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Fractured Memory
In 2025, the world shifted. On the brink of human destruction, the UN and WHO banned AI and digital technology, as well as the production of microprocessors and CPUs. And with the internet shut off, the world regressed to the sluggish analog era of the 1970s.
Twenty years later, Boston Detective Ben Carvers, who suffers from amnesia, is now tasked with solving a routine murder after recovering from a coma. His investigation spirals when cryptic messages link the crime to a powerful tech mogul, as well as uncovering corruption deep within the Boston police department and city officials.
Battling his fractured memory and unsettling visions, Ben must uncover the truth about the murder, a second victim, and his own fragmented past, while being unable to determine what’s real and what’s not.
Ben navigates a world that has been thrown back to a time of analog devices such as typewriters, books, and paper files, devoid of cellphones and search engines, while corrupt forces do as they please behind a veil of power and authority.
In a world without the technology we depend on, finding the truth may be the most dangerous thing of all.
Twenty years later, Boston Detective Ben Carvers, who suffers from amnesia, is now tasked with solving a routine murder after recovering from a coma. His investigation spirals when cryptic messages link the crime to a powerful tech mogul, as well as uncovering corruption deep within the Boston police department and city officials.
Battling his fractured memory and unsettling visions, Ben must uncover the truth about the murder, a second victim, and his own fragmented past, while being unable to determine what’s real and what’s not.
Ben navigates a world that has been thrown back to a time of analog devices such as typewriters, books, and paper files, devoid of cellphones and search engines, while corrupt forces do as they please behind a veil of power and authority.
In a world without the technology we depend on, finding the truth may be the most dangerous thing of all.
334 pages, Paperback
Published October 13, 2026
About the author
Robbie Sheerin
11 books24 followersRobbie is an award-winning writer who was born in Scotland and moved to the United States at age 23. In 2021, he published a collection of ten short sci-fi stories, Tales from Another Dimension. He followed this with two novels in 2024, The Orb and Across the Universe—Not Really a Beatles Story. In 2025, he released Bite-Sized Fiction as well as his first nonfiction book, Why Adopt ISO Thing? His short story Do Humans Dream of Electric Cars? was published alongside famous writers George Clayton Johnson, Richard Matheson, Jack Finney, and William F. Nolan.
In 2026 he published his first non-scifi novel, Fracutred Memory.
He has been writing since 2018 and has published numerous short stories and essays in various outlets. When he’s not writing—or dreaming—Robbie works full time as a quality manager at a manufacturing company in Massachusetts. He is married, has one daughter, and shares his home with a dog determined to destroy the yard. He enjoys classic sci-fi, thrillers, espionage, and techno-thrillers, and is a proud Whovian.
Robbie won a Literary Titan Gold award in 2022 for Tales From Another Dimension.
www.robbiesheerinwriter.com
In 2026 he published his first non-scifi novel, Fracutred Memory.
He has been writing since 2018 and has published numerous short stories and essays in various outlets. When he’s not writing—or dreaming—Robbie works full time as a quality manager at a manufacturing company in Massachusetts. He is married, has one daughter, and shares his home with a dog determined to destroy the yard. He enjoys classic sci-fi, thrillers, espionage, and techno-thrillers, and is a proud Whovian.
Robbie won a Literary Titan Gold award in 2022 for Tales From Another Dimension.
www.robbiesheerinwriter.com
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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October 12, 2026★★★★★ An analog world, a broken memory and a mystery that kept me guessing
From the premise, a world that bans AI and pulls the plug on the internet, I went in expecting a sci-fi novel. What I got was something better: a tight, character-driven crime thriller that just is set in a world thrown back to the 1970s.
Detective Ben Carvers is a great lead. He wakes from a coma with gaps in his memory and is handed what looks like a routine murder, and he can’t fully trust his own mind. Cryptic messages tie the case to a powerful tech mogul, then to corruption inside the Boston police department and city hall. I was right there with Ben, trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t.
The analog setting is more than a gimmick. Typewriters, paper files and no search engines slow the investigation down in a way that builds tension and makes every clue count. It also raises a question that stayed with me: when the technology is gone, who still holds the power?
What impressed me most was the author’s growth. The writing is sharper, the pacing more confident, and the twists are earned. I’m already looking forward to what comes next.
From the premise, a world that bans AI and pulls the plug on the internet, I went in expecting a sci-fi novel. What I got was something better: a tight, character-driven crime thriller that just is set in a world thrown back to the 1970s.
Detective Ben Carvers is a great lead. He wakes from a coma with gaps in his memory and is handed what looks like a routine murder, and he can’t fully trust his own mind. Cryptic messages tie the case to a powerful tech mogul, then to corruption inside the Boston police department and city hall. I was right there with Ben, trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t.
The analog setting is more than a gimmick. Typewriters, paper files and no search engines slow the investigation down in a way that builds tension and makes every clue count. It also raises a question that stayed with me: when the technology is gone, who still holds the power?
What impressed me most was the author’s growth. The writing is sharper, the pacing more confident, and the twists are earned. I’m already looking forward to what comes next.
October 8, 2026
Full disclosure: This review is based on an advanced reader's copy, given to me by the author. So I'm being conservative about my rating, since I want to avoid any appearance of overhyping and, more practically, since I haven't seen the absolute final version of the book.
That said: Fractured Memory draws us into a near-future mystery in a world that has abandoned--in fact, revolted against--digital technology. It's a thoughtful, well-mapped story with a clear theme and strong central characters (a likeable, relatable detective hero with a sympathetic group of friends), as well as an appropriately boo-hiss villain. To my mind, one of the book's strongest points is its evocation of the city of Boston: an affectionate portrait of a place that the author clearly knows and loves. The version I saw had some drawbacks, including a bunch of sequences that seemed to slow down the narrative (in my opinion) and some world-building/character development that felt more told than shown.
I'm looking forward to seeing the final version.
That said: Fractured Memory draws us into a near-future mystery in a world that has abandoned--in fact, revolted against--digital technology. It's a thoughtful, well-mapped story with a clear theme and strong central characters (a likeable, relatable detective hero with a sympathetic group of friends), as well as an appropriately boo-hiss villain. To my mind, one of the book's strongest points is its evocation of the city of Boston: an affectionate portrait of a place that the author clearly knows and loves. The version I saw had some drawbacks, including a bunch of sequences that seemed to slow down the narrative (in my opinion) and some world-building/character development that felt more told than shown.
I'm looking forward to seeing the final version.
October 13, 2026
I had the pleasure of being a beta reader on this book for Robbie. What an incredible story! While many of us long to go back to the 1980s and live again in an analog world, it's another thing when the government makes that happen. This book is full of twists and a worthwhile read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Robbie has written a very compelling story about a dystopian society and one man's struggle to find himself while he tries to find others around him. Very gripping, very detailed for anyone that knows the Boston area. You will definitely like this book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews