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A billion years in the future, humanity is extinct.
But Shakespeare remains.
A machine civilization, so far advanced that it has the power to recreate lost civilizations, stumbles upon the works of the playwright, William Shakespeare.
With only those plays to represent humanity, the machines must decide whether humanity is worth resurrecting or not.
The only way to know the plays is to stage them.
Enter J-9, although she prefers to be called Janine. She is a human-like construct, created by the machines, to enter and experience the plays of Shakespeare, as they run in simulation, indistinguishable from reality.
Based on Janine’s impressions of humanity, drawn from her experiences of living within the unfolding plays, the machines will render their is humanity worth saving or shall we be consigned to oblivion?
The stakes are higher than the Bard could have ever imagined.
Created by Ted Neill, the Post Apocalyptic Space Shakespeare remains true to the plots of William Shakespeare’s plays while introducing stage directions that make the text more accessible to modern readers. The addition of Janine as an outsider looking in—and caught up in her own story framing the action of the plays—provides commentary and insight usually buried in academic papers but delivered here with heart and humor. It’s an original take on classic plays that will remind readers why the plays endure five hundred, and maybe five billion, years after they were written.
Traditionally, Shakespeare’s plays, do not need to be read in a particular order. These “simulations,” do have an order, especially as Janine’s story evolves with them.
Simulation NightAs You Like ItA Mid-Summer Night’s DreamMuch Ado About NothingTaming of the ShrewRomeo & JulietCymbelineThe TempestMacBethRichard IIITroilus & CressidaPericlesKing LearJulius CesarAnthony & Cleopatra
But Shakespeare remains.
A machine civilization, so far advanced that it has the power to recreate lost civilizations, stumbles upon the works of the playwright, William Shakespeare.
With only those plays to represent humanity, the machines must decide whether humanity is worth resurrecting or not.
The only way to know the plays is to stage them.
Enter J-9, although she prefers to be called Janine. She is a human-like construct, created by the machines, to enter and experience the plays of Shakespeare, as they run in simulation, indistinguishable from reality.
Based on Janine’s impressions of humanity, drawn from her experiences of living within the unfolding plays, the machines will render their is humanity worth saving or shall we be consigned to oblivion?
The stakes are higher than the Bard could have ever imagined.
Created by Ted Neill, the Post Apocalyptic Space Shakespeare remains true to the plots of William Shakespeare’s plays while introducing stage directions that make the text more accessible to modern readers. The addition of Janine as an outsider looking in—and caught up in her own story framing the action of the plays—provides commentary and insight usually buried in academic papers but delivered here with heart and humor. It’s an original take on classic plays that will remind readers why the plays endure five hundred, and maybe five billion, years after they were written.
Traditionally, Shakespeare’s plays, do not need to be read in a particular order. These “simulations,” do have an order, especially as Janine’s story evolves with them.
Simulation NightAs You Like ItA Mid-Summer Night’s DreamMuch Ado About NothingTaming of the ShrewRomeo & JulietCymbelineThe TempestMacBethRichard IIITroilus & CressidaPericlesKing LearJulius CesarAnthony & Cleopatra
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2025
76 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Ted Neill
94 books77 followersGlobetrotter and writer Ted Neill has worked on five continents as an educator, health professional, and journalist. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Recovery Today, and he has published a number of novels exploring issues related to science, religion, class, and social justice. He is the 2013 winner of the Martin Luther King Jr. Torch of Peace Award. His 2017 novel, The Selah Branch, attempts to confront issues of racism and the divided political environment of the US today and the 1950s. His debut novel, City on a Hill, examines the fault lines of religious conflict in the Middle East. His most novel, Reaper Moon, takes place against the backdrop of a global virus pandemic and how the aftermath unfolds along familiar social divides of race and politics. His most recent young adult novel is, Zombies, Frat Boys, Monster Flash Mobs & Other Terrifying Things I Saw at the Gates of Hell Cotillion, doesn’t need a blurb, the title says it all.
He is also author of two award winning memoirs, Two Years of Wonder which chronicles his time living and working at an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS and Finding St. Lo a combined account of his grandfather Robert Fowler’s WWII experience as well as a decorated medic in his unit, Gordon Cross. Follow Ted on Facebook and Instagram @therealauthortedneill
He is also author of two award winning memoirs, Two Years of Wonder which chronicles his time living and working at an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS and Finding St. Lo a combined account of his grandfather Robert Fowler’s WWII experience as well as a decorated medic in his unit, Gordon Cross. Follow Ted on Facebook and Instagram @therealauthortedneill
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 2, 2026
What an original premise! The author did a great job of melding the actual play with the SF elements of the setting, and the observer Janine (and her familiar Otto) added a lot to my understanding of the play with their asides. I have a whole new appreciation for this play, and I'm looking forward to continuing the series. Othello is next, although I'm going to read a different short novel first.
June 3, 2025
In a distant future where humanity has long vanished, a machine civilization stages Shakespeare’s works in hyper-realistic simulations to determine whether humanity is worth resurrecting. But instead of philosophical robots, we meet Janine (J-9), a human-like construct thrust into the chaos and beauty of the Bard’s worlds.
From the sterile gray awakening of Janine’s consciousness to her quick-witted sparring with the clinical “Monitor,” the novel delivers a masterful blend of sci-fi and theatrical drama. Janine’s journey is part philosophical experiment, part identity quest. Her curiosity, defiance, and moments of existential reflection breathe new life into the ancient lines of Hamlet. The tension between programming and personhood is subtly played out through her humorous, poignant interactions—especially when she asks her monitor for his name, a moment that challenges the entire premise of designation and identity.
What makes this book remarkable is its voice. Dialogue flows like stage play meets satire, with clever layering of classic Shakespearean soliloquy and modern meta-humor. The character OTTO—a bird-like assistant sorting costumes—and MONTY, who points at floating graphs tracking Janine’s “disruption score,” add a touch of absurdity that feels oddly grounded in this future-theater hybrid.
This is not a retelling of Hamlet—it’s a resurrection. Through Janine’s eyes, the story becomes a test not of one prince’s madness but of an entire species’ worth. And as Janine disrupts, questions, and defies, we realize the machines aren’t the only ones watching to see if humanity deserves a second act.
From the sterile gray awakening of Janine’s consciousness to her quick-witted sparring with the clinical “Monitor,” the novel delivers a masterful blend of sci-fi and theatrical drama. Janine’s journey is part philosophical experiment, part identity quest. Her curiosity, defiance, and moments of existential reflection breathe new life into the ancient lines of Hamlet. The tension between programming and personhood is subtly played out through her humorous, poignant interactions—especially when she asks her monitor for his name, a moment that challenges the entire premise of designation and identity.
What makes this book remarkable is its voice. Dialogue flows like stage play meets satire, with clever layering of classic Shakespearean soliloquy and modern meta-humor. The character OTTO—a bird-like assistant sorting costumes—and MONTY, who points at floating graphs tracking Janine’s “disruption score,” add a touch of absurdity that feels oddly grounded in this future-theater hybrid.
This is not a retelling of Hamlet—it’s a resurrection. Through Janine’s eyes, the story becomes a test not of one prince’s madness but of an entire species’ worth. And as Janine disrupts, questions, and defies, we realize the machines aren’t the only ones watching to see if humanity deserves a second act.
May 19, 2025
In a future set a billion years from now, sentient machines run the world, born from a deity-like supercomputer known as the Core. Humanity, those who created the core, are on the brink of extinction. Thus, a high council is tasked with the duty of deciding whether to save our species or not.
To this effect, J-9 is created. She is tasked with observing human nature through the cast of one of its greatest playwrights- William Shakespeare. This unique twist on Shakespeare brings back the classic tale of Hamlet, peppered with new characters and observations from a modern, even futuristic perspective.
I like that Janine isn't just an external observer though. She is very much a part of the plays, and can interact, form bonds, and build relationships with the characters. Although she is tasked to be an observer, she can be much more, which adds layers of depth to the story. Whats more, save for the first introductory pages, this book does not feel like a post-apocalyptic space book- a trap the author could have very easily fallen into. It feels grounded. Otto, a robot given to J-9 at the start of her journey, acts like the homely sidekick. To readers, he may as well be the furry owl friend we are used to.
Janine’s journey is a wonderful retelling of a classic tale. It is also an examination of humanity.
