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The Tomorrow Gene #1
The Tomorrow Gene
Book One in the Tomorrow Gene trilogy. Be sure to pick up The Eden Experiment, available now!
What if you could have the one thing that changes everything?
Ephraim Todd has landed in paradise: Eden, the largest artificial archipelago in the world. Eden is home to The Evermore Corporation—a company that rumors say has created the Fountain of Youth—and offers the ridiculously rich genetic enhancements and modifications that the rest of the world can only dream about.
But that’s not why Ephraim is on Eden. He’s obsessed with finding his brother, who disappeared more than a decade ago, and he’s sure his brother is on this island—which is why he’s been trying to get there for years.
But Eden doesn’t surrender its secrets easily. When Ephraim stumbles upon a disturbing truth, all his evidence mysteriously disappears. He knows they’re on to him, but is suddenly unable to trust his own mind. Is the world around him falling apart, or is it just him?
Ephraim believes that he’s on a quest to find his brother … but he’s really on a journey to discover himself. And what he finds will turn his entire life into a lie.
What if you could have the one thing that changes everything?
Ephraim Todd has landed in paradise: Eden, the largest artificial archipelago in the world. Eden is home to The Evermore Corporation—a company that rumors say has created the Fountain of Youth—and offers the ridiculously rich genetic enhancements and modifications that the rest of the world can only dream about.
But that’s not why Ephraim is on Eden. He’s obsessed with finding his brother, who disappeared more than a decade ago, and he’s sure his brother is on this island—which is why he’s been trying to get there for years.
But Eden doesn’t surrender its secrets easily. When Ephraim stumbles upon a disturbing truth, all his evidence mysteriously disappears. He knows they’re on to him, but is suddenly unable to trust his own mind. Is the world around him falling apart, or is it just him?
Ephraim believes that he’s on a quest to find his brother … but he’s really on a journey to discover himself. And what he finds will turn his entire life into a lie.
418 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 23, 2017
723 people are currently reading
586 people want to read
About the author
Sean Platt
334 books825 followersSean loves writing books, even more than reading them. He is co-founder of Collective Inkwell and Realm & Sands imprints, writes for children under the name Guy Incognito, and has more than his share of nose.
Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.
With Collective Inkwell
Yesterday's Gone: Post Apocalyptic - LOST by way of The Stand
WhiteSpace: Paranoid thriller on fictitious Hamilton Island
ForNevermore: YA horror that reads nothing like YA Horror
Available Darkness: A new breed of vampire thriller
Dark Crossings: Short stories, killer endings
With 47North
Z 2134: The Walking Dead meets The Hunger Games
Monstrous: Beauty and the Beast meets The Punisher
With Realm & Sands
Unicorn Western: The best story to ever come from a stupid idea
The Beam: Smart sci-fi to make you wonder exactly who we are
Namaste: A revenge thriller like nothing you've ever read
Robot Proletariat: The revolution starts here
Cursed: The old werewolf legend turned upside down
Greens: Retail noir comedy
Space Shuttle: Over the top comedy with all your favorite sci-fi characters
Everyone Gets Divorced: Like "Always Sunny" and "How I Met Your Mother" had a baby on your Kindle
Sean lives in Austin, TX with his wife, daughter, and son.
Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/seanplatt (say hi so he can follow you back!)
Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.
With Collective Inkwell
Yesterday's Gone: Post Apocalyptic - LOST by way of The Stand
WhiteSpace: Paranoid thriller on fictitious Hamilton Island
ForNevermore: YA horror that reads nothing like YA Horror
Available Darkness: A new breed of vampire thriller
Dark Crossings: Short stories, killer endings
With 47North
Z 2134: The Walking Dead meets The Hunger Games
Monstrous: Beauty and the Beast meets The Punisher
With Realm & Sands
Unicorn Western: The best story to ever come from a stupid idea
The Beam: Smart sci-fi to make you wonder exactly who we are
Namaste: A revenge thriller like nothing you've ever read
Robot Proletariat: The revolution starts here
Cursed: The old werewolf legend turned upside down
Greens: Retail noir comedy
Space Shuttle: Over the top comedy with all your favorite sci-fi characters
Everyone Gets Divorced: Like "Always Sunny" and "How I Met Your Mother" had a baby on your Kindle
Sean lives in Austin, TX with his wife, daughter, and son.
Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/seanplatt (say hi so he can follow you back!)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 17, 2018
Espionage and mystery set in the future around the cloning of unsuspecting individuals. Two more books in the series and I may just leave them on the shelf. Too many other reads to try.
August 31, 2018
“The Tomorrow Gene” is an intoxicating sci-fi thriller that opens on Eden, the largest artificial swarm of islands built in international waters near Africa. Home to the Evermore Corporation owned by Wallace Connolly, the rich and famous pay millions for genetic enhancements and modifications that will reverse the effects of aging.
Obsessed with finding his brother a geneticist who’s been missing for a decade, Ephraim Todd agrees to uncover the island’s secrets for Fiona Roberson owner of a competing company who wants him to unearth the truth behind the genetic engineering that makes the aging young again. In a plot filled with mystery, danger and intrigue Ephraim soon discovers that the island holds more secrets than he expected including some that will turn his life upside down.
Fast-paced and action-packed as Ephraim teams up with celebrity Sophie Norris and super athlete Altruance Brown who have paid to undergo the Tomorrow Gene treatment, intensity and suspense heat up when an accident reveals the truth behind the silent workers (“ghosts”) on the island and a fight to the death leaves him befuddled when his bloody clothes, and the body vanish. With twists and turns that leave Ephraim missing time and thinking there’s holes in his memory, his paranoia escalates when he agrees to undergo the gene therapy only to awaken with scratches on his back, dizzy, nauseous and facing the brother he thought was dead. As puzzling events unfold the plot progresses quickly and smoothly to a fiery ending and a cliff-hanger that begs for the next book in the trilogy.
Breathing life into this gripping plot that often sparks with humor are characters like Ephraim Todd who’s paranoid and anxious as he searches for his detailed, analytical and highly observant brother Jonathan. A natural introvert who comes alive with his new friendships, he’s tenacious and shows a strong moral compass when faced with the unbelievable.
A well-written story that focuses more on adventure and intrigue than on character development I enjoyed “The Tomorrow Gene” and look forward to reading the sequel.
Obsessed with finding his brother a geneticist who’s been missing for a decade, Ephraim Todd agrees to uncover the island’s secrets for Fiona Roberson owner of a competing company who wants him to unearth the truth behind the genetic engineering that makes the aging young again. In a plot filled with mystery, danger and intrigue Ephraim soon discovers that the island holds more secrets than he expected including some that will turn his life upside down.
Fast-paced and action-packed as Ephraim teams up with celebrity Sophie Norris and super athlete Altruance Brown who have paid to undergo the Tomorrow Gene treatment, intensity and suspense heat up when an accident reveals the truth behind the silent workers (“ghosts”) on the island and a fight to the death leaves him befuddled when his bloody clothes, and the body vanish. With twists and turns that leave Ephraim missing time and thinking there’s holes in his memory, his paranoia escalates when he agrees to undergo the gene therapy only to awaken with scratches on his back, dizzy, nauseous and facing the brother he thought was dead. As puzzling events unfold the plot progresses quickly and smoothly to a fiery ending and a cliff-hanger that begs for the next book in the trilogy.
Breathing life into this gripping plot that often sparks with humor are characters like Ephraim Todd who’s paranoid and anxious as he searches for his detailed, analytical and highly observant brother Jonathan. A natural introvert who comes alive with his new friendships, he’s tenacious and shows a strong moral compass when faced with the unbelievable.
A well-written story that focuses more on adventure and intrigue than on character development I enjoyed “The Tomorrow Gene” and look forward to reading the sequel.
August 7, 2018
Great premise—a group of man made islands called Eden where for $500,000 you can get a spa treatment called The Tomorrow Gene. It takes 30 years off—sun damage, dna refreshed. But of course utopia has to have its bad guy and twists and turns. Enjoyable book but probably more for a younger male audience. Lots of fighting and danger. I would have rather seen it be about a real spa —with a happy Fountain of Youth ending! A girl can dream!
September 5, 2018
Overall not a bad tale. The characters felt alive, and even believable for the most part. The authors tried too hard to mimic Inception with deceptions within deceptions, laced over with paranoia. The quality of the writing dropped off significantly about halfway through, as if they just gave up or became bored.
January 21, 2018
Sigh! Sean and Johnny can write very entertaining SF, and I enjoy them...mostly. It's the "mostly" that is the problem.
