What do you think?
Rate this book
2080: The Lattice
The year is 2080. Mankind is utterly dependent on AI ... deeply biased AI.
The Lattice, once known as the Internet, has evolved to a point where it carries all five senses – sight, sound, taste, smell and touch – in digital form, making virtual presence indistinguishable from physical reality. This all-senses virtualization has transformed society.
But it has a dark underbelly too; one that silently erodes the very fabric of human civilization. Much is at stake, but not everyone acknowledges the risks. Those who profit handsomely from the prejudiced AI have grown immensely powerful, while the ones who oppose it are quietly being hunted down. When activist Lubna Adaké disappears, she sets into motion events that threaten this fraught status quo.
Unaware of the hornet’s nest her mother has stirred, Rudra Adaké sets out to find her, oblivious to the forces at play. It’s only a matter of time before she too becomes a target as her mother did.
From England to India and beyond, Rudra is drawn into a deadly chase – one that would decide the fate of humanity itself.
The Lattice, once known as the Internet, has evolved to a point where it carries all five senses – sight, sound, taste, smell and touch – in digital form, making virtual presence indistinguishable from physical reality. This all-senses virtualization has transformed society.
But it has a dark underbelly too; one that silently erodes the very fabric of human civilization. Much is at stake, but not everyone acknowledges the risks. Those who profit handsomely from the prejudiced AI have grown immensely powerful, while the ones who oppose it are quietly being hunted down. When activist Lubna Adaké disappears, she sets into motion events that threaten this fraught status quo.
Unaware of the hornet’s nest her mother has stirred, Rudra Adaké sets out to find her, oblivious to the forces at play. It’s only a matter of time before she too becomes a target as her mother did.
From England to India and beyond, Rudra is drawn into a deadly chase – one that would decide the fate of humanity itself.
432 pages, ebook
First published December 18, 2025
1 person want to read
About the author
R.V. Raman
11 books121 followersMY BACKSTORY
After a corporate career spanning four decades and as many continents, I’ve moved away from full time roles to pursue other interests. I now serve as an independent director on company boards and write. In my earlier avatar, I had advised companies, banks, regulators, governments, etc. on various matters.
Tired of extensive physical travel, I now prefer less punishing mental excursions into fictional worlds of my own creation.
ABOUT MY CORPORATE THRILLERS
Surely, there must be men like Professor Moriarty in corporate India. They may not be such intellectual colossuses or consummate masters, but they would share some key traits with him – wile, ingenuity, drive and utter ruthlessness. And they would understand the psychology of temptation.
What kind of schemes would such men device? That is the question I seek to answer through these novels.
Apart from bringing in truckloads of money, these schemes would have to satisfy the fabled professor’s taste for elegant, water-tight designs; designs that ride on the motivations and vulnerabilities of intelligent but weak-minded men. My antagonists may not have Moriarty’s guile or panache, and my detectives may be intellectual pygmies before Holmes. Nevertheless, I have taken a shot (four shots, actually) at crafting credible stories of intelligent crimes in corporate India. Each of my four novels is set in a different industry.
ABOUT MY WHODUNITS
After four corporate thrillers, I turned to writing a series of murder mysteries (whodunits) with a new protagonist (Harith Athreya). I’ve tried to model these on the Golden Age Mysteries, while keeping them current with modern technology like mobile phones. And, as is the case with all my writing, I eschew vulgarity and profanity so that my stories are appropriate for readers of all ages. The only exception is the rare cuss-word that is used as an intensifier for emphasis.
SCIENCE FICTION
And most lately, I am trying my hand at science fiction. 2080: The Lattice is my first foray into this genre and is set in a world where mankind is addicted to AI. Unfortunately, the AI has become deeply biased, even prejudiced. Additionally, the internet has evolved to an extent where it carries all five senses perfectly, making virtual presence undistinguishable from physical reality.
Meanwhile, I continue experimenting with short stories set in contemporary India. Some of them are available on Amazon.
The list of my full-length novels so far:
Fraudster
Insider
Saboteur
Conspirator
A Will to Kill
A Dire Isle / Grave Intentions
Praying Mantis
The Last Resort
2080: The Lattice
Website.
RV Raman on Facebook
After a corporate career spanning four decades and as many continents, I’ve moved away from full time roles to pursue other interests. I now serve as an independent director on company boards and write. In my earlier avatar, I had advised companies, banks, regulators, governments, etc. on various matters.
Tired of extensive physical travel, I now prefer less punishing mental excursions into fictional worlds of my own creation.
ABOUT MY CORPORATE THRILLERS
Surely, there must be men like Professor Moriarty in corporate India. They may not be such intellectual colossuses or consummate masters, but they would share some key traits with him – wile, ingenuity, drive and utter ruthlessness. And they would understand the psychology of temptation.
What kind of schemes would such men device? That is the question I seek to answer through these novels.
Apart from bringing in truckloads of money, these schemes would have to satisfy the fabled professor’s taste for elegant, water-tight designs; designs that ride on the motivations and vulnerabilities of intelligent but weak-minded men. My antagonists may not have Moriarty’s guile or panache, and my detectives may be intellectual pygmies before Holmes. Nevertheless, I have taken a shot (four shots, actually) at crafting credible stories of intelligent crimes in corporate India. Each of my four novels is set in a different industry.
ABOUT MY WHODUNITS
After four corporate thrillers, I turned to writing a series of murder mysteries (whodunits) with a new protagonist (Harith Athreya). I’ve tried to model these on the Golden Age Mysteries, while keeping them current with modern technology like mobile phones. And, as is the case with all my writing, I eschew vulgarity and profanity so that my stories are appropriate for readers of all ages. The only exception is the rare cuss-word that is used as an intensifier for emphasis.
SCIENCE FICTION
And most lately, I am trying my hand at science fiction. 2080: The Lattice is my first foray into this genre and is set in a world where mankind is addicted to AI. Unfortunately, the AI has become deeply biased, even prejudiced. Additionally, the internet has evolved to an extent where it carries all five senses perfectly, making virtual presence undistinguishable from physical reality.
Meanwhile, I continue experimenting with short stories set in contemporary India. Some of them are available on Amazon.
The list of my full-length novels so far:
Fraudster
Insider
Saboteur
Conspirator
A Will to Kill
A Dire Isle / Grave Intentions
Praying Mantis
The Last Resort
2080: The Lattice
Website.
RV Raman on Facebook
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Read
December 11, 2025This is not a book review. It is a note about the genesis of this story.
Clearly, artificial intelligence is shaping humanity’s future. The speed with which it is spreading and influencing our actions is already evident. But what if its future trajectory is not what we want it to be? What if the AI systems we rely on become biased—even prejudiced? What if a few individuals end up controlling global AI systems that influence—nay, direct—us? What if the majority of us lose control?
This was the idea that sparked a thought experiment. Added to it was another parallel possibility…
What if the internet evolves to a point where it can transmit all five senses perfectly? Not just audio and vision, as in present-day video conferencing, but every sense—including smell, touch, and taste. That would make virtual presence indistinguishable from physical reality, wouldn’t it?
What then would happen to the institutions of marriage and family if people prefer highly acquiescent and replaceable synthetic individuals over real human partners? What impact would that have on already declining national populations? How would the workplace, shopping, travel, and social interactions change? What new forms would erotica, entertainment, and education take?
These two ideas—the possibility of prejudiced AI and full five-senses virtualization—came together to form the thesis of my new novel, 2080: The Lattice.
Like many sci-fi stories before it, this too is a thought experiment, enriched with elements that make a story relatable: a high-stakes plot, diverse characters, inescapable conflict, shifting intrigue, ever-present danger, and action.
I hope you find this story worth your time. The book will be out soon.
Clearly, artificial intelligence is shaping humanity’s future. The speed with which it is spreading and influencing our actions is already evident. But what if its future trajectory is not what we want it to be? What if the AI systems we rely on become biased—even prejudiced? What if a few individuals end up controlling global AI systems that influence—nay, direct—us? What if the majority of us lose control?
This was the idea that sparked a thought experiment. Added to it was another parallel possibility…
What if the internet evolves to a point where it can transmit all five senses perfectly? Not just audio and vision, as in present-day video conferencing, but every sense—including smell, touch, and taste. That would make virtual presence indistinguishable from physical reality, wouldn’t it?
What then would happen to the institutions of marriage and family if people prefer highly acquiescent and replaceable synthetic individuals over real human partners? What impact would that have on already declining national populations? How would the workplace, shopping, travel, and social interactions change? What new forms would erotica, entertainment, and education take?
These two ideas—the possibility of prejudiced AI and full five-senses virtualization—came together to form the thesis of my new novel, 2080: The Lattice.
Like many sci-fi stories before it, this too is a thought experiment, enriched with elements that make a story relatable: a high-stakes plot, diverse characters, inescapable conflict, shifting intrigue, ever-present danger, and action.
I hope you find this story worth your time. The book will be out soon.
January 1, 2026
True to reputation, Raman has delivered another idea-driven novel. While it is a departure from his usual crime fiction, he brings the same sophistication and attention to detail that he is known for.
There are two ideas here. First is about all-encompassing virtual reality that challenges physical reality in its authenticity. The second is mankind becoming addicted to AI, to the extent that humans stop thinking for themselves. These two threads interweave to create a compelling tapestry that has many social and ethical implications - family, marriage, etc. We find that technology has altered many things in the year 2080 - education, travel, erotica, etc. But one thing hasn't changed - greed, ambition and such like that formed the backbone of his crime fiction novels.
I found both the ideation and execution good. Recommended.
There are two ideas here. First is about all-encompassing virtual reality that challenges physical reality in its authenticity. The second is mankind becoming addicted to AI, to the extent that humans stop thinking for themselves. These two threads interweave to create a compelling tapestry that has many social and ethical implications - family, marriage, etc. We find that technology has altered many things in the year 2080 - education, travel, erotica, etc. But one thing hasn't changed - greed, ambition and such like that formed the backbone of his crime fiction novels.
I found both the ideation and execution good. Recommended.
December 23, 2025
It is evident that humanity's future is going to be influenced by large AI systems. What would happen if these future AI systems became heavily biased? What if they favored some people and ignored some others? This book deals very well with this issue.
What if the future internet carried all five senses in digital form and people could travel anywhere with all their five senses? Life would change irreversibly, won't it? This is the other issue the book addresses.
While these are heavy subjects, the author deftly deals with them as a story. RV Raman has brought his storytelling ability to bear in a way that I couldn't put the book down. Very good read!
What if the future internet carried all five senses in digital form and people could travel anywhere with all their five senses? Life would change irreversibly, won't it? This is the other issue the book addresses.
While these are heavy subjects, the author deftly deals with them as a story. RV Raman has brought his storytelling ability to bear in a way that I couldn't put the book down. Very good read!
December 26, 2025
Good transition from crime to sci fi. True to form, this book too has a complex plot and a pacy narrative. Not being a tech person, I found the parts involving AI and virtual reality both engaging and instructive. Good one.
January 3, 2026
Good imagination and an interesting take of the world in 2080. It's really fascinating how much things can change in fifty years. With more than half the book set in India, I could relate to it despite all the technological advances. As usual, the plot is meaty and the characters relatable.
December 29, 2025
Great book. very enjoyable. the author has taken two futuristic topics and blended them in a very readable fictional tale. well done.
the novel brilliantly imagines the erosion of human agency in an AI dominated world.
the novel brilliantly imagines the erosion of human agency in an AI dominated world.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews