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Backup: A Cyberpunk Techno-Thriller
Cheating death is easy. Escaping the system is not.
In the near future, immortality isn’t just a dream—it’s a business. And Backup, a global tech giant, holds the monopoly. By routinely uploading their memories, personalities, and every essence of who they are, the company's clients can cheat death, waking up in a new clone body after they die. But immortality comes with a price—one only the wealthy can afford.
Aiden Romes is a by-the-book cop, guided by his strict moral compass, qualities that some of his less rule-bound peers might label as rigidity. His job is dangerous, and with his partner expecting their first child, the pressure is mounting. When Aiden saves the life of Backup’s CEO’s daughter, he's offered the ultimate reward: a free pass to immortality. He can finally protect his family while continuing the work he loves—without fear of death.
But when Aiden undergoes his first backup upload, something goes horribly wrong. He awakens in an unfamiliar place, trapped in a body that isn't his. Now, he’s caught in a deadly conspiracy that forces him to question everything he believes in. How far will he go to protect his family? How much of his own soul is he willing to sacrifice? And in a world where lives are endlessly replaceable, what does it mean to truly be alive?
In the near future, immortality isn’t just a dream—it’s a business. And Backup, a global tech giant, holds the monopoly. By routinely uploading their memories, personalities, and every essence of who they are, the company's clients can cheat death, waking up in a new clone body after they die. But immortality comes with a price—one only the wealthy can afford.
Aiden Romes is a by-the-book cop, guided by his strict moral compass, qualities that some of his less rule-bound peers might label as rigidity. His job is dangerous, and with his partner expecting their first child, the pressure is mounting. When Aiden saves the life of Backup’s CEO’s daughter, he's offered the ultimate reward: a free pass to immortality. He can finally protect his family while continuing the work he loves—without fear of death.
But when Aiden undergoes his first backup upload, something goes horribly wrong. He awakens in an unfamiliar place, trapped in a body that isn't his. Now, he’s caught in a deadly conspiracy that forces him to question everything he believes in. How far will he go to protect his family? How much of his own soul is he willing to sacrifice? And in a world where lives are endlessly replaceable, what does it mean to truly be alive?
337 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2024
5 people want to read
About the author
Guy-Roger Duvert
32 books30 followersBorn in Paris, Guy-Roger Duvert has called Los Angeles home for over a decade. After studying politics and business, he launched a career in the arts, first as a film composer. His work spans feature films—including one nominated at Cannes Directors' Fortnight—TV shows, video games, documentaries, and commercials. He later expanded into directing, releasing the sci-fi feature film Virtual Revolution (also known as 2047 Virtual Revolution in some regions). Eventually, he found a third passion in writing and has since published around 15 novels in French, several becoming bestsellers. His debut novel won the Amazon TV5 Monde Award shortly after its release and remains a bestseller today. While he primarily writes sci-fi, Duvert also explores fantasy and paranormal/horror genres. Now, he is expanding into the English-speaking market, with Backup being his first novel to be translated from French.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 27, 2025
Backup showcases the not-so-far-fetched possibilities of technology in a smart and engaging way. The very realistic implications of submitting yourself to a new technology drives this story for me.
Duvert sucks you in right from the start with action and intrigue and keeps you sympathetically involved in Aiden’s life and the choices he must make. You root for him, are so happy that there are still people willing to do the right things like him but then hope against hope that he keeps doing it because maybe he won’t because maybe you wouldn’t either if in his shoes. And what is the right thing in Duvert’s crazy new world anyway?
Exactly the kind of book I enjoy.
Duvert sucks you in right from the start with action and intrigue and keeps you sympathetically involved in Aiden’s life and the choices he must make. You root for him, are so happy that there are still people willing to do the right things like him but then hope against hope that he keeps doing it because maybe he won’t because maybe you wouldn’t either if in his shoes. And what is the right thing in Duvert’s crazy new world anyway?
Exactly the kind of book I enjoy.
May 5, 2025
An intense dive into the future
I recently finished "Backup" by Guy Roger Duvert and found it an adventure from start to finish.
The story is set in a future where human consciousness can be "backed up"and transferred, an interesting concept that the author explores with creativity. The protagonist is a detective named John who is tasked with solving a series of mysterious deaths that seem to defy the technology meant to preserve life. The plot is fast-paced with twists that kept me quite interested in most of the book.
What I enjoyed most "Backup" was Duvert's ability to blend complex technological ideas with human emotions and ethical dilemmas. The characters are well-developed, and their struggles feel genuine and relatable, even in such a futuristic setting. John's journey is not just about solving a mystery but also about confronting his own beliefs and fears about identity and mortality.
The writing style is engaging and accessible, making it easy to get lost in the world Duvert has created. The dialogue is sharp, and the descriptions are vivid without being overwhelming.
Overall, "Backup" is a thought-provoking read that I might recommend to someone who enjoys science fiction.
I recently finished "Backup" by Guy Roger Duvert and found it an adventure from start to finish.
The story is set in a future where human consciousness can be "backed up"and transferred, an interesting concept that the author explores with creativity. The protagonist is a detective named John who is tasked with solving a series of mysterious deaths that seem to defy the technology meant to preserve life. The plot is fast-paced with twists that kept me quite interested in most of the book.
What I enjoyed most "Backup" was Duvert's ability to blend complex technological ideas with human emotions and ethical dilemmas. The characters are well-developed, and their struggles feel genuine and relatable, even in such a futuristic setting. John's journey is not just about solving a mystery but also about confronting his own beliefs and fears about identity and mortality.
The writing style is engaging and accessible, making it easy to get lost in the world Duvert has created. The dialogue is sharp, and the descriptions are vivid without being overwhelming.
Overall, "Backup" is a thought-provoking read that I might recommend to someone who enjoys science fiction.
February 23, 2025
The author of this dystopian sci-fi futuristic novel is a screenwriter, and from the opening lines here, that shows. The novel is extremely visual, and paced like a futuristic thriller. The concept is eerily prescient: in the future, people have achieved immortality, through the copying of two elements of the human being: the mind, through storage of one's psyche, and the body, through cloning. Marrying the two elements creates a replica of a person. The fact that the author uses current scientific (albeit experimental) technology that is either already a reality or in the works makes this all the more scary.
The main character, Aiden, is a police officer, who, after saving the life of the kidnapped daughter of the head of Backup (the company responsible for granting immortality to humans), is given an opportunity to himself "upload" his psyche to the company's servers. Then, after doing so, he wakes up in someone else's body. This is the premise of this dramatic and fast-paced story. This will keep you reading and on the edge of your seat. There are car chases, fights, and corporate intrigue and espionage. A compelling read.
The main character, Aiden, is a police officer, who, after saving the life of the kidnapped daughter of the head of Backup (the company responsible for granting immortality to humans), is given an opportunity to himself "upload" his psyche to the company's servers. Then, after doing so, he wakes up in someone else's body. This is the premise of this dramatic and fast-paced story. This will keep you reading and on the edge of your seat. There are car chases, fights, and corporate intrigue and espionage. A compelling read.
January 16, 2025
I fell in love with the idea of this futuristic setting and technology making people become essentially immortal. Oh, you die? It's okay. We can upload you into another body. Just as long as you can afford it. That's the kind of ideas that make me wonder about peoples' souls, and how something like this could change them fundamentally... Add in a rogue AI, and you get this story. I know it's fiction, but there are many things to make people think that one day AI will become smarter than us and beat us at our own games. I will say that that I read this story much quicker than I anticipated (due to page length), but that's a sign of a good flow, right? 4 stars
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews