Murder wakes the sleeping city
Due to their unique neurology, only the enslaved Operator caste can program the quantum computers that run 26th century Red City. When three of the caste are ritually murdered, it's up to private investigator Hoshi Archer—herself a recently liberated Operator—to help the police solve the case. Things get complicated when one of the victims turns out to be Hoshi's ex-girlfriend, and power-hungry bureaucrats and old rivals stir up new problems. An immortal, amoral alien may even be involved. To unwind the plot to take over the city, Hoshi must decipher a deadly computer program and learn to communicate with the alien, before it's too late for the next victim—and the city.
Advance Reviews Say:
“This thoroughly engaging book is a great many things — but above all else, it’s a gripping science-fiction mystery story steeped in the finest traditions of the cyberpunk and detective genres. Autistic author Dora M Raymaker has created a protagonist who’s a unique and believable person, giving us a fascinating vision of the roles and struggles of autistics in a future society. But you don’t have to have any interest in autism to enjoy the hell out of Hoshi’s race to solve this devious murder mystery before she becomes the next victim.” — Nick Walker, co-creator of the Weird Luck stories and webcomic.
“A fantastic debut. Read this neurodivergent allegory and save yourself from the pathological paradigm.” — Ralph James Savarese, author of Reasonable People and See It Feelingly.
Page Count: 305
