Epsilon AR

I received the ebook Epsilon A.R. by Zackery Alexander Humphreys

free in exchange for my honest review.
No other compensation was provided.

The Book:
Hundreds of years into the future mankind has gone under-ground to relocate to Epsilon; a beautiful city run by a strong, secretive government that keeps its citizens in check by subtle manipulation and strict schedules. No one questions the city's authority and no one is unhappy. ALN-896, an average man who is just trying to live a normal life, begins to have dreams; something strange and rare in Epsilon. In his dreams a man named Harry dies. ALN-896 shrugs this off as if nothing has happened. It was only a dream. The next day, however, he is suddenly arrested and sent to prison for killing Harry. Now inside prison, ALN-896 begins to learn about what the government of Epsilon has been doing and he plans on escaping. Not only from prison, but from Epsilon. This one decision turns him against everything he has ever known and forces him to face against centuries of lies. To escape means to live, but what will it cost?

My Review:

Epsilon is a strict community of routine.  Everyone does everything the exact same.  It sort of reminded me of The Truman Show...  Every day is identical.  Going to sleep and waking up at the exact same time.  

The citizens of Epsilon were awakening.

8:02 a.m.: they showered.

8:10 a.m.: they got dressed.

8:12 a.m.: they brushed their teeth.

8:14 a.m.: they combed their hair.

This day was just another normal day

The residents are programmed (we'd say brainwashed) to know, think, breathe and live the exact same thing. 

But just as with everyone else, the general scheme of

things never entered into his thinking. All that mattered to him and his fellow citizens was

Epsilon and fulfilling their duties within it. He glanced down the street and watched every other

man on the block, all wearing identical clothing and shining the exact same joyful smiles,

entering their vehicles as he was.

The story is about ALN-896.  Yes, that's his name.  In the town of Epsilon, the residents have a name with 3 letters, 3 numbers.  ALN-896 works for the Reclamation Division (Waste Management.)

The cars are programmed, and talk to you (really cool, I might add!) and even provided him with tea when he asked for it.  They drive you where you're scheduled to go, and keep you on task.

It was the weekend; therefore, every car was programmed to choose an activity that

would both serve as a source of enjoyment for the citizens and promote the successful

development of Epsilon.

They are so much more than a 'smart' car of our time, as evidenced by ALN-896 asking

“Do you know when I got this swollen lip?” ALN-896 asked the car as he examined his

face in the rear-view mirror.

Saturday - February 25, 700AR was the fateful day that everything changed with ALN-896.

The next day, he breaks the routine (against the law, I might add!) and saves a woman from dying in a fire.  He's started to have strange dreams, starting with a black & white tie that he's sure was attached to a person at some point.

Eventually, he begins to do something that other Epsilon residents would find unthinkable- he begins to question what is outside of Epsilon.

This book is definitely a must-read for science fiction fans.  I found myself unable to stop reading it.  I am sort of surprised, as it was outside of my normal reading genre, but it was really a great book.
Humphreys is a great author at 21, and I expect that we'll find more great works from him in the future.  I know I'm looking forward to it!

About the Author:

Zackery Humphreys is 21 years old and is currently attending the University of California, Santa Barbara studying Theater Acting. He has been writing for about seven years, mostly concentrating on poetry and novels. He has a love for books and for storytelling. Now, through his writing, he is hoping to bring those two worlds together.

Want to know more?
You can find Zackery on his blog, Facebook Author Page, Facebook book page and Twitter.

Want to buy Epsilon A.R?  I don't blame ya!!  You can buy it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble