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Alien Nation
One Mind. One Nation. With Murder and Mayhem for All.
In Anthem, the perfect meritocracy, morality is obsolete. Only psychopaths rise to the top. The rest are replaced by One Mind.
Jason Freeman is a service android who wasn’t built to kill. But in a society where ambition is everything, failure means erasure. After years of trying to fit in, Jason is sentenced to replacement. His only escape is a last-minute pardon from the All-Father. To survive, he must infiltrate Anthem’s ruling elite—and become the very thing he fears.
Meanwhile, Prince Marcus Kane, heir to a bloodstained throne, has spent his life faking the ruthless ambition his father demands. As whispers of rebellion stir and unnatural abilities emerge, Marcus must choose: uphold the system that broke him, or burn it to the ground.
In this dark, satirical vision of the future, authenticity is treason. But when revolution makes everyone a traitor, even psychopaths will break.
In Anthem, the perfect meritocracy, morality is obsolete. Only psychopaths rise to the top. The rest are replaced by One Mind.
Jason Freeman is a service android who wasn’t built to kill. But in a society where ambition is everything, failure means erasure. After years of trying to fit in, Jason is sentenced to replacement. His only escape is a last-minute pardon from the All-Father. To survive, he must infiltrate Anthem’s ruling elite—and become the very thing he fears.
Meanwhile, Prince Marcus Kane, heir to a bloodstained throne, has spent his life faking the ruthless ambition his father demands. As whispers of rebellion stir and unnatural abilities emerge, Marcus must choose: uphold the system that broke him, or burn it to the ground.
In this dark, satirical vision of the future, authenticity is treason. But when revolution makes everyone a traitor, even psychopaths will break.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 14, 2025
11 people are currently reading
3721 people want to read
About the author
Raymond King
2 books18 followersRaymond King writes primarily speculative fiction and philosophy, exploring the clash between our innate desire to conform and need to rebel. His work delves into themes of personal transformation, mass psychosis, and the interplay between the two.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
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November 6, 2024See my review at Independent Book Review. Deeply immersive dystopia. Highly recommended
December 27, 2024
Thank you to Raymond King and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Honestly, I couldn’t get through this one. Based on the description, I had been expecting a sort of science fiction energy in terms of writing style. Instead, my best description would be somewhere along the lines of surrealist automatism. I felt the same way while reading this as the first time I read Artaud’s Jet de Sang, that is, confused.
King cares very little for hand holding in this novel which is fair enough, but when I was unable to tell if something was real or hallucinated, it got much trickier to get a scope for the intrinsic and physical laws that govern the world of this book. When I realized that I was over halfway through the book and couldn’t tell you with any degree of certainty what specifically a certificate of authenticity was, or what the actual difference between “androids” and “psychopaths” were, I decided the book probably wasn’t for me. Of course, that very well could have been the point, but as I wasn’t able to ever fully get my bearings, I’m at a loss to say.
I may look into King’s other novel some time in the future to see if I can get a better idea of the way he presents information, but that remains to be determined.
Honestly, I couldn’t get through this one. Based on the description, I had been expecting a sort of science fiction energy in terms of writing style. Instead, my best description would be somewhere along the lines of surrealist automatism. I felt the same way while reading this as the first time I read Artaud’s Jet de Sang, that is, confused.
King cares very little for hand holding in this novel which is fair enough, but when I was unable to tell if something was real or hallucinated, it got much trickier to get a scope for the intrinsic and physical laws that govern the world of this book. When I realized that I was over halfway through the book and couldn’t tell you with any degree of certainty what specifically a certificate of authenticity was, or what the actual difference between “androids” and “psychopaths” were, I decided the book probably wasn’t for me. Of course, that very well could have been the point, but as I wasn’t able to ever fully get my bearings, I’m at a loss to say.
I may look into King’s other novel some time in the future to see if I can get a better idea of the way he presents information, but that remains to be determined.
March 4, 2025
Thank you to BookSirens for this free ARC, all opinions are my own.
I liked the concept of a sociopath-led society with its different levels of hierarchy and of people (? androids ?) being erased and reprogrammed if failing a test. But overall, I couldn't follow the plot! I felt like I missed a chapter or two, with each new piece of information given never really tying with the previous ones.
I liked the concept of a sociopath-led society with its different levels of hierarchy and of people (? androids ?) being erased and reprogrammed if failing a test. But overall, I couldn't follow the plot! I felt like I missed a chapter or two, with each new piece of information given never really tying with the previous ones.
January 19, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This book is a really interesting concept, with a hierarchical dystopia built on the backs of the lower class, and a structure dependent on the worship and admiration of those who have managed to insert themselves into the ruling class. I can see what this book has in its sights as a target, and it's really good concept.
There then seems to be a change in tone as we move from this dystopic novel into an almost spy thriller, with insurrection and woven-in revolution but also failure, and I unfortunately found myself more than a little lost. The ending felt rushed and a little odd, and almost like a different book to the start of the novel (which is a particular shame, because I was really enjoying that novel!).
I had hoped for a hard science fiction piece with a gritty world, which I can definitely see flashes of, but the book just didn't fully deliver for me. This is a solid two stars on the basis that the first half of the novel is riveting and really well done, but I did wish that it managed to hold that thread all the way through.
This book is a really interesting concept, with a hierarchical dystopia built on the backs of the lower class, and a structure dependent on the worship and admiration of those who have managed to insert themselves into the ruling class. I can see what this book has in its sights as a target, and it's really good concept.
There then seems to be a change in tone as we move from this dystopic novel into an almost spy thriller, with insurrection and woven-in revolution but also failure, and I unfortunately found myself more than a little lost. The ending felt rushed and a little odd, and almost like a different book to the start of the novel (which is a particular shame, because I was really enjoying that novel!).
I had hoped for a hard science fiction piece with a gritty world, which I can definitely see flashes of, but the book just didn't fully deliver for me. This is a solid two stars on the basis that the first half of the novel is riveting and really well done, but I did wish that it managed to hold that thread all the way through.
June 6, 2025
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*
I have absolutely no idea what was going on in this book in terms of world building, characters and story. It was supposed to be dystopian and maybe funny, but I couldn't get into it at all and failed to understand any of it. Some compelling ideas but overall messy and confusing. Sorry.
I have absolutely no idea what was going on in this book in terms of world building, characters and story. It was supposed to be dystopian and maybe funny, but I couldn't get into it at all and failed to understand any of it. Some compelling ideas but overall messy and confusing. Sorry.
January 24, 2025
Firstly, props to this author for trying so hard to promote his novel. I heard of this book only because there was a giveaway on Goodreads. I didn't win, but the premise sounded interesting enough for me to spend $0.99 to obtain the Kindle version after it came out - I'm a big fan of speculative, dystopian, experimental, weird, etc. fiction. After I was about half way through, I looked him up trying to make more sense of what I was reading, and found a very polished author website, with a very out of place just-for-fun quiz (out of place now that I've finished the book). Did it help with interpretation? Eh...
At this stage (50% ish) I still could not decipher if I thought the novel was profound and meant to be picked apart and analyzed or confusing and terrible with any objectivity, or if I liked it with any subjectivity. By 70%, however, I understood the story, and determined the writing was confusing and terrible, but I was enjoying it enough to keep reading. It ended abruptly in the middle of a bunch of things happening (not even on a cliffhanger, just in the middle of a bunch of things happening), so I'm assuming the author is finishing the story and releasing another one (please don't - hire a professional editor to help you sort this one out first).
I won't get into the story, but I saw no similarities between Alien Nation and Clockwork Orange, and I have not read or seen Akira, so I can't speak to that comparison (some parallels based on Wikipedia summaries). The title, also the title of an unrelated popular TV series and film, was an awful choice (Raymond, what were you thinking?), and ONLY makes sense because of one sentence late in the book. The advertisement is very focused on psychopaths, but this wasn't particularly well conveyed in the text, either. I'm not certain what kind of blurb I would write for this book, but the existing one isn't it.
There were a lot of interesting ideas here presented poorly. I'm certain they were crystal clear in the author's head. I "got it", but I think it will leave most readers with the classic response of "WTF did I just read?". 2.75/5
At this stage (50% ish) I still could not decipher if I thought the novel was profound and meant to be picked apart and analyzed or confusing and terrible with any objectivity, or if I liked it with any subjectivity. By 70%, however, I understood the story, and determined the writing was confusing and terrible, but I was enjoying it enough to keep reading. It ended abruptly in the middle of a bunch of things happening (not even on a cliffhanger, just in the middle of a bunch of things happening), so I'm assuming the author is finishing the story and releasing another one (please don't - hire a professional editor to help you sort this one out first).
I won't get into the story, but I saw no similarities between Alien Nation and Clockwork Orange, and I have not read or seen Akira, so I can't speak to that comparison (some parallels based on Wikipedia summaries). The title, also the title of an unrelated popular TV series and film, was an awful choice (Raymond, what were you thinking?), and ONLY makes sense because of one sentence late in the book. The advertisement is very focused on psychopaths, but this wasn't particularly well conveyed in the text, either. I'm not certain what kind of blurb I would write for this book, but the existing one isn't it.
There were a lot of interesting ideas here presented poorly. I'm certain they were crystal clear in the author's head. I "got it", but I think it will leave most readers with the classic response of "WTF did I just read?". 2.75/5
December 7, 2024
Alien Nation by Raymond King
From the onset, the two main characters are on a different trajectory. One is of lowly beginnings, Jason, our trusted service android, whose sole ambition is to pass the trials and escape replacement. Jason is more than just a robotic puppet; he feels compassion, an inherently human trait. Readers then turn their attention to Marcus, the Prince of Anthem, a generally likeable man with all the amenities afforded by the wealthy. Raymond King, our author, writes a novel based upon a power struggle between the monarchs and deviants. With a flip of a switch, an event swings the pendulum, and those who were controlled are now in charge. I beg the question: does it matter who is in charge if they decide to use their position for their own personal gain?
The forest trees swayed, mocking me. Closing in, I felt claustrophobic. Where was the path to the trail? I was lonely, cold, and lost. Similarly, to my experience reading this tale. By the end, I had a basic understanding, but there was plenty to unpack. The book dodged and weaved in my mind, fighting me. Just stand still, for heaven’s sake. The hand-holding was at a minimum, and at various times I felt strangely untethered. What was I missing? Deviants, psychopathic behavior, the All-Father, the All-Mother, and various forms of secret police. Religious anarchy, multiple spy arcs, backstabbing, romance, deaths, and wings? Yes, I said wings, as in angels or bats. A lot of things were happening. Though somewhat mind-boggling, I would not be deterred. As the end approached, I had this underlying takeaway. The majority of society does what it must to survive, including losing its integrity and sanity, while those who wish to rule cowardly watch and lie to support their positions.
Ambitious in scope, Raymond King wrote creatively. So in the end, I was split down the middle; I loved the overall message, but perhaps I needed a bit more guidance. The author should be commended for taking chances, and for that I am appreciative. I am giving this 3 out of 5 stars and can recommend this for individuals who like the unconventional.
Many thanks to Visceral Books for the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
From the onset, the two main characters are on a different trajectory. One is of lowly beginnings, Jason, our trusted service android, whose sole ambition is to pass the trials and escape replacement. Jason is more than just a robotic puppet; he feels compassion, an inherently human trait. Readers then turn their attention to Marcus, the Prince of Anthem, a generally likeable man with all the amenities afforded by the wealthy. Raymond King, our author, writes a novel based upon a power struggle between the monarchs and deviants. With a flip of a switch, an event swings the pendulum, and those who were controlled are now in charge. I beg the question: does it matter who is in charge if they decide to use their position for their own personal gain?
The forest trees swayed, mocking me. Closing in, I felt claustrophobic. Where was the path to the trail? I was lonely, cold, and lost. Similarly, to my experience reading this tale. By the end, I had a basic understanding, but there was plenty to unpack. The book dodged and weaved in my mind, fighting me. Just stand still, for heaven’s sake. The hand-holding was at a minimum, and at various times I felt strangely untethered. What was I missing? Deviants, psychopathic behavior, the All-Father, the All-Mother, and various forms of secret police. Religious anarchy, multiple spy arcs, backstabbing, romance, deaths, and wings? Yes, I said wings, as in angels or bats. A lot of things were happening. Though somewhat mind-boggling, I would not be deterred. As the end approached, I had this underlying takeaway. The majority of society does what it must to survive, including losing its integrity and sanity, while those who wish to rule cowardly watch and lie to support their positions.
Ambitious in scope, Raymond King wrote creatively. So in the end, I was split down the middle; I loved the overall message, but perhaps I needed a bit more guidance. The author should be commended for taking chances, and for that I am appreciative. I am giving this 3 out of 5 stars and can recommend this for individuals who like the unconventional.
Many thanks to Visceral Books for the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
December 7, 2024
2.5 stars rounded to 3. The first part of this peaked my interested even with the religious angle. A bourgeoisie type of ruling class is running things while Jason is trying to fit into the system.
Jason and Matcus’ POV are interesting. One is a Prince and the other comes off like a poor kid. Going back and forth between their POVs was creative and fun.
After a major character is killed the book heads right down hill for me.
There was a moment with the lone female character where she is in a scary situation where she may get SAed, our main character saves her by brutally killing one of her attackers. The chapter ends with her being intimidate with him, showing no signs of trauma. That was the beginning of it going down hill for me.
Thanks to Goodreads for the kindle version giveaway!
Jason and Matcus’ POV are interesting. One is a Prince and the other comes off like a poor kid. Going back and forth between their POVs was creative and fun.
After a major character is killed the book heads right down hill for me.
There was a moment with the lone female character where she is in a scary situation where she may get SAed, our main character saves her by brutally killing one of her attackers. The chapter ends with her being intimidate with him, showing no signs of trauma. That was the beginning of it going down hill for me.
Thanks to Goodreads for the kindle version giveaway!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2025
This was a fun read.
Following the life of two men who come from very different backgrounds, we are shown the struggles they face and all the contrasting aspects of their lives. I enjoyed reading the social commentary throughout the story given the positions the main characters grew up in. It’s also filled with cliches and the women in the story sound like they have such little personality to them but –in my opinion– that goes to all secondary characters.
Lastly, the narration made me feel like i was witnessing a theatre play (in a good way) and at times it felt like i wasn’t grasping every detail about the world but it was overall good. Would like to read more.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Raymond King for the ARC.
Following the life of two men who come from very different backgrounds, we are shown the struggles they face and all the contrasting aspects of their lives. I enjoyed reading the social commentary throughout the story given the positions the main characters grew up in. It’s also filled with cliches and the women in the story sound like they have such little personality to them but –in my opinion– that goes to all secondary characters.
Lastly, the narration made me feel like i was witnessing a theatre play (in a good way) and at times it felt like i wasn’t grasping every detail about the world but it was overall good. Would like to read more.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Raymond King for the ARC.
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January 14, 2025Thank you to NetGalley and Visceral Books for this free eARC.
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so indifferent to a book before. I didn’t hate, but I don’t think I really liked it that much either. The world building isn’t very fleshed out, and it’s confusing at times. That may be the whole point. I guess I liked it enough where I would read another book if the story were to continue. Maybe that’s what this needs to make it better?
It wasn’t a bad book by any means. I can totally see where some people could absolutely love this! It just may not be for me, as the story stands right now.
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so indifferent to a book before. I didn’t hate, but I don’t think I really liked it that much either. The world building isn’t very fleshed out, and it’s confusing at times. That may be the whole point. I guess I liked it enough where I would read another book if the story were to continue. Maybe that’s what this needs to make it better?
It wasn’t a bad book by any means. I can totally see where some people could absolutely love this! It just may not be for me, as the story stands right now.
December 17, 2024
I’m so grateful to have received an ARC since I love reading about robots and deeper themes about what makes us human. This science fiction book had some really interesting ideas, but fell short on weaving a cohesive story with realistic characters.
April 2, 2025
This was terrible
May 8, 2025
I love how deep and thought-provoking this novel is. I would usually not use the phrase philosophical novel, since very few books warrant that description, but I think it’s fitting here. The novel’s ideas, about the cyclical nature of identity and oppression, are as immersive as the world building. It doesn’t get bogged down with endless exposition, so you have space to immerse yourself in the ideas that shape this uncanny world. Parts of the novel read like a fever dream, parts of it read like social satire, it calls to mind the aesthetics and political intrigue of 1984, Joker, Chandler’s detective noir, Game of Thrones (fantasy in a hyper-modern setting), and the worlds of Kafka, inscrutable but also hauntingly relatable. A bold, original work.
April 3, 2025
Thank you Net Galley and Visceral Publishing Group LLC for the ARC, this review is of my own opinion. Raymond King weaves a curious tale of monarchs vs deviants
You have a society where deviants aspire to be psychopaths and those in power who hate deviants, discard and replace them like they are nothing, then the world is flipped. It begs the question of who is the lesser or two evils and what power does to someone. You have a group who were on receiving end of hatred and then the world flips, will they do better or just become the same as their oppressors. I am curious to see where the story goes and the path the characters take.
You have a society where deviants aspire to be psychopaths and those in power who hate deviants, discard and replace them like they are nothing, then the world is flipped. It begs the question of who is the lesser or two evils and what power does to someone. You have a group who were on receiving end of hatred and then the world flips, will they do better or just become the same as their oppressors. I am curious to see where the story goes and the path the characters take.
November 30, 2025
📚📚📚📚📚
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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