Autonomy

by Jude Houghton

Overview

Balmoral Murraine works in a Battery, assembling devices she doesn’t understand for starvation pay. Pasco Eborgersen is the pampered son of an Elite, trying to navigate the temptations of the Pleasure Houses, the self-sacrifice of the Faith, and the high-octane excitement of Steel Ball. They never should have met, and now they will rip the world apart.

What happens when ninety percent of the world lives on skaatch – a jellyfish and insect composite?
What happens when mankind spends more time in alternative life sims instead of in the “real” world?
What happens when economic interest is the sole determinant of global decision making? 
What happens when a single secret is discovered that calls into question everything we have ever believed?

Welcome to the Autonomy. Welcome to your future.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940153383392
Publisher:	Kristell Ink, Grimbold Books
Publication date:	07/28/2016
Sold by:	Draft2Digital
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

Editorial Reviews

'Equal parts post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction, Jude Houghton's mind-blowing epic tale of humankind's struggle to survive in a critically overpopulated world stripped of all its resources is nothing short of a science fiction masterwork.' - Blue Ink Reviews (starred review)


'The concept of a gamified religion taps into a cultural obsession with instant gratification and validation while also emphasizing the performative nature of faith. However, Houghton's attention to detail doesn't overshadow the novel's emotional resonance. An immersive novel that chillingly predicts a world in which life is something to be escaped rather than experienced.' - Kirkus Reviews

'Autonomy is designed to make the reader question the big picture of how economics, politics, and religion interact to influence the actions of the general public... Survival and happiness are rare treats in this gritty tale of world domination by money hungry elitists.' - Francis Zane, Readers' Favorite

From the Publisher

2016-08-15
Houghton (Songs of Seraphina, 2015) explores the difference between living and surviving in this sci-fi thriller. In the wake of a global climate catastrophe, a new world government re-establishes order as a single nation called the Autonomy. However, this order comes at a price, as the majority of the worlds citizens are simply considered unit[s] of production. Workers toil endlessly to create iNet glasses, devices that allow even the lowliest grunt to escape their lives through virtual-reality simulations. The glasses also provide access to the Faith, a religion that promises points toward salvation in exchange for worldly suffering. Rebellions rise in opposition to the governments ever tightening control, and many citizens find themselves willing or unwilling participants in the deadly conflict. Pasco Eborgersen, a gambler with ties to the highest level of government, and Balmoral Murraine, an iNet savant from one of the poorest Sectors of the Autonomy, become unlikely allies. They learn secrets that could either save their world or destroy it and that there are people in power who would kill to see that information buried. Although the timeline of Houghtons novel is somewhat unrealisticthe world goes from utter collapse to an Orwellian government to a rebellion within a span of roughly 30 yearsthe future society that the author creates is compelling. He gives ample attention to details of the new worlds structure, such as the jellyfish-and-insect-based skaatch that serves as the main food product and the commodified social order in which children are named by corporations. The Autonomy exists as a heightened version of the current First World/Third World system, strikingly juxtaposing the ravages of Sector 2 and 3 against the plump privilege of Sector 1. The concept of a gamified religion taps into a cultural obsession with instant gratification and validation while also emphasizing the performative nature of faith. However, Houghtons attention to detail doesnt overshadow the novels emotional resonance. An immersive novel that chillingly predicts a world in which life is something to be escaped rather than experienced.

Kirkus Reviews