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The “Hard Question”
The INCARNEX Rebellion follows a scientist and the girl he is raising in hiding as they try to survive the aftermath of a Britain reshaped by mind-transferring technology. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
The idea began with the “hard question” in consciousness theory, which asks where consciousness truly resides. Is it biological, something created by the mind and body working together, or something that exists beyond our physical form? That led me to wonder what happens in the moments after death and when exactly consciousness disappears.
Of course, if we ever discovered exactly where consciousness exists, someone would inevitably try to control it. That idea formed the core of The INCARNEX Compound, where resurrection is possible but comes with consequences.
For The INCARNEX Rebellion, I wanted to take things a step further. A company that could restore consciousness into a new host body would no doubt eventually try shifting it between bodies. Body-swapping is a classic sci-fi trope, but I wanted to explore it from a different angle, asking what happens when consciousness itself becomes something that can be transferred, stolen, or turned into a weapon.
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?
Thank you. That balance was something I worked hard on. My approach was to let the science serve the characters instead of overshadowing them. At its core, the story is about David and Celia and the people they join along the way. Their emotional journey keeps the technology grounded. If the characters feel real, the science feels more believable as part of their world.
I also made sure that INCARNEX had limits and real-world implications. These flaws helped keep it realistic and also added pressure and urgency to the story. The science needed to feel like a step forward from what we understand today, not something so advanced that it loses connection to reality.
What is the most challenging aspect of writing a trilogy?
The biggest challenge for me was developing character arcs that felt authentic across all three books. The events of the first novel have long-term consequences, and I needed to reflect how those experiences shaped everyone’s goals, fears, and choices in the second book. I did a lot of reading on trauma and psychology to help keep those reactions believable.
Another challenge was keeping everything cohesive while still escalating the stakes. I had to blend action, science, and character development into one larger narrative that still allowed the second book to stand on its own. It was a difficult balance but has also been one of the most rewarding parts of writing the trilogy.
Can you give us a glimpse inside the final installment of the INCARNEX trilogy? Where will it take readers?
Certainly. The final book is titled The INCARNEX War. Britain has split apart, and the events of the second book have pushed the country into full-scale civil war. David and the rebels lead the south, while the north is controlled by a regime built on fear, control, and ruthless ambition. It becomes a classic struggle of fascism and corporate power on one side and the hope for freedom and liberty on the other.
But war is not the only threat. A terrifying discovery forces the characters to confront choices far more difficult than they expected. They are no longer fighting only for freedom but for the survival of everyone touched by INCARNEX. A few familiar faces return, old rivalries resurface, and the stakes rise to their highest point.
Readers can expect a dramatic and intense conclusion, with twists, sacrifices, and the largest war dystopian Britain has ever seen!
David Harris has spent years in isolation, desperate to protect his adopted daughter Celia. But when his technology is weaponised in horrific new ways, hiding is no longer an option.
As Celia flees to New London, determined to take vengeance on the man who murdered her mother, David faces an impossible choice: join the rebels’ brutal scorched earth campaign and risk becoming the very thing he’s fighting, or lose Celia and any hope of a normal life.
Hunted, deceived, and pushed to their limits, both are forced towards lines they swore they’d never cross. To defeat a monster, they may have to become something worse.
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
LITERARY TITAN 