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Eternity Diffused
Theda, a joyous twenty-two year-old, is in love with life. Her job in the recycling factory is idyllic, she lives with her best friend, and she has no plans in sight for her future because the future simply doesn't exist. Her mother, Katherine, on the other hand, would disagree. Katherine can't quite put her finger on it, but something doesn't feel right. Life...just seems to be lacking something...Maybe it's because her brightest years are behind her? But it is almost impossible to know because she can't access any information from before last week. History is taboo now. Has she been robbed of her past? Therapy Bot tells her it isn't so, but Katherine is starting to wonder if Therapy Bot is to be trusted. Will Theda be able to pull Katherine back to reality, or will Theda's present begin to crumble?
148 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 8, 2026
I’ve read this book far too many times. To be fair, I did write it. What can I say? Definitely five stars! 😉
October 19, 2026
I enjoyed reading this. It’s very well written, sometimes quite beautifully.
Essentially, what we have here is a dystopia (or perhaps it’s a true utopia?). The major point-of-view characters are a young woman (Theda) and her mother (Katherine) who have very different attitudes and adjustments to what to us is a strange new world (but which could be lurking just around the corner for us). We gather that the world has changed very much as AI is now running everything. On the face of it, Theda enjoys a fulfilling, rich life, albeit one that is a tad over-planned and scheduled. We might worry a little about her consumption of the all-purpose beverage Woken ™️. Is she being drugged? There’s a hint that her generation are being conditioned to accept the Now as the only reality and are glad of it. But we are concerned that this infringes her personal freedoms in some way that’s hard to put your finger on…
There are some amazing passages where the daughter talks or meditates with her friend and housemate (Jonna), and we get some lovely buddhist philosophy that I could sign up to myself. BUT… there is a cleverness in the writing that nags away at you. You get a feeling that something is not quite right here. Despite the apparent self awareness and happiness of Theda and Jonna, we feel the lack of spontaneity in their lives and we notice that those who have a creative urge in this Brave New World have it diverted towards curating AI-produced content, while everyone else seems to be employed in Recycling, ie destroying evidence of the past. Darker and darker.
The mother, Katherine, eventually, almost accidentally, steps away from this world a little (I won’t detail how). She has a different perspective as she remembers how things were ‘before’, even though that history is gradually disappearing down this world’s equivalent of 1984’s “memory holes”.
The parallels with 1984 are there, but the Big Brother is less obvious. The focus on “nothing but the Now” reminded me very much of “Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia”. “War is Peace” etc. Subtle mind-control.
Perhaps the AIs are acting on an algorithm that provides the greatest happiness for the greatest number. It’s plausible. Or perhaps it is truly evil and just out for its own ends. The distinction is not easy to fathom.
This is a good book, raising interesting issues. Recommended. I think I would give it 5 stars if something a bit more catastrophic happened in the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC. This is an honest review after a full reading.
Essentially, what we have here is a dystopia (or perhaps it’s a true utopia?). The major point-of-view characters are a young woman (Theda) and her mother (Katherine) who have very different attitudes and adjustments to what to us is a strange new world (but which could be lurking just around the corner for us). We gather that the world has changed very much as AI is now running everything. On the face of it, Theda enjoys a fulfilling, rich life, albeit one that is a tad over-planned and scheduled. We might worry a little about her consumption of the all-purpose beverage Woken ™️. Is she being drugged? There’s a hint that her generation are being conditioned to accept the Now as the only reality and are glad of it. But we are concerned that this infringes her personal freedoms in some way that’s hard to put your finger on…
There are some amazing passages where the daughter talks or meditates with her friend and housemate (Jonna), and we get some lovely buddhist philosophy that I could sign up to myself. BUT… there is a cleverness in the writing that nags away at you. You get a feeling that something is not quite right here. Despite the apparent self awareness and happiness of Theda and Jonna, we feel the lack of spontaneity in their lives and we notice that those who have a creative urge in this Brave New World have it diverted towards curating AI-produced content, while everyone else seems to be employed in Recycling, ie destroying evidence of the past. Darker and darker.
The mother, Katherine, eventually, almost accidentally, steps away from this world a little (I won’t detail how). She has a different perspective as she remembers how things were ‘before’, even though that history is gradually disappearing down this world’s equivalent of 1984’s “memory holes”.
The parallels with 1984 are there, but the Big Brother is less obvious. The focus on “nothing but the Now” reminded me very much of “Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia”. “War is Peace” etc. Subtle mind-control.
Perhaps the AIs are acting on an algorithm that provides the greatest happiness for the greatest number. It’s plausible. Or perhaps it is truly evil and just out for its own ends. The distinction is not easy to fathom.
This is a good book, raising interesting issues. Recommended. I think I would give it 5 stars if something a bit more catastrophic happened in the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC. This is an honest review after a full reading.
June 27, 2026
Blanchard did a beautiful job of presenting a mother daughter duo living very different lives in a technologically advanced future. Theda is a joyous young woman living an idyllic life, loving her job, friends, and every day life. Her mother Katherine, is restless and deeply unhappy with her current life, spending her evenings with her therabot. She secretly yearns for days pasted in a society where the past is taboo. This creates a page turning sense of unease. The novel examines relationships, with others and self, in the presence of AI and technology advancements. The relationships in this novel elicit reflection on how relationships may offer a buffer to circumstances out of one’s control in a rapidly changing world.
June 8, 2026
Blanchard's Eternity Diffused explores a tumultuous, strained, yet deeply familiar relationship between a mother and daughter as they navigate their separate lives. Blanchard does an incredible job maintaining a persistent sense that something isn't quite right, creating an uneasiness that keeps the pages turning. The characters' reliance on a therapy bot as their primary mode of self-care serves as a clever commentary on modern self-help culture and raises interesting questions about where our relationship with technology, mental health, and human connection may be headed.
October 5, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC.
What a strange little book! I definitely need to sit with it longer. I loved the writing style and the overall story itself although it certainly wasn’t what I was expecting going into it. This book seriously promotes self reflection especially living in the time of AI - how much is going to change in the coming years? What makes humanity? Is it the knowledge of our past or the ability to live in the present?
What a strange little book! I definitely need to sit with it longer. I loved the writing style and the overall story itself although it certainly wasn’t what I was expecting going into it. This book seriously promotes self reflection especially living in the time of AI - how much is going to change in the coming years? What makes humanity? Is it the knowledge of our past or the ability to live in the present?
November 2, 2026
Eternity Diffused is beautifully written and deeply thought-provoking, with each chapter exploring new ideas and perspectives that left me contemplating the deeper questions about life and human experience. Mariah Blanchard has an exceptional talent for creating vivid imagery and an imaginative dystopian world that feels surprisingly relatable, especially considering how dramatically AI and technology have transformed our own lives. I found Katherine's nostalgia for the world she once knew particularly fascinating, especially when contrasted with Theda's seemingly blissful existence in the only reality she's ever experienced. Their different perspectives really made me question how much our past experiences shape our happiness and why, as humans, we're so often longing for something we've lost or anticipating something better in the future, rather than appreciating what we have in the present. I also loved how the story weaves in Buddhist themes of mindfulness, attachment, and acceptance, encouraging you to contemplate whether embracing change and learning to live more fully in the moment could ultimately bring us greater peace, while still recognizing the importance of remembering our past. A truly unique and captivating book that encouraged me to reflect on my own relationship with happiness, technology, and the inevitability of change. I would recommend this book to readers looking for a character driven story rather than an action packed thriller.
August 10, 2026
Eternity Diffused is well worth reading. It will challenge your preconceptions with a profoundly human perspective. It will provoke you and make you question what it means to be human in a new world that oscillates between utopia and dystopia. Blanchard offers a unique and contemplative examination of the world we live in today through a world that we could find ourselves in, and some of the struggles the people that inhabit such a world might have. It is vividly descriptive and playful at times, and esoteric and eerie at others. This is a fundamentally personal and human book that is brimming with personal insights and an ocean of creative ideas.
This book has themes of artificial intelligence, technology, family, mindfulness, substance use, and many more. If you want a book that you can truly sink your teeth into and engage with some challenging ideas, this is that book.
This book has themes of artificial intelligence, technology, family, mindfulness, substance use, and many more. If you want a book that you can truly sink your teeth into and engage with some challenging ideas, this is that book.
October 20, 2026
Mariah Blanchard’s debut novella, “Eternity Diffused,” packs the punch of an espresso (or a ‘Wakeful’?)—brief, bold, and likely to keep you up late, debating everything.
Blanchard’s writing is sharp and lively, and the story dances between poetic moments and big, strange questions. Following a Mother and Daughter, the future is strange, different, and packed with change. There is a definite struggle between the choices of the self and society's expectations.
“Eternity Diffused” is well worth your time if you like quick, dystopian Novellas that make you question everything in life, surrounded by beautiful prose.
Blanchard’s writing is sharp and lively, and the story dances between poetic moments and big, strange questions. Following a Mother and Daughter, the future is strange, different, and packed with change. There is a definite struggle between the choices of the self and society's expectations.
“Eternity Diffused” is well worth your time if you like quick, dystopian Novellas that make you question everything in life, surrounded by beautiful prose.
August 30, 2026
Eternity Diffused explores the relationship and changing cultural landscape between a mother and daughter. Drawing on Buddhist elements, the book explores attachment, self-identity, and the power of perspective. This book has inspired many moments of reflection and has helped me confront the things I value in my day to day life. What do I find important and how does it inspire me or cause me to suffer? After diving into this book I resurfaced with feelings of renewal and an appreciation for the human condition; I could not recommend this book enough.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews