Book Review Books General Fiction SCIENCE FICTION - DYSTOPIAN / CYBERPUNK / POST-APOCALYPTIC

“Lazarus: Chronicles of the A.N.U.B.I.S. System” by R. Garcia Vega

Lazarus: Chronicles of the A.N.U.B.I.S. System by Raul Garcia Vega is the first installment in this techno-thriller series. It is the year 2060 as the story begins, and readers are brought into the world of Valara. It is one of three major zones that society has been divided into ever since the mega corporations offered bailouts when the institutions collapsed. Valara belongs to the very powerful OmniTech. With no use for human labor, OmniTech usurps its power by regulating the economy, security, energy, and emotions. Even within this particular part of society, the elite are detached and live in their high towers while the less fortunate live in dilapidated mega blocks.

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Artificial Intelligence Book Review Books General Fiction SCIENCE FICTION - DYSTOPIAN / CYBERPUNK / POST-APOCALYPTIC

“Higher Intelligence” by Bernard Doucette

If you’re a fan of post-apocalyptic sagas, chances are good you’ve noticed the recent change in authors’ chosen methods of planet-wide destruction. It used to be zombies, EMTs, a virus, just plain ol’ nukes, or any combination therein. With the advent of AI, authors have upped their game. By far, the best of this new style I’ve read so far just crossed my desk a few days ago. Higher Intelligence, the brainchild of Bernard Doucette, offers readers an intelligent, well-crafted tale that will have you turning pages late into the night. Its strength lies not just in its creativity, but in the very queasy sense of plausibility it puts forth while remaining a full-on sci-fi/fantasy lover’s dream.

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Book Review Books General Fiction LGBTQIA+ FICTION SCIENCE FICTION - DYSTOPIAN / CYBERPUNK / POST-APOCALYPTIC

“Shadows in Dream Stone” by Kelly K. Branyik

Boy oh boy, is this novel a big-hitter. Shadows in Dream Stone – and therefore author Kelly K. Branyik – does not shy away from the truly heavy topics in life. Incredibly political, the novel addresses the treatment of women in a dystopian United States of America hundreds of years into our future. While the oppression of varying minority groups is a prominent issue in the novel, the crux of the conflict comes from the severe, authoritarian control governments have over women’s bodies. In a world where a miscarriage can send a woman to prison for nearly a decade, how can women stand up for themselves? Branyik addresses that through her protagonist, Abaddon Ordell.

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