*****2021 Silver Medal Winner - Readers' Favorite*****
Reality is changing. It's blending...with another dimension. And Tess isn't sure what's real anymore...
"One of the best Sci-Fi novels I've read this year. I highly recommend it to Sci-Fi fans." - Pikasho Deka...Readers' Favorites.
When NASA computer scientist Tess Carrillo watches Ryan Quinn die in a spaceship seventy million miles away, her life becomes a blurry web of misery and vodka.
But when a mysterious visionary recruits her to lead a team of eccentric experts in a top-secret effort to create the mind of the first sentient artificial intelligence, her life starts to change in unfathomable ways.
And now the machine is waking… But there’s a problem. It’s networking… With another dimension.
As the AI evolves, dimensional lines start to blend and fray, opening a door to another world… One with him. Only in this reality, Ryan is in a rock band, and Tess is an artist, both on the cusp of fame.
As Tess finds herself moving back and forth between separate realities, she starts to question if either is real. And if so…which one?
The answer lies in secrets more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
Equipped only with clues scattered throughout her consciousness, time, and space, she struggles to make sense of the separate realities that seem to be colliding.
As the puzzle pieces fall into place, a terrible threat is revealed, and she’s forced to face a shocking truth before both worlds end.
If you love face-paced page-turners with unforgettable characters and real science, Impermanent Universe will keep you reading well beyond your self-allotted time.
Join the adventure.
“Outstanding Science Fiction....one of the best things I’ve read in a long time. And I read a lot." - Amazon Reviewer
"Both Impermanent Universe and The Navigator are exquisitely crafted novels that will keep you reading well beyond your self-allotted time. Creative beyond belief, they give one a sense of truth regarding the immortality of Being through multifaceted forever-regenerative Consciousness." - Amazon Reviewer
"This book is a treasure for those who love in-depth philosophical science fiction material" - Amazon Reviewer
Impermanent Universe: A Sci Fi Thriller by Vern Buzarde is the first novel in this series that takes you on a journey of a sabotaged space mission that alters numerous lives and events. Dr. Tess Carrillo was monitoring her astronaut boyfriend on that fateful day. Trying to pick up the pieces led her to a different job that has multiple layers of secrets. This job was lead by a man whose vision for greater things could just be the end of the world we know. If his competitor doesn't beat him in destroying the world.
I found Impermanent Universe full of surprises and twists. Vern Buzarde is an author that weaves deep layers of deceit, espionage, and secrets within his novel, adding an atmosphere of suspense and thrills. This book is well written, with complex characters and events. Most science fiction fans will love this novel, though it focuses more on the earthly incidents and just a glimpse of what is happening in space.
I began reading this book early this afternoon and could not put it down until I read the last word of the Epilogue. The book was engaging and intriguing with many interesting twists and turns. It was the first science fiction novel I have ever read, and I am looking forward to Vern's next book. I predict we have a renowned author in the making!
One of the better sci-fi stories I’ve read in the past several months. More science and less of the post apocalyptic, military, YA or fantasy emphasis that seems to dominate so much of this genre now. Looking forward to book 2.
Chapter one opened up with the promise of a techno who-done-it. I thought it had some promise. Chapter two seemed to be a flashback to an “event” alluded to in chapter one. Then …. Chapter three. ????? I was completely lost. But such a good lost. The main character has been a brilliant mathematician and software developer in the first two chapters. Suddenly, in chapter 3, she’s a brilliant painter. What the …. WHAT? And some of the people with her in the first two chapters are there in chapter three, but also in different roles. You’d think a story like this would be a muddled mess, impossible to follow or invest in. But it’s not. With all of the moving parts, seemingly in different directions, the action is choreographed into a single overall plot. Very few books are literally hard for me to put down, but this one was. I knocked it out in two days, and that was intentionally not reading it except during a long shift at a job where reading is accepted. I knew I wanted something to occupy me during those shifts, so didn’t read at other times. That was harder than I expected. I couldn’t wait to get back to the book. I WILL read other works by this author. I highly recommend this book.
Two stars because I did manage to finish this B-O-R-I-N-G pile of meh. The writer barely had enough plot to slap together for a short story, but he worked ever so hard to pad it out by having his two dimensional characters deliver pages and pages of quantum mumbo-jumbo.
I have read many books, but I have to say that this book is so well written, it feels like you are one of the characters ! And all I can say now, is hold on tight, and get ready for a ride that will take you where you think you wanna go, or not! You'll have to decide for yourself! And one more thing....Make sure you have plenty of time to read this book, because once you start, you will not be able to stop!!
I can’t imagine what they can do with the next one to top this. I felt like I was on a roller coaster, never knowing which reality I was experiencing. I loved the characters. I hope I find out what happened to some of my favorites.
I really enjoyed this! The writing was really enjoyable and particularly high quality. The story moved fast and I was hooked from the start! Tess was a super relatable character for me, which isn't always the case from a male author. Bravo!
I have mixed feelings about this book. There were lots of strong points to it. The concept was very unique. Tess, the main character, is compelling. The book was action-packed and unpredictable in a way that kept me turning the pages. That said, I noticed a few drawbacks as well. I fell like the author bit off more than he could chew with the plot, and there were a lot of subplots that didn't wrap up perfectly at the end and characters that just sort of disappeared mid-book. There also wasn't a lot of science in this "sci-fi" book, and the explanations at the end weren't intuitive but required lengthy explanations delivered through dialog.
Overall, I think there is lot of potential here. If the book were tweaked and refined, it would be a great novel!
Fascinating subject matter. The very well written text navigates the reader into the plausible realm of dimensional realities with finesse. Excellent on all fronts. Please read it.
While I was reading thoughts of Slaughter House Five and Clockwork Orange came to mind swirling tougher. I couldn't stop ! So much to think about and ponder the feelings.
The characters were well developed. The plot was highly complex. The general writing quality was heads and shoulders above most Kindle Unlimited offerings.
The writing is absolutely stunning, and I found myself getting lost in the vivid descriptions. Every character felt so real, and the emotional depth kept me hooked until the last page. A beautifully crafted story that lingers long after you finish it.
Interesting ReadLiminal, bootstrap, sentience, convergence and terminus are the titles of the five subject matter Impermanent Universe. What is sacrificed for the convenience of an always available tech-partner? Choice. Tess Gurrilo a well-known computer scientist is hired by a tech giant to help come out an AI whose real task is unknown to Tess in the beginning. Consequently, I believe there is a constant shift of paradigm by scientists such as Tess, who in their quest of solving the problems of this world, end up generating new complications. The story lacks any sense of humor, which I have found to be a thing with Sci-Fi novels. I was expecting to be blown away with a mystery of overcoming the intersection of humanity and technology but wasn’t. The author, Vern Buzarde weaves a lot of subplots and flashbacks which makes it hard for an ordinary reader to follow with keen interest. I personally gained deep knowledge of artificial intelligence and an impression of the future of computers, which is not only what is laid bare as suspense, secrecy and romance are captured in an artistic manner. For a lover of thrilling science and technological fantasy, it comes handy.
What happens when an AI becomes sentient? Even more concerning, what happens when said AI begins to network with an alternate dimension than our own? Tess Carrillo is a computer scientist who leads the team of experts who are to build the worlds first sentient AI. They succeed in their efforts; however, they could not have foreseen the dimensional repercussions of their actions. Our reality is called into question and Tess strives to sort through this new puzzle to figure out a solution before our reality becomes nonexistent. The premise of this book is a great topic to write about. There are literally infinite versions of this type of lot that can be written about (pun intended). The problem with such books is that when your write about reality bending dimensions and puzzles, it becomes harder for the reader to follow along the entirety of the story. I felt that the story was solid, however, it had many random areas that did not fit in the overall plot (unless the were part of the warped reality). Overall, it was a good book, if a bit odd.
There was a very abrupt change of settings in the beginning, but keep going and it gets better. Perhaps it would have been less of an issue if there were some different symbols in the chapters marking differerent story threads? This is only an issue the very beginning. The transitions gets much smoother further on.
I appreciated the story and the many plot twists and details (such as the sport bra problem and the news reports) that brought the characters to life.
It also felt refreshing to read a SciFi book without intergalactic wars with a single male hero making all the difference. I read a lot of those, and like it, but when I try to recall which SciFi books or series that are the best, they never make it to the list.
I did find this to be a worthwhile read. I'm still confused and not entirely satisfied by the way it all worked out in the end, but the story was an interesting journey nonetheless. Dealing with the dangers of a technological singularity is quite apropos in 2023 and the opposing forces of a neo-luddite conspiracy cult culture are also quite horribly modern. The alliance of quantum uncertainty, an AGI, holographic simulation theory and it's chaotic potential are IMHO stretched beyond belief here but maybe art, intuition and love will indeed save our doomed self destructive species after all. Probably not though eh? LoL.
This book has everything that is great about Sci-fi and is presented both in a refreshing and thought-provoking format. Pondering "reality" itself and our collective experience has gained a lot of traction in this digitized world and "IU" implores the reader to explore those concepts while introducing well-developed characters you find yourself very invested in. The plot appeals to the question we all have about our own journey through life and the possibility of underlying drivers that weave the universe together in a symphony of near chaos but absolute perfection.
This book was so interesting. I always enjoy a good Sci-Fi and this was even better than usual. I wish I could fit the other book of this series into my book budget but . . . . Maybe the Kindle Version?
I must include though that a couple of the characters used language that was inappropriate and unnecessary to the plot. Does the author have a limited vocabulary?
The narration was great! Kudos to Jacqueline Rendell.
I requested this audio book from Audiobooks Unleashed and have voluntarily left this review.
3 stars. Unique but ultimately unsatisfying. I barely finished it. The background story was interesting but I just felt the author couldn't manage to tell it coherently. The interconnectedness of the various dimensions and people from/within them needed far more story-time. I actually think this book would have been far better as a duology or trilogy on its own so these story elements could have been expanded. Ultimately, the book would have been far more satisfying. I doubt I will read the sequels.
This was a tale of alternate universes. But it did not appeal to me as it came across as more fantasy based. Not a lot of scientific reason for how the alternate universes intertwine. They just do. Mostly I was not compelled. I am a hard science person and just could not get myself into the correct mindset. I wanted to finish this book, but only to find out how it ends. The ending was appropriate for our hero.
Love the way things of today's world seemed woven into the story. The start Is harsh and leaves you expecting one horrific death after another, but turns into a wonderfully intricate world of melting realities and dimensions. I can't wait to start the next book!
This weirds me out. I liked this book in the beginning, though found it a bit hard to follow. I went away from it near the end and started reading something else. When I came back I had somehow lost the thread and found the ending incomprehensible. Boring In places, too. No sequel for me.
A very interesting premise which at times contains some brilliant writing, but 2-D characters and unevenness mars the really good part. It reads like a halfway fleshed out outline at times. Will be interested in how series finishes.