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"Headlong" is mind-bending science fiction for wired people. The author Simon Ings is a voice for the future. Surgically connected to their swarm of mechanical workers, architects Christopher and Joanne Yale were turning the Moon into a paradise. Now, without warning, their machines have pulled the plug. Christopher Yale is drowning in a sea of sensory deprivation and bootleg medicine. Joanne is dead, and neither the police nor their friends have any explanation. But Yale knows she was plugging pirated software into her head, to fight the same condition he has; Epistemic Appetite Imbalance. Confronting his loss and his new, empty-headed world, Yale seeks out the truth of Joanne's death, all the while being drawn into a new, colder London which has no place for the Moon's failures. He hasn't got much time!
After his wife dies under mysterious circumstances, a lunar architect struggles to navigate a sensory-deprived existence while uncovering the truth behind a lethal technological conspiracy. Christopher Yale, once a master of lunar construction, finds himself adrift in a cold, unforgiving London following the sudden failure of his neural-linked mechanical swarm. Opposed by a society that discards those who fail to integrate with its high-tech demands, Yale must manage his own debilitating condition, Epistemic Appetite Imbalance, while investigating the illicit software that claimed his wife's life. The narrative unfolds through a gritty, first-person perspective that emphasizes the protagonist's internal fragmentation and the harsh, alienating nature of his environment.
This work presents a stark vision of a future where the boundary between human consciousness and digital infrastructure has eroded. The narrative style reflects the protagonist's fractured mental state, utilizing a clinical yet frantic tone to mirror his struggle with sensory loss. Readers are likely to find the depiction of a cold, indifferent London a central element that heightens the sense of isolation inherent in the protagonist's quest. The premise suggests a focus on the psychological toll of advanced technology, positioning the story as a meditation on the fragility of identity in a hyper-connected world.
Page Count:
325
Publication Date:
1999-01-01
Publisher:
HarperCollins
ISBