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#Glitch Trilogy #1
#stoptheglitch
Post-pandemic dependence on tech is shattered by the glitch, a cyber-attack, which temporarily knocks out power and communication networks. Hoping to escape society, securing a peaceful life off grid, Robin is thwarted, becoming stranded in Oxford when an unexpected second glitch strikes. Desperate to make it back to Caernef Camp, Robin recruits three companions and is joined by a mysterious gate-crasher. Through a series of bizarre circumstances, the group is pulled into a conspiracy. Competing gangs challenge assumptions about progress and prosperity. With the future of society again at stake, who holds the key to stop the glitch?
191 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2020
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 1, 2021
Pause for a minute and imagine if our mobile phones, tablets, consoles and computers couldn’t be trusted.
Ok stop screaming, it’s not real, (yet) or is it?
This is the world foreseen / dreamt up by novelist Chris Malone in her kick-ass tech thriller #stoptheglitch. If you want to test your tolerance for how bad things might get – take this trip with the believably resourceful Robin who fights to survive in this nightmare scenario. Aided by some and crossed by others, this oh-so-near-future tale where tech in unreliable and cannot be trusted mixes MPs with codenames (Miranda) with a plucky bunch of conspirators: Glyn the intrepid educator, Thomas and Maria, the brave survivors, the cheerful little Poppy, Gid, the ferocious, Eva, the peace-maker, Nathan, with youth and ingenuity on his side…
There is also a tangible sense of threat – you think cybercrime won’t affect you? Imagine if it wiped your entire data history, finances and all... Mix it all together and you get a fun and fascinating read which romps along at a good pace.
As a parent of two boys in their early 20’s I know that they would be devastated if the digital realm that currently provides so much of our entertainment, communications and work suddenly glitched out. It’s bad enough if our Wi-Fi goes down for more than a minute at home!?
But maybe, just maybe there is more to life? How long would it take to put our dependence on modern tech aside? It’s a question that forms a good basis for this mystery that traverses the UK from Oxford to the wilds of Wales.
Malone writes with clear, business-like prose that is easy to digest but will often leave you pondering what you just read for some time afterwards. #stoptheglitch is a read that will appeal to anyone looking for a book that will entertain and make you want to find out what happens next.
Ok stop screaming, it’s not real, (yet) or is it?
This is the world foreseen / dreamt up by novelist Chris Malone in her kick-ass tech thriller #stoptheglitch. If you want to test your tolerance for how bad things might get – take this trip with the believably resourceful Robin who fights to survive in this nightmare scenario. Aided by some and crossed by others, this oh-so-near-future tale where tech in unreliable and cannot be trusted mixes MPs with codenames (Miranda) with a plucky bunch of conspirators: Glyn the intrepid educator, Thomas and Maria, the brave survivors, the cheerful little Poppy, Gid, the ferocious, Eva, the peace-maker, Nathan, with youth and ingenuity on his side…
There is also a tangible sense of threat – you think cybercrime won’t affect you? Imagine if it wiped your entire data history, finances and all... Mix it all together and you get a fun and fascinating read which romps along at a good pace.
As a parent of two boys in their early 20’s I know that they would be devastated if the digital realm that currently provides so much of our entertainment, communications and work suddenly glitched out. It’s bad enough if our Wi-Fi goes down for more than a minute at home!?
But maybe, just maybe there is more to life? How long would it take to put our dependence on modern tech aside? It’s a question that forms a good basis for this mystery that traverses the UK from Oxford to the wilds of Wales.
Malone writes with clear, business-like prose that is easy to digest but will often leave you pondering what you just read for some time afterwards. #stoptheglitch is a read that will appeal to anyone looking for a book that will entertain and make you want to find out what happens next.
October 3, 2020
A terrifying portrayal of our world thrown unceremoniously into chaos as technology is ripped from it by an all-pervasive digital glitch. This is a book that highlights mankind's unnatural dependence on technology and is a call for all of us to reconsider our materialistic norms.
Robin is a woman with firm political views that continually challenge her own place in the modern digital age. Her desire to divest herself of material wealth constantly at odds with her need for finances to facilitate her ideological intentions. She is a well crafted and interesting character who feels deeply for those who are less fortunate than herself. Her treatment of the family who have fled Syria brings out her deep humanity, their story sounding genuine and harrowing.
The various references to 'pandemic', 'social distancing', 'lockdown' and 'hand-gels' make for uncannily prophetic reading. Worthy of five stars.
Robin is a woman with firm political views that continually challenge her own place in the modern digital age. Her desire to divest herself of material wealth constantly at odds with her need for finances to facilitate her ideological intentions. She is a well crafted and interesting character who feels deeply for those who are less fortunate than herself. Her treatment of the family who have fled Syria brings out her deep humanity, their story sounding genuine and harrowing.
The various references to 'pandemic', 'social distancing', 'lockdown' and 'hand-gels' make for uncannily prophetic reading. Worthy of five stars.
July 13, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyable recommend
June 11, 2022
A really strong storyline with an involving and exciting plot set in a contemporary, post pandemic world where disasters affect people across the globe. Although the book has its idealistic moments, it exudes hope for those who want to challenge and make a difference to the materialistic, me-centred ethos that is promoted by much social media and TV. Parts of the book look to originate in Chris’ life as she seems to speak from experience.
Much recommended!
Much recommended!
December 20, 2020
A topical novel, set in a post-pandemic England held to ransom by a global group of cyber-terrorists.
The heroine, Robin, is determined to simplify her life and live off-grid as far as possible. She is the reluctant beneficiary of a substantial inheritance that allows her to buy a remote, derelict property in Snowdonia that she plans to return to its former purpose as a retreat for young people.
As well as recovering from a pandemic, society is reeling from the Glitch, a cyberattack whose first wave disabled computers and telecommunications and wiped out mass data, including financial information, including bank account details.
Robin is a complex, morally-focussed character who, despite her deceased father’s wealth and values, seeks a life where wealth is fairly distributed. Ironically, she discovers that the cyber-terrorists’ goals are similar to hers but they intend to achieve them by forcible means through repetitions of the Glitch. She also learns that family members have Government connections and are in negotiation with the terrorists. While on a visit to Oxford she is caught up in a second Glitch. She witnesses the beginning of the breakdown of society with the emergence of gangs and looting. She recruits a group of helpers whom she brings back to her Snowdonia retreat, who may know more than they disclose.
The highlights of the book are, firstly, the convincing character of Robin, with her ambitions and conflicts and, secondly, the contemporary issues associated with cyber-terrorism and our dependence on the internet and communications. This is a timely book, entertaining, thought-provoking and well worth reading.
The heroine, Robin, is determined to simplify her life and live off-grid as far as possible. She is the reluctant beneficiary of a substantial inheritance that allows her to buy a remote, derelict property in Snowdonia that she plans to return to its former purpose as a retreat for young people.
As well as recovering from a pandemic, society is reeling from the Glitch, a cyberattack whose first wave disabled computers and telecommunications and wiped out mass data, including financial information, including bank account details.
Robin is a complex, morally-focussed character who, despite her deceased father’s wealth and values, seeks a life where wealth is fairly distributed. Ironically, she discovers that the cyber-terrorists’ goals are similar to hers but they intend to achieve them by forcible means through repetitions of the Glitch. She also learns that family members have Government connections and are in negotiation with the terrorists. While on a visit to Oxford she is caught up in a second Glitch. She witnesses the beginning of the breakdown of society with the emergence of gangs and looting. She recruits a group of helpers whom she brings back to her Snowdonia retreat, who may know more than they disclose.
The highlights of the book are, firstly, the convincing character of Robin, with her ambitions and conflicts and, secondly, the contemporary issues associated with cyber-terrorism and our dependence on the internet and communications. This is a timely book, entertaining, thought-provoking and well worth reading.
August 24, 2020
We all wish to unplug at times. Notifications from Office, Slack, or social media – plus texts -- can quickly overwhelm. The key to our comfort, though, is deciding when to disengage and for how long. A short interruption in service is enough to snap us back to the realization that most of us are unprepared to live without the digital infrastructure supporting our phones, lights, hot water, and TV. The more imaginative among us might also wonder how secure our bank accounts and investments really are.
Novelist Chris Malone has been thinking a lot about this and presents such a scenario in her latest book, #StopTheGlitch. The antagonists are a rogue band of cyber terrorists who send an electronic pulse that crashes the power grid, halts transportation, and turns now-useless phones into sirens that scream until they’re turned off. More critically, it opens the gates to savings and stocks. This second “Glitch” follows a shorter-lived one at the end of the pandemic we’re living through now. The attackers intend to redistribute wealth and stop capitalism’s degradation of the environment. These goals, broadly speaking, align with those of the protagonist, an idealistic and independent woman named Robin. She prefers reading a (paper) book to watching TV, tolerates roughing it in a sleeping bag, and shares her daily breakfast with homeless people.
Author Malone fleshes out her main character with the moral dilemma of a privileged upbringing and, upon her father’s death, a massive inheritance. With this windfall, Robin intends to buy and revive a remote camp in Wales, Caernef, that until recently welcomed kids to a safe, off-the-grid experience eating farm fresh food and learning about the natural world. It’s the perfect place for Robin to put her vision into action, and introduces her to refugees -- two parents and a toddler -- who’ve been hiding in one of the buildings. After an awkward meeting, the family invites Robin to a humble meal lit by candles. Here, the parents share their ordeal of escaping war-torn Syria before finally achieving asylum in the UK. This compelling and detailed chapter must have come from personal accounts, and I applaud Malone for researching the stories of those fleeing war. It gave me a better insight and enhanced the story by foreshadowing Robin’s own journey fleeing chaos after the second Glitch.
Caernef becomes a beacon of hope when Robin is stranded in Oxford and must hike more than a hundred miles with a cobbled-together band of companions. The group sticks to out-of-the-way paths to avoid gangs of opportunists who feel free to loot and commit violence. Along the way the travelers learn more about the cyber terrorists’ conspiracy, and the government’s knowledge of- and efforts to prevent – the second Glitch.
Malone’s book is more than entertaining. It will heighten your awareness of how vulnerable our civilization has become, and of our own potential for good or evil when the lights go out. I’m not saying I'd welcome such a Glitch. But if it comes, I’ll keep Malone’s novel (in paperback) close by for inspiration and maybe guidance.
Novelist Chris Malone has been thinking a lot about this and presents such a scenario in her latest book, #StopTheGlitch. The antagonists are a rogue band of cyber terrorists who send an electronic pulse that crashes the power grid, halts transportation, and turns now-useless phones into sirens that scream until they’re turned off. More critically, it opens the gates to savings and stocks. This second “Glitch” follows a shorter-lived one at the end of the pandemic we’re living through now. The attackers intend to redistribute wealth and stop capitalism’s degradation of the environment. These goals, broadly speaking, align with those of the protagonist, an idealistic and independent woman named Robin. She prefers reading a (paper) book to watching TV, tolerates roughing it in a sleeping bag, and shares her daily breakfast with homeless people.
Author Malone fleshes out her main character with the moral dilemma of a privileged upbringing and, upon her father’s death, a massive inheritance. With this windfall, Robin intends to buy and revive a remote camp in Wales, Caernef, that until recently welcomed kids to a safe, off-the-grid experience eating farm fresh food and learning about the natural world. It’s the perfect place for Robin to put her vision into action, and introduces her to refugees -- two parents and a toddler -- who’ve been hiding in one of the buildings. After an awkward meeting, the family invites Robin to a humble meal lit by candles. Here, the parents share their ordeal of escaping war-torn Syria before finally achieving asylum in the UK. This compelling and detailed chapter must have come from personal accounts, and I applaud Malone for researching the stories of those fleeing war. It gave me a better insight and enhanced the story by foreshadowing Robin’s own journey fleeing chaos after the second Glitch.
Caernef becomes a beacon of hope when Robin is stranded in Oxford and must hike more than a hundred miles with a cobbled-together band of companions. The group sticks to out-of-the-way paths to avoid gangs of opportunists who feel free to loot and commit violence. Along the way the travelers learn more about the cyber terrorists’ conspiracy, and the government’s knowledge of- and efforts to prevent – the second Glitch.
Malone’s book is more than entertaining. It will heighten your awareness of how vulnerable our civilization has become, and of our own potential for good or evil when the lights go out. I’m not saying I'd welcome such a Glitch. But if it comes, I’ll keep Malone’s novel (in paperback) close by for inspiration and maybe guidance.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews