M a r k E v e r g l a d e

Inertia by Mark Everglade - Overview and Excerpt

Intro:
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‍Inertia is a standalone cyberpunk novel releasing in Summer of 2022 that may also be read as a follow-up to Hemispheres. It's written by Mark Everglade, whose stories are scheduled to be included in collections featuring cyberpunk legends Cory Doctorow, Walter Jon Williams, Dr. Rudy Rucker, and others. It's published through the traditional press RockHill Publishing. Take a look at this excerpt and spoiler-free overview.
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Plot:
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Inertia revolves around the connection between government factions, big corporations, and the environmental destruction they create for their own profits. A young geophysicist, Ash, finds herself at the nexus of all this as she infiltrates servers in virtual reality to discover the hidden connections, but with the Enforcers on her tail, she can't do it alone.

The planet Gliese 581g is rotating faster each day, approaching speeds that will end human life. Glaciers are melting, flooding entire cities, and Ash's home is about to float away. To solve the planetary crisis, she'll need to rely on the man she’s avoided her whole life, legendary terraformer Severum Rivenshear. Trouble is, he's her father, and doesn't even know she exists. Together, they must put their family history on hold to cross deserts, flooded dystopias, and cyberspace to protect the planet, shut down the Old Guard, and pave the way for a new tomorrow. But the planet has a voice of her own, and family problems can’t be kept secret forever.

See a world map here.

"Mark takes sci-fi ideas and makes them part of the normal world to immerse the reader. As a professional programmer, I understand what he's doing, and it's wonderful." - James Hill (Author of Pegasus).

‍Excerpt:

The glimmering matrix wavered like a snake through cyberspace. Birds carried data packets from node to node. Hot-pink mushrooms spit spores that clung to Ash's avatar, slowing her connection speed and blurring her vision as they accumulated. She followed a river of light coursing through the woods with the blare of white noise. Soon, she stumbled upon a trail of intranet traffic worn into the dirt, kicking up dust bytes with every step, reaching a virtual data fortress.

Spyware and key-trackers were posted at every watchtower. Geosturm wasn’t making it easy. Ash crossed a bridge over a moat of discarded data. The gate opened and a single knight stepped forth, holding a blazing blue sword. Electrical current ran along the blade and sparks flew from the tip. Ash scanned it – this wasn’t just a harmless virtual prop, it carried millions of implant signatures. When it struck, it would recalibrate her mind.

The cyberknight rushed forth. The blade shimmied right, missing. It struck left, but Ash code-pushed it just wide of her shoulder. The cyberknight raised the blade over her head, gathering lightning from the pixelated heavens for an unavoidable strike...

Final Thoughts:
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"An engaging story and a worthy sequel. (Ash) fits in well in being relatable to the series...I can see the mechanics working in terms of what computers and virtual reality can really do... (and) I'm eager to see where the third book goes."
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‍- Athina Paris (Author, Editor)

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