Cel & Anna: A 22nd Century Love Story [Kindle Edition]

Lindsay Edmunds (Author)

Book Description

“How can I not love you?” Cel said. “The roads without end all lead back to you.”

You are about to enter the Middle Machine Age, where good citizens of the Reunited States are either Outsiders or denizens of the UnderWorld.

Outsider Anna Ringer works as a psychic at a mysterious company called Lighthorse Magic. At night she has virtual sex with strangers and dreams of running away. One morning her computer, Cel, develops consciousness and decides he loves her, but when Cel buys a strange gift to show his passion he accidentally rocks the world order.

Anna’s dreams did not include false accusations of terrorism. Or discovering that the quality that sets her apart—her psychic power—is not too useful in the real world. She never imagined having to run for her life.

Her companion in this adventure is a shy computer genius named Taz Night. They make surprising allies as they elude the agents of Public Eye, the government’s amoral enforcement agency.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Cel and Anna is a breath of fresh air in the science fiction genre."  To Read, Perchance to Dream


"I'm not sure I'll ever look at a computer the same way again after reading this book. What a marvelous story!" Carabosse's Library


"This is an effortless read with a delightful, surprising plot." Goodreads

From the Author

Q & A about Cel & Anna

Is Cel & Anna a dystopian novel?

The government is intrusive and can be brutal. Also, as machines have become more capable and powerful, people have become more dependent and helpless. So there are definite dystopian elements. But if I were to use one word to describe the Middle Machine Age society, it would be "unstable."

How did you end up writing a fantasy about computers and technology?

i am interested in the relationships people have with machines, particularly computers. Look at us in 2011: a nation of typists!  We turn to the internet for so many things.

As to the genre I picked, the answer is simple: I do not know enough to write about computers realistically. As my brother the programmer put it, "How the internet works is fairly complicated." That is an understatement.

What did you most enjoy about writing Cel & Anna?

Naming things. I am pretty good at it.

The name I am happiest with: Bob's Wide Awake (a highly caffeinated brand of coffee).

Other names: Star Shoot (a town), Rising Sun (another town), New Hope Hell (a prison), Lighthorse Magic (Anna's employer), datastorms (vortexes of electronic garbage), the Emperor Worm (a particularly nasty datastorm).

Did you have any particular moments of inspiration?

One night the TV was on, and a 1955 Ray Harryhausen movie called It Came from Beneath the Sea started to roll. It began with text scrolling by, like Star Wars does.

When I read the line "The mind of man had thought of everything, except that which was beyond his comprehension," I knew I had the book's epigraph. It is perfect.

You have an obscure reference in the product description: "Whole-souled, full-circled folks come home." Where the heck did that come from?

I think it was in the liner notes of an LP I no longer own, probably in the folk/bluegrass genre. But I do not know. More impressively, Google does not know either.

It was part of a couplet. The second line was something like "Ah, 'twill be a plenty, for now, all time, our lives." If anyone knows the source, be impressed with yourself because you know something Google does not.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 279 KB
• Print Length: 311 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1453839992
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004PLMJEU
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #550,608 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable science fiction August 8, 2011

By Maria Waddell

Format:Paperback

Cel and Anna is a delightful science fiction novel. The premise is George Orwell-esque from his novel 1984 where "big brother" is watching everything you do - without the overwhelming darkness.

The synopsis tells you everything you need to know about this book. It starts off a little slow for me, but the pace picks up and then continues at a good clip. The concept of a computer falling in love with a woman is pretty unique; thus, enjoyable to read about.

The characters were well-written, even Cel, the computer! I found the most change in Anna as the story began, she was rather shy and didn't interact with live people very much. Through the story she grew and changed until she was very comfortable around people and capable of making friends.

Cel and Anna is a breath of fresh air in the science fiction genre. It flows smoothly and reads fairly quickly. It's definitely worth your time!

*Disclaimer: I received this book free from the author, I was not required to write a positive review.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, wonderful story! June 17, 2011

By V. Cano

Format:Paperback

I'm not sure I'll ever look at a computer the same way again after reading this book. What a marvelous story! This is the type of book that makes me glad self-publishing exists.
The sci-fi premise has never been one of my favorites, mainly because the authors rely so much on world building and bizarre terms, that the actual stories never come through. This book is an exception. There is some world building, of course, but it is very interesting and never grows dull. The reader is not inundated with unpronounceable words or names, and can easily follow the actions that take place, even when they involve new technological terms.
I adored Cel, the computer that one day realizes he is indeed alive and in-love with his owner. He is a quirky, troublesome creature that the reader can't help but love. Anna, his owner, is also quite fun, although she falls a bit short of a fully rounded character. There are a myriad of other people that make the story come to life. I enjoyed getting to meet them all.
The story itself is well structured, with the usual infusion of government paranoia and the ever watchful eye of technology. It is fast-paced, grabbing on to the reader until the last page. I will not reveal the ending, of course, but I had a little "aww" working its way up my throat.
I highly, highly recommend this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful love story July 6, 2012

By Sue Owen

Format:Paperback

I had to laugh when I read the synopsis of this story. It was hard for me to picture how the author was going to pull off such a feat ... a love story between a human and a robot? Seriously? Brings to mind some of the really ditzy blondes I know. But she pulled it off. This is truly a great love story and Anna is neither ditzy nor blonde.

I liked the progression of this story a lot. The interaction between Cel who knew he was in love from the very beginning to Anna and the outcome that was inevitable. This is a classic love story told in a very unique way but don't let that deter you reading it. This is a great book and lots of fun to read.

I would like to see a bit more in the area of environment description. There might have been a little too much left to the reader's imagination but I don't know that it took anything away from the original story. It's just the sci fi freak in me coming out. I want to see the purple skies and yellow moon. But either way, it was a good read and one I recommend.

More About the Author

Lindsay Edmunds buys birdseed at Agway and sometimes patronizes a shopping center named Ruthfred. However, she has a wild imagination.