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Man Made
"Original, deftly crafted, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Man Made" by Fred F. Burton is a seminal work of metaphysical fiction that blends a kind of magic realism with extrapolated vision to create a memorable (and occasional iconoclastic) work of speculative fiction that is especially and unreservedly recommended."
- Midwest Book Review
The near-future reality portrayed in Man Made is eerily familiar. But the AI, social media, and surveillance are more advanced, and the populace more dispirited. The collective gaze has shifted to cyborg intelligence and its promise of speed learning; one more layer of technology to fix the problems caused by all those that came before it. But the amazing talents displayed by Milo, the first cyborg to come online, uncovers one surprising finding: the awesome power contained within each of us.
Milo realizes he must find a way, a third way, to free humanity from the stalemate it finds itself in. He goes on the run and lands in Baltimore. The city has been altered by the dystopian government. Its western half has been walled off and outcasts, those that can’t be controlled, are exiled to this depleted land. It is here where Milo’s powers extend beyond what most of us can see and accomplish.
We have entered an age where many of us feel there is no center, no agreed upon sources of truth. We are creeping, or lunging, towards authoritarianism. We are looking for answers. Man Made suggests a way forward that invites questions and discussion. Like much of the best fiction, Man Made wraps its ideas in flesh and blood. The experience is visceral because the characters struggle to retain their humanity, but may find that goal beyond their grasp. It does all this with a compelling and entertaining narrative that moves between realistic and surreal realms of experience.
“ Fred Burton has written a post-apocalyptic, mind-bending thriller that scours the depths of morality, ethics, and consciousness in a race to control the very essence of humanity. This thoughtful, provocative page-turner explores themes not easily debated in the current political landscape and asks questions we may not want the answers to as we hurtle toward a future that seemingly has already arrived. The question is, are we ready? ”
- Pam Lazos, author of Bad Pharma and the blog, Green Life Blue Water
- Midwest Book Review
The near-future reality portrayed in Man Made is eerily familiar. But the AI, social media, and surveillance are more advanced, and the populace more dispirited. The collective gaze has shifted to cyborg intelligence and its promise of speed learning; one more layer of technology to fix the problems caused by all those that came before it. But the amazing talents displayed by Milo, the first cyborg to come online, uncovers one surprising finding: the awesome power contained within each of us.
Milo realizes he must find a way, a third way, to free humanity from the stalemate it finds itself in. He goes on the run and lands in Baltimore. The city has been altered by the dystopian government. Its western half has been walled off and outcasts, those that can’t be controlled, are exiled to this depleted land. It is here where Milo’s powers extend beyond what most of us can see and accomplish.
We have entered an age where many of us feel there is no center, no agreed upon sources of truth. We are creeping, or lunging, towards authoritarianism. We are looking for answers. Man Made suggests a way forward that invites questions and discussion. Like much of the best fiction, Man Made wraps its ideas in flesh and blood. The experience is visceral because the characters struggle to retain their humanity, but may find that goal beyond their grasp. It does all this with a compelling and entertaining narrative that moves between realistic and surreal realms of experience.
“ Fred Burton has written a post-apocalyptic, mind-bending thriller that scours the depths of morality, ethics, and consciousness in a race to control the very essence of humanity. This thoughtful, provocative page-turner explores themes not easily debated in the current political landscape and asks questions we may not want the answers to as we hurtle toward a future that seemingly has already arrived. The question is, are we ready? ”
- Pam Lazos, author of Bad Pharma and the blog, Green Life Blue Water
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 8, 2025
About the author
Fred Burton
3 books4 followersOne thing I strive for in my writing is to avoid easy answers. I try to carefully construct situations and characters so that at a certain point they place demands on me as the author, and I become a conduit for the action that needs to unfold. My hope is that this approach gives readers the opportunity to reflect on different threads of experience. Then they can decide what’s important to them, and affirm what rings with the sound of truth.
I grew up in Queens, New York and wrote fiction through my early 20s. This was my first passion and I returned to it after my sons reached their teens years. I’ve lived most of the past 30 years in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
I grew up in Queens, New York and wrote fiction through my early 20s. This was my first passion and I returned to it after my sons reached their teens years. I’ve lived most of the past 30 years in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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July 3, 2025
This book is a genuine page-turner! Timely and absorbing!
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