One thing I dislike about many series is the first book resolves nothing and ends on a cliffhanger. Score one for Truant and Platt. Ephraim goes to the mysterious Eden Island looking for his brother and finds him. Great. And he also uncovers a big secret about the island, which provides a sense of closure. However, at the same time we get pieces of a BIGGER secret, which sets up the next book. Well-done structure.
It is that "big secret about the island" that is a problem, and it is one too much of their writing shares. The big secret is stupid and sophomoric, quite a disappointment, although I imagine the authors slapping their sides and laughing at their cleverness.
If these guys could just grow up a little (without losing a sense of playfulness) they could attract a lot more followers and I would not be caught personally in this ambivalence: do I want to read the next book or not? I am really uncertain.
One thing I dislike about many series is the first book resolves nothing and ends on a cliffhanger. Score one for Truant and Platt. Ephraim goes to the mysterious Eden Island looking for his brother and finds him. Great. And he also uncovers a big secret about the island, which provides a sense of closure. However, at the same time we get pieces of a BIGGER secret, which sets up the next book. Well-done structure.
It is that "big secret about the island" that is a problem, and it is one too much of their writing shares. The big secret is stupid and sophomoric, quite a disappointment, although I imagine the authors slapping their sides and laughing at their cleverness.
If these guys could just grow up a little (without losing a sense of playfulness) they could attract a lot more followers and I would not be caught personally in this ambivalence: do I want to read the next book or not? I am really uncertain.
November 27, 2017
Sean Platt's "The Tomorrow Gene" started well. But, as I went along, more and more holes appeared in the plot that were never filled. The writing, universe, and pacing are all well done. But, those holes are just too bothersome. Heck, even at the very end, we're introduced to even more "mad scientist school" or possibly "loony bin" level of craziness with no explanation of what's really happening. Plus, the main character's occasional lapses into violence just don't seem convincing. So, I'm rating the book at an OK 3 stars out of 5. I doubt I'll read the other books in the series.
April 11, 2020
First, I'll admit: The premise of the book hooked me from the start. I love the idea of shady corporations keeping dark secrets, and uncovering those secrets slowly over the course over a novel.
The problem with this book is, it seems to prefer twists over logically justifying said twists in any way. It felt a little self-indulgent, as if the author thought he was being super clever about these plot twists, when in reality most of them are not explained (or even hinted at) properly. Now, I don't mind a little mystery to set up the next book, but this novel doesn't try at all to explain most of what happens.
For one, this MyLife implant. If this Eden corporation can access it remotely and falsify its recordings to fuck with Ephraim's mental stability... how in the hell do they not have basic GPS tracking for these things? It makes no sense for a corporation with this much money to not keep track of every guest, and yet there is clear evidence throughout the book that they are unable to track the main characters.
Also, when they finally escape on the boat at the end. You're telling me, after killing that rich & famous basketball player in cold blood, Neven is unwilling to kill Ephraim and Sophie to prevent BURNING DOWN EVERY ISLAND and their primary source of income? For two lives? When apparently they are LOSING MONEY? Even if an AI (or another Jonathan, or even the duplicate Ephraim) is making the call, there is no way a greedy corporation such as this would see letting them go (with corporate secrets) as a logical decision.
Finally: the duplicate Ephraim twist at the end. Man, does this feel unjustified. Maybe if the author had left clues somehow throughout the novel, little things that hinted at "original" Ephraim being a copy - but all the novel does is pin the insanity on Jonathan 2. We had no reason to believe that the Ephraim we'd been following was a copy.
There are more, but I'll just end my review with this: a good twist is built on breadcrumbs. When you reveal it, the reader should go "oh! well duh! that makes sense now!" This novel does the opposite of that much too often, making the reader feel like the twists manifest out of thin air. I couldn't get invested in the world because there were just too many logical inconsistencies. Probably won't read the sequels.
The problem with this book is, it seems to prefer twists over logically justifying said twists in any way. It felt a little self-indulgent, as if the author thought he was being super clever about these plot twists, when in reality most of them are not explained (or even hinted at) properly. Now, I don't mind a little mystery to set up the next book, but this novel doesn't try at all to explain most of what happens.
For one, this MyLife implant. If this Eden corporation can access it remotely and falsify its recordings to fuck with Ephraim's mental stability... how in the hell do they not have basic GPS tracking for these things? It makes no sense for a corporation with this much money to not keep track of every guest, and yet there is clear evidence throughout the book that they are unable to track the main characters.
Also, when they finally escape on the boat at the end. You're telling me, after killing that rich & famous basketball player in cold blood, Neven is unwilling to kill Ephraim and Sophie to prevent BURNING DOWN EVERY ISLAND and their primary source of income? For two lives? When apparently they are LOSING MONEY? Even if an AI (or another Jonathan, or even the duplicate Ephraim) is making the call, there is no way a greedy corporation such as this would see letting them go (with corporate secrets) as a logical decision.
Finally: the duplicate Ephraim twist at the end. Man, does this feel unjustified. Maybe if the author had left clues somehow throughout the novel, little things that hinted at "original" Ephraim being a copy - but all the novel does is pin the insanity on Jonathan 2. We had no reason to believe that the Ephraim we'd been following was a copy.
There are more, but I'll just end my review with this: a good twist is built on breadcrumbs. When you reveal it, the reader should go "oh! well duh! that makes sense now!" This novel does the opposite of that much too often, making the reader feel like the twists manifest out of thin air. I couldn't get invested in the world because there were just too many logical inconsistencies. Probably won't read the sequels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2017
Ephraim Todd is a man on a mission, a truth teller forced to hide his true identity trying o find out what happened to his brother. He is also an extremely unreliable protagonist who misleads the reader as much as he misleads himself.
The Tomorrow Gene is a new type of story for Platt and Truant: a Grisham-like thriller, but with twists that make it uniquely theirs. If you like your sci-fi with some thriller elements and big surprises, look no further!
The Tomorrow Gene is a new type of story for Platt and Truant: a Grisham-like thriller, but with twists that make it uniquely theirs. If you like your sci-fi with some thriller elements and big surprises, look no further!
August 8, 2018
What can you say, Platt and Truant are awesome when they take on a project alone. Together all the bonds are broken. Get ready for a great ride, the excitement never stops and it's hard to tell what will happen next.
I loved the first book, and spoiler, I loved the second.
Do yourself a favor and join these two great writers on a great adventure. (No one paid me for this review, but if they want to it's OK)
I loved the first book, and spoiler, I loved the second.
Do yourself a favor and join these two great writers on a great adventure. (No one paid me for this review, but if they want to it's OK)
August 8, 2018
Strong plot with lots of mystery about what is real and who can you trust and this is the best aspect of the book. Perhaps an inevitable effect of the plot device is that the characters are not developed fully enough for me and it had some of the feel of a sci-fi comic strip. So I would have liked more relationships and depth to the characters and a little less of the ‘you’ll never believe what happened next’.
It’s the 1st book in a trilogy but I think I will stop here.
It’s the 1st book in a trilogy but I think I will stop here.
September 22, 2017
More fantastic sci-fi from Platt & Truant. Ever since reading The Beam I've been champing at the bit waiting for a new series by these guys and The Tomorrow Gene did not disappoint. It starts out like a mystery, but then turns into a mind-twisting psychological thriller with lots of suspense. Can't wait to see what they've got up their sleeves for the 2nd book.
October 15, 2017
Av og til skjer det ting i bøker som ikke er det mest sannsynlige, men som man likevel kan akseptere som «innafor» ... helt til de skjer gang på gang. Her ble jeg stadig mer frustrert over valgene til hovedpersonen og hvilke konsekvenser dette hadde og ikke hadde. Alt ble til enn viss grad forklart til slutt, men det forhindrer ikke leseopplevelsen å være et godt stykke under pari.
July 30, 2018
Very interesting book
I really enjoyed reading this book. From the basic premise of a treatment that can reverse the effects of aging, to the many twists and turns throughout the book, its a hugely enjoyable read that raises many questions about the essence of what makes a person human? Is it their memories, their physical selves, or some undefined third element?
I really enjoyed reading this book. From the basic premise of a treatment that can reverse the effects of aging, to the many twists and turns throughout the book, its a hugely enjoyable read that raises many questions about the essence of what makes a person human? Is it their memories, their physical selves, or some undefined third element?
August 17, 2018
This book started out slow.
The slow start was caused by the confusing way the characters were introduced. It was difficult to get a handle on the story. Then about midway it started to fall into place and then story took off into the realm of mind bending contradictions. Good story.
The slow start was caused by the confusing way the characters were introduced. It was difficult to get a handle on the story. Then about midway it started to fall into place and then story took off into the realm of mind bending contradictions. Good story.
August 20, 2018
The Tomorrow Gene is about genetic engineering gone wrong. I had great expectations of this book, but it is like a rosebud that never quite opens. The basic premise is intriguing, but the story moves slowly and is often confusing. Every chapter, I kept thinking I would drop it and move on to something else, but I kept reading. It’s a pass-the-time read.
August 24, 2018
I got this book for free on an Amazon promo. It was interesting (and confusing) enough for me to read to the end in the hopes that loose ends would be tied up, but what a mess! The cliffhanger ending tempted me to buy the next book, but I don't think I care enough about the characters or the story enough to bother when I have so many promising books on my "to read" list.
December 7, 2021
Took too long to get to the action.But had a surprise ending.
The action in the storyline never began until around the 60% mark. The story seemed to unfortunately drag on and on. The book lagged and I felt like stopping at several points but pushed on. Did however liked the ending. Plot line however was predictable except the ending.
The action in the storyline never began until around the 60% mark. The story seemed to unfortunately drag on and on. The book lagged and I felt like stopping at several points but pushed on. Did however liked the ending. Plot line however was predictable except the ending.
August 23, 2017
Fascinating concept, executed with the usual skill of these authors. Plenty of twists and turns, though I did see some of the reveals coming a mile off. Poor Ephraim gets in a right state, not being able to trust his own mind and memory, and the reader is right there with him.
July 28, 2018
The Tomorrow Gene
This is a good read. The story isn't really as far away as some people will think. The story is a sci-,fi mystery murder adventure that starts off in a hurry and doesn't slow down.
This is a good read. The story isn't really as far away as some people will think. The story is a sci-,fi mystery murder adventure that starts off in a hurry and doesn't slow down.
August 7, 2018
Tomorrow Gene
Yes I read the author's notes first. Didn't help. No where to run and no one to believe.
Excellent storyline.. maybe. Excellent read.. definitely. Am I confused? Yes. Am I reading Book 2. Oh yeah.
Yes I read the author's notes first. Didn't help. No where to run and no one to believe.
Excellent storyline.. maybe. Excellent read.. definitely. Am I confused? Yes. Am I reading Book 2. Oh yeah.
August 14, 2018
Nice start to an interesting series.
Different, but good different. An interesting idea brought up to a higher stage. Will definitely read the next books in series. Ending even threw me off...
Different, but good different. An interesting idea brought up to a higher stage. Will definitely read the next books in series. Ending even threw me off...
September 2, 2018
This is the closest to a horror book that I have read. The story interested me enough to finish it, but the sexual stuff, the gore, and the poor writing honestly puts me in the I wish I hadn't read it place. Cannot recommend this. Luckily it was a free book.
September 7, 2018
Fairly entertaining sci-fi story about a sinister island where rich folks go to be rejuvenated and come out years or even decades younger. It has a cliffhanger ending with not one, but two, sequels. I don't care enough to continue, but it was exciting and kept me turning pages while I read it.
November 10, 2021
Good Read
Different kind of book dealing with cloning ang gene manipulation. Forget ethics and get ready for a plot twist you will not see coming. Did I mention memory manipulation? You want to read this one.
Different kind of book dealing with cloning ang gene manipulation. Forget ethics and get ready for a plot twist you will not see coming. Did I mention memory manipulation? You want to read this one.
August 9, 2022
Page turning plot twists
An excellent read. A little slow to begin but once the pace picks up it takes you on a ride.
Ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, but overall book feels completed rather than cut off. Looking forward to reading the next one.
An excellent read. A little slow to begin but once the pace picks up it takes you on a ride.
Ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, but overall book feels completed rather than cut off. Looking forward to reading the next one.
September 15, 2017
Intense, very excited to read the next one.
March 5, 2018
waste of time. Generally a good idea, totally screwed characters and storytelling. Had trouble finishing...
August 1, 2018
The Tomorrow Gene
I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and it did, multiple times. Manipulation is such a two edged sword.
I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and it did, multiple times. Manipulation is such a two edged sword.
August 12, 2018
Full. Of. Twists
Wow... I couldn't put it down at times when I needed to. It was fast paced and thrilling throughout the book. It never slowed enough to bog down at all.
Wow... I couldn't put it down at times when I needed to. It was fast paced and thrilling throughout the book. It never slowed enough to bog down at all.
August 19, 2018
What is “up”?
Sometimes couldn’t tell where “up” was, but that was the whole point of the story! Definitely will need to finish reading the whole trilogy.
Sometimes couldn’t tell where “up” was, but that was the whole point of the story! Definitely will need to finish reading the whole trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews