Amazon.com Review
Product Description Now that they are in power, there are no more checks and balances. The Conglomerates, and their mysterious party chairman, have taken over everything and everyone. There is no one left to stop them.
Forty years in the future, in a world where Big Brother runs amok, a powerful political party known as the Conglomerates has emerged, vowing to enforce economic martial law at any cost. Dr. Christine Salter, director of genetic development at a New York medical center, is in charge of "genetic contouring," the much-in-demand science of producing the ideal child. But Christine is increasingly troubled by odd events, including the strange disappearance of Gabriel Cruz, a co-worker for whom she has a developing affection, and the fact that her latest assignmentmaking the Conglomerate chairman more youthful through genetic engineeringis an especially dangerous task.
As mandated by the Family Relief Act, Christines grandparents are relocated to a government-designed community in the American Southwest, along with other Coots (the official term given to the elderly), who are considered an economic and social burden to family and society. But even in this cold, cruel age, the Conglomerates can only control so much.
In his enthralling debut, Thomas Nevins thrillingly chronicles a brave new world where one family struggles to survive by keeping alive feelings of mercy, loyalty, and love.
Amazon Exclusive: Thomas Nevins Introduces The Age of the Conglomerates Q: What could be relevant about a novel of the future? A: Tomorrow is based on today. Take me, for example. Im in the middle of life (I hope!), and in the in between generation. We have our parents to care for, and our children too.
But, this is a novel, with people, with hearts and minds, who like to be with one another, and hopefully, readers will too. The Age of the Conglomerates is a story about a family. They live in a world we have left them, a civilization administered by the private sector, where the Conglomerate party mega markets their message, and those who dont buy into it, or fit, are shown the exit. I based two of the characters, Patsy and George, on my parents and the struggle they had when they became elderly, and a love that often healed them. I live and work with a lot of very talented and terrific young people and I wanted them to know that there are some of us who are thinking about them and want them to have a great future. And I wanted a chance to fulfill a dream and write a book, one that had a place, had merit, and is fun and a quick read. I hope youll give it a try.
Sincerely,
Thomas Nevins
From Publishers Weekly
Nevins's debut reads like the novelization of a film adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel. It's 2048, and the U.S. government is run by the Conglomerates, a political party controlled by the chairman, whose regime has transformed the demographics of the country: Coots, or those over 80, have been relocated to retirement communities, while problematic youth, or Dyscards, live in city subways. Christine Salter is the director of genetic development at the New York Medical Center, where she helps people create, or re-create their children and themselves through genetic manipulation. When her best employee and potential love interest disappears after being suspected of subversive activities, Christine cozies up with the chairman in order to find out what has happened to him. Meanwhile, her grandparents are deported to Cootsland, and Christine's estranged sister becomes a Dyscard. As Christine uncovers a sinister plot, she abruptly reconsiders the moral implications of her work and puts her own life at risk to save those whom society has forsaken. Readers willing to pardon the oversimplification of good versus evil may enjoy the slick presentation and Hollywood-like setup.
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