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While he was spying on his half-naked neighbour, computer hacker and programmer Toby Simmons fell off his balcony to his death. Or his almost death, because although Toby had. suffered catastrophic injuries to his spine, he had also purchased a chryo-freezing policy. When he wakes up in a high tech hospital bed, he first thinks that some friends are playing a joke on him – but it’s not long before he realises he really was cryogenically frozen and is now in 2088. And, massively in debt to the government. If he wants to stay out of a debtors prison, he’ll need to find an employer who will guarantee his debt. For Toby, waking up in 2088 isn’t just a bit of a mind shock; it’s a complete and utter culture shock to the system. The socio-political landscape is completely skewed to what he knew – and he soon learns that all freedoms come at a cost. He may be intrigued by the sheer scope of the technological advances, and even spot a few bits of tech that he had more than a hand in inventing – but he’s sickened by the seeming decline of liberty. Not only does the government dictate what medications one has to take, but it fines people for being above their ideal BMI, and tracks the movement of most of the population – barring the elite few who have been granted an exempt status. Not only that, but sea levels have risen, changing the geography of the LA Toby knew, and even the climate seems somewhat different.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what this book was about. On the face of it, it’s a fun Sci-Fi, exploring the idea of cryogenics and technical advances; but when you start to digest the novel, it’s about corruption, choices and freedoms – or lack thereof. In a way, it’s terrifying, as one character points out that the world is as it is in 2088 because of the decisions that were implemented in the late 1900’s and early 2000’s. Could it really be that because of one law passed in 2002 that the government now can issue mandatory drugs? That everyone has to have yearly blood tests to test for potential changes in brain chemistry?
As the book reaches its climax, Toby causes massive problems for the government, embarrasses them and finds himself stuck in an untenable situation. A metaphor? Quite possibly. An excellent read? Oh, yes. Definitely.
S. A
First published on Reedsy Discovery as part of their ARC programme. You can read the original review here.
You can order Tomorrowville from Amazon by clicking on the name of the book.