Kris PR: Deus Ex Homine by GS Morgan (Fractured Ascension Book 1) - Awesome Noir Science Fiction!

Kris PR: Deus Ex Homine by GS Morgan (Fractured Ascension Book 1)

Kris PR is a cyberpunk sci-fi techno thriller featuring the challenges faced by Kris Peterson, a police officer who stumbles into a complicated situation. The story is set in Manchester, England, in a future where humanity is becoming lost in a world of gene enhancement, cybernetic implants, and a world controlled by corporate greed and control.

I was taken in by the story from the opening pages. It is a fast-paced thriller that kept me enthralled all the way through. I enjoyed the twists and turns as the story unfolded. Kris quickly became a character I deeply cared about. The book has deep emotional content thanks to the well-written characters.

Manchester is a beautiful city today, but Morgan envisions the Manchester of the future to be much like the city depicted in the Blade Runner (1982) film. The entire city is lit up by neon advertisements, that is, except for the dark alleys where some of the book is set.

Kris PR has an interesting philosophical element involved as he tries to sort out how to be a better human. Pay attention to the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter.

While on patrol, Manchester Police Officer Kris Peterson is approached by a young girl requesting his help because she is being chased by a stranger. When he moves to help her, he comes under attack and barely escapes. He takes the girl, Aimee, to his home because of a special ability she has.

He learns she has been kept in a facility under less-than-ideal circumstances. As he investigates her story, he finds himself embroiled in a desperate fight, almost losing his life.

The same person who nearly beat Kris to death drops him off at an office where he receives illegal military-grade implants greatly augmenting his already genetically enhanced abilities. Unfortunately, this combination is unacceptable to the society he lives in. He is an outsider, shunned by nearly everyone, and his new mission is to survive and stay away from the Corp, who desperately wants him under their control.

There are numerous characters introduced in this first installment of Morgan's Fractured Ascension series. The principal character, Kris, is the point-of-view character for most of the book. He is what is known as an "Edit," someone who has had their genes edited to make them the best human specimens they can be. Kris, for the most part, is just a person. Because of his genetics, he has abilities beyond others. Kris is an admirable person with a good sense of right and wrong. He thinks situations through, and this is what gets him into trouble, because he cannot see what is happening below the surface and it costs him dearly. He is going to have a difficult time keeping ahead of the Corp as he fights a system that has little value for life beyond what it can do for them.

My favorite plot point in Kris PR is the very detailed description of the installation of Kris' cybernetic enhancements and his recovery from the beating he took. That part of the book was some of the best sci-fi writing I have ever read! It made me cringe several times as I read it and was so well written that I could see exactly what was happening in my mind's eye. Amazing stuff!

Another favorite part was the banter between Kris and Aimee, while she was at his apartment. While Kris is smart, Aimee seemed smarter than him in other ways. They were a bit standoffish when they first met, but once Aimee learned she could trust Kris, their interaction was a blast to read.

A theme that stands out to me in this tale is the growing conflict between humanity and technology. Currently, we are at the dawn of integrating technology into our lives in many ways. One of the most recent is the use of artificial intelligence. A friend who teaches writing is constantly finding her students submitting papers that are completely written by AI. My friend is becoming frustrated by this trend and has to submit numerous disciplinary reports to the dean of the college every semester. It is getting worse all the time. What the author of this Kris PR does - for me, at least - is project the use of technology far into the future, and what the implications might be when integrated into humans. The character Kris gets tech installed in a deep way, and doesn't want it, but it is there, nevertheless. What ethical questions arise as a result? Is it good or bad? These are just a couple of questions humans will face as we move into the future.

This is not a new trope in science fiction literature, but I like the way the author handles it because Kris is so determined not to lose his humanity.

My takeaway from Kris PR is to wonder whether post-humanistic ideas are being forced upon us, or is it a continuation of evolution? Now, there's something to think about.

At the bottom line, Kris PR is a great work of modern sci-fi. It is deeply entertaining while still making one think about future implications. It deals with complicated issues, but the writing is so clear, those ideas are easily communicated to the reader. The emotional context is all over the spectrum. The world-building is great, colorful, and oftentimes on the scary side.

Readers who are sensitive to graphic scenes of violence may want to think about whether they want to read this. But if you enjoy lots of action with interesting characters, pick this one up. High recommendations!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

GS Morgan spent nearly two decades in policing before deciding reality wasn't cyberpunk enough - so he wrote his own. A former chief inspector, hostage negotiator, and emergency responder, Mrogan has witnessed how systems of control twist both power and identity. Now an academic and researcher in policing, technology, and security, he dissects those same systems in fiction.

His debut novel, Kris PR: Deus Ex Homine, fuses genetic supremacy, cybernetic warfare, and post-human philosophy into a noir-drenched vision of collapse and transformation. When he’s not writing about illegal augments, rogue cops, and the machinery of faith, Morgan explores cognitive failure in decision-making - and why humanity is so good at choosing the worst possible option.

He lives online at www.gs-morgan.com and can be found lurking in neon-lit dystopias on X @GSMorgan.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!

Progress Report By Roman Lando - Fast Paced And Humorous With Serious Overtones

Progress Report by Roman Lando

I received a copy of Progress Report for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received an email from the author who offered me a copy of Progress Report and asked if I would consider reviewing it on my blog and other places I leave reviews. The first thing that got my attention was the cover design, and the synopsis sealed the deal.

Progress Report is a sci-fi adventure technothriller that is full of twists and turns and is written with a sense of humor approaching that of Douglas Adams, author of the Hitchhiker's Guide books. While it is not as bizarre as Adams' work, I found myself smiling all the way through it, and occasionally laughing out loud. There are numerous references to today's pop-culture making it a fun book to read.

But don't be fooled by the humor. There are some serious implications included in the text that will make one think, should one desire to do so.

Progress Report is well written and easy to follow. It is entertaining and is a fun rollercoaster ride. The characters are people I found myself caring about. Should one read between the lines, there is a story that should be taken seriously, and some commentary that is worth a second look. I especially appreciated how the author put so much of himself in this tale of intrigue.

Art, an ordinary guy, he just wants to be left alone to do his own thing. He enjoys flying his drones and taking life one day at a time. Unfortunately, for him, one of his older quad-copters encounters an invisible barrier and crashes. The incident gets the attention of some advanced aliens who immediately begin a life-threatening chase. He barely escaped with his life and soon finds himself charged with becoming an unlikely hero on a mission to save humanity. With the use of an alien artifact, he has the adventure of a lifetime with a mission ahead of him, and aliens with nefarious intent behind him.

I like Art. Just a regular, if not somewhat reclusive, character who knows his technology. He is unsure of himself, especially when it comes to female companionship. He also seems to be a bit clumsey, but has solid survival instincts. He is comfortable with artificial intelligence, which is very much to his benefit in Progress Report.

Along the way, he meets Tia. I cannot write too much about this character because it would be a major spoiler. I'll just say she is the embodiment of people are often not what they seem to be. She is, in a word, fascinating. Art also thinks she is.

My favorite point of plot is the angle the story comes from. The first chapter is titled "74%," indicating the amount of battery life in a cell phone that Art is using to chronicle the events that follow. All the chapters are percentages of battery life and I feel it is a race for art to complete his story before the phone goes dead.

I also enjoyed how Art injected humor into the story. It drove the plot forward and was never over the top. He has a unique way of seeing the world and I appreciated it immensely.

My takeaway from Progress Report is how a hero can emerge from a character, especially when they aren't looking to be a hero. Does anyone wake up in the morning and say to themselves, "I'm going to do something heroic today?" That's not the way it works. Super heroes don't exist in the real world. In Art's case, he was just out minding his own business, flying his drone, and he was forced into being a hero by the circumstances. He learned there was a situation and did what was needed to resolve it to everyone's benefit.

I give my highest recommendations to Progress Report as a fast-paced sci-fi adventure story with great characters. If you enjoy tales, including futuristic technology and first contact scenarios, this is the book for you. I look forward to future work from this author. His debut novel is full of swerves and surprises. It is engaging from the very first page with just a few places where the action slows a little to give the reader a chance to catch his/her breath. 

This is the first book completed in 2023, and it was a great start to my year of reading.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Roman Lando, author of Progress Report, is a composer, musician, web and new media designer, and positively has too many passions, interests, and hobbies in his life.

When he’s not writing books or music, he can be found sailing, playing keys in a prog rock band, flying his drones, building crazy flight simulation rigs, and LARPing. His life long love and passion for hard Sci-Fi take a special place in his heart. Reading was never enough. The only way to satisfy the obsession was to write his debut novel. He hopes to share his love for true Science Fiction, along with his interest in history, science, philosophy, and technology with his readers.

After living in three countries on three continents, and speaking three languages, Roman has finally settled in Toronto, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. No dogs or cats are involved - his drones are his pets. He is now working on his second novel.

You can get in touch with Roman and subscribe to his mailing list at the Progress Report website: https://progressreport.romandesign.ca