The Digital Now

by Roland Allnach

From Award-Winning Author, Roland Allnach!Just another day…

In the dystopian urban grime of 'The Digital Now', Patrolman Carly Westing is jarred from her rough life to discover her reality is built on lies and veiled secrets. When the authority she once protected turns on her, her life is catapulted into a violent cat and mouse game of shifting perceptions.

Will she remain a tool of the forces at work around her, or become their master and change the future?

>>> Winner of the 2016 Feathered Quill Book Awards Silver Medal in Science Fiction! Scroll Up and Grab Your Copy Today!

Genres: Science Fiction

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 22, 2015

About the author

After working more than thirty-five years in health care, including three decades of midnight shifts, Roland Allnach has seen life from a different angle. He has worked to develop his writing career, drawing creatively from life experience, literary classics, history, and mythology.
His publishing arc began with short stories, one of which was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and his stories have appeared in numerous publications. From there he branched into book publishing and has since followed with a string of titles (Remnant, Oddities & Entities, Prism, Oddities & Entities 2: Vessels, The Digital Now, The Writer’s Primer, Angela’s Arm, and his most recent, Advent Blue). Although his stories often bridge several genres, his writing dwells most often on the strange and surreal, with strong characterization and cathartic elements, utilizing aspects of science fiction, the supernatural, paranormal, and psychological/Gothic horror. His books have received unanimous critical praise and have been honored with more than a dozen national book awards.
He has also served as an active member of his local literary community on Long Island, New York. During his tenure as president of Long Island Authors Group he doubled membership to one hundred authors, implemented the group’s unique Traveling Bookstore and later transformed this to a permanent bookstore in conjunction with Islip Arts Council. He also made the group’s authors a regular presence at many local town fairs, made appearances at the Brooklyn Book Festival, and represented the group before the New York Library Trustees Association. Roland has also appeared on national and local television, terrestrial and internet radio, and has conducted presentations on publishing at local libraries and art venues.
After a break from publishing during and after the COVID pandemic, he has now returned to his writing pursuits. When not immersed in his imagination, he can be found at his website, rolandallnach.com, along with a wealth of information about his stories and experiences as an author. He is also a scale model hobbyist, and his creations can be found on his Youtube channel, Practical Plastic.
Creative pursuits aside, his joy in life is the time he spends with his family.

Reviews

[Shannon Hinman]

This distopian book focuses on a woman named Carly, who is a police woman who helps keep the city in order until one day she discovers everything she thought she knew was a lie. Then it becomes a cat-and-mouse game.
I was reminded of movies like Blade Runner and Minority Report while reading The Digital Now. The author creates a perfect society and, in order to make the story interesting, they create a character - or characters - that start questioning their society. Then, after a while, they see what's "behind the curtain" and realize nothing's what it seems. After that, actions are taken; escape and attempt to destroy. Will the main character get to tell the truth, or will the people controlling everything kill them before the truth is known?
I'm not much of a distopion type of book reader, but this story was action-packed, and the female lead was strong and stubborn. The other characters were witty as well. I liked that the author gave the story some humor as well, like Rush Hour. I've always enjoyed cat-and-mouse type stories, and the action was non-stop. I could see this being turned into a movie.

Over all I really enjoyed it!
I wish it had more of a back story at the beginning. I found myself a little confused at first.

[Anthony Messina]

Different

A unique view of a dystopian future that sounds totally plausible. Humanity dissolved into a data drive and reprogrammed at will.

[Laurie P]

4.5 stars

I was given this book for an honest review free of persuasion from the author or anyone else affiliated with this book.

** Contains spoilers**

** Adult content - not for under 18**


This story takes place in the future. It is not all that unbelievable that this situation could exist. Earth has been destroyed by taking and not replacing natural resources. The humans remaining on earth have been implanted with chips at a young age. At that time, they are harvested of any reproductive abilities. These "parts" are then used to create new humans with the proper abilities to survive. The babies are then placed with the appropriate parents to grow up. At each stage of development - children, teens, adults - they are trained and their minds wiped clean of any memories of a personal nature.

But what happens when something causes someone to start remembering their past? Can they evade the authorities and avoid a mind sweep?

I took away a half of a star because the beginning of the book left more questions than answers. Yes, later in the book you get an explanation but it takes away the beginning of the story if you don't know what things are or what is meant. This can deter many readers because of the confusion. The story seems slow to start. I did read the entire story because I have a hard time giving up on a book. It did take me longer than usual to read because the story didn't really "grip" me. I know some people will really like this book.

If you like stories of the future after the destruction of earth you will like this one. If you like books of programming and controlling the population by a select few, this will be right up your alley.

[Katie]

On starting The Digital Now you are aware that this is a book set in a different time and place. This even has a language of its own, like the term meat farming is used instead of kill. Carly is part of Patrol and has been trained in various groups since childhood by Control. The main focus of her life is smashing in rioters heads. Carly has no care to who she hurts. The violence of this novel is brutal and the sex casual, although sensual too. She does as commanded by Control to battle against the Cones. After one incident, and a bump to the head, Carly begins to lose sense of who she is. This is where the writer, Roland, brings in other characters and their viewpoints help explain a little more about this world.
This is well written and obviously much thought has been put into it. I think it is overly long, rambling and maybe not evenly paced. The perspective it is written in is interesting, always changing and you are never quite sure if events are taking place in the present or future.
If you enjoy a book that has violence, is erotic and set in a different time, you will want to read this.

[Elizabeth Ehlen]

Carly has always been a member of Patrol; it’s always just another day. She patrols with her partner, Graham, they eat the same food, put down the same endorsed, cyclical riots, drink and party. Until she suffers a severe crack on the skull from a dropped brick, and has to be reformatted. After all, that’s got to be where all these strange thinks are from, right? Or is it possible that she has unlocked a part of herself that Central fears? Can she possibly be on the run from Central, or is this all a part of a much grander manipulation?

Set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian future, The Digital Now explores both the positives and negatives of an autocratic, central authority that makes the call on who lives and dies, rations the meager provisions, and guides consumer desires in a way that makes them think they are doing it all on their own. Written in an unapologetically Orwellian/Huxlian style, The Digital Now is a throwback to much finer dystopian literature. I certainly hope Mr. Allnach continues the series or the universe, as it seems that he has much to offer from this angle.

[Paula]

This book will keep you turning the pages!
Being a former military man and Sci-Fi fan I enjoyed the creativity and well-defined characters in The Digital Now. The author shares a creepy yet cruel futuristic story about two patrolmen immersed in pulse-pounding violent interactions with citizens deemed as undesirable. Join Carly and Graham as they are thrust into this adrenaline-fueled environment just as I did. This books ever-changing array of violent characters, in a curfew enforced over-policed society will send you on a wild journey of action and excitement filled with urban combat that kept me turning the pages and on the edge of my seat. A very gritty realistic book that will make you fear the civi-stick! A different yet believable story, this book reminded me of a cross between "Escape from New York" and "A Clockwork Orange." This book was a great read, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to escape the now and to take a trip into the future.

[Ever Leigh]

I'm a huge sci-fi fan and this novel!

Carly is a strong main character who had a lot of great qualities to her and made her easy to connect to.

Great, Sci Fi novel and writing from Roland Allnach. The world he has created is so vivid and really helps the reader feel like they are there with the characters.

A strong and fast paced plot will keep you invested the entire way through.

[R.K. Emery]

I really enjoyed the pacing and how it was steady throughout. It is fast paced and doesn't let up and didn't have moments that dragged. It made for a fast and furious read.

It really shined light on to the characters and world in general.

I liked that this was sci-fi but also had many other qualities that made it lovable to readers of suspense, humor, and fiction in general.

[Cami Hensley]

Carly is a character that while is lovable, is kind of frustrating at times. I think she is a solid character and shows that while characters have flaws, they are still fun to read about.

The plot is full of exciting twists along the way and quite easy to follow.

The world that Roland Allnach has created is vivid and fun to become absorbed in.

[C. Gonzales]

Roland Allnach has created a wonderful new world for us to dive into. He did a great job of giving us backstory and having us learn about what kind of environment the characters were dealing with.

Wonderfully paced and Multi Dimensional characters really set this novel up for success.

[Amanda]

The Digital Now is a dystopian novel set in what appears to be a futuristic setting (although given the very nature of the book one could argue that) following the life of Carly West as she finds her place in her world. The world is growing scarce of resources and to preserve life, an agency known as Central has been formed to guide the world. Carly starts her adventure as a patrol agent but soon finds that she is at the center of several plots and their resolution will decide her destiny.
I didn’t think I was going to like this book. I have never read a dystopian novel before and I’m not the biggest science fiction fan but the writing is so well done I was pulled in to the book very quickly. The author really brings the world he has created to life and even the language of the characters makes the reader feel they are part of the world itself. The characters are amazing although they played with my emotions something terrible. I found myself liking one character and then realizing I had been completely wrong about them and hating them, just to come back to liking them again. They were well developed and their individual personalities showed through in their speech as well as their actions. The plot was dynamic and complex yet easy to follow although the plot twists were brilliant and snuck up on me completely.
The only complaint I have is personal. I realize the relationships between the characters had to be for the novel but goodness I wanted to scream about it. I also found characters paired together I originally didn’t like and just about the time I decided it was good the author switched it up on me again. It worked for the novel but the angst is horrible.
The author really shines in this work! Overall this is simply a well developed, planned, and executed novel featuring memorable and endearing characters and a magnificent plot. Well done! I hope there might be room for a series with these characters. They are too good to stick to just one book.