To this effect, J-9 is created. She is tasked with observing human nature through the cast of one of its greatest playwrights- William Shakespeare. This unique twist on Shakespeare brings back the classic tale of Hamlet, peppered with new characters and observations from a modern, even futuristic perspective.
I like that Janine isn't just an external observer though. She is very much a part of the plays, and can interact, form bonds, and build relationships with the characters. Although she is tasked to be an observer, she can be much more, which adds layers of depth to the story. Whats more, save for the first introductory pages, this book does not feel like a post-apocalyptic space book- a trap the author could have very easily fallen into. It feels grounded. Otto, a robot given to J-9 at the start of her journey, acts like the homely sidekick. To readers, he may as well be the furry owl friend we are used to.
Janine’s journey is a wonderful retelling of a classic tale. It is also an examination of humanity.
June 14, 2025
Neill kicks off his Post Apocalyptic Space Shakespeare series with this imaginative retelling of Hamlet. In a distant future, our world is run by sentient machines, created by a deity-like supercomputer known as the Core. Humanity is on the verge of extinction and the High Council is tasked with deciding the fate of the human species. The Council creates a simulation of Shakespeare's work, in this case, Hamlet. A human-like robot named J-9 or Janine, accompanied by her bird-like companion Otto, is sent into the simulation with the task of collecting data on human nature in order for the Council to decide if humanity is worth saving or not. The novel follows Shakespeare's original text in iambic pentameter, while Janine and Otto's side conversations are in contemporary English. It's important to note that Janine is not just an observer, but also a participant in the play. She switches costumes to blend in as the scenes change, as well as forming bonds and relationships with the other characters. The novel manages to maintain the play's themes of revenge, morality, and family. The addition of Janine and Otto's observations can be helpful for first time readers, or those needing a refresher. But for those already familiar with the text, these asides can sometimes feel like notes from an English class. Still, fans of sci-fi and the Bard will enjoy this unique combination.
December 13, 2025
A strange oddity of a novel. About 80% of the text is Shakespeare's Hamlet, but seen though the eyes of a construct character who is tasked with helping to make a decision as to whether humanity are worth saving or not.
It does work, but only to a point, as buying the basic concept is a bit tricky. Judging all of humanity via Shakespeare's plays...
But, it did actually get me to read Hamlet all the way through, and to come to a better understanding of the play.
For the 74p I paid for it, it was good value. I might even read the next one when it's available...
It does work, but only to a point, as buying the basic concept is a bit tricky. Judging all of humanity via Shakespeare's plays...
But, it did actually get me to read Hamlet all the way through, and to come to a better understanding of the play.
For the 74p I paid for it, it was good value. I might even read the next one when it's available...
December 24, 2025
I've never read Shakespeare before, and after reading this I wonder why people still do. I'm sure I'm just not understanding how it should be read, because it was very difficult for me to understand what was going on.
If I had known this would include the entire text of Hamlet I probably wouldn't have read it at all. I was expecting more sci fi and less Shakespeare. I much preferred the Janine/simulation/future parts of the book and they took up less space than the Shakespeare.
If I had known this would include the entire text of Hamlet I probably wouldn't have read it at all. I was expecting more sci fi and less Shakespeare. I much preferred the Janine/simulation/future parts of the book and they took up less space than the Shakespeare.
June 14, 2025
Hamlet: Book One of the Post Apocalyptic Space Shakespeare by Ted Neill & William Shakespeare is an amalgamation of classic drama and sci-fi. In a future world run by machines and a powerful supercomputer called the Core, it’s a wild and curious story — like Shakespeare in outer space.
Overall, a book with a different theme that I personally liked. Read it in one bit.
Overall, a book with a different theme that I personally liked. Read it in one bit.
February 18, 2026
Great premise, underwhelming execution
Being a fan of both Shakespeare and science fiction, I was really excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it does not live up to its concept. It is basically the text of "Hamlet" with characters from the future standing by, watching the action of the play, and occasionally offering explanations of what's being said.
Being a fan of both Shakespeare and science fiction, I was really excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it does not live up to its concept. It is basically the text of "Hamlet" with characters from the future standing by, watching the action of the play, and occasionally offering explanations of what's being said.
March 19, 2026
Definitely a unique way to present Shakespeare. It's like having a live Cliff's Notes as you read to help explain some of the language and actions. However, the construct, Janine, felt less construct-like and more like a modern day, snarky human. Her slang and commentary was, at times, disconcerting and pulled you out of the play.
March 28, 2026
Most of the stars of my rating are for the Bard. Timeless, indeed. The sci-fi framework interpreting the play is both clever and entertaining. Scholars and ordinary readers will argue over Neill's take on the play, and that is as it should be.
June 27, 2025
Something rotten in the mainframe: Speak the speech, machine!
In Hamlet: Book 1 of the Post Apocalyptic Space Shakespeare Series, Ted Neill envisions a speculative future where humanity has long since vanished, yet remnants of its culture—namely, the oeuvre of William Shakespeare—persist as fragments accessible to a hyper-advanced machine civilisation. This civilisation, governed by a sentient Core and its High Council, undertakes a moral inquiry into whether the extinct human race merits resurrection. Their metric for such an existential decision? The simulated staging of Shakespearean drama. The novel centres on J-9—who adopts the name Janine—a synthetic entity engineered to embody human likeness, who is tasked with experiencing Hamlet from within its meticulously reconstructed narrative environment. Assisted by Otto, a polymorphic companion, Janine must traverse Elsinore not merely as a spectator but as an embedded participant tasked with extracting data on human ethos, emotion, and behaviour.
Neill’s formal structure interlaces the Elizabethan language of Shakespeare’s original with meta-dialogues in modern vernacular between Janine and Otto, effectively creating a palimpsest where past and future cohabit. The shift in Janine’s own diction over time—veering increasingly into iambic rhythms—serves as a subtle literary device illustrating her assimilation into the human psychological register. The integration of post-human cognition within the thematic architecture of revenge, grief, and moral decay renews the canonical text’s relevance within a speculative ethics framework.
Though the wider context of the post-apocalyptic universe is only loosely sketched, this open-endedness appears deliberate, reserving ontological revelations for later volumes. What the novel accomplishes, however, is an original interrogation of Shakespeare as both a cultural artefact and a litmus test for species worth. Neill’s synthesis of dramaturgy and speculative fiction challenges assumptions about civilisation’s legacy and the translatability of its moral imagination. In recasting Hamlet as a trial for humanity’s redemption through digital dramaturgy, Hamlet: Book 1 positions itself as an inventive cross-genre experiment—part literary criticism, part sci-fi thought experiment, and part philosophical inquiry into the durability of human meaning beyond human life.
In Hamlet: Book 1 of the Post Apocalyptic Space Shakespeare Series, Ted Neill envisions a speculative future where humanity has long since vanished, yet remnants of its culture—namely, the oeuvre of William Shakespeare—persist as fragments accessible to a hyper-advanced machine civilisation. This civilisation, governed by a sentient Core and its High Council, undertakes a moral inquiry into whether the extinct human race merits resurrection. Their metric for such an existential decision? The simulated staging of Shakespearean drama. The novel centres on J-9—who adopts the name Janine—a synthetic entity engineered to embody human likeness, who is tasked with experiencing Hamlet from within its meticulously reconstructed narrative environment. Assisted by Otto, a polymorphic companion, Janine must traverse Elsinore not merely as a spectator but as an embedded participant tasked with extracting data on human ethos, emotion, and behaviour.
Neill’s formal structure interlaces the Elizabethan language of Shakespeare’s original with meta-dialogues in modern vernacular between Janine and Otto, effectively creating a palimpsest where past and future cohabit. The shift in Janine’s own diction over time—veering increasingly into iambic rhythms—serves as a subtle literary device illustrating her assimilation into the human psychological register. The integration of post-human cognition within the thematic architecture of revenge, grief, and moral decay renews the canonical text’s relevance within a speculative ethics framework.
Though the wider context of the post-apocalyptic universe is only loosely sketched, this open-endedness appears deliberate, reserving ontological revelations for later volumes. What the novel accomplishes, however, is an original interrogation of Shakespeare as both a cultural artefact and a litmus test for species worth. Neill’s synthesis of dramaturgy and speculative fiction challenges assumptions about civilisation’s legacy and the translatability of its moral imagination. In recasting Hamlet as a trial for humanity’s redemption through digital dramaturgy, Hamlet: Book 1 positions itself as an inventive cross-genre experiment—part literary criticism, part sci-fi thought experiment, and part philosophical inquiry into the durability of human meaning beyond human life.
May 27, 2025
As someone who’s been wanting to re-read some of Shakespeare’s plays but never quite managed to find the time, I was pleasantly surprised to come across Hamlet: Book 1 of the Post Apocalyptic Space Shakespeare Series by Ted Neill, with original text by William Shakespeare. The premise is fascinating: Shakespeare's Hamlet retold within a post-apocalyptic framework where the very question of humanity's survival hangs in the balance. A High Council, tasked with this monumental decision, initiates a simulation, and into this simulation steps J-9, the latest in a series of constructs designed to be indistinguishable from a human. Christening herself with the more “human” name Janine, she, along with her companion Otto—another construct capable of transforming into any object—are instructed to gather data on human nature by observing simulated versions of Shakespeare’s plays, specifically Hamlet in this volume, and report their findings back to the High Council.
The narrative is structured entirely like a play. While the original text of Hamlet retains its classic iambic pentameter, the dialogue between Janine and Otto is in contemporary English. Over the course of the story, Janine's own speech patterns occasionally incorporate iambic pentameter as she becomes more deeply immersed in the tragic landscape of Elsinore, a clever indicator of her deepening connection to the human experience she is meant to be observing. However, Janine and Otto often comment on and explicitly spell out the motivations and subtext of characters' actions mid-scene. While this could be helpful for readers less familiar with Hamlet, those more familiar with the play might find this explanatory approach akin to a rather insistent high school English lesson, leaving little room for individual interpretation.
As the first volume in a series, the book deliberately leaves many aspects of its post-apocalyptic setting shrouded in mystery, meaning readers seeking immediate answers will need to wait for future installments. Despite the occasional heavy-handed exposition, the novel's core theme resonates, suggesting that even across centuries, the fundamental human story of Hamlet—its sorrows, betrayals, and tragedies—remain relevant to the human experience. I appreciated the fresh take on Hamlet that made this more than just another re-publication of Hamlet, finding myself more intrigued with the mysteries surrounding Janine’s creation and the goals of the High Council as the narrative went on. I am eagerly looking forward to where Janine and Otto's journey will take them next.
The narrative is structured entirely like a play. While the original text of Hamlet retains its classic iambic pentameter, the dialogue between Janine and Otto is in contemporary English. Over the course of the story, Janine's own speech patterns occasionally incorporate iambic pentameter as she becomes more deeply immersed in the tragic landscape of Elsinore, a clever indicator of her deepening connection to the human experience she is meant to be observing. However, Janine and Otto often comment on and explicitly spell out the motivations and subtext of characters' actions mid-scene. While this could be helpful for readers less familiar with Hamlet, those more familiar with the play might find this explanatory approach akin to a rather insistent high school English lesson, leaving little room for individual interpretation.
As the first volume in a series, the book deliberately leaves many aspects of its post-apocalyptic setting shrouded in mystery, meaning readers seeking immediate answers will need to wait for future installments. Despite the occasional heavy-handed exposition, the novel's core theme resonates, suggesting that even across centuries, the fundamental human story of Hamlet—its sorrows, betrayals, and tragedies—remain relevant to the human experience. I appreciated the fresh take on Hamlet that made this more than just another re-publication of Hamlet, finding myself more intrigued with the mysteries surrounding Janine’s creation and the goals of the High Council as the narrative went on. I am eagerly looking forward to where Janine and Otto's journey will take them next.
May 23, 2025
Hamlet: Book One of the Post Apocalyptic Space Shakespeare by Ted Neill & William Shakespeare is a wildly imaginative and brilliantly executed fusion of classic tragedy and sci-fi adventure. Set in a haunting post-apocalyptic universe, this reimagining stays true to Shakespeare’s poetic language while injecting fresh urgency through futuristic settings and high-stakes intrigue. Neill’s inventive world-building and deep respect for the original text make this a captivating read for both Shakespeare lovers and sci-fi fans. It’s thought-provoking, cinematic, and refreshingly unique. A stunning start to a bold new series that proves the Bard’s timeless relevance, even in the stars.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews