A Fortune of Reversal

by Steve Moore

“Today was Bob’s ninety-first birthday, and he was fifty-seven years old.”

The leaving-of-age story of Robert Dodd, who at age seventy-eight discovered he had stopped aging and was growing younger every day.

After medical science confirmed his “condition” and the news was made public, Bob reluctantly endured the significant drama that accompanied his fifteen minutes of world-wide fame as “The Most Intriguing Man on the Planet.”

Seventeen years after the Reversal, Bob is grateful to be mostly forgotten but he is also bored. Living as though there is always a tomorrow is great if you have a minimum level of zest for life, otherwise it can be a bit tedious.

Confrontations with “fidiots” behaving badly and a series of embarrassing paranormal flashbacks convinces Bob to steer into the skid and accept reality: he could live another fifty-plus years, growing younger all the while. Time to shake things up. Inspired by a 1990s television sitcom, Bob adopts a new life strategy and agrees to a trip to Las Vegas with his best friend, one-eyed Jack.

Then things start to get weird…

Note: this book contains adult themes and language

363 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 2020

About the author

Steve Moore is a former engineer but hopes you like him anyway. He finished his first novel, A FORTUNE OF REVERSAL, during the Great Time Out of 2020.

After a 40-year career in petroleum reservoir engineering, chronicled in the semi-professional memoir PLUGGED & ABANDONED, he is finally starting to get the hang of the self-actualization thing as a writer of satire and comedy.

He and his wife live in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Visit his sporadically published blog at TunnelWriter.com

Reviews

[Jude Bayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read. Once you meet the main character, you will have to read on. This is a delightful story, full of wit and adventure and self-discovery. But the underlying plot keeps you turning the page to find out what is really going on in Bob's world. Something is definitely awry....but what? His personal journey is intriguing, and the group of unique friends who ultimately get drawn into the web keeps you entertained, even laughing out loud at the antics, characters and extremely funny dialogue. I guarantee you will finish this book with a smile on your face after a good romp and adventure, and you will want to read more about this endearing character. Highly recommend!

[Indi Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first outing from the author is a masterclass in how to create an engaging and believable opening story for a series that has major promise and a story engine that growls like a mountain-bound Harley on a sunny day. Impeccably edited and narrated in an easy, conversational voice, our hero Bob Dodd may be having a rough day, but the reader will not.

Bob is the Most Important Man on the Planet, or was for a brief time after the discovery of his Reversal was confirmed - a modern Merlin, Bob finds himself not fully reliving time backwards, merely aging in reverse, making this a sort of coming-of-youth story as he finds himself entrenched in a sprawling Goldberg-machine of difficult choices and criminal elements, while also finding his way forward in a world of which he didn't really still think he'd be a part. In addition to being an entertaining and engaging kickoff to what's sure to be an entertaining and engaging series, it also has the potential to be an interesting commentary of a member of an outgoing generation forced through circumstance to continue as a citizen in the future they built, as Bob is consigned to see the priorities of his generation unfold alongside the next - and the one after that. Even so, it's extremely well-balanced and lighthearted, and is sure to elicit a few belly laughs along the way. A series with promise, and a highly recommended opening salvo!

[Danny Dallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Moore creates a delightful and unique story in his first of hopefully many books. Using a fascinating group of characters, he weaves a brilliant tapestry of satire and intrigue. I could not put this book down for long. A definite page-turner, I kept returning to witness the collision course of these diverse personalities. Not to be disappointed, the climax read like a mash-up of The A-Team, MacGyver, with a little 1970’s Pink Panther thrown in for good measure. I will save a front-row seat for part 2.

[Susan Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful concept, and well written. I can't wait for many more sequels. This author made this a joy to read!

[Dana Darland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It had a lot of funny moments that made me literally laugh out loud. I don't read a lot of science fiction/fantasy but this book really drew me in.