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BEYOND EXTINCTION: Even the concept of truth is a lie
The year is 2077 and the planet is reeling from centuries of human abuse. Investigative author Jack Janis and his golden retriever Max fall for Alice Algafari, an alluring but enigmatic researcher, in their quiet rural village. In the wider world, humans and a new race, genetically-evolved numans, compete for survival. Jack's hopes for an idyllic life with Alice and Max crash amid conspiracy and lethal risks when Alice's boss tries to ensnare them. Alice, Jack and Max are forced to run for their lives. A final showdown between compassion and science erupts in Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, with Max emerging as a key to shaping the future of the planet.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 9, 2018
353 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
John Keeble
7 books1 followerBorn in the analog age but rewritten by digital dreams, I’m a narrative engineer working in the liminal space between human consciousness and artificial intelligence.
At one time I would have asked ‘what is reality?’, today I ask ‘what is writing our reality?’ as human neural paths lead us inexorably into artificial intelligence.
Every narrative of life on the planet today feeds into futures where technology doesn't just change how we live – it rewrites what it means to be human.
My life narrative? Does it matter in a world where identity itself is a time-limited output? My archive files show a lifetime of compiling data as a journalist, twenty-five years with The Guardian in London, before adding book writing and documentary filmmaking.
> Currently compiling: HONEY TIGERS
> Currently compiling: LEXIJON.NET BLOG
At one time I would have asked ‘what is reality?’, today I ask ‘what is writing our reality?’ as human neural paths lead us inexorably into artificial intelligence.
Every narrative of life on the planet today feeds into futures where technology doesn't just change how we live – it rewrites what it means to be human.
My life narrative? Does it matter in a world where identity itself is a time-limited output? My archive files show a lifetime of compiling data as a journalist, twenty-five years with The Guardian in London, before adding book writing and documentary filmmaking.
> Currently compiling: HONEY TIGERS
> Currently compiling: LEXIJON.NET BLOG
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 22, 2019
A good idea for a futuristic plot that ended up sounding more like a radical environmentalist rant than a novel.
March 4, 2024
Imagine watching the news on TV and it's announced that a new humanoid species has been found! They call themselves Numans and they hate the Human race for destroying the planet, torturing and eating animals, pollution, over-consumption, and violence. Numans are stronger, more intelligent, even-tempered, and they view humans as nothing more than animals without a soul!
The author did a great job developing his characters, to the point that at times, it's difficult to pick a side. The main characters are John, a geneticist turned investigative reporter, Galen, the head of the Numan genetics lab, Alice a scientist specializing in genetics, and Max, John's golden retriever! There is also a string of secondary characters that help to balance and give depth to the story. This is a thought-provoking story, which given the state of our world, and the advancements in gene editing, makes this story plausible. I loved this book and highly recommend it!
The author did a great job developing his characters, to the point that at times, it's difficult to pick a side. The main characters are John, a geneticist turned investigative reporter, Galen, the head of the Numan genetics lab, Alice a scientist specializing in genetics, and Max, John's golden retriever! There is also a string of secondary characters that help to balance and give depth to the story. This is a thought-provoking story, which given the state of our world, and the advancements in gene editing, makes this story plausible. I loved this book and highly recommend it!
May 20, 2025
The story takes place in the year 2077 where humans are being dominated by a genetically evolved species called "numans" who are competing with humans for survival. Jack Janis, lives in a quiet rural village with his golden retriever, Max. His life takes a dramatic turn when he meets Alice Algafari, a researcher, and becomes entangled in a conspiracy involving her employer. The story reaches its peak in Mesopotamia, the birthplace of civilization, where a decisive battle between empathy and scientific progress ultimately seals the planet’s destiny. Jack, Alice, and Max are forced to flee as they navigate the challenges of survival, trust and the ethical dilemmas posed by the world around them. Max, Jack's dog, plays a crucial role in their journey. I really enjoyed this fascinating science fiction dystopian novel.
August 24, 2018
Reading and reviewing books
This book has really got me rethinking a lot of things. So many things in it make so much sense, and make me want to change the way I do things. What an eye opening story.
This book has really got me rethinking a lot of things. So many things in it make so much sense, and make me want to change the way I do things. What an eye opening story.
January 5, 2019
Beyond Extinction
I must say I don't think I have ever read a book like this one.
The flow of the story line is good....And it kept me interested enough to read it in one day.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone that has an eye toward the future of our species.
I must say I don't think I have ever read a book like this one.
The flow of the story line is good....And it kept me interested enough to read it in one day.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone that has an eye toward the future of our species.
August 30, 2018
Alice & Jack
Alice Algifaria meets Jack Janis at her local players group. She learns to love him and his golden retriever Max.
Excellent plotting and characterization.
Alice Algifaria meets Jack Janis at her local players group. She learns to love him and his golden retriever Max.
Excellent plotting and characterization.
February 9, 2019
Interesting read, a way I can see things possibly heading in the future.
May 14, 2019
This was really an odd book. I almost put it aside to read some other time but ended up getting hooked.
December 14, 2019
Wow. Genetics gone wild. The story of Humankind no longer the top of the food chain. Just another animal in the corral. Very graphic.
November 27, 2018
Reviewed for Readers' Favorite
Beyond Extinction by John Keeble is a dystopian story about evolution.
A super race of ‘numan’ a new Terran species with 96% of human DNA is taking slowly control of the economic power on Earth, confining humans (considered as animals and treated as such) to the margins of the society. The numan’s mental abilities are superior and they multiply so quickly, while the human population’s reproduction decreases exponentially. Numans themselves are evolving, through DNA manipulation: at the beginning of the story the leadership is in the hands of numan4s, while their downgrade versions live to serve them.
Jack, the main character, goes throughout a lot of changes throughout his life, finding out a new truth about himself and life at every turn of the tide.
Ditsopyan sci-fi stories are my favourite and John Keeble in Beyond Extinction excels in its writing. I felt like I couldn’t put down the book at the first line. Like all good fiction, it starts from something quite real: the idea that we’re moving fast forward extinction. And the solution to that seems even worse than the problem. You've got to get to the last page to find out if that is true or not. The book is self-conclusive but leaves a lot of doors open for a sequel, which would be quite interesting to read. It’s not hard sci-fi, as the author misses to explain how numan's DNA manipulation works, but I appreciated it even more because of this. Sometimes technical descriptions feel like a lot of info dump and I was relieved to find none of that in this story. What I found most hard about the style, but that is only a matter of personal taste, was the use of the present tense, and that's the only reason for a four stars review.
Beyond Extinction by John Keeble is a dystopian story about evolution.
A super race of ‘numan’ a new Terran species with 96% of human DNA is taking slowly control of the economic power on Earth, confining humans (considered as animals and treated as such) to the margins of the society. The numan’s mental abilities are superior and they multiply so quickly, while the human population’s reproduction decreases exponentially. Numans themselves are evolving, through DNA manipulation: at the beginning of the story the leadership is in the hands of numan4s, while their downgrade versions live to serve them.
Jack, the main character, goes throughout a lot of changes throughout his life, finding out a new truth about himself and life at every turn of the tide.
Ditsopyan sci-fi stories are my favourite and John Keeble in Beyond Extinction excels in its writing. I felt like I couldn’t put down the book at the first line. Like all good fiction, it starts from something quite real: the idea that we’re moving fast forward extinction. And the solution to that seems even worse than the problem. You've got to get to the last page to find out if that is true or not. The book is self-conclusive but leaves a lot of doors open for a sequel, which would be quite interesting to read. It’s not hard sci-fi, as the author misses to explain how numan's DNA manipulation works, but I appreciated it even more because of this. Sometimes technical descriptions feel like a lot of info dump and I was relieved to find none of that in this story. What I found most hard about the style, but that is only a matter of personal taste, was the use of the present tense, and that's the only reason for a four stars review.
November 8, 2018
The story was mechanically well written, but felt very preaching and contrived to me. It was a long path to get to the well telegraphed ending.
The editor could have helped tighten some of the prose and to help us care more about the outcome.
The editor could have helped tighten some of the prose and to help us care more about the outcome.
February 4, 2021
Scary happenings
Not my sort of book, but interesting enough to keep going back until I finished.
Really out there, but who knows what the possibilities are in the future.
Not my sort of book, but interesting enough to keep going back until I finished.
Really out there, but who knows what the possibilities are in the future.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews