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DENIAL is Clever, Dark and often Funny; a Techno-Thriller with a Science Fiction soul.
The series is set in the very near future and the story unfolds over the most precarious decades of a young civilisation's development.
Debt, wars and inequality are pushing society towards collapse. The world is desiccated by soulless algorithms, pacified beneath the battlesuit's boot and numbed by the bewitching voices of computational propaganda.
Keith knows the 21st century is no place for a moral backbone. Not even a corporate expense account and the occasional synthetic liaison can air-gap him from the blood on his hands.
Niato is radicalised when he is recruited by an exotic mentor at his birthday party.
Stella lives above a brothel on a nomadic, floating tuna farm. Her life is brutal and precarious, she needs to find a tribe before she is destroyed by the jaded world around her.
Technology continues its relentless march towards its approaching event horizon and the existential threats of war, plague and collapse loom ever closer. But perhaps it is the insidious threats of apathy and corruption that present the real danger in this increasingly post-human world...
Singularity's Children is vivid worldbuilding.
The desperate lives of its characters draw the reader into a terrifyingly familiar world only a butterfly flap away.
The series is set in the very near future and the story unfolds over the most precarious decades of a young civilisation's development.
Debt, wars and inequality are pushing society towards collapse. The world is desiccated by soulless algorithms, pacified beneath the battlesuit's boot and numbed by the bewitching voices of computational propaganda.
Keith knows the 21st century is no place for a moral backbone. Not even a corporate expense account and the occasional synthetic liaison can air-gap him from the blood on his hands.
Niato is radicalised when he is recruited by an exotic mentor at his birthday party.
Stella lives above a brothel on a nomadic, floating tuna farm. Her life is brutal and precarious, she needs to find a tribe before she is destroyed by the jaded world around her.
Technology continues its relentless march towards its approaching event horizon and the existential threats of war, plague and collapse loom ever closer. But perhaps it is the insidious threats of apathy and corruption that present the real danger in this increasingly post-human world...
Singularity's Children is vivid worldbuilding.
The desperate lives of its characters draw the reader into a terrifyingly familiar world only a butterfly flap away.
270 pages, ebook
First published July 28, 2016
40 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
About the author
Toby Weston
8 books41 followersToby Weston (born May 8th, 1972) is a British writer and technologist.
His work weaves action and philosophy while dealing with the themes of consciousness, utopia, and the technological singularity.
His books are grounded in science, but he is prepared to take excursions into the fantastic.
Before writing books, Toby worked as a parking attendant, spook, tour guide, software engineer and chef (if you count making crab sandwiches).
His academic background spans Software Engineering, Computational Neuroscience, Environmental Biology and Deep Learning.
He is currently based in Switzerland where he writes and works in the field of digital innovation.
His work weaves action and philosophy while dealing with the themes of consciousness, utopia, and the technological singularity.
His books are grounded in science, but he is prepared to take excursions into the fantastic.
Before writing books, Toby worked as a parking attendant, spook, tour guide, software engineer and chef (if you count making crab sandwiches).
His academic background spans Software Engineering, Computational Neuroscience, Environmental Biology and Deep Learning.
He is currently based in Switzerland where he writes and works in the field of digital innovation.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 20, 2017
This is a well crafted story of our near future, an almost pessimistic view of where technology and society could take us. Having said which, it is a product of a great storyteller, the plot and pace are gripping. The characters and their environs are wonderfully portrayed. I wanted the story to be different as it sometimes painted such a a dark direction, it was like being annoyed with the news on TV and being powerless to do anything as a mere observer. A very good book, the series is up and running. Recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2016
Intense Look Into Our Possible Future
Well developed beginning of a future dystopia that could be awaiting our civilization. Characters are engaging and the story line kept me on pins and needles. Looking forward to the next book.
Well developed beginning of a future dystopia that could be awaiting our civilization. Characters are engaging and the story line kept me on pins and needles. Looking forward to the next book.
November 27, 2017
I avidly read both books in this series and am eagerly awaiting the third. The story is old-style, hard science based science fiction. Everything in the story is credibly possible with current and slight advancement of current technology. The story is compelling, hard to put down, thrilling, and extremely well written. Of particular interest to me was the concept of a meshnet comprised of privately and small company owned devices using peer to peer wireless communication to bypass the official megacorp controlled internet. This is something which is actually likely to happen as people get fed up with the corporate internet now that net neutrality is no longer going to be enforced. The hardware to support a global meshnet is already in the hands of most people on the planet, it is simply a matter of developing and distributing the apps needed to make it happen.
January 24, 2017
Very enjoyable romp through a near-future Earth in serious decline due to economic collapse. Several independent story lines with interesting characters, although we are left on tenterhooks at the end, and must progress to book 2 (and beyond, presumably) to see what happens next, and to see whether the separate story lines ever converge. Some interesting ideas and musings on technology and politics. I look forward to reading book 2...
January 23, 2017
Excellent read.
In a field full of dystopian fiction, this one kept me interested. Nice mix of characters and settings. Looking forward to Book 2.
In a field full of dystopian fiction, this one kept me interested. Nice mix of characters and settings. Looking forward to Book 2.
May 8, 2017
Loved it. Complex tapestry builds a compelling world.
December 4, 2018
Exactly what grammar would you use to talk to a dolphin? What happens when the internet shrivels and dies? If infant mortality is rising, if the dead are lying in the streets and if mega-corporations are putting an economic value on genetically modified insects as a foodstuff for the workless masses, is that what you meant by the overused word "dystopian"?
"Denial" is the first volume in Toby Weston's "Singularity's Children" series. This is an intelligent and challenging book set in a temptingly familiar near-future world. We are in 2027, with economic migrants fleeing from Europe towards the Middle East. Corporate chief executives are effectively kings. Recognisable cities (Aberdeen, Latakia) and less-familiar ones (Dusselstadt) are fast becoming hungry slums with erratic utilities where civic power rests in the hands of local gangs. Nation-states are slightly aside of our expectations too: we meet Prussians and Russ, Cin, Osmanians, Ishmaelis and Abimelchians.
This first volume is essentially a scene-setter, introducing us to rebellious Niato and vulnerable Stella, resourceful survivors Anosh and Ayse, frustrated salaryman Keith and corporate high-flyer Ben. For fear of spoilers, I can go no further. But they are convincingly-drawn characters in a plausible imminent future.
Weston is a talented and persuasive storyteller. Science underpins his socially-conscious fiction but doesn't overwhelm it, and I will be back for the next 2 volumes ("Disruption" and "Conflict"), keen to see where he takes us next.
"Denial" is the first volume in Toby Weston's "Singularity's Children" series. This is an intelligent and challenging book set in a temptingly familiar near-future world. We are in 2027, with economic migrants fleeing from Europe towards the Middle East. Corporate chief executives are effectively kings. Recognisable cities (Aberdeen, Latakia) and less-familiar ones (Dusselstadt) are fast becoming hungry slums with erratic utilities where civic power rests in the hands of local gangs. Nation-states are slightly aside of our expectations too: we meet Prussians and Russ, Cin, Osmanians, Ishmaelis and Abimelchians.
This first volume is essentially a scene-setter, introducing us to rebellious Niato and vulnerable Stella, resourceful survivors Anosh and Ayse, frustrated salaryman Keith and corporate high-flyer Ben. For fear of spoilers, I can go no further. But they are convincingly-drawn characters in a plausible imminent future.
Weston is a talented and persuasive storyteller. Science underpins his socially-conscious fiction but doesn't overwhelm it, and I will be back for the next 2 volumes ("Disruption" and "Conflict"), keen to see where he takes us next.
April 15, 2018
One to Watch
Keep an eye on this one. This was a good read and for once I’m happy there are more books to come. Near future and recognizable.
Keep an eye on this one. This was a good read and for once I’m happy there are more books to come. Near future and recognizable.
July 10, 2020
Denial, disruption, conflict and reimagination are change's four stages, according to a book Anosh takes from his office after being layed of for a technicality. The economy is breaking down fast and unemployment is measured in tens of percents. How will Anosh and Ayşe care for their family?
Naito is a child rebelling to his rich and powerful family because he doesn't agree with the way they use people, animals and the world as a whole. As a boy he befriends Blue the dolphin, who, using advanced brain scanning technology, can talk to him.
Daughter of a drug addicted mother, Stella tries to survive in a world too hard and dangerous for children.
A coroporate minion against his will, Keith has strong moral objections agains his company's exploitation of the world and people but he feels powerless to change anything.
Denial is the first of a series of four and followes a handful of people trying to cope in a crumbling society. Chaos and lawlessness for the poor, uncurbed riches and luxury for the 1%.
The internet has become an inpenetrable forest of commerce, patchy and expensive beyond the reach of mere mortals. A new internet named Mesh is evolving. Mesh is a connected network run by people instead of companies. It is slow but at least it's usable and you're not traced by anyone.
These and other next logical steps of the current state of technology and economy make Denial into a dystopian technothriller. Altough the story takes place in a slightly alternate world the simularities are very clear.
Following protagonists over a longer period of time we get to know them fairly well. Counting slightly less than 200 pages Denial doesn't leave a lot of room for character development but Weston seems to be finding an agreeable balance between character, action, world building and atmosphere.
I would like to see more story development but perhaps that's waiting in the next books.
Personally I'm not keen on dystopias (because they're usually no more than a vehicle for writing fantasy with some high tech in a current setting) but Weston is detailing the decay's process quite thoroughly which makes up for a lot. Denial's scenario is not very far fetched, which causes a moral message to be included: the border between civilization and its decay may be closer than we think.
Naito is a child rebelling to his rich and powerful family because he doesn't agree with the way they use people, animals and the world as a whole. As a boy he befriends Blue the dolphin, who, using advanced brain scanning technology, can talk to him.
Daughter of a drug addicted mother, Stella tries to survive in a world too hard and dangerous for children.
A coroporate minion against his will, Keith has strong moral objections agains his company's exploitation of the world and people but he feels powerless to change anything.
Denial is the first of a series of four and followes a handful of people trying to cope in a crumbling society. Chaos and lawlessness for the poor, uncurbed riches and luxury for the 1%.
The internet has become an inpenetrable forest of commerce, patchy and expensive beyond the reach of mere mortals. A new internet named Mesh is evolving. Mesh is a connected network run by people instead of companies. It is slow but at least it's usable and you're not traced by anyone.
These and other next logical steps of the current state of technology and economy make Denial into a dystopian technothriller. Altough the story takes place in a slightly alternate world the simularities are very clear.
Following protagonists over a longer period of time we get to know them fairly well. Counting slightly less than 200 pages Denial doesn't leave a lot of room for character development but Weston seems to be finding an agreeable balance between character, action, world building and atmosphere.
I would like to see more story development but perhaps that's waiting in the next books.
Personally I'm not keen on dystopias (because they're usually no more than a vehicle for writing fantasy with some high tech in a current setting) but Weston is detailing the decay's process quite thoroughly which makes up for a lot. Denial's scenario is not very far fetched, which causes a moral message to be included: the border between civilization and its decay may be closer than we think.
May 9, 2021
Felt detached from the characters, but in an interesting way that I enjoyed (don't think I'd want to read more than one or two like this in a given year though. And that's if the world building is really good. In this case it was solid enough) Am definitely curious to see where they all end up in subsequent books.
Some narrator monologueing bits I didn't like. A less good aspect of the detached style. The somewhat lengthy breaks for explanation of historical events and technology were mostly a more neutral aspect. It kind of felt like reading a cross between a novel and a history textbook, which would probably be a smart way to approach history textbooks.
The world was enjoyable to learn about and I enjoyed the greatly varied view we got. Most of the things described were pretty straightforward extrapolations of what they would be if capitalism and wealth imbalance were allowed to carry on to their sort-of peak. Not much that really made me think or surprised me, but it was well done. And there were a few things a really liked. One of them being the fun addition of border smugglers carrying ratings like rideshare drivers.
Not a ton of tension, but there were some good reveals. I was fairly often annoyed by the way the first few Kindle pages of a chapter might give no indication of which character we were with, but other times they were fine or helped facilitate good time-jumps.
The dialogue was real rough.
I wish there had been more of a full arc for all of the characters we followed. Or, I guess just more definitive endings. It felt like just one POV group got one and then there was a random chapter teasing what's to come and then it was done.
After reading this one, it feels like Singularity's Children is really 1-2 longer novels, not four stand-alones in a series.
As mentioned, I am interested in what happens to these characters, but I'm not sure I'm looking for another 800 or so pages. If you like the genre aspects of the genre a lot, I'd say it's worth testing out. I had a good time.
Some narrator monologueing bits I didn't like. A less good aspect of the detached style. The somewhat lengthy breaks for explanation of historical events and technology were mostly a more neutral aspect. It kind of felt like reading a cross between a novel and a history textbook, which would probably be a smart way to approach history textbooks.
The world was enjoyable to learn about and I enjoyed the greatly varied view we got. Most of the things described were pretty straightforward extrapolations of what they would be if capitalism and wealth imbalance were allowed to carry on to their sort-of peak. Not much that really made me think or surprised me, but it was well done. And there were a few things a really liked. One of them being the fun addition of border smugglers carrying ratings like rideshare drivers.
Not a ton of tension, but there were some good reveals. I was fairly often annoyed by the way the first few Kindle pages of a chapter might give no indication of which character we were with, but other times they were fine or helped facilitate good time-jumps.
The dialogue was real rough.
I wish there had been more of a full arc for all of the characters we followed. Or, I guess just more definitive endings. It felt like just one POV group got one and then there was a random chapter teasing what's to come and then it was done.
After reading this one, it feels like Singularity's Children is really 1-2 longer novels, not four stand-alones in a series.
As mentioned, I am interested in what happens to these characters, but I'm not sure I'm looking for another 800 or so pages. If you like the genre aspects of the genre a lot, I'd say it's worth testing out. I had a good time.
January 31, 2021
Chillingly prescient …. All too plausible. There is a divide … the uber wealthy and the poor … the rich control the media and the narrative. The poor struggle to survive. I liked the plot, generally; I can see where things playing out today could end us up here. But I didn’t enjoy the language or sexual allusions. I got part way through book 1 and gave up because of that. I received a free copy of the book, with no obligation.
April 25, 2022
It took me a while to determine whether or not I was enjoying this story, or in fact would even finish it. The writing style is a little different and hard to describe. Short chapters and a slightly frantic, disjointed pace, perhaps.
I am glad that I gave it a chance as it turned into a fascinating world building story of an all too possible near future with sympathetic, interesting characters.
I'm still uncertain where the journey is leading but I'm not getting off yet.
Recommended.
I am glad that I gave it a chance as it turned into a fascinating world building story of an all too possible near future with sympathetic, interesting characters.
I'm still uncertain where the journey is leading but I'm not getting off yet.
Recommended.
June 18, 2018
The world has changed and they are all rules by powerful computers but people are not happy with any of it anymore. Their leaders are in denial. Will they open their eyes to what is really happening? Can life get better?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 16, 2019
A glimpse at a dark future which is just around the corner. Capitalism has run it's course. The 1% live like always whilst the mass majority scrape an existence from the ashes and waste. An excellent opening novel in an ongoing series. Dark and grim at times yet uplifting and rewarding at others. Great work.
March 19, 2021
I listened to the audible audio book. I felt there was a lot of activity but little insight into the characters, what they want, and why. I found nothing to hook my emotional investment in what they were doing.
I give the book two stars because I could not get past the first chapter but have to allow that it might have gotten more interesting later.
I give the book two stars because I could not get past the first chapter but have to allow that it might have gotten more interesting later.
October 30, 2019
Too many story lines for me
The world building of a near-futue earth was very well done. However, the divergent storylines left me yearning for a primary character to emotionally invest in. As it was, I ended up skimming through the last 2/3 of the book.
The world building of a near-futue earth was very well done. However, the divergent storylines left me yearning for a primary character to emotionally invest in. As it was, I ended up skimming through the last 2/3 of the book.
May 13, 2025
I like the story lines and am looking forward to the next in the series. The characters and style ( not the plot ) reminded me a lot of books from Cory Doctorow. I really enjoyed reading it.
The end seemed a bit cut off somehow.
Started reading the second book in the series already.
The end seemed a bit cut off somehow.
Started reading the second book in the series already.
Want to read
January 15, 2020iam new to the author but the book sounds awesome. love the cover
August 28, 2020
Great book really built an outstanding world for future books in the series.
I knew this going in so it is no surprise.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I knew this going in so it is no surprise.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
January 22, 2023
Not really getting the hype
September 6, 2020
===
EDIT FROM THE FUTURE: I finished the series and I rated each book three stars, but I rate the series as a whole as four stars because I love a lot of the ideas and the characters.
===
The most succinct review for this book would be "a beginning", because that's very much what this is; Denial is the beginning of the Singularity's Children trilogy. As such, expect no closure on anything, in fact, expect the opposite and expect a final chapter that will make you instantly want to step into book two (which, thankfully, is available, as is book three).
Denial is a world building exercise from which we learn about a world teetering on the brink of becoming post-apocalyptic (with nothing truly apocalyptic having yet occurred). A world that is similar to, but not the same as, ours and with similarly degrading social constructs. Continents are shaped the same but the people, place names and history is different. The book is set at a time in what would be our somewhat near future if this were in our timeline: technology is taking jobs and they aren't being replaced, economies and environments are collapsing and the gap between rich and poor continues to ludicrous but unfortunately logical extremes.
We get views into the lives of a number of inhabitants of the world in various positions in this society and learn a little about how one gets along in the nearly-post-national new world order. It's a little bleak, with a flavour of Daniel Suarez's Daemon lurking around the edges of the technology and is reminiscent of many post-apocalyptic tales. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is prominent as people abandon self-actualization and we learn about self-defence, shelter, food and energy production when government breaks down. There's also the other side of the story too, the richer/luckier folk who still have access to the luxuries of modern life. Basically, the entire book is an introduction to this world via four or five people, their immediate social group, and a gaggle of communicative animals. Some of these overlap.
It took me a while to get excited about the story. The first couple of chapters jump around quite a lot and some of the people we meet are less than loveable. Also, I found the format to be a little odd due to the many very small paragraphs which made the reading experience a bit odd. It didn't detract from the story really, just looked kind of weird on the page.
In the end I enjoyed Denial and I'm very interested to see the singularity tie-in (which I assume is coming, based on the name of the book). Disruption is up next!
Post re-read update: I'm re-reading this series because ReImagination is out very soon (2020-08-21). I still agree with everything I wrote last time, but a couple of things I didn't mention (or perhaps notice) last time around:
- damn this is short! Only 268 pages - possibly I've been broken by reading The Eye of the World and friends since last time I read this. But I really was surprised when I hit the end in just a couple of days.
- damn this is visceral. The opening sentence struck me this time: "Globs of viscous sauce coiled with the current", and there's a lot of...weird?...similes made, ie "it rested on his tongue like a cold cock". I'm not sure how many people are going to go "Ooohhhh, like that". I found it jarring here, and in a few places.
- as stated above, this is a beginning, and it seems short in general. There are 21 chapters and I made a note this time around at the beginning of chapter 9: "story starts here".
- I spotted an easter egg (of sorts), at the beginning someone picks up a book from their shelf that they think will be useful with the title: "The Four Phases of Change: Denial, Disruption, Conflict and Reimagination" :)
- I still enjoyed this, even though I remembered a bunch of what was going to happen.
EDIT FROM THE FUTURE: I finished the series and I rated each book three stars, but I rate the series as a whole as four stars because I love a lot of the ideas and the characters.
===
The most succinct review for this book would be "a beginning", because that's very much what this is; Denial is the beginning of the Singularity's Children trilogy. As such, expect no closure on anything, in fact, expect the opposite and expect a final chapter that will make you instantly want to step into book two (which, thankfully, is available, as is book three).
Denial is a world building exercise from which we learn about a world teetering on the brink of becoming post-apocalyptic (with nothing truly apocalyptic having yet occurred). A world that is similar to, but not the same as, ours and with similarly degrading social constructs. Continents are shaped the same but the people, place names and history is different. The book is set at a time in what would be our somewhat near future if this were in our timeline: technology is taking jobs and they aren't being replaced, economies and environments are collapsing and the gap between rich and poor continues to ludicrous but unfortunately logical extremes.
We get views into the lives of a number of inhabitants of the world in various positions in this society and learn a little about how one gets along in the nearly-post-national new world order. It's a little bleak, with a flavour of Daniel Suarez's Daemon lurking around the edges of the technology and is reminiscent of many post-apocalyptic tales. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is prominent as people abandon self-actualization and we learn about self-defence, shelter, food and energy production when government breaks down. There's also the other side of the story too, the richer/luckier folk who still have access to the luxuries of modern life. Basically, the entire book is an introduction to this world via four or five people, their immediate social group, and a gaggle of communicative animals. Some of these overlap.
It took me a while to get excited about the story. The first couple of chapters jump around quite a lot and some of the people we meet are less than loveable. Also, I found the format to be a little odd due to the many very small paragraphs which made the reading experience a bit odd. It didn't detract from the story really, just looked kind of weird on the page.
In the end I enjoyed Denial and I'm very interested to see the singularity tie-in (which I assume is coming, based on the name of the book). Disruption is up next!
Post re-read update: I'm re-reading this series because ReImagination is out very soon (2020-08-21). I still agree with everything I wrote last time, but a couple of things I didn't mention (or perhaps notice) last time around:
- damn this is short! Only 268 pages - possibly I've been broken by reading The Eye of the World and friends since last time I read this. But I really was surprised when I hit the end in just a couple of days.
- damn this is visceral. The opening sentence struck me this time: "Globs of viscous sauce coiled with the current", and there's a lot of...weird?...similes made, ie "it rested on his tongue like a cold cock". I'm not sure how many people are going to go "Ooohhhh, like that". I found it jarring here, and in a few places.
- as stated above, this is a beginning, and it seems short in general. There are 21 chapters and I made a note this time around at the beginning of chapter 9: "story starts here".
- I spotted an easter egg (of sorts), at the beginning someone picks up a book from their shelf that they think will be useful with the title: "The Four Phases of Change: Denial, Disruption, Conflict and Reimagination" :)
- I still enjoyed this, even though I remembered a bunch of what was going to happen.
April 4, 2017
Made no sense. Full of telling and info dumps. Too many characters and plots that never converge. I only cared about the dolphins.
June 13, 2018
interesting read. enjoyed this book. can't wait to see what else this author has up their sleeve
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews