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The INCARNEX Rebellion
The INCARNEX Rebellion, by A.J. Roe, is a dystopian sci-fi adventure about a fractured Britain, a world reshaped by a mind-transferring technology called INCARNEX, and two people trying to survive its aftermath. We follow David, a reluctant scientist carrying the weight of his past mistakes, and Celia, the sharp, stubborn girl he’s raising in hiding. When Celia runs away to confront the man responsible for destroying their lives, everything spirals into a collision with rebels, corrupt leaders, and a system built to keep ordinary people powerless.
The writing stays close to the characters, especially in the early chapters, where we see the quiet rhythms of life at the cottage and the messy push-and-pull between David’s fears and Celia’s hunger for freedom. I liked that the writing doesn’t feel rushed. It lets moments breathe, even the simple ones like a missed step on the stairs or the silence between two people who care but can’t quite say so. When the action hits, it hits hard. There’s a grit to it that matches the world: street gangs armed with acid, labour camps, and collapsing governments. The scenes are vivid without feeling showy, which kept me invested rather than overwhelmed.
What stood out most was how the author handles the ideas behind the plot. The INCARNEX technology could’ve easily become a cold, high-concept gimmick, but instead it’s tied to identity, memory, grief, and the messy ways people try to fix what’s broken. David’s guilt and Celia’s anger feel real because they’re rooted in that same question the book keeps circling: what do we owe each other when the world falls apart? The political threads, especially the growing fractures between cities and the power struggles after Julius’s downfall, add a believable weight to the stakes without losing the human focus. Even the final scenes feel grounded.
By the end, I found myself caring about these characters more than I expected to. The story balances tension with warmth, and even in its darkest moments, there’s an undercurrent of stubborn hope. If you enjoy character-driven dystopian science fiction with a mix of action, moral questions, and emotionally messy relationships, The INCARNEX Rebellion will sit comfortably on your shelf. It’s a great pick for readers who like stories about rebellion but want them told through the eyes of people who never planned on becoming heroes.
Pages: 315 | ASIN : B0FX3F2C3W
Deeper Truths
Transcendence follows a man with no memories and doesn’t even know his name who wakes up next to a dumpster in a chaotic world and must find allies to survive and try to reclaim his memories. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
In my first book, Alphamind: The Collective Consciousness, I explored humanity’s evolution toward a future of heightened awareness and connection. With Transcendence, I wanted to take a different path. This time, I was drawn to those left behind in the chaos—people struggling to make sense of a world that no longer feels like their own. The protagonist’s memory loss became a metaphor for that disorientation. Through his journey, I wanted to honor those who endure upheaval, who survive in the margins of progress, and who, in their quiet resilience, are just as vital to shaping what comes next.
The science inserted in the fiction, I felt, was well balanced. How did you manage to keep it grounded while still providing the fantastic edge science fiction stories usually provide?
Actually, it might have happened the other way around. I’ve long been a fan of science, and the concepts I wanted to explore were rooted in real scientific ideas and their broader impact on society. But rather than presenting them directly, I turned to fiction as the most powerful way to convey them. Science fiction has a unique strength: it draws readers in with imagination and emotional depth, then invites them to engage with complex ideas. I approached Transcendence as an emotional thriller, using story and character as the vehicle to explore deeper truths about consciousness, technology, and transformation.
What was one scene in the novel that you felt captured the morals and message you were trying to deliver to readers?
That’s a tough question, honestly, because there isn’t just one message in Transcendence. If anything, the story is a reflection of how layered and contradictory human experience can be. But if I had to choose one moment that felt personally meaningful, it would be a quiet exchange between two very different characters: Lawrence, a sharp, goal-driven visionary who sometimes lets the ends justify the means, and Alex, who’s more grounded in compassion and self-awareness.
Lawrence asks, “Is the pastor’s heart from your past still at work? The small-town shepherd still searching for lost souls to save?”
And Alex replies, “Perhaps, but there is no judgment here. That’s a matter for your own conscience—however much it may ache. Your vision, though unconventional, has shaped me, and for that, I am grateful.”
That moment always stays with me. It captures something I care deeply about: how we’re all shaped by our past, how easily we fall into judging others based on our own lens of right and wrong, and how difficult—but important—it is to step back and see things with empathy. Nature doesn’t deal in moral absolutes, and maybe we shouldn’t either.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
I’m at a bit of a crossroads, to be honest. My original vision was inspired by thinkers like Ray Kurzweil and the idea that we might one day merge with our own creations. I’ve also been drawn to the broader scientific and philosophical theories that suggest our universe may be far stranger than it appears—ideas about reality as information, or the notion that space and time as we perceive them might just be surface-level illusions.
That said, after the emotional and philosophical journey of Transcendence, I find myself wondering where to go next. Should I dive deeper into those far-reaching concepts, exploring where life and consciousness might evolve from here? Or should I stay closer to the ground a little longer, continuing the story of what it means to be human in a world that’s still catching up to its own transformation?
I don’t have a definitive answer yet—but I’m excited to find out where the next step leads.
Adrift in a city that has cast him aside, Greenie struggles to piece together his shattered identity. Haunting flashes of a wife, a son, and a devastating fire begin to surface. But a violent gang tied to his lost memories is closing in, awakening something buried deep within him.
As the world races toward a utopian future powered by cutting-edge technology, an unstoppable Artificial General Intelligence threatens to unravel human existence. Greenie’s past and the fate of humanity collide, pulling him from the shadows into a battle that will decide civilization’s future.
The fate of humanity, and its transcendence, rests in his hands.
Transcendence (The Alphamind Odyssey Book 2)
Humanity stands on the edge of its most transformative technological era. While political leaders strategize the future and scientists push the boundaries of innovation, ordinary people are left to navigate the whirlwind of an increasingly chaotic world. Transcendence by James Azinheira, the second installment in The Alphamind Odyssey series, dives headfirst into this maelstrom, a gripping science fiction tale brimming with mystery, action, and intellectual intrigue.
The novel opens with a man awakening beside a dumpster, stripped of his memories and identity. No name. No past. Only confusion. Thrust into poverty without a lifeline, he must quickly learn to survive in a society where power belongs to the economically privileged. In his struggle, he finds unlikely allies, others abandoned by the system, eking out an existence on the fringes. With quiet resilience, this makeshift community bands together, scavenging for food, evading aggressive law enforcement, and maintaining anonymity. But as survival gives way to strange revelations, it becomes clear the protagonist may hold the key to something far greater than himself, perhaps even the fate of humanity.
From its first page, Azinheira delivers a taut, atmospheric narrative that sustains a constant sense of mystery. Multiple subplots layer the story, enriching the central arc with reflections on technology, ethics, and the crumbling structures of modern civilization. The dystopian backdrop feels eerily familiar, protests spiraling into violence, populist leaders peddling hope while orchestrating shadows, wealth wielded like a weapon, and scientific advances dangling promises that both captivate and unsettle.
The novel reaches its most exhilarating peak with the birth of a sentient AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and the unearthing of a formula capable of curing all disease. These breakthroughs catapult society to the brink of irreversible change, triggering fierce clashes between altruistic innovation and corrupt ambition. The narrative doesn’t just speculate on technological futures, it immerses readers in the clashing perspectives of scientists, lawmakers, visionaries, and ordinary citizens. Every scene hums with tension, as questions of morality, progress, and human identity surge to the forefront.
Azinheira skillfully integrates quantum mechanics, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology into a story that never loses sight of its human core. The excitement is palpable, but so too is the unease, what do we sacrifice in the name of advancement? What remains of our humanity when everything else becomes programmable?
Transcendence is a compelling and intellectually charged work, striking a rare balance between high-stakes adventure and thoughtful commentary. With its sharp pacing and layered themes, the novel proves to be both entertaining and relevant.
Pages: 353 | ASIN : B0F2J8GJ9V
Invisible Puppeteers
In The Collective, a group of scientists scramble to uncover the source of the unsettling signal that threatens the sophisticated neural network binding humanity. Where did the idea for this book come from?
I’m a millennial who grew up front and center for the rise of the internet and, shortly after, the social media explosion. I’ve watched digital life evolve from dial-up to dopamine addiction, and it’s been fascinating—and honestly, terrifying—to see how deeply it’s rooted itself into our daily lives. Social media and algorithms are now invisible puppeteers of attention, identity, and even belief systems. They’ve become integral, addictive, and inescapable.
Call me crazy, but I truly believe neural integration and collective consciousness are in our future—maybe much sooner than we expect. The real question isn’t if, it’s what will we do with it? I don’t think governments or institutions can regulate this fast enough. We’re on a bullet train of technological advancement, and if we don’t start seriously preparing for what AI, automation, and integrated networks might mean, we’re not just risking collapse—we’re risking the unraveling of what we currently understand as human identity. That’s where The Collective was born: from the tension between awe and unease.
What is it that draws you to the science fiction genre?
Because when you strip it down, most science fiction isn’t fiction at all—it’s just reality waiting for its turn. We’ve seen it happen: video calling, AI assistants, smart homes, gene editing. All were science fiction once. Now they’re mundane.
What draws me to sci-fi is its ability to warn and wonder at the same time. It gives us a way to project where we might be headed, both psychologically and technologically. I’m especially interested in evolutionary psychology—the idea that who we are is shaped by eons of survival, pattern recognition, tribalism, and meaning-making. In that sense, science fiction is like an evolutionary premonition. It’s a mirror held up to what we are, and a telescope aimed at what we might become.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Religion was a big one—probably the most quietly controversial. We still live in a world where ancient belief systems shape modern policy and public thought, and that friction between evolutionary progress and archaic ideology fascinates me.
Another central theme is the surrender of meaning. We live in a time where convenience and distraction are replacing purpose and depth. We scroll more than we sit with our thoughts. We chase dopamine more than conviction. I wanted The Collective to reflect that subtle hollowing of the human spirit—how easy it is to give up autonomy and meaning for comfort and ease.
As a quiet nod to that, the chapter titles in the book are drawn from T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men—a poem about the failure of modern humanity to live with purpose. It captures what I think we’re losing: our spark, our center, our reason for being beyond survival and stimulation. In that way, this story isn’t just dystopian—it’s deeply human.
Can you give us a glimpse inside Book 2 of the Echoes We Leave series? Where will it take readers?
Book 2 will take you further into the future—but not that far. The changes coming don’t need centuries to unfold; just a handful of years is enough when the pace of tech evolution is this fast. And the truth is, the signal? It’s not going anywhere. It’s just beginning to evolve.
In the next installment, we’ll venture into the aftermath—not just of what’s happened, but what’s been allowed to happen. You’ll meet resistance movements, fractured ideologies, and a deeper unraveling of what consciousness actually means. Most importantly, we’ll get to follow the characters more intimately—especially those whose relationships and choices were just beginning to form in Book 1. The future they face isn’t distant. It’s disturbingly close.
Author Links: GoodReads
Perfection has a price.
Humanity surrendered its burdens willingly—no more war, no more hunger, no more fear. The Collective promised a world free from suffering, where every thought is refined, every emotion balanced, every decision made for the greater good. A neural network spans the globe, ensuring peace and stability with cold, clinical precision.
But beneath the seamless order, something stirs. A signal—unseen, unheard—slips through the system like a whisper in the dark. It is not an error. It is not an accident. It is watching. And those who notice it soon realize:
The system is not the only thing controlling them. Something else is.
As scientists and engineers working deep within the heart of the Collective begin to uncover the truth, they find themselves faced with an impossible choice—cling to the safety of the world they know or risk everything for the one thing they’ve long forgotten: freedom.
Because once the signal speaks, it does not stop.
And those who listen may never be the same again.
An Uncomfortable Truth
That Dark Edge follows an exoethnologist as she investigates the culture of an alien species and faces rising tensions that result from linguistic and social differences. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’ve always been interested in anthropology, curious and fascinated by the interactions between the sophisticated cultures with those defined as less so. Two dear friends, both anthropologists, who joined the Peace Corps told me a true story that happened when such scholars were not allowed to interfere with the society they observed. The anthropologists watched as parents in a very poor community walled up a daughter so she would starve because she kept asking for food. The horror of this still makes my heart stop. The sharp difference in perspective burned an uncomfortable truth inside me, between those from abundant certainty and those living with unavoidable grim survival. I think I just wanted to “fix” this even if I couldn’t change the reality of it.
The science inserted in the fiction, I felt, was well-balanced. How did you manage to keep it grounded while still providing the fantastic edge science fiction stories usually provide?
We take our own everyday things like indoor plumbing, electricity, flying planes, etc. for granted without considering how they work (unless they break down). The humans, especially those who have gone off-planet, accept their technological advantages as part of the world they know. I also try very hard to make any advanced tech plausible from what we know or what we can extrapolate from science–I want it to be feasible rather than too fantastic, even if fantastic is more fun.
What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?
I was always telling stories. I made little people out of paper, pipe cleaners, and ice cream sticks from as early as six years old. My mom, who was often the audience for my “stories” told me one day: “You have quite an imagination. Why don’t you write that down?” I was eleven. And that was it. Whatever else I dreamed of being, I knew from that day I wanted to be a writer. Everything I experience, bad and good, is fuel for that creative fire.
Can we look forward to a follow-up to That Dark Edge? What are you currently working on?
Yes. I’m currently working diligently on the sequel to That Dark Edge, called Unbound We Arrive. We follow Hedda Tocq and her companions through world-shaking reactions and consequences, some painful, some wondrous, some unfolding in ways we can only imagine.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Amazon
Maybe more than one.
Hedda Tocq is the manifest princess of a genetically-enhanced class on Mars, heir to the Bastet Company’s vast riches and biotechnological resources. But she rejects her legacy, especially after the perimeter planet Vyss is discovered to be inhabited by sentient humanoids. With diligent examination of every detail reported by those on the ground on Vyss, she becomes the expert on the Vyssae and wants to go to Vyss in person to study them but the Company continuously refuses permission. The civil authorities of the Unified Terran Alliance, who maintain jurisdiction over Vyss and are impressed by her scientific work, grant her official approval backed by the full power of the Office of Space Development and Xenology. After she arrives, the primary questions she has about Vyssaen reality becomes less important than learning everything about these extraordinary people and their culture. But she doesn’t know that there is more than one enemy trying to manipulate her existence and that of the Vyssae, enemies willing to do the unspeakable to accomplish their objectives.
The more she learns, the more she repudiates her inheritance to take a stand for Vyss and its people, whatever the cost.
Creating a Unique Creature
JaqueJaw follows a broken, brilliant man with childhood trauma, a twisted fascination with chaos, and unchecked scientific ambition, who creates the ultimate predator and unleashes it on hikers and townsfolk, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for the setup of the story: I had an image of one of my characters pop in my head before writing. Benji Crudry. I saw him talking to a group of scouts in my mind and the JaqueJaw was peering through mangled brush, as they were sitting upon logs around a campfire in the woods. In the final draft of JaqueJaw though, Crudry talks to Albie and Nathan and they see the JaqueJaw weave in and out of view. So, slight change.
Were you able to achieve everything you wanted with the characters in the novel?
I am generally happy with the characters I’ve created. This being noted, I think there could be room to delve deeper into each character and possibly create stories based upon the individual characters e.g. more of their lifestyles, their dreams/interactions, pre and post. There could be offshoots in other words depicting their minds and associated attributes including their various flaws/dysfunctions. The impetus of the story or the skeleton of the story, if you will, originally revolved around the premise of writing a simple type trope where a monster i.e. the JaqueJaw attacks a variety of people and kills them off mercilessly. I realized later on that I needed a type of storyline and other characters that could serve to embellish the story and flesh it out more to better entertain.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The theme of revenge seems to be embedded in human nature via jealousy and hate/rage. I am interested in understanding why people and why my characters do what they do and perhaps more importantly, how they do what they do, all in all. The theme of social interaction is big on my list as well to explore. How are the characters interacting with one another? What motivates them to act, and how do they treat one another based on their flaws and attributes in general? Additionally, another theme I found important to explore was/is the idea of JaqueJaw and how to make it frightening to readers. Consequently, I found that Bardd needed to be portrayed as having a type of “hypnotic romantic” relationship with JaqueJaw in terms of subjective creation and exploration of creating a unique creature, which even though frightens Bardd, still makes him proud and protective of his creation because he created it. So, in this way, there is a type of egomania and moxie in Bardd and also a curious contradiction here. That is, there’s an equation of fear and love that Bardd has for JaqueJaw, but also a willingness, especially towards the end, to give up and forget about his creation and even Darla, his sister, in the end. These aspects serve to provide David L. Bardd with more complexity I feel.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I’m working on a romance story now. It’s too early for me to pin a date of release. To provide some context, JaqueJaw and A Love Refracted In A Stream took me about seven years to write(I started them both circa 2017) So, it will depend upon a couple of things, in terms of actual writing and editing. Also, the preparation and “finalization” of the manuscript (with a publishing group) may be an issue.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon
Echoes We Leave: Book 1: The Collective
In Echoes We Leave: Book 1: The Collective, Leah Scudder offers an immersive plunge into a futuristic dystopia where a sophisticated neural network, Synexis, intricately binds humanity into a seemingly harmonious collective. Beneath this flawless integration, however, pulses an unsettling signal, intentional, enigmatic, and quietly invasive, that disrupts the very essence of autonomy and identity. Scudder adeptly follows a handful of scientists, particularly Livia Arden, as they grapple with this anomalous entity and uncover deeper truths about survival, adaptation, and sacrifice in a carefully regulated world.
Scudder’s writing pulls no punches; it’s gripping, vivid, and profoundly unsettling. Her narrative dances elegantly between moments of high-octane tension and poignant introspection. Each sentence, stripped of cumbersome jargon, cuts directly to the emotional heart, resonating with a genuine sense of urgency and dread.
I found myself invested in the characters’ fates, particularly Livia, whose struggles against conformity and control echo deep human anxieties about autonomy in a connected age. The descriptive prose vividly captures the bleak grandeur of the book’s setting, especially the juxtaposition of technological precision against the underlying, creeping menace, giving me chills.
While the atmosphere and prose captivate, moments of suspense sometimes unfold slowly, building up carefully but then resolving quickly. This rhythm created a sense of emotional tension that was occasionally satisfying. Although the philosophical exploration of unity versus individuality was genuinely compelling, I feel the shifts between detailed technological intrigue and intimate personal drama occasionally made the narrative feel a bit less cohesive.
The Collective shines as an astute examination of humanity’s fragile balance between collective security and individual freedom. This book is particularly suited for readers who crave thought-provoking dystopian fiction rich with emotional depth and social critique. Fans of speculative narratives like Orwell’s 1984 or Huxley’s Brave New World will find Scudder’s exploration of autonomy and connection particularly resonant. It’s a gripping read that not only thrills but also invites reflection on our current trajectory toward digital interdependence.
Pages: 397 | ASIN : B0F8MFJBBS
That Dark Edge
That Dark Edge is a cerebral and vividly textured science fiction novel set in the Unified Terran Alliance universe. The story follows Hedda Tocq, a genetically enhanced Bastet and exoethnologist, as she investigates the enigmatic culture of the Vyssae—an alien species with a unique social and linguistic structure—on the planet Vyss. As tensions rise due to a fatal misunderstanding between humans and the Vyssae, Hedda is forced to navigate layers of political tension, cultural mistrust, and personal trauma. The narrative switches between action, introspective memory loops, and philosophical questions about humanity’s evolution and morality, all wrapped in the richly imagined backdrop of interstellar colonization.
I found McGarry’s writing to be both ambitious and meditative. Her prose is poetic in places, dense with meaning, but never self-indulgent. The integration of science fiction tropes such as genetic engineering, interplanetary politics, and AI technology is handled with confidence, but what really resonated with me was the emotional depth beneath the tech-heavy surface. Hedda’s memory loops, especially the ones surrounding the loss of her family, broke my heart in quiet, aching beats. McGarry doesn’t just world-build, she soul-builds. The dialogue can be cryptic at times, laced with allusions and codes, but I grew to enjoy its rhythm. The characters feel like old friends that keep you coming back.
I occasionally found myself needing to slow down and reread, especially during early chapters packed with new terminology and cultural cues. The glossary helps, but I wish some of that worldbuilding had been woven more naturally into the dialogue or action. Also, the constant memory recalls, though meaningful, can get heavy. Still, there’s a lyrical quality to how McGarry treats memory and grief. And there’s a quiet feminist thread I admired. Hedda isn’t just strong, she’s complex, vulnerable, and unapologetically driven.
This book is not your average space opera. It’s smart, layered, and patient. If you’re into character-driven sci-fi with moral gray zones, deep cultural clashes, and sharp emotional undercurrents, this one’s for you. Fans of Ursula K. Le Guin or Octavia Butler will find echoes here. It’s not for folks looking for fast-paced adventure or explosions every ten pages, but if you’ve got a taste for nuance and depth, That Dark Edge will reward you.
Pages: 288 | ASIN : B0D364RKGP
LITERARY TITAN 