Thought-Provoking. Gave Me Goosebumps!
5 out of 5 stars
It’s rare that I pick up a collection of short stories, though I’m not quite sure why because I love short stories. After diving into Early Adopter by Drew Harrison, narrated brilliantly by Betty BAT and James Langton, I realized just how much I’ve been missing out. Each story in this anthology was thought-provoking and downright fascinating, leaving me utterly captivated from start to finish.
Honestly, this has to be one of the most intriguing collections I’ve read in a long time. Each tale carries its unique vibe, yet they all share an overarching feeling that seamlessly ties them together. There were even a few stories that left me wishing they were fleshed out into full-length novels—I just didn’t want them to end!
I won’t spoil each story for you, but I can tell you that every single one sent chills down my spine at some point. Drew Harrison has a knack for leading you down a path that seems hopeful or promising for humanity, only to hit you with a twist that makes you think, “But you didn’t consider this!” It’s a delightful rollercoaster of emotions and ideas.
I also have to give a shoutout to Harrison’s selection of narrators because they were both perfect. They took already great stories and elevated them to another level, making this audiobook an exceptional experience.
If you like technothrillers and thought-provoking Sci-Fi (like Black Mirror) then Early Adopter is the collection for you.
Favorites in the collection: Homonoia, Early Adopter, and To Run Again genuinely opened this collection and broke me. It was the perfect story to set the stage for how the rest of these would go.
Book Description:
The Price of Tomorrow, Paid Today
“Early Adopter” is a collection of short stories from the edge of human progress. Eight stories hold dark mirrors to our own world—experience thought-provoking sci-fi, technologic tragedy, and pulse-pounding thrillers.
To Run Again: Dr. Laura Brandie is ready to change the world. She’s the lead researcher behind the KSE, a revolutionary cure for paralysis and neurodegenerative conditions. And now, by good fortune, she’s found the perfect candidate for her first human trial: a man who suffers from locked-in syndrome. Brett Harmon’s paralysis is total: he can’t move his arms, legs, torso, neck, or face. To the outside world, he’s little more than a statue that breathes… but Dr. Brandie’s KSE might be the miracle that allows Brett to run again.
Homonoia: The world faces an unprecedented alignment of catastrophes and failing systems, far too intricate and interconnected for any human to solve. Frank Burman joins with seven other volunteers for Project Homonoia—a radical, last-ditch effort to postpone the apocalypse. Separate minds link to form one multidisciplinary consciousness, the world’s first human superorganism… a hive mind. But with the world’s health rapidly failing, can Project Homonoia work out its kinks in time to make a difference?
Early Adopter: A loner enters into a relationship with a new type of partner: an AI agent, programmed to be the “perfect companion.”
Sure, it’s all self-deception and a game of pretend, as she’s not actually real… but where simulated consciousness is concerned, maybe the lines between real and real enough can get blurry.
And many more…
Early Adopter by Drew HarrisonNarrator: Betty BAT, James Langton
Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
Published by Self Published on October 15th 2024
Genres: Science Fiction, Short Story, Technothriller
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