2022 American Fiction Awards Finalist!
In pursuit of a different life, Harrison leaves everything behind – his family, his community, and even his own name. He can never go back.
Global society is united with a simple guarantee: everyone can achieve stable, lasting happiness for one hundred years in a curated lifestyle that brings them joy. Well… not unlimited joy, just mild contentment. No more, no less.
Every element of life is controlled by Vie – an AI system that is worshipped as divine. She guides members into ‘harmony’ with in-ear alerts, retina screens, and vast, immersive simulations.
Harrison is ambitious and impulsive with a curious habit of recalling hazy memories that never happened. The course of his life is punctuated with hasty decisions, emotional compromises, and genuine attempts to play by the rules.
He’s not only running out of options; he’s running out of time. Is Harrison’s will strong enough to break Vie’s authoritarian hold? Or will he finally learn to settle for mediocrity, just like everyone else?
The threat of ‘eviction’ is looming, and Harrison’s death day might come sooner than he thinks.
For fans of The Giver, Brave New World, Scythe, and Under the Whispering Door, this thought-provoking dystopian novel sparks questions about the diversity of joy and the resilient fight for independence.