From Bram Stoker Finalist Nate Kenyon comes a blistering, fast-paced tale channeling the likes of “Blade Runner”, “Johnny Mnemonic”, even a bit of “The Matrix”. Offering social commentary as well as thrills and intrigue, Kenyon shifts from horror to science fiction and cyberpunk smoothly, enhancing an already strong storytelling reputation and widening his repertoire.
From the moment William Bellow arrives on-site at New London to eliminate a deadly programming bug in their lucrative virtual reality program, he senses something amiss. The managers act overly protective, secretive and ambivalent about his presence, reluctant to give him access to certain files – despite recent deaths caused by their program. Also, it quickly becomes clear that he's being monitored, perhaps by New London security forces. When he meets a mysterious girl named Kara, his questions increase. Who is she? Why does she seem so familiar?
And why is there a room full of Kara-clones, waiting to be born?
Bellows also questions himself. Six years ago he suffered a terrible accident, almost lost himself in cyberspace. Why are his memories of recovery so hazy? What really happened to him that day? And why would New London hire him, someone who's been out of the game for six years?
The answer lies inside the great computer servers at New London. A dark presence lurks there, far greater than any security program or computer virus, and it wants him in particular. When next he goes online, he may never return.
To say that this is Kenyon's best work is a bit of a misnomer – indicating his other works are of lesser quality, which is simply not true. “Prime”, however, is much more ambitious, and offers serious introspection on the nature of man and technology...and where our world is headed. In a way – while carefully avoiding hyperbole – “Prime” offers a similar impact as Bradbury's classic “Fahrenheit 451”, because in a world that becomes ever more “plastic”, where “reality” is so easily simulated...Kenyon's story is hauntingly plausible.
Visit www.natekenyon.com and www.myspace.com/natekenyon. Buy it today.
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