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Swarm
The town of Drachton is crumbling, with crime and violence perpetuating around the clock. Prisons are at bursting point, and morale is at an all time low.
The authority's answer is Swarm—a revolutionary new prison.
Swarm is a correctional facility like no other, harnessing the power of the inmates' subconscious minds for the benefit of the town.
The facility is a work of genius, and the town soon begins to prosper.
But the newfound hope doesn't last long. When cutting-edge technology merges with humankind's ancient biological roots, what kind of monster will emerge?
The authority's answer is Swarm—a revolutionary new prison.
Swarm is a correctional facility like no other, harnessing the power of the inmates' subconscious minds for the benefit of the town.
The facility is a work of genius, and the town soon begins to prosper.
But the newfound hope doesn't last long. When cutting-edge technology merges with humankind's ancient biological roots, what kind of monster will emerge?
- GenresFantasy
113 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2021
26 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
James Flynn
14 books38 followersJames Flynn grew up in England.
His stories cross the boundaries of horror, sci-fi, and sci-fi horror. An absurdist at heart, Flynn’s tales are told through a lens of darkness, highlighting the many paradoxes and predicaments that come attached to human existence.
James Flynn’s stories have been compared to those of the hit TV series, The Twilight Zone, due to their eeriness and atmospheric nature.
Flynn's work has appeared in Black Petals Magazine, Yellow Mama Magazine, The Scare Room Podcast, Weird Mask Magazine, Literary Yard, Sugar Spice Erotica Review, Patty's Short Stax Anthology, Local Haunts Anthology, Lurking in the Dark Anthology and Alien Buddha Press.
Flynn’s latest release is the Exodus of Evil trilogy.
His stories cross the boundaries of horror, sci-fi, and sci-fi horror. An absurdist at heart, Flynn’s tales are told through a lens of darkness, highlighting the many paradoxes and predicaments that come attached to human existence.
James Flynn’s stories have been compared to those of the hit TV series, The Twilight Zone, due to their eeriness and atmospheric nature.
Flynn's work has appeared in Black Petals Magazine, Yellow Mama Magazine, The Scare Room Podcast, Weird Mask Magazine, Literary Yard, Sugar Spice Erotica Review, Patty's Short Stax Anthology, Local Haunts Anthology, Lurking in the Dark Anthology and Alien Buddha Press.
Flynn’s latest release is the Exodus of Evil trilogy.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 3, 2025
Published Originally 2/1/2021 by the author, now with an new revised edition.
Thank you to the author for providing a copy for review.
In the second edition of Swarm, the city of Rachton is riddled with crime. A victim of crime, Eric Trammel, has turned to a life in the GLC to help fight against the criminals ruining his city. The answer the GLC comes up with is a new prison where prisoners can by connected to a hive mind to harvest their consciences to create answers to their hardest questions.
Swarm: Replugged is a great science fiction thought experiment of the possibilities of the human mind as well as the consequences of harvesting it. I read both editions of this book at the same time to compare. There are a lot of revisions that make the prose tighter though I really enjoyed both versions. Eric Trammel is a great sympathetic character to follow the story of best intentions gone wrong. I really enjoyed the ethical questions raised in this situation in the prison as well as the way it escalates so quickly off the rails. I would recommend this novella to fans of science fiction.
Thank you to the author for providing a copy for review.
In the second edition of Swarm, the city of Rachton is riddled with crime. A victim of crime, Eric Trammel, has turned to a life in the GLC to help fight against the criminals ruining his city. The answer the GLC comes up with is a new prison where prisoners can by connected to a hive mind to harvest their consciences to create answers to their hardest questions.
Swarm: Replugged is a great science fiction thought experiment of the possibilities of the human mind as well as the consequences of harvesting it. I read both editions of this book at the same time to compare. There are a lot of revisions that make the prose tighter though I really enjoyed both versions. Eric Trammel is a great sympathetic character to follow the story of best intentions gone wrong. I really enjoyed the ethical questions raised in this situation in the prison as well as the way it escalates so quickly off the rails. I would recommend this novella to fans of science fiction.
February 22, 2022
Out of the bunches of random speculative fiction I like to, from time to time, sample from Kindle freebies James Flynn’s work stood out to me. In quality. In originality. In imagination.
I read a short story collection of his which I fund quite good, so I figured I’ll try this dystopian novella. And sure enough, once again, quite good.
There’s a very disturbing concept at play here, the idea of harvesting intellectual energy and the predictably dark paths that leads down. Swarm was supposed to revolutionize the world, but, of course, like many such grandiose plans, it isn’t perfect. In fact, terrifyingly far from it.
The story isn’t perfect either, it’s slightly uneven and slightly unsure of itself as a novella-length work, but overall there’s enough meat on these bones to render it worth a read.
Flynn is an author with a deliciously morbid imagination who is very comfortable going to some seriously dark places, which lends itself very well to dystopian fiction. Well done.
I read a short story collection of his which I fund quite good, so I figured I’ll try this dystopian novella. And sure enough, once again, quite good.
There’s a very disturbing concept at play here, the idea of harvesting intellectual energy and the predictably dark paths that leads down. Swarm was supposed to revolutionize the world, but, of course, like many such grandiose plans, it isn’t perfect. In fact, terrifyingly far from it.
The story isn’t perfect either, it’s slightly uneven and slightly unsure of itself as a novella-length work, but overall there’s enough meat on these bones to render it worth a read.
Flynn is an author with a deliciously morbid imagination who is very comfortable going to some seriously dark places, which lends itself very well to dystopian fiction. Well done.
September 2, 2022
Building the world's greatest supercomputer by tying together the brains of 100's of prisoners.
Sounds like a great idea until it develops a mind of its own.
This was a very interesting sci-fi story of good intentions going bad.
Good pace and tech.
Easy reading too...enjoy
Sounds like a great idea until it develops a mind of its own.
This was a very interesting sci-fi story of good intentions going bad.
Good pace and tech.
Easy reading too...enjoy
May 5, 2023
huh
I think this book really does say a lot about how the human mind works and how people respond to things and not the pretty stories we tell ourselves.
If your looking for a thought provoking read this is definitely it!
On a side note, the cover seems entirely unrelated to the story and I have no clue why the author even thought to use it.
I think this book really does say a lot about how the human mind works and how people respond to things and not the pretty stories we tell ourselves.
If your looking for a thought provoking read this is definitely it!
On a side note, the cover seems entirely unrelated to the story and I have no clue why the author even thought to use it.
February 17, 2025
Human beings have a tendency to believe themselves outside of the natural world. Perhaps its our consciousness protecting us from an inconvenient truth, or maybe a blindspot in our wiring, but upon closer inspection, everything you ever (or maybe never) wanted to know about human beings can be found in the animal kingdom.
Whether through the flexing of plumage, getting out alpha'd, or rise and grinding it like a good little worker bee on the daily, many a human phenomenon or technological advancement is simply a mimicry of nature.
James Flynn's Swarm is a novella all too aware of this very human predicament.
Read as an allegorical piece, you can see what Flynn is showcasing here. A few reviews I skimmed over remarked how Swarm forewarns over the dangers of technology if we're not careful, etc, but to my mind, Flynn is clearly satirising the world in which we already reside. The technology of Swarm is in your pocket right now, but instead of a beehive logo there's an all too familiar apple on it. That's what we're all plugged into without our realising it. If you want to see a true dystopia, just look out the nearest window.
Released not long after lockdown, you can guess where the notion of bodies locked up inside, attached to their screens originated, not to mention the neglect and degradation of the world outside the Swarm facility. But hell, the internet in general could be conceived of as the screen to our most derelict and base, reptilian subconscious. Tapping into it via the novella's technology, is a premise as chilling as it is intriguing.
Read like this, Swarm is forgiven its sins of the cliched, and is perhaps in mockery of both the colloquial and of storytelling tropes all round. The story, in terms of the characters, is light and not exactly spread out, but I feel that's largely the point. The city of Rachton is its main character, and its Ballard-esque copulation with technology is Swarm's overarching story. Their relationship, made in disharmonious matrimony, is what we see rise and fall. People, in the world of Swarm, are worth about as much as the last fly to irritate your calm. As a collective, they are all one and the same, therefore null and void.
In the same sense as online technology, along with its fads and popular-now platforms, the plot moves post-haste, abandoning the past as quickly as its path is paved. This makes for a speedy, exciting read, though like with AI, it comes with some drawbacks.
A mention of a dead wife gave Trammel (our leading man) some context, but the chapter where he's partnered up with Female Officer #1 felt like she was only there for Trammel to bounce exposition off. Just like her unnamed persona, she was an entirely inconsequential entity. Maybe that was the point. If Flynn made McQuade (Trammel's superior) a cantankerous and combative woman instead of a man, the tension between the two could have been more alluring and ambiguous. Or maybe if the female cop died on his watch, we may've got more insight as to why Trammel and women in general are not best suited to one another.
With its extremely intriguing premise, Flynn takes us on a ride through Swarm's cocooning stages, after its installed inside the main prison system, where the inmates are plugged into it Black Mirror style so that it can channel into their collective subconscious and dig for supposed goldmines of data. But to learn what and how or why to apply it, we don't quite know.
The world of Rachton is beautifully depicted, with vibes of Blade Runner, Robocop's Detroit, blended with a dash of Huxley and machine-lusting Ballard, to really give an authentic feel to the district and overall ominous tone.
Whilst a dystopian sci-fi piece, its evocations are more in the cosmological horror department. There's an undercurrent to the happenings and transitions that keep you wanting more. And with fast-paced, Crichton-like panache, you'll breeze through it in next to no time.
Toward the end, Flynn dives into a more classical, and perhaps ironical use of the epistolary, which felt a tad out of place but did give us some insight as to our protagonist's inner workings. It finishes with a poignant, cosmological horror touch à la Invasion of the Body Snatchers, cliff-hanging us with the potential for its future expansion, or perhaps, world domination.
Like Swarm itself though, Flynn leaves the burden of proof to you, inside the inescapable cell that is your skull.
And, as I suspect Flynn also already knows, there's no place more terrifying than that.
Whether through the flexing of plumage, getting out alpha'd, or rise and grinding it like a good little worker bee on the daily, many a human phenomenon or technological advancement is simply a mimicry of nature.
James Flynn's Swarm is a novella all too aware of this very human predicament.
Read as an allegorical piece, you can see what Flynn is showcasing here. A few reviews I skimmed over remarked how Swarm forewarns over the dangers of technology if we're not careful, etc, but to my mind, Flynn is clearly satirising the world in which we already reside. The technology of Swarm is in your pocket right now, but instead of a beehive logo there's an all too familiar apple on it. That's what we're all plugged into without our realising it. If you want to see a true dystopia, just look out the nearest window.
Released not long after lockdown, you can guess where the notion of bodies locked up inside, attached to their screens originated, not to mention the neglect and degradation of the world outside the Swarm facility. But hell, the internet in general could be conceived of as the screen to our most derelict and base, reptilian subconscious. Tapping into it via the novella's technology, is a premise as chilling as it is intriguing.
Read like this, Swarm is forgiven its sins of the cliched, and is perhaps in mockery of both the colloquial and of storytelling tropes all round. The story, in terms of the characters, is light and not exactly spread out, but I feel that's largely the point. The city of Rachton is its main character, and its Ballard-esque copulation with technology is Swarm's overarching story. Their relationship, made in disharmonious matrimony, is what we see rise and fall. People, in the world of Swarm, are worth about as much as the last fly to irritate your calm. As a collective, they are all one and the same, therefore null and void.
In the same sense as online technology, along with its fads and popular-now platforms, the plot moves post-haste, abandoning the past as quickly as its path is paved. This makes for a speedy, exciting read, though like with AI, it comes with some drawbacks.
A mention of a dead wife gave Trammel (our leading man) some context, but the chapter where he's partnered up with Female Officer #1 felt like she was only there for Trammel to bounce exposition off. Just like her unnamed persona, she was an entirely inconsequential entity. Maybe that was the point. If Flynn made McQuade (Trammel's superior) a cantankerous and combative woman instead of a man, the tension between the two could have been more alluring and ambiguous. Or maybe if the female cop died on his watch, we may've got more insight as to why Trammel and women in general are not best suited to one another.
With its extremely intriguing premise, Flynn takes us on a ride through Swarm's cocooning stages, after its installed inside the main prison system, where the inmates are plugged into it Black Mirror style so that it can channel into their collective subconscious and dig for supposed goldmines of data. But to learn what and how or why to apply it, we don't quite know.
The world of Rachton is beautifully depicted, with vibes of Blade Runner, Robocop's Detroit, blended with a dash of Huxley and machine-lusting Ballard, to really give an authentic feel to the district and overall ominous tone.
Whilst a dystopian sci-fi piece, its evocations are more in the cosmological horror department. There's an undercurrent to the happenings and transitions that keep you wanting more. And with fast-paced, Crichton-like panache, you'll breeze through it in next to no time.
Toward the end, Flynn dives into a more classical, and perhaps ironical use of the epistolary, which felt a tad out of place but did give us some insight as to our protagonist's inner workings. It finishes with a poignant, cosmological horror touch à la Invasion of the Body Snatchers, cliff-hanging us with the potential for its future expansion, or perhaps, world domination.
Like Swarm itself though, Flynn leaves the burden of proof to you, inside the inescapable cell that is your skull.
And, as I suspect Flynn also already knows, there's no place more terrifying than that.
May 29, 2021
James FlynnA very enjoyable story that keeps you engaged throughout. It gives you pause to think - are we in the prepubescent phase of a multiplicity of "Swarms" i.e. the evil algorithmic machinations and calculations of the likes of Google, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, all the internet/cell service providers and streaming channels. Are snickering nerds glued to keyboards in ergonomically conscious office environments predicting and directing your actions? ... Did your phone just beep at you? Don't you think you better check it out? Again, I really enjoyed this story.
March 23, 2025
This dystopian tale features the formation of a hive mind whose components are provided by criminal offenders. The purpose of this scientific experiment is to provide a solution to humanity's problems, but we soon see that it creates more problems than it solves.
For me this was reminiscent of other dystopian novels such as 1984 and Brave New World
For me this was reminiscent of other dystopian novels such as 1984 and Brave New World
January 24, 2024
This was really, really great! I completely disappeared into this well written adventure! A super scary idea! Brilliant, what a twisted solution! Good levels of tension & pace, great levels of excitement, a really thrilling read! I will look for more by this writer if this is an example of their works, I want more!
September 15, 2023
It was an OK read... I'd like to say it was engaging, but in all honesty it was a bit predictable and the ending was less than stellar. It left you wondering what of perhaps 3 or 4 imagined events might have taken place and then leaves the reader just kind of hanging. A real disappointment.
September 18, 2023
Wildly imaginative! Great, multi-faceted characters. Very unique plot. Vivid descriptions. This was a fast-paced, interesting read, that I found I did not want to put down! Kept me glued to the pages from the first page to the last.
October 12, 2021
An incredible short story, really makes you think. Free to read on Scribd, strongly recommend.
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September 8, 2023Swarm
I don't usually give 5 stars, but in this case, I would have given 10 if possible. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Read this, I think you will not be disappointed.
I don't usually give 5 stars, but in this case, I would have given 10 if possible. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Read this, I think you will not be disappointed.
January 3, 2024
i really enjoyed the concept and plot, but i wish it was longer so the story could have been more developed.
June 11, 2024
This is an enjoyable sci-fi read, the premise was interesting and the tech was cool. It’s well written, although it seems to be lacking ,there’s so many threads I just wanted to pull. The characters seemed a little flat, also the story development was vague. This authors emails are darkly hilarious though.
May 22, 2025
An interesting read that could have been wrapped up in four chapters. Didn't care for the ending since it should have been figured out by all the doctors thinking about the problem!
June 21, 2025
Superb
Reminiscent of George Orwell, of whom I am a great fan....James Flynn is in the same league. A new author,
to me, to be followed closely.
Reminiscent of George Orwell, of whom I am a great fan....James Flynn is in the same league. A new author,
to me, to be followed closely.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews