Screen

by Aarti Patel

This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN: BooKHKZQM0

In the not too distant future, a technological phenomenon known simply as “the screen” has taken its place at the forefront of society. Allowing much of life to be lived in a virtual environment, the screen has essentially sent much of daily life in the physical realm the way of the dodo. People are adapting quite well, actually, never mind the increasing prevalence of a mysterious neurological disease.

Misha is one of the rare few who misses the old days when people actually interacted with each other in the real world. Forced to conform to a culture borne out of the modern technology, she struggles to maintain a grip on her own sense of self as well as her physical health. When a series of events lead her closer than she’d ever imagined to the heart of the screen’s true nature, Misha finds herself face to face with an important question, the answer to which her very survival may depend upon.

35 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2016

About the author

Aarti Patel is a naturopathic doctor and author who enjoys writing about mind-body connections in health, as well as fiction that explores individuality and society's impact on health. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and finds rainy days to be great for writing and watching movie marathons. She believes that health is not about perfect diets, hours spent at the gym, a magic cure from supplements or pharmaceuticals, or any one particular belief or ideology. Rather, it's life itself, how we treat it and support it, and the courageous actions of the individual in the face of real life challenges. Dr. Patel's books include:

-The Art of Health
-Acne: Just Another Four-Letter Word
-Picture It: Homeopathy
-Modern Day Fables

*Websites: www.Redfernhealth.com and www.Mindbodyacnedoc.com
*Check out an author interview on the mind-skin connection underlying acne: https://youtu.be/zAsslJXU87g

Reviews

[Sean-Paul Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short science fiction story by Aarti Patel. It's a slow burner at first but if you stick with it then the story of Misha and her stance against 'The Screen' technology will slowly draw you in. I really enjoyed the detailed glimpse into our future. You can see how many more people will become more involved in the virtual world rather than the real one as the years go by. I enjoyed Aarti's writing style too. Very easy to read and not overly complex. I thought the ending (without giving away spoilers) was quite satisfying too.

[Joshua Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aarti Patel explores a somewhat dystopian version of the future in Screen. Misha struggles to adapt to a modern society that spends most of its time in a virtual world. But when circumstances push Misha into that world, she quickly finds that there’s more to ‘the screen’ than meets the eye. Patel’s writing is exciting and I really enjoyed the parallelisms with our modern world’s interaction with technology. Check out Screen if you’re looking for a fast-paced short thriller with depth!

[Stuart Thaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story and setting were pretty enjoyable, but the lack of proofing and editing really brought down the quality for me. Lots of poor formatting (especially in dialogue) and grammar mistakes. Overall, I still enjoyed the story, I just wish it had been a little better written.

[Amy Alcain · Rating 2 out of 5]

strong beginning, well written; unfortunately, I found the ending a little cliche. This is the first book that I've read by this author and I would still be inclined to read other books by them; maybe longer ones where there's time to build the story and conclude it more gracefully vs a jarring cliche.