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23rd Century
Smart acid, pleasuredomes and revolution, people living within simulations and never interacting with each other. A world without childhoods; post nuclear London Town underground, 23rd Century style. Don’t talk to real people, Alexandra Brontay. Don’t go looking for love, but she does, ending up kidnapped by vamp Dr Katia Kutz after a classic honeytrap. At least she pulled. She wakes half-dead in a Siberian forest, the subject of an experiment designed to bring down the organs of world power. The investigation into her disappearance begins back home, led by a wholesale nutjob Chief of Police and his mercenary American sidekick who likes fast cars, guns and burgers.
Who-har Tech-noir.
Brontay’s split soul is about to become the lynchpin of revolution, but when MannyCapra, CEO of The Company, needs a spot of agitprop to stem his boredom, he'll go to any length to entertain those who plot against him.
Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ASIN B076N6F3NS here.
Who-har Tech-noir.
Brontay’s split soul is about to become the lynchpin of revolution, but when MannyCapra, CEO of The Company, needs a spot of agitprop to stem his boredom, he'll go to any length to entertain those who plot against him.
Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ASIN B076N6F3NS here.
406 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2017
2 people want to read
About the author
Carroll Grabham
6 books3 followersCarroll Grabham has run a newspaper kiosk (still to date the most interesting job he's had), been a software engineer, dabbled in Russian, French and Spanish and travelled all over this beautiful blue planet of ours.
He loves NEW SCIENTIST and FORTEAN TIMES, Aldous Huxley and George Orwell, for the mesmeric swing between predicting Dystopian Hell and embracing new shiny gadgets with interfaces that take your hand and say, "it's going to be okay, you know. Just let me guide you this way." Sweet algorithms and their way of making life easier.
GRABHAM:
'Artificial Intelligence is seductive, just ask Alexa. Writ large in future media, provided we survive another 200 years, and I can see it pervading and invading every aspect of our lives, drilling deeper and deeper into our minds and isolating us into an antisocial society hooked on placebos.'
Carroll lives in West Derby, Liverpool and is married to Katy. He teaches Screenwriting for a living and makes the occasional film. 23rd CENTURY LIVE FOREVER is currently being dramatised into a short series of audio PodPlays, soon to be available on Audible and iTunes.
He loves NEW SCIENTIST and FORTEAN TIMES, Aldous Huxley and George Orwell, for the mesmeric swing between predicting Dystopian Hell and embracing new shiny gadgets with interfaces that take your hand and say, "it's going to be okay, you know. Just let me guide you this way." Sweet algorithms and their way of making life easier.
GRABHAM:
'Artificial Intelligence is seductive, just ask Alexa. Writ large in future media, provided we survive another 200 years, and I can see it pervading and invading every aspect of our lives, drilling deeper and deeper into our minds and isolating us into an antisocial society hooked on placebos.'
Carroll lives in West Derby, Liverpool and is married to Katy. He teaches Screenwriting for a living and makes the occasional film. 23rd CENTURY LIVE FOREVER is currently being dramatised into a short series of audio PodPlays, soon to be available on Audible and iTunes.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 26, 2019
A copy of this book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book is not my usual genre but i actually really enjoyed it. I love books that take me out of my comfort zones and this book certainly did that.
Fast paced, full of action, adventure and set in the future. Cleverly laced together. A great first novel and i look forward to seeing what this author puts together next.
This book is not my usual genre but i actually really enjoyed it. I love books that take me out of my comfort zones and this book certainly did that.
Fast paced, full of action, adventure and set in the future. Cleverly laced together. A great first novel and i look forward to seeing what this author puts together next.
July 5, 2019
23rd Century was sent to me by the author in exchange for a honest review.
23rd Century is, for the most part, set in what is essentially a beehive under the surface of the a dystopian London which has been destroyed by bombs. It's pretty much become a place of dictatorship where the VoQue rule because they have wealth, fashion and socialite status. Those who don't rule work, like Alexandra Brontay, our protagonist, at least until she's seduced by a beautiful woman and wakes up in Russia when War is drawing near.
One thing that nagged at me about this book is that there are some homophobic/lesbophobic slurs which I know a lot of people will not excuse, to me it doesn't sit well but it seems to be used in a way that shows, even though centuries have passed some people will still be close-minded. A reality we hope we won't have but seems all too possible. On the other hand, the protagonist, Brontay, is a lesbian so we at least have some rep to counteract the usage of slurs.
There are several characters besides Brontay that we get to meet, some may argue too many but I think there is a nice balance. Each character has their own storyline but you know that all these separate plots will eventually start intertwining and come together by the end so if you feel a little confused by everything going on it will eventually start to make a lot more sense.
I really liked Brontay as a character and some of the twists near the end where very interesting. While to begin with this is fairly slow paced it quickly picks up and becomes a very interesting SciFi with lots of layers to a story of what is essentially a time of revolution, it becomes not only a story about technological advance and the socialites taking a ruling stance, but of a fight for freedom and a return to when we didn't rely so heavy on technology.
23rd Century is a very interesting view of what our world could be like if we continue to rely on technology and public image.
Rated: 3/5 Stars
23rd Century is, for the most part, set in what is essentially a beehive under the surface of the a dystopian London which has been destroyed by bombs. It's pretty much become a place of dictatorship where the VoQue rule because they have wealth, fashion and socialite status. Those who don't rule work, like Alexandra Brontay, our protagonist, at least until she's seduced by a beautiful woman and wakes up in Russia when War is drawing near.
One thing that nagged at me about this book is that there are some homophobic/lesbophobic slurs which I know a lot of people will not excuse, to me it doesn't sit well but it seems to be used in a way that shows, even though centuries have passed some people will still be close-minded. A reality we hope we won't have but seems all too possible. On the other hand, the protagonist, Brontay, is a lesbian so we at least have some rep to counteract the usage of slurs.
There are several characters besides Brontay that we get to meet, some may argue too many but I think there is a nice balance. Each character has their own storyline but you know that all these separate plots will eventually start intertwining and come together by the end so if you feel a little confused by everything going on it will eventually start to make a lot more sense.
I really liked Brontay as a character and some of the twists near the end where very interesting. While to begin with this is fairly slow paced it quickly picks up and becomes a very interesting SciFi with lots of layers to a story of what is essentially a time of revolution, it becomes not only a story about technological advance and the socialites taking a ruling stance, but of a fight for freedom and a return to when we didn't rely so heavy on technology.
23rd Century is a very interesting view of what our world could be like if we continue to rely on technology and public image.
Rated: 3/5 Stars
March 9, 2018
The first book I've read in it's genre. I loved it from start to finish! let yourself be dragged into this epic tale.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews