(U)topian

by Dave Fin

What would you do if you woke up in a utopia? Would you accept it? Would it accept you?

(U)topian

Card Smith, a privileged everyman from 2019, unexpectedly finds himself in a strange time: 2122. War and crime are gone. Jobs are optional, everything is free, you can spend your time on whatever you want to do. Society is flourishing. Card is immediately excited, but also annoyed for reasons he can’t fully explain. His head hurts. He falls into old habits. He gets into trouble.

As he meets new people and awkwardly settles into his new life in utopia, he must figure out the mystery as to why he’s not adjusting well when everyone else is so happy. Is there something sinister lying beneath the surface? Or is the only problem inside his own head? Card must overcome his limitations and weaknesses in order to evolve to meet the future he unexpectedly arrives in.

A time-distorted utopian sci-fi adventure/philosophical reckoning in a world where the only real problem might be yourself.

341 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2021

About the author

I was told to dress for the job I wanted so instead I wrote a book for the world I wanted to live in.

Reviews

[Christina Gizzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of being frozen and waking up in a better future. That is the goal of many people and the premise of some television shows. This happens to our main character Card, and he has to figure out why he was chosen to be frozen and how to live a new life in the 22nd century. I have mixed feelings about what I read. Some parts were extremely confusing and I had no idea what was going on, but by the end I understood the story and the importance of Card being in the future. I think the chapters were way too long and could have been separated to make things more interesting. I think that the interactions between Card and other characters were great and that it showed character growth throughout the novel, but I had so many questions while reading. I wish the writing was easier to understand and that the main story would have been clear.

[Patsy Hennessey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have really mixed feelings about this book. I loved the premise, and it was an interesting and thought-provoking book overall. The protagonist was a complicated character, both likable and unlikeable, and frustrating. The world-building was pretty good, you got a good feel for both the physical and cultural aspects of his new world.

However, the last quarter of the book became more than a little confusing and hard to understand and follow for me. I was left with a number of unanswered questions, a feeling of things inadequately explained and disappointment.

[barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking

Why do we not strive to live harmoniously? I enjoyed Cards transformation to his new environment. Waiting for the sequel

[Denis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a great respect and admiration for those who accomplish their dreams, goals or step up to self-challenge. To write and publish a novel (admittedly easier to self-publish in recent years than ever before, however, you still have to do the long hours of work), is one of those bucket list tasks that few achieve. There are different types of such works: fiction, non-fiction, autobiography/memoir (which is often a mix of fiction and non-fiction) and collections of short stories or poems. I enjoy engaging in this sort of thing. Some are more experienced than others, some have learned skills and techniques while others are mostly winging it, getting their vision on paper with words as they see fit. Objectively, these self-published works are hit or miss, but they all have one unique element: they are genuine and sincere.

"[U]TOPIAN", 2021 (a pandemic period novel, I suspect - I imagine there must have been a wave of these written during that weird time) is a perplexing journey through the author's brain while he might possibly be in a fever-dream state.

First off, I was a little worried about having to stumble through a plethora of technical issues right from the start as I read and reread the last sentence of the Prelude on page 9: “…and he froze, trying to everything they had shared and every moment that mattered since the beginning…” I believe there is a missing word there that might be, ‘recall’ or something similar. This is common with self-published books as they tend to also be self-edited. I experienced the same conundrum when I ventured in my own self-publishing adventure. The good news here, I am glad to report, is that there are very few instances like this throughout the book; the author did a very good job of it overall.

I will describe a few things while trying to avoid spoilers. Our main protagonist, a complex sometimes ill-tempered yet mostly aloof character with the unusual name of, “Card” finds himself to have been released from cryogenic preservation in the year 2122. Apparently, they are regularly performing cryogenic procedures as far back as 2019. I was not aware of this as fact, but remember, we are in the author’s head, Card did not seem too surprised by this fantastic event; he is mostly disturbed by the fact it was done to him without his consent, therefore, it must be a thing - disbelief is suspended.

There are many elements throughout that were not satisfactorily explained but it’s okay as this is not even pretending to be a hard sci-fi novel. It is more along the line of philosophical or socio sci-fi. If it were not for the time travel element, it may not even be classed sci-fi at all, as the world of 2122 looks quite similar as far as tech goes: cell phones, e-paper, Siri-like AI voice assistants, a virtual eyepiece known as “Glarethrough” which resembles a more refined version of Google glasses (but in the form of a contact lens)… even the lingo and expressions of the people are relatively the same to those of the present day. It’s the economic system, the abolishment of the Capitalist system to an entirely social system and the near elimination of crime and violence, including the practice of international conflicts (war) that has gone through the most notable transformation. Interesting was the casino establishment which has been greatly altered in response to this change of the monetary system, however, karaoke, mini-golf and bowling are still a thing. In Card’s own words, “the future is not so interesting… No mention of jet packs so far…”

This, being the setup, you accept this will be an adventure leaning towards the surreal. The dialogue between the characters (the majority having the air of melancholy) tends to be minimal, as most of the wordage on the pages is internal, focusing more on how they feel about this and that rather than what they actually say to each other. Not an unusual approach, but it can be a bit tedious as the reader wants to be in on the unobstructed conversation. One ought to figure out, by the dialogue alone, how the characters feel about what they are saying; whether or not they are getting their point across or if they are misunderstood or regretting what they are saying as they are saying it. This may have been a factor as to why the main intentions and much of the character’s motivations in the novel were often a mystery to me. Issues would often get confusing, however, there was always that dream-like element that kept me onboard, with the hope that there would eventually be clarity.

A big plus were the settings, which were are well pictured and described - the author has a remarkable talent for this. I especially enjoyed the description of the nature infused architecture of New York. There was the reoccurring scenes of“hours and hours and hours” of cleaning up the basement of the “Community House” - where much of the activity and dialogue with Card featured the most intriguing character who goes by the name of “Lawful”. I must confess, this setting did leave me feeling somewhat claustrophobic.

There were periods in the novel, which were not clearly explained as to how (I may have misunderstood or simply missed it) we are flung back to 2019 every now and then to partake in the sub-plot / back story, involving Card’s activist sister Rondo. These episodes were a welcomed diversion from the so called, “utopian” setting.

Overall, this is an ambitious project that I feel could have used more editing and specific issues sorted out before publication, however, it is a worthwhile read as it takes you elsewhere (and more accurately ‘elsewhen’) deep into the author’s creative mind.

Once having read this novel, you feel you are leaving a small one screen theatre after experiencing an indie art film.