Vertical City

by Tristan Scott

Tristan Scott’s debut science fiction novel, Vertical City: Within a colossal skyscraper packed with millions of humans, one man’s vendetta will expose a terrible truth, which could not only cost him his life, but also raze their mighty city and humanity’s last refuge to the ground.

Winner - Los Angeles Book Festival 2023
Winner - London Book Festival 2023
Semi-Finalist - Indies Today Book Awards 2022

"A well-crafted post-apocalyptic novel...this cautionary dystopian tale will enchant and astonish..." - Indies Today (Starred Review)

"Vertical City is one of those ultra-rare and very, very special novels that remind us there are still completely engrossing and original stories to be told...Very highly recommended." - Readers' Favorite (Starred Review)

"The only way up is down, into an underground world where solitary choices can drive a man mad....[Readers] will find Vertical City a powerful interplay of emotional and social inspection." - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review (Recommend Reading)
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Edgar Pacey is alone in a world without loneliness. His home, Vertical City, a gargantuan skyscraper on the island of Tristan da Cunha, is claustrophobically packed with the last remnants of the human race. Edgar, a carbon miner and resident of the underground, awkwardly navigates his days without privacy or solitude. He often wonders - to the indifference or confusion of those around him - if their way of life is normal? But then, Edgar's quick thinking during a seemingly freak mining accident gains him widespread recognition; his newfound fame opening previously unexplored parts of the city - the revered upper floors. Guided partly by this twist of fate, partly by a selfish desire to satisfy his own misgivings, Edgar uses this freedom to search for a flaw in their esteemed city, inadvertently leading him to the frightening cost of humanity's continued survival. Risking his own life, Edgar will have to force a complacent society to reevaluate itself, with repercussions that could raze their colossal tower, and humanity's last refuge, to the ground.

Genres: Science Fiction

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 3, 2022

About the author

An Author & A Scientist

Tristan Scott was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and obtained a Ph.D. in the field of molecular medicine. He now lives in Los Angeles and is currently a researcher specializing in the field of gene therapy. When not manipulating genetic material, Tristan has always had an additional passion for writing, which started in high school and later progressed to him taking an extra creative writing course at university while studying towards his Bachelor of Science degree.

Science is an all-consuming career, but Tristan finds time on weekends and evenings to write. He has written a range of unpublished short stories and poems but has published a sci-fi short story entitled An Unintended Future on Nature Futures. His first full-length novel, Vertical City, is published and available for purchase. He is finishing off his second novel, Keepers of the Faith, and a collection of related short stories under the title, Little Worlds. He is currently working on a ‘scientific thriller’ as his next big project.

Tristan has a love for a range of themes with his stories often exploring the cyclical nature of humans, the perils of dual-use technology, the threat of overconsuming our limited resources, while very much advocating for an evidence-based society. Still, dragons and magic are always welcome.​

Website: https://www.tristanscottauthor.com/

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and imaginative view of a possible future society, overcrowded with humans and struggling to provide basic needs for all. Personal space is nowhere to be found for those living and working below ground while those above are more affluent. What follows is not unexpected but told creatively. Recommended!

My thanks to the author, Tristan Scott, for my ebook of this novel, which was received through a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Samantha Venter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: This debut novel was written by my brother, so potentially biased! However, I genuinely thought this book was excellent and deserved all five stars. A dystopian sci-fi novel looking at human ingenuity in the face of extinction. Humans must work together and sacrifice much to survive, but not all sacrifice is equal. The plot was riveting and the characters well thought out. Excellent, exciting read! Well done, Tristan, on your first published book - looking forward to your next book!

[Levon Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining thriller set in a dystopian city of the future. I really enjoyed the author's attention to detail on the intricacies of this vertical society, and the pacing of the book kept me excited until the finale! Highly recommended.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a fair and honest review. It had no impact on my thoughts on this book at all. I really love to give honest feedback to authors in hopes that it helps them in their future journeys.

This book was a 4.75, but I rounded up to 5 because I loved it so much. There was one spot that dragged a little in the middle, but it really picked back up in the end.

Let's start out with some facts: Tristan Scott can write y'all. This book was so well written. I felt like I could see, smell, hear, and taste this place as I read the book. The descriptions were fantastic. I felt as cramped as the main character did.

I absolutely loved having a protagonist who was essentially claustrophobic, introverted, and hated being touched by other people. It was perfect for such a squished setting. It gave the story some extra depth that made every encounter he had with people feel even more eerie.

In terms of the story, I love that it was like the tower from High Rise was in the Silo Series and happened to be on a nuclear apocalypse island fitting for a story like Cat's Cradle. I loved all of those things, so it's an extreme compliment. I'm a huge nerd for all things apocalypse, and this book took certain aspects I love from apocalypse culture overall.

A lot of books linger on things that aren't important, and this book really focused on building the world and telling a story. There was no wasted time. The extra long beef between bad guys at the end had me in stitches.

TL;DR: Read this book! It's real real good.

To the Author: If you ever need someone to read a future book before it comes out and give feedback, I'm happy to be your test subject!

[Jennifer Finken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book

This book takes you on an amazing journey through life in a city that is cramped, stifling, but full of good people. Edgar is a man like anyone else that just wants more out of life, just doesn't know what he needs. So he learns many life lessons as he stumbles though a very complicated situation to another and then another. The author told the story in an easy to read and descriptive way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly!

[Joshua Blum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not quite sure what to say about this novel. The concept was well-imagined. The writing was decent. The story just didn’t capture me.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came across this book in a neighborhood 'little library' and was pleasantly surprised. A self-published novel that is also very well-written and not too farfetched for dystopian sci-fi (which is typically not my genre). Great descriptors throughout and characters we can relate to. Well done, and recommended.

[Arnie Benn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting story world — a somewhat dystopian world within an enormous building-city on a volcanic island, one in which levels act almost like a caste system and where resources flow upwards from underground. Imagine a world with no personal space. And things that somehow don't seem quite right. The story builds towards an almost inevitable conclusion, though the question remains: how do all the pieces really fit together, and who will end up being whom? I did not expect the very end either.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 is probably more accurate. This book’s plot was excellent: I’ve never read a story like this, and it was fun imagining the future that Scott envisioned. There were also some twists that were unexpected. However, pacing wasn’t great and the dialogue and character building felt a bit juvenile. The book was held together by the unique story, which made me forgive things I normally wouldn’t have.

[Innie_JohanaD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had fun reading Vertical City, and I enjoyed the ending (even if it was a little over the top sometimes 😄)
I just had a hard time picturing the building and how it would fit around the volcano (the penthouse seemed very weird!)
I was pleasantly surprised by how dark it got towards the end though. Sounded almost like body horror!

[Sue Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very bizarre. Reviews that read like 5th grade book reports.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Great read.