The Future is Near
By T. Warwick
Amazon Digital Services, Inc., $9.00, 210 pages
The Artificial Mirage by T. Warwick is a futuristic novel about an American banker in Vietnam, living an idealistic life until he is wrongfully imprisoned. Once released, he returns to a world unknown to him; a world where he has lost all he previously owned and loved, including his longstanding girlfriend, Lauren. In an effort to track her down and discover what has happened to her, Charlie, the main character, delves deep into the criminal underworld of Saudi Arabia. He begins to search for any trace of his girlfriend.
The storyline is very difficult to follow. It feels as if it jumps around quite a bit and the technological aspects are not elaborated on. Though AR (Augmented Reality) is a fascinating concept, the style in which the author writes makes it slightly difficult to grasp. However, as you reach the halfway point in the novel, it becomes easier to understand and follow along. The science fiction integrates within the story and is a wondrous aspect once fully understood. It makes the novel even more exciting to read.
Though there are many of them, the characters are complex and over the course of the story, are well developed. Warwick does a wonderful job creating a realistic future and describing the dark undercurrents of our society. For the average reader, this may not be a captivating novel, but for those who enjoy books that are ‘tech-savvy’ or in the science fiction genre, T. Warwick’s novel is the perfect read. His work is one that appeals to the science fiction lover in all of us. But it does require one to have a base knowledge or fascination with the technical aspects mentioned throughout the story. If you enjoy science fiction, this is the novel for you.
Reviewed by Taylor Pittman
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