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Caresaway
If there was a pill that made you successful, would you take it?
What if it also made you a psychopath?
Edward Crofte was a dedicated scientist who wanted to cure depression. After years of work and sacrifice, the Caresaway drug he developed seemed to work wonders… but at what cost?
Years later, Edward’s wonder drug has helped people with depression. But has it also helped destroy the world economy? And what has it done to him?
What if it also made you a psychopath?
Edward Crofte was a dedicated scientist who wanted to cure depression. After years of work and sacrifice, the Caresaway drug he developed seemed to work wonders… but at what cost?
Years later, Edward’s wonder drug has helped people with depression. But has it also helped destroy the world economy? And what has it done to him?
87 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 4, 2017
1 person is currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
D.J. Cockburn
32 books22 followersI'm a writer currently based in London, after having spent most of the last twenty years meandering around the world teaching or doing science of one sort or another. I've lived in a number of countries in Asia and Africa, though I remain incorrigibly English.
Please visit my website, Cockburn's Eclectics, which has links to all of my stories, including several available for free.
Please visit my website, Cockburn's Eclectics, which has links to all of my stories, including several available for free.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 14, 2017
An intriguing short story/novella that touches on depression, success, power, and choice. Made my head spin thinking for a bit after finishing, in a good way.
May 28, 2020
Edward and his business and intimate partner, Tia, create the world's most effective antidepressant pill, with almost zero side effects. The catch? The only side effect is psychopathy. Signing on with Pharmakaap is the only hope the couple have for getting their pill out into the world and helping people. They are at an all-time low financially, and are unable to keep their upstart business afloat on their own. Edward has lost confidence in himself, and with the pressure of the coming meeting, takes one of the pills--Caresaway. Immediately, the effects kick in and Edward's life is changed forever.
With my background in psychology, I was first intrigued by the psychopathy angle. Many pieces of fiction that deal with the subject tend to demonize it and make pscyhopaths out to be serial killers and other kinds of the worst criminals. However, that is not true in the real world. With a breath of fresh perspective, Caresaway depicted psychopathy accurately and objectively. It shed big business in a whole new light, as well as our Western world's ideology of make as much money as possible by any means necessary. Money is not everything, and now we can tangibly see that through this novella.
This definitely brought up some introspective questions that I had to ask myself. With my nature, I tend to swerve away from confrontation, and so this was very difficult for me. But if I had this chance to completely change who I am, to feel good about who I am--confident, beautiful, worthy--to stop worrying over past regrets or mistakes, would I do it? Would I take the Caresaway pill? Would you? I am still not completely sure...
This bite-size novella is absolutely beautifully written. Even within the extremely small amount of pages, the characters of both Edward and Tia come alive. I feel as if I know them intimately. I understand their motivations, reactions, desires. I sympathize with them. Even more than that, I want to protect them.
Overall, this book was exactly what I needed. It is very easy to read, very quick, and thus perfect for anyone needing a bit of an escape from life. It is also perfect for anyone currently in a reading slump, because it has the potential to reignite your love of reading with its witty dialogue, sympathetic characters, and heart-tugging plot. The ending will leave you emotionally wrecked for a time, and the read itself makes it completely worth it.
See this and other book reviews at thebookdragondotblog.wordpress.com
With my background in psychology, I was first intrigued by the psychopathy angle. Many pieces of fiction that deal with the subject tend to demonize it and make pscyhopaths out to be serial killers and other kinds of the worst criminals. However, that is not true in the real world. With a breath of fresh perspective, Caresaway depicted psychopathy accurately and objectively. It shed big business in a whole new light, as well as our Western world's ideology of make as much money as possible by any means necessary. Money is not everything, and now we can tangibly see that through this novella.
This definitely brought up some introspective questions that I had to ask myself. With my nature, I tend to swerve away from confrontation, and so this was very difficult for me. But if I had this chance to completely change who I am, to feel good about who I am--confident, beautiful, worthy--to stop worrying over past regrets or mistakes, would I do it? Would I take the Caresaway pill? Would you? I am still not completely sure...
This bite-size novella is absolutely beautifully written. Even within the extremely small amount of pages, the characters of both Edward and Tia come alive. I feel as if I know them intimately. I understand their motivations, reactions, desires. I sympathize with them. Even more than that, I want to protect them.
Overall, this book was exactly what I needed. It is very easy to read, very quick, and thus perfect for anyone needing a bit of an escape from life. It is also perfect for anyone currently in a reading slump, because it has the potential to reignite your love of reading with its witty dialogue, sympathetic characters, and heart-tugging plot. The ending will leave you emotionally wrecked for a time, and the read itself makes it completely worth it.
See this and other book reviews at thebookdragondotblog.wordpress.com
January 4, 2017
Disclaimer: I have received an early copy of this book for free from it's boutique publisher Annorlunda Books .Would've paid for it , though, after reading.Well worth it.
Great story telling, utterly believable descriptions, and some of them will be all too recognizable to anyone who have suffered from depression.
Thankfully, these people will also know that fiction is fiction and.... ok, no spoilers, right?
Well done plot. Sugary-sweetness avoided. and that ending...some curve ball.
Great story telling, utterly believable descriptions, and some of them will be all too recognizable to anyone who have suffered from depression.
Thankfully, these people will also know that fiction is fiction and.... ok, no spoilers, right?
Well done plot. Sugary-sweetness avoided. and that ending...some curve ball.
May 5, 2018
Caresaway is a novella that tells the story of scientist-turned-CEO Edward Crofte and the drug he’s responsible for. Author DJ Cockburn is no stranger to writing sci-fi stories, having won the 2014 James White Award and this title straddles that awkward in-between ground of short story and novel.
The title refers to an anti-depressant that takes all your cares away, with the nasty side effect that it stops some people caring at all, turning them into psychopaths. Not too far off Joss Whedon’s idea for Firefly, which sees 10% of the population of a newly settled planet turn into murderous marauders. Rather than look at the world through the lens of crazed attacks, Caresaway centres around businessmen and women who take the pill to get ahead, based on the idea and studies that show CEOs often have significant levels of psychopathic traits.
Crofte designs the pill with honourable intentions — it is, after all, the best anti-depressant available. However, with limited testing, the significant side effect isn’t picked up by the pharmaceutical company that buys the patent.
Crofte suffers from depression and takes the pill to help himself, naively encouraged by his girlfriend. He is swayed by the effects, which help him rise the corporate ladder — the story starts with him ousting the previous CEO from his office — but also distancing himself from those he loves.
From his unique vantage point, he sees the ills that his drug have had on his personality and the world around him, so he swears off them. Without his psychopathic tendencies, however, the world he’s created doesn’t look as rosy, or as easy to manipulate.
“We’re in the middle of a global recession, Anthony. We need to make the most of our one blockbuster product.”
“So you said in the board meeting. Repeatedly. But does it bother you that the product may be why we’re in the middle of a global recession?”
The story jumps between two timelines — the present where Crofte is in control and the past where he’s struggling to find a buyer for his drug — and they effortlessly meet, with his problems catching up to him when his conscience is back in working order.
With fewer than 100 pages, Caresaway is a quick read, but it’s one that never fully grabbed me. Although the writing was clean, much of it seemed rushed and too much of the tale was told too briefly in order to go on to the next point. This brevity didn’t make me really care about what was happening or who it was happening to.
The drug’s immediate and huge impact on a person’s character made it hard to feel a connection with anyone, and from one chapter to the next it can seem like you’re reading about entirely different people who share the same names. Again, the short nature of the story makes it seem unbelievable and hard to feel empathy, yet at the same time it could easily have been edited down to a true short story without feeling like it lost anything.
The title refers to an anti-depressant that takes all your cares away, with the nasty side effect that it stops some people caring at all, turning them into psychopaths. Not too far off Joss Whedon’s idea for Firefly, which sees 10% of the population of a newly settled planet turn into murderous marauders. Rather than look at the world through the lens of crazed attacks, Caresaway centres around businessmen and women who take the pill to get ahead, based on the idea and studies that show CEOs often have significant levels of psychopathic traits.
Crofte designs the pill with honourable intentions — it is, after all, the best anti-depressant available. However, with limited testing, the significant side effect isn’t picked up by the pharmaceutical company that buys the patent.
Crofte suffers from depression and takes the pill to help himself, naively encouraged by his girlfriend. He is swayed by the effects, which help him rise the corporate ladder — the story starts with him ousting the previous CEO from his office — but also distancing himself from those he loves.
From his unique vantage point, he sees the ills that his drug have had on his personality and the world around him, so he swears off them. Without his psychopathic tendencies, however, the world he’s created doesn’t look as rosy, or as easy to manipulate.
“We’re in the middle of a global recession, Anthony. We need to make the most of our one blockbuster product.”
“So you said in the board meeting. Repeatedly. But does it bother you that the product may be why we’re in the middle of a global recession?”
The story jumps between two timelines — the present where Crofte is in control and the past where he’s struggling to find a buyer for his drug — and they effortlessly meet, with his problems catching up to him when his conscience is back in working order.
With fewer than 100 pages, Caresaway is a quick read, but it’s one that never fully grabbed me. Although the writing was clean, much of it seemed rushed and too much of the tale was told too briefly in order to go on to the next point. This brevity didn’t make me really care about what was happening or who it was happening to.
The drug’s immediate and huge impact on a person’s character made it hard to feel a connection with anyone, and from one chapter to the next it can seem like you’re reading about entirely different people who share the same names. Again, the short nature of the story makes it seem unbelievable and hard to feel empathy, yet at the same time it could easily have been edited down to a true short story without feeling like it lost anything.
May 24, 2017
Edward Crofte has developed the ultimate cure for depression, the single most successful and most sought-after drug on the market, legal or otherwise. Its outstanding success makes it a must-have for anyone who needs a confidence boost, and despite the growing number of conspiracy theorists claiming a list of side-effects including pyschopathy, Caresaway sales are booming. It’s doing so well that Edward stops using Caresaway after his coup to take over the position of CEO is successful. After all, he has everything he wants in life – why does he need to keep taking an anti-depressant? However, as he’s about to discover, much in life depends on your attitude...
Caresaway is an original, well-written and well-developed dystopia novella, playing on the themes of modern society’s obsession with prescription medication and money to create a very realistic scenario. D. J. Cockburn’s characters are expertly developed and plausible, adding their own layers to the storyline as the plot unfolds. The real strength of this book for me, however, lay in the way each new development built on the preceding ones. There was no sudden save halfway through, just a continuous exposition leading to the final twist that managed to be more chilling than many abrupt exposés. Definitely one of the best-structured novellas I’ve read this year, with a thought-provoking plot.
Reviewed for By Rite of Word.
Caresaway is an original, well-written and well-developed dystopia novella, playing on the themes of modern society’s obsession with prescription medication and money to create a very realistic scenario. D. J. Cockburn’s characters are expertly developed and plausible, adding their own layers to the storyline as the plot unfolds. The real strength of this book for me, however, lay in the way each new development built on the preceding ones. There was no sudden save halfway through, just a continuous exposition leading to the final twist that managed to be more chilling than many abrupt exposés. Definitely one of the best-structured novellas I’ve read this year, with a thought-provoking plot.
Reviewed for By Rite of Word.
May 4, 2018
I received a copy of Caresaway in exchange for an honest review.
The premise was simple - a completely effective antidepressant, but with a potentially devastating side effect.
Protagonist Edward was well written, the character development between the past and present sections was evident and believable; you could see how the success (and possibly money) had changed him.
I did feel the ending was abrupt and left me as a reader with more questions than answers. I felt this let down an otherwise well written short novel.
The premise was simple - a completely effective antidepressant, but with a potentially devastating side effect.
Protagonist Edward was well written, the character development between the past and present sections was evident and believable; you could see how the success (and possibly money) had changed him.
I did feel the ending was abrupt and left me as a reader with more questions than answers. I felt this let down an otherwise well written short novel.
January 6, 2017
Short and thought provoking
This was an interesting story about the price of confidence. What would you be willing to give to get to the top of your field? Or to keep the woman you live?
This was an interesting story about the price of confidence. What would you be willing to give to get to the top of your field? Or to keep the woman you live?
January 4, 2017
This definitely is a brain teaser of a story. Edward can cure depression in a short amount of time, but it shuts down all of your empathy as well. Now, you only care about yourself and you’ll do anything to get ahead with no guilt. Is it worth it? That skill set is particularly helpful if you’re trying to get ahead in the corporate world. Soon, all the business leaders are taking the drug, and it’s causing major problems in the global community. We focus on the individual, Ed, but see the wider implications of the drug after he goes off it and can look around at how it’s changing people. He is even on the receiving end of a psychopathic play for power by his assistant.
As a bonus, the book is set mostly in South Africa, which adds a slightly exotic feel to the story and has some influence on the relationships between characters. Overall, a highly realistic story that takes the world in a dark direction. I found the very end (which I don’t want to spoil) particularly thought-provoking.
As a bonus, the book is set mostly in South Africa, which adds a slightly exotic feel to the story and has some influence on the relationships between characters. Overall, a highly realistic story that takes the world in a dark direction. I found the very end (which I don’t want to spoil) particularly thought-provoking.
January 16, 2017
Decades ago when I was in my 30’s and running road races, I remember reading an article where competitive runners were asked if they’d take a harmful drug if it allowed them to win races. I was surprised to learn that most of the surveyed runners would. Since then, with performance-enhancing drugs tainting many sports, I’m no longer surprised. This novella ups the ante by putting the focus on life and careers. Navigating the road to success can involve running over a number of people. How much more successful could one be if freed of moral qualms? Caresaway eliminates depression, but also turns its users into psychopaths. You might not want to take it, but what if so many other people are taking it, it’s the only way you can get ahead? If Caresaway creates an atmosphere where leaders are compelled to take the drug, just to be leaders, where would such people take our society? I highly recommend this topical, smart, thought-provoking novella, as well as D.J. Cockburn’s short story collection, “Steel in the Morning.”
January 6, 2017
Edward Crofte is a depressed scientist who has created the world's first truly effective antidepressant. Caresaway works incredibly quickly, boosting users' self-confidence into the realm of grandiosity. . . and also destroying all feelings of empathy. In short, Caresaway cures depression but also turns its users into happy psychopaths.
And psychopaths are very talented at getting ahead in business. . .
This novelette is a quick, tense read. The plot twists, and I found myself gasping and also delighting in the black humor of psychopathic plays for power. Edward was once a decent human being, and the story makes us feel for who he once was. It will also have you asking yourself what you would have done in his place. The ending is a sharp knife. Highly entertaining, and thought-provoking as well.
January 4, 2017
If you could cure depression at the cost of becoming a psychopath, would you do it? It turns out that, for many people, the answer is yes. But that's not the most important aspect of this richly textured and well-written story. Caresaway is the name of a fictitious drug that, well, takes your cares away. We meet the drug's developer, Edward Crofte, who was once a sufferer from deep depression and is now a successful and arrogant executive devoid of empathy. I don't want to spoil the story, but let me say that the plot clearly shows what Edward has lost versus gained with the drug, how others respond to the drug and to him, and what people are ready to do (or not) to avoid feeling emotional pain.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews