Release date: February 28, 2019
Subgenre: Dystopian Fiction
About Wired: A Dystopian Novel for the 21st Century:
Set in the year 2029, our hero, Teton, becomes aware of the oppressive corporate regime controlling his life, as well as the 9 billion other inhabitants of the world. Through the use of wires, cell towers, and propaganda, the evil corporation dictates the unwitting citizens of the world, and the people must now face the challenge of an impending apocalypse that will be brought about by an asteroid in a month's time. A gritty, candid, and cerebral tale unfolds in this novel, bringing up poignant questions that must be answered to keep this book from becoming our history ten years from now.
Excerpt:
The message was important. In fact, it was the first time in
Teton’s life that his fear of death conquered all other daily
activities.
Denial is the strongest of all human emotions; if people knew how
easy it would be to die in a simple accident, they would rarely
leave the house… He thought back to a special AR program he had watched on human
psychology.
With the new message that had come through, staying in the house to
avoid death was no longer viable
The flashing, black, malicious text of the headline, “Impending
Foreign Space Object Headed Toward Earth; Could Mark the End of
Humanity,” had burned into Teton’s mind’s eye, and projected itself
onto the floor in front of him as he flicked his eyes back and
forth about his classroom.
The article would go on to explain, in the sterilized manner of
mainstream news, that a meteor half the size of the moon, was due
to cross Earth’s orbit in a projected span of one and a half
months. A scientist by the name of Maratha Lecozotan had explained
this in the article:
The space object was tracked and identified via orbital satellite
ZH-46 as heading towards the Earth’s orbit last night at
approximately, 10:36 P.M. EST. Due to occasional false alarms that
occur, my crew and I double checked the meteor’s projected
trajectory; we were able to confirm with a 98% accuracy that it
would cross Earth’s projected orbit forty-eight days from
yesterday. Due to the size of the space object, if collision with
Earth were to occur (which is extremely likely), all life within a
5,000-mile radius would immediately be killed by the impact. The
remaining population would most likely die due to atmospheric
tearing, potable water and vegetation destruction, and blockage of
sunlight.
The news article then linked to a clip of the presidential message
from the White House, given thirty minutes earlier:
We are all doomed to the same fate! Humanity can descend into
depravity to alleviate our deepest fears, or we can band together
as fellow inhabitants of this planet to create the first global
civilization with an emphasis on peace. Oh, how petty all conflict
seems now! The only way we can save ourselves from eternal
damnation, it would seem, is through unification! Diversity is our
strength, and that must be called upon to ensure a final, and
beautiful, existence!
Teton began to feel a pit in his stomach; his eyes burned, and it
was as if a hard wad of paper had stuck in his throat. Could it be
true? Was a global countdown really going to end with a
nuclear-esque explosion, ending the lives of billions with a short
white flash?
Teton looked out the windows to the world beyond the inside of the
school walls. The muffling cotton in Teton’s ears was beginning to
fall away, replacing the dull hum with a sea of screams of
different pitches melding together to make a terrible, hellish
sound; Teton’s mind flicked to the familiar phrase of the Bible
occasionally brought up earlier in his life: “Wailing and gnashing
of teeth.” What a laudable expression! No other phrase could sum up
the sound infiltrating the inside of his head. It was then he
realized, to his revulsion, that he was joining in the chorus: his
mouth was open, and a dry, raspy cry was emerging from the back of
his throat and echoing into the air outside.
Amazon
About Tanner Nielsen:
Tanner Nielsen was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and grew up there.
He then moved to Colorado at age ten, and lived there until
graduating from CNCC in 2016. He moved down to Phoenix, Arizona
after graduation, and that is where he currently resides with his
wife, Nicole, and a dog. Wired: A Dystopian Novel for the 21st
Century is his debut novel and is an amalgam of his life
experiences, philosophies, and dark humor.
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