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Betera's Factor
Crawford Lear is the senior engineer of the Beta Union habitat, a utopian society that sets unusual criteria for morality. This world keeps its citizens in a constant state of joy and contentment using a duplicitous system developed by the scientific genius of its most lauded citizen, Betera Eaton. On the eve of the greatest tragedy to strike the habitat in over a decade, Crawford steps into the covert role he has trained for since childhood. Using his psychic talents to ready the masses for rebellion, Crawford attempts to liberate citizens from a twisted regime led by a powerful senate, and the empathic sentinels who enforce the law with sadistic enthusiasm. Forming alliances with influential members of society, Crawford navigates through an ever-shifting maze of loyalties, putting his life and that of his illicit lover in danger. In the aftermath, Crawford and his compatriots realize freedom comes with its own burdens; truth can be as deadly as lies. No one is immune to treachery and anyone can be weaponized. Friend. Foe. Family.
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 29, 2019
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 14, 2019
Fans of science fiction will welcome Sachs’s well-written tale of tyranny, rebellion, and shifting loyalties in space.
Life is peaceful and content, at least on the surface, on the Beta Union habitat, a utopian society ruled by powerful senate and sadistic military that keeps its citizens in a constant state of joy and contentment using a duplicitous scientific system. But fear and unrest simmer slowly under the surface in the society. Crawford Lear, the senior engineer, is bestowed with special psychic powers and with the help of powerful allies, he sets on to free the masses from the twisted regime of Beta Union. The rebellion begins and as Crawford and his friends make their escape; they realize they themselves are not immune to treachery.
Sachs provides complex characters; particularly Crawford, who struggles with a realistic moral dilemma, especially toward the end after realizing his own role in Betera Eaton’s sadistic game plan. The reader will enjoy the cozy friendships and shifting loyalties between different protagonists, the backdrop of a dictatorship-ruled society, the intriguing theme of technology-fueled feelings of happiness and contentment among the masses, and thoughtful engagement with the question of what happens when the technology takes over the humanity.
The narrative is fueled by high tension with suspense at the back. The book lags a bit while it comes to pacing, but the accessible prose and the adept execution (of intricate plot) makes for an engrossing read.
The shocking twist at the end leaves option open for another installment to follow.
Life is peaceful and content, at least on the surface, on the Beta Union habitat, a utopian society ruled by powerful senate and sadistic military that keeps its citizens in a constant state of joy and contentment using a duplicitous scientific system. But fear and unrest simmer slowly under the surface in the society. Crawford Lear, the senior engineer, is bestowed with special psychic powers and with the help of powerful allies, he sets on to free the masses from the twisted regime of Beta Union. The rebellion begins and as Crawford and his friends make their escape; they realize they themselves are not immune to treachery.
Sachs provides complex characters; particularly Crawford, who struggles with a realistic moral dilemma, especially toward the end after realizing his own role in Betera Eaton’s sadistic game plan. The reader will enjoy the cozy friendships and shifting loyalties between different protagonists, the backdrop of a dictatorship-ruled society, the intriguing theme of technology-fueled feelings of happiness and contentment among the masses, and thoughtful engagement with the question of what happens when the technology takes over the humanity.
The narrative is fueled by high tension with suspense at the back. The book lags a bit while it comes to pacing, but the accessible prose and the adept execution (of intricate plot) makes for an engrossing read.
The shocking twist at the end leaves option open for another installment to follow.
Displaying 1 of 1 review