The Feed: A Novel

by Nick Clark Windo

Overview

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Blake Crouch's Recursion meets Mad Max and The Girl with All the Gifts in this startling and timely debut that explores what it is to be human and what it truly means to be connected in the digital age.

The Feed is accessible everywhere, by everyone, at any time. It instantaneously links us to all information and global events as they break. Every interaction, every emotion, every image can be shared through it; it is the essential tool everyone relies on to know and understand the thoughts and feelings of partners, parents, friends, children, colleagues, bosses, employees . . . in fact, of anyone and everyone else in the world.

Tom and Kate use the Feed, but Tom has resisted its addiction, which makes him suspect to his family. After all, his father created it. But that opposition to constant connection serves Tom and Kate well when the Feed collapses after a horrific tragedy shatters the world as they know it.

The Feed’s collapse, taking modern society with it, leaves people scavenging to survive. Finding food is truly a matter of life and death. Minor ailments, previously treatable, now kill. And while the collapse has demolished the trappings of the modern world, it has also eroded trust. In a world where survival of the fittest is a way of life, there is no one to depend upon except yourself . . . and maybe even that is no longer true.

Tom and Kate have managed to protect themselves and their family. But then their six-year-old daughter, Bea, goes missing. Who has taken her? How do you begin to look for someone in a world without technology? And what happens when you can no longer even be certain that the people you love are really who they claim to be?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062651877
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	12/24/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Nick Clark Windo studied English literature at Cambridge and acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and he now works as a film producer and communications coach. The Feed, his first thriller, was inspired by his realization that people are becoming increasingly disconnected from one another, as well as by philosophical questions about identity and memory. He lives in London with his wife and daughter.

Editorial Reviews

A chilling, dystopian page-turner—I was hooked from the very beginning and haunted for days after finishing it.” — S.J. Watson, bestselling author of Before I Go to Sleep

“Evocative of Black Mirror, The Feed is a visceral warning about our addiction to technology and shortening attention spans in the form of an optimistic, engaging human perseverance tale.” — Tal M. Klein, author of The Punch Escrow

“A really clever and original book. A tense thriller wrapped up in a scarily plausible dystopian nightmare, with a twist that will make your head explode!” — C.J. Tudor, author of The Chalk Man

“This thought-provoking debut shines a speculative light on the subjects of connection, disconnection, and identity in a not-so-distant digital age. The fast pace and absorbing plot will keep readers racing to the end.”
 
— Library Journal (starred review)

“Nick Clark Windo’s debut, quickly establishes this is not your typical post-apocalyptic scenario [...] Though there are clear similarities to “The Walking Dead” and “The Circle,” the book offers fresh, smart commentary about digital dependence and its potential effect on our minds and relationships.” — Washington Post (Best Science Fiction and Fantasy — March 2018)

“Think The Road intricately wrapped around Station Eleven with a dash of Oryx and Crake...Windo pushes all the right buttons in this post-apocalyptic mashup.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Imagine a mash-up of “Black Mirror” episodes in post-apocalyptic Britain.” — Washington Post

“A startling and timely debut which presents a world as unique and vividly imagined as Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts.” — Fantastic Faction

“Easily one of the most powerful and disturbing novels of the year, a dystopian mash-up of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Jack Finney’s The Body Snatchers (sans alien pods) with a heavy nod towards John Wyndham, Nigel Kneale, Philip K Dick and Orwell’s 1984.” — Starburst Magazine

“[A] brilliant, highly charged debut.” — Daily Mail (UK)

“A compelling story of people rediscovering what it means to be human in a world abruptly unplugged.” — Christopher Brown, author of Tropic of Kansas

“Warning: THE FEED is ludicrously addictive...I devoured this story barely putting it down. Great concept, great execution, plenty of book trauma with a huge emotional rush of an ending. Left me vaguely tearful. Highly Recommended.” — Liz Loves Books

“THE FEED examines our addiction to technology through the lens of a bleak dystopia, reminiscent of The Road. A deft and extremely clever work of sci-fi that kept me completely immersed in the world Windo created.” — Joe Hart, WSJ bestselling author of The Last Girl     

“Surprising and ambitious, The Feed takes connectivity to a terrifying extreme—and then rips it away. Technology-addled survivors are forced to relearn how to live in a world in which nothing is safe, not even sleep. Fascinating.” — Alexandra Oliva, author of The Last One

“I really enjoyed it and what a great ending!” — Martina Cole, author of the Sunday Times bestselling DCI Kate Burrows series

“What a riveting and original novel! The Feed is frighteningly believable and disturbing and I loved the way I was pulled into its dark reality, so convincing it’s almost unbearable. The Feed is one of those rare novels that changes your mind as you read it.” — Helen Dunmore, author of The Siege

“A tense thriller with a strong vein of the speculative. And that ending . . . blimey!” — Den Patrick, author of The Boy With the Porcelain Blade

“Nick Clark Windo’s captivating debut is a dark, thought-provoking read. Tap into The Feed and it will change your world.” —  Adam Hamdy, author of Pendulum

From the Publisher

A chilling, dystopian page-turner—I was hooked from the very beginning and haunted for days after finishing it.

S.J. Watson

A really clever and original book. A tense thriller wrapped up in a scarily plausible dystopian nightmare, with a twist that will make your head explode!

C.J. Tudor

A startling and timely debut which presents a world as unique and vividly imagined as Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts.

Fantastic Faction

[A] brilliant, highly charged debut.

Daily Mail (UK)

Imagine a mash-up of “Black Mirror” episodes in post-apocalyptic Britain.

Washington Post

Nick Clark Windo’s debut, quickly establishes this is not your typical post-apocalyptic scenario [...] Though there are clear similarities to “The Walking Dead” and “The Circle,” the book offers fresh, smart commentary about digital dependence and its potential effect on our minds and relationships.

Washington Post (Best Science Fiction and Fantasy — March 2018)

I really enjoyed it and what a great ending!

Martina Cole

What a riveting and original novel! The Feed is frighteningly believable and disturbing and I loved the way I was pulled into its dark reality, so convincing it’s almost unbearable. The Feed is one of those rare novels that changes your mind as you read it.

Helen Dunmore

Warning: THE FEED is ludicrously addictive...I devoured this story barely putting it down. Great concept, great execution, plenty of book trauma with a huge emotional rush of an ending. Left me vaguely tearful. Highly Recommended.

Liz Loves Books

Surprising and ambitious, The Feed takes connectivity to a terrifying extreme—and then rips it away. Technology-addled survivors are forced to relearn how to live in a world in which nothing is safe, not even sleep. Fascinating.

Alexandra Oliva

A compelling story of people rediscovering what it means to be human in a world abruptly unplugged.

Christopher Brown

01/15/2018
This heavily speculative postapocalyptic thriller complicates a basic what-if question—what if the internet were connected directly to people’s brains?—with somewhat ad hoc plot developments. When the brain-linking global network called the Feed collapsed, it took society with it. Six years later, Tom and Kate, a couple with a history of going “slow” (disconnecting from the Feed), struggle to get a viable survivor community going, and partial memories and rare hard-copy texts are their only sources of vital information. When their daughter, Bea, is kidnapped by outlaws who drive a horse-drawn, spike-covered minivan, Tom and Kate must quest through the new wilderness of abandoned suburbs and wreck-jammed highways, dealing with other suspicious survivors and settlements run by people whose original identities were overwritten through their Feed implants while they slept. Debut novelist Windo makes the loss of modern society very personal, with close portraits of how his characters are worn down by the basic work of premodern life. Unfortunately, his tendency to layer in greater and greater revelations breaks the sense of intimacy that comes from focusing on his forsaken internet addicts. Perhaps ironically, readers will struggle to connect with this novel. Agent: Sasha Raskin, United Talent Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Evocative of Black Mirror, The Feed is a visceral warning about our addiction to technology and shortening attention spans in the form of an optimistic, engaging human perseverance tale.

Tal M. Klein

Easily one of the most powerful and disturbing novels of the year, a dystopian mash-up of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Jack Finney’s The Body Snatchers (sans alien pods) with a heavy nod towards John Wyndham, Nigel Kneale, Philip K Dick and Orwell’s 1984.

Starburst Magazine

A tense thriller with a strong vein of the speculative. And that ending . . . blimey!

Den Patrick

THE FEED examines our addiction to technology through the lens of a bleak dystopia, reminiscent of The Road. A deft and extremely clever work of sci-fi that kept me completely immersed in the world Windo created.

Joe Hart

Nick Clark Windo’s captivating debut is a dark, thought-provoking read. Tap into The Feed and it will change your world.

Adam Hamdy

Imagine a mash-up of “Black Mirror” episodes in post-apocalyptic Britain.

Washington Post

Nick Clark Windo’s captivating debut is a dark, thought-provoking read. Tap into The Feed and it will change your world.

 Adam Hamdy

Nick Clark Windo’s debut, quickly establishes this is not your typical post-apocalyptic scenario [...] Though there are clear similarities to “The Walking Dead” and “The Circle,” the book offers fresh, smart commentary about digital dependence and its potential effect on our minds and relationships.

Washington Post (Best Science Fiction and Fantasy -- March 2018)

Nick Clark Windo’s debut, quickly establishes this is not your typical post-apocalyptic scenario [...] Though there are clear similarities to “The Walking Dead” and “The Circle,” the book offers fresh, smart commentary about digital dependence and its potential effect on our minds and relationships.

Washington Post (Best Science Fiction and Fantasy - March 2018)

Author Windo and narrator Clare Corbett emphasize the complicated emotional journeys in this disjointed story. Together they craft a compelling human drama within a technological dystopia. Tom and his pregnant wife, Kate, inhabit a world governed by the Feed, a highly evolved social media platform implanted directly into the brain. When the Feed is violently destroyed, civilization collapses, leaving survivors in a society in which even language must be relearned. When their daughter disappears, Tom and Kate must brave the world outside their enclave, where no one can be trusted. Corbett shines in her narration, capturing Kate’s vulnerabilities while emphasizing her growing, if quiet, strength. Windo renders Tom’s divided loyalties and fearsome determination, leaving listeners wondering just how far he’ll go to ensure his family’s safety. B.E.K. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2019 - AudioFile

Author Windo and narrator Clare Corbett emphasize the complicated emotional journeys in this disjointed story. Together they craft a compelling human drama within a technological dystopia. Tom and his pregnant wife, Kate, inhabit a world governed by the Feed, a highly evolved social media platform implanted directly into the brain. When the Feed is violently destroyed, civilization collapses, leaving survivors in a society in which even language must be relearned. When their daughter disappears, Tom and Kate must brave the world outside their enclave, where no one can be trusted. Corbett shines in her narration, capturing Kate’s vulnerabilities while emphasizing her growing, if quiet, strength. Windo renders Tom’s divided loyalties and fearsome determination, leaving listeners wondering just how far he’ll go to ensure his family’s safety. B.E.K. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2019 - AudioFile

2017-12-12
Think The Road intricately wrapped around Station 11 with a dash of Oryx and Crake.First-time British novelist Clark Windo pushes all the right buttons in this post-apocalyptic mashup. Imagine a world in which everyone has the Feed implanted in their brains. The internet and all it offers is yours in seconds. No need to read, no need to even talk; people can even access other's thoughts. Tom Hatfield, a psychotherapist, and his pregnant wife, Kate, a teacher, are eating in a restaurant in, maybe, England. Tom's father had something to do with creating the Feed. Tech-speak abounds: "emotis," "adrenalspike," "ent." Suddenly, there are "gasps and a gabble of confused words actually vocalized out in the real." Everyone is bombarded with the news, something about an Arctic-South war; President Taylor is assassinated. The Collapse has occurred. Smoke pours in, there are distant detonations, "birds…sprayed upwards…machines hurtled from the sky" and then, "under the booms," there is the "approaching sound of silence." The Feed vanishes. Jump ahead six years. Something has killed millions of people. Tom, Kate, 6-year-old Bea, and a few others are living in huts in a grim, desolate camp. The time frame is uncertain; seasons pass. They have to forage for food. They have to watch each other sleep, otherwise they're "taken over."(Think Invasion of the Body Snatchers.) If that does happen, they'll need to be killed. Tom had to kill his brother. People have to relearn everything in order to survive, even language, and talk to each other. Bea is abducted. They head out to find her. Something's wrong with Kate. The twisty, slowly unwinding tale is laid out in tiny bits and pieces of information. The characters aren't very well-developed. Windo demands quite a bit from the reader, and some might give up on this trip.There's a smart and provocative story in here somewhere, but Clark Windo's pedestrian prose and overdone narrative tricks smother it.

Kirkus Reviews