tech industry. Topeka Systems can download minds. Elites have been using this software illegally to remain forever young. Nora Osborne, CEO of Topeka Systems, becomes a whistle blower. When the powers that be find out she is out to betray them they are determined to kill her. Nora, with the aid of a combat surgeon named Bode, has no choice but to assume a new identity by downloading her mind into another body. Bode has taken an oath to keep her alive. Nora and Bode take on the government's Data Force and the military's Joint Cloud Command. In the process they learn many of America's leaders are not who they pretend to be. And neither are they. 245 pages
260 pages, Paperback
Published October 5, 2023
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 8, 2025
I came across Topeka as concept art done by Syd Meade. Mention there was this was supposed to be a movie but I could not find any reference to it. And then I found out movie was never made, instead this novel was published.
From the outset it is visible that story is written more for the visual presentation. It is not that it reads like a script - it is just that all the exposition and story flow is 100% cinematic. There is no internal conflicts, dialogue, monologue, nothing that would indicate that story was first made for the book and then turned into the movie.
And dont get me wrong, authors pull this out magnificently - story is very tight and there is no loss of direction as it progresses. Characters are pretty much fleshed out, dialogues are good, and interactions are clear and present.
What is missing is the background development of events - again something that shows how this was primarily written for screen. Events around current and former commander of Joint Cloud Command, or the role played by industrial leaders in mysterious Beta Wing ...... they are all dimmed, it is not clear how some things occurred and how some loose ends are solved (like return of Dala - how?). It reminds so much of cliffhanger end of first movie in series.
Even this though does not cause story to suffer, which speaks highly of authors' skills.
Only thing that I had issue with was with lack of formatting. Paragraphs are not broken across which causes disorientation when point of view, location or entire story line changes mid flight in the chapter.
Story is for all means and purposes about dystopia of industry and government collusion to control the society of Kansas, inner heart of USA that found itself hit with intensive tornadoes and entire economics given to the full control of IT industry, technocrats (including foreign ones) that work side by side with very oppressive law enforcement forces and secretive federal forces (JCC). Here we have rebels (although there is a twist here), more interested with posting everything to social media than actually doing anything (and not to mention that old geezers who are given power to be young again are more into sex then anything else), and corruption caused by promise of eternal life and youth to powers to be. For ordinary people - they get used in horrible acts and then denied the very thing to come to terms with whatever happened, memory and identity itself. Only Bode seem to be a person who actually tries to change something. Everyone else, including Maya, have some agenda and do not hesitate to use others to achieve their goals.
This is very bleak future, but one that resonates so much with our times.
All in all, interesting book, for fans of thrillers and cyberpunk genre i wholeheartedly recommend it.
From the outset it is visible that story is written more for the visual presentation. It is not that it reads like a script - it is just that all the exposition and story flow is 100% cinematic. There is no internal conflicts, dialogue, monologue, nothing that would indicate that story was first made for the book and then turned into the movie.
And dont get me wrong, authors pull this out magnificently - story is very tight and there is no loss of direction as it progresses. Characters are pretty much fleshed out, dialogues are good, and interactions are clear and present.
What is missing is the background development of events - again something that shows how this was primarily written for screen. Events around current and former commander of Joint Cloud Command, or the role played by industrial leaders in mysterious Beta Wing ...... they are all dimmed, it is not clear how some things occurred and how some loose ends are solved (like return of Dala - how?). It reminds so much of cliffhanger end of first movie in series.
Even this though does not cause story to suffer, which speaks highly of authors' skills.
Only thing that I had issue with was with lack of formatting. Paragraphs are not broken across which causes disorientation when point of view, location or entire story line changes mid flight in the chapter.
Story is for all means and purposes about dystopia of industry and government collusion to control the society of Kansas, inner heart of USA that found itself hit with intensive tornadoes and entire economics given to the full control of IT industry, technocrats (including foreign ones) that work side by side with very oppressive law enforcement forces and secretive federal forces (JCC). Here we have rebels (although there is a twist here), more interested with posting everything to social media than actually doing anything (and not to mention that old geezers who are given power to be young again are more into sex then anything else), and corruption caused by promise of eternal life and youth to powers to be. For ordinary people - they get used in horrible acts and then denied the very thing to come to terms with whatever happened, memory and identity itself. Only Bode seem to be a person who actually tries to change something. Everyone else, including Maya, have some agenda and do not hesitate to use others to achieve their goals.
This is very bleak future, but one that resonates so much with our times.
All in all, interesting book, for fans of thrillers and cyberpunk genre i wholeheartedly recommend it.
Displaying 1 of 1 review