What do you think?
Rate this book
After the Fall: Fall of Civilization Dystopian Thriller Volume 1
These are the events following the demise of civilization. A self-inflicted cataclysm known as the Fall.
Shai was created for one purpose: to die.
200 years after the fall of civilization, in a world warred to rubble, Shai and her fellow Recollectors—humans built by machines to serve machines—have carved out a simple, pleasant life in their Mazatlán oasis. One of love, surf, and kinship.
Life is far from peaceful though. The AI controlling the machines is destabilizing, and Shai, with her upgraded genome, is the perfect sacrificial specimen they can use to patch it.
To stop them and save the scant remains of humanity, Shai will have to turn the one thing the bots believe will be their salvation against them: her mind. The genetic epiphany the machines believe to be their salvation might just be the harbinger of their destruction.
After the Fall is an edge-of-your-seat saga that is tenaciously intense but also intimately redefines what it means to be human. This first volume in the Fall of Civilization Dystopian Thriller series is a shocking science-fiction thriller about life-altering choices, intertwined destinies, and how far one woman will go to defeat the very machines who created her.
Shai was created for one purpose: to die.
200 years after the fall of civilization, in a world warred to rubble, Shai and her fellow Recollectors—humans built by machines to serve machines—have carved out a simple, pleasant life in their Mazatlán oasis. One of love, surf, and kinship.
Life is far from peaceful though. The AI controlling the machines is destabilizing, and Shai, with her upgraded genome, is the perfect sacrificial specimen they can use to patch it.
To stop them and save the scant remains of humanity, Shai will have to turn the one thing the bots believe will be their salvation against them: her mind. The genetic epiphany the machines believe to be their salvation might just be the harbinger of their destruction.
After the Fall is an edge-of-your-seat saga that is tenaciously intense but also intimately redefines what it means to be human. This first volume in the Fall of Civilization Dystopian Thriller series is a shocking science-fiction thriller about life-altering choices, intertwined destinies, and how far one woman will go to defeat the very machines who created her.
357 pages, Paperback
Published May 9, 2021
About the author
Deek Rhew
13 books102 followersDeek Rhew writes thrillers where psychology is the weapon and human nature decides who survives.
A lifelong traveler with an insatiable curiosity about what makes people tick, Deek draws inspiration from years spent exploring the world with his bride, Erin Rhew. Different cultures, unfamiliar terrain, and quiet moments of observation become fuel for stories rooted in motive, fear, and the choices people make under pressure.
Fueled by dark coffee and a fascination with the human psyche, Deek’s work asks: when pressure, circumstance, and perception strip away reason and logic, does anyone truly have limits? This obsession drives the 122 Rules series, where psychological principles predict behavior and operatives like Sam Bradford and Polly Cahill survive by manipulating others into choices that betray their own morals, even when the consequences are fatal.
Deek’s father, a proud Air Force veteran, taught him commitment, discipline, and sacrifice. These threads are woven throughout Deek’s life’s work. His career in software sharpened his understanding of technology and the unintended consequences of its misuse, themes that echo through his speculative fiction, where the fall of civilization feels less like imagination and more like an early warning.
When he’s not writing, Deek is usually adventuring with Erin, scouting the next horizon, or debating human behavior and motives over cups of strong coffee.
A lifelong traveler with an insatiable curiosity about what makes people tick, Deek draws inspiration from years spent exploring the world with his bride, Erin Rhew. Different cultures, unfamiliar terrain, and quiet moments of observation become fuel for stories rooted in motive, fear, and the choices people make under pressure.
Fueled by dark coffee and a fascination with the human psyche, Deek’s work asks: when pressure, circumstance, and perception strip away reason and logic, does anyone truly have limits? This obsession drives the 122 Rules series, where psychological principles predict behavior and operatives like Sam Bradford and Polly Cahill survive by manipulating others into choices that betray their own morals, even when the consequences are fatal.
Deek’s father, a proud Air Force veteran, taught him commitment, discipline, and sacrifice. These threads are woven throughout Deek’s life’s work. His career in software sharpened his understanding of technology and the unintended consequences of its misuse, themes that echo through his speculative fiction, where the fall of civilization feels less like imagination and more like an early warning.
When he’s not writing, Deek is usually adventuring with Erin, scouting the next horizon, or debating human behavior and motives over cups of strong coffee.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 17, 2021
4.5 stars
Set in a seemingly not so distant future, Shai, a Recollector, is tasked with going on wild adventures all for the sake of augmented virtual reality. However, Shai doesn’t have long to live and needs to figure out what or who is controlling the reality they live in. Get ready for a slow-burn yet fast-paced journey in The Recollector.
Part 1 takes you on a wild ride through the world of Osiris and the Recollector journey. I really liked that we jump right into the action when the book starts and things get explained as they become relevant for the progression of the book. I immediately grew to care about all the characters and wanted to hear more of their backstories.
Part 2 gives vivid detail and an in-depth setting creation. I couldn’t stop reading since I needed to know what happened next. The ending had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I can’t wait to read volume 2!
I received an ARC copy of this book for my honest review.
Set in a seemingly not so distant future, Shai, a Recollector, is tasked with going on wild adventures all for the sake of augmented virtual reality. However, Shai doesn’t have long to live and needs to figure out what or who is controlling the reality they live in. Get ready for a slow-burn yet fast-paced journey in The Recollector.
Part 1 takes you on a wild ride through the world of Osiris and the Recollector journey. I really liked that we jump right into the action when the book starts and things get explained as they become relevant for the progression of the book. I immediately grew to care about all the characters and wanted to hear more of their backstories.
Part 2 gives vivid detail and an in-depth setting creation. I couldn’t stop reading since I needed to know what happened next. The ending had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I can’t wait to read volume 2!
I received an ARC copy of this book for my honest review.
April 10, 2021
After reading THE EXTRACTOR and THE INJECTOR, I knew I'd love to read more in the Osiris series, and Shai's book, THE RECOLLECTOR was awwwwe-some. Shai was born to collect memories for AI purposes, and as the book starts, she knows her life will end in a little over a month's time. She wants to change her fate, and an innocent side trip gives her the chance to do so.
I loved the action-packed story, and the AI parts were easy for this non-sci-fi lady to follow along. I loved the scenes in NYC, where a team of kick-ass ladies appear in Shai's life, and I especially enjoyed the emotions and closeness in the relationship between best friends, Jamie and Shai. I'm rooting for these two, as well as their recollector friends.
THE RECOLLECTOR, at its heart, is a story of having the courage to change your destiny. Can't wait for Volume 2, to see how Shai handles her new situation at the end of the book!
I loved the action-packed story, and the AI parts were easy for this non-sci-fi lady to follow along. I loved the scenes in NYC, where a team of kick-ass ladies appear in Shai's life, and I especially enjoyed the emotions and closeness in the relationship between best friends, Jamie and Shai. I'm rooting for these two, as well as their recollector friends.
THE RECOLLECTOR, at its heart, is a story of having the courage to change your destiny. Can't wait for Volume 2, to see how Shai handles her new situation at the end of the book!
September 19, 2021
I really enjoyed this cyberpunk/scifi adventure with engaging conflicts that happen in both the real and the virtual reality space. Deek Rhew has a descriptive touch that had me not only laughing out loud but also turning the page to find out how the protagonist was going to get out of impossible situations. From oversized rusty robots to classic mafia villains , reading this was a blast.
October 9, 2021
Having found the first offering in this world created by Deek Rhew to have taken me some time to get into I have since found the following books all flow beautifully and draw me in so that I want more from the world and look forward to the next chapter in the story.
This book sees a world where humans are being created to enable them to be used for a virtual reality system as it continues to be developed to be able to provide the most lifelike experience possible but what happens when those created decide that they have had enough and want to break free from the life they have had created for them? This story delves into a future world where bots, computer systems and more are all controlling and have taken over what humanity built and ultimately destroyed by handing over control but when you are created for a purpose do you lose that fighting spirit that makes humanity the species it has become?
This book is amazingly well written and has a story full of interesting ideas that whilst out there also hit close to home at the same time. Deek Rhew once again delivers a perfect addition to the world he has recently started and I for one look forward to much more to come from this world and author.
This book sees a world where humans are being created to enable them to be used for a virtual reality system as it continues to be developed to be able to provide the most lifelike experience possible but what happens when those created decide that they have had enough and want to break free from the life they have had created for them? This story delves into a future world where bots, computer systems and more are all controlling and have taken over what humanity built and ultimately destroyed by handing over control but when you are created for a purpose do you lose that fighting spirit that makes humanity the species it has become?
This book is amazingly well written and has a story full of interesting ideas that whilst out there also hit close to home at the same time. Deek Rhew once again delivers a perfect addition to the world he has recently started and I for one look forward to much more to come from this world and author.
May 19, 2023
‘Find a way to beat the machines’
Fast-paced and action-packed with old skool reminders of “Logan’s Run”, “Tron”, and “The Terminator’, but with the author’s own personal twists. Such a warped world...
I TOTALLY want some Poltergeist Armor!!
Does Shai keep her humanity or does she go as cold as the metal beasts she fights? Guess we’ll have to read ‘Rogue Mission’ to find out…
Fast-paced and action-packed with old skool reminders of “Logan’s Run”, “Tron”, and “The Terminator’, but with the author’s own personal twists. Such a warped world...
I TOTALLY want some Poltergeist Armor!!
Does Shai keep her humanity or does she go as cold as the metal beasts she fights? Guess we’ll have to read ‘Rogue Mission’ to find out…
April 14, 2022
This book.is amazing the story flows incredibly well its also keeps you gripped and wanting more. I would definitely recommend this book to any sifi lovers.
January 28, 2023
This story is told from the point of view of Shai, a young woman who has been bred for the entertainment of a world of heartless machines. The expiration date on most humans is roughly 30-ish, and Shai is on her final countdown to her "coronation," a brutal process that will extract and preserve her memories. Fueled by a desire to find a way to take down the machines, Shai enters the virtual world of Osiris to track down the "ghosts" who are living within and are the last bastion of human resistance. The story line and action are totally engrossing and I was quite sad to get to an exciting conclusion, only to find that I had been left with a cliff hanger! I totally enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who enjoy scifi, dystopian, or tales of evil machines. I will be looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
February 9, 2023
I enjoyed reading this book. Part One, starts at the top of the I-Fell Tower (the MC's nickname for the Eiffel Tower) with the main character, Shai, getting ready to fall with thirty-seven days, twenty-two hours, forty-four minutes, and seven seconds of her life left.
In this proposed future, adults are all in "the program". As a Recollector, Shai (and those like her) was designed to gather memories for Osiris, a "program". Recollectors can also visit in a "thread", a part of Osiris, while their bodies remain "topside". And, for most of her adult life, she has been trying to find a way to break out of the program.
She decides to visit the Cotton Club during the 1920s believing there might be an exit there. But, she realizes Osiris' deputies are there, too.
Part Two is after Shai has found an exit point. At this point, the story seemed to lag for me. I almost stopped reading. But, I'm glad I kept reading and pushed through because it gets better. Much better! I recommend this book if you like dystopian sci-fi.
I received an ebook copy of this book for my honest opinion and review.
In this proposed future, adults are all in "the program". As a Recollector, Shai (and those like her) was designed to gather memories for Osiris, a "program". Recollectors can also visit in a "thread", a part of Osiris, while their bodies remain "topside". And, for most of her adult life, she has been trying to find a way to break out of the program.
She decides to visit the Cotton Club during the 1920s believing there might be an exit there. But, she realizes Osiris' deputies are there, too.
Part Two is after Shai has found an exit point. At this point, the story seemed to lag for me. I almost stopped reading. But, I'm glad I kept reading and pushed through because it gets better. Much better! I recommend this book if you like dystopian sci-fi.
I received an ebook copy of this book for my honest opinion and review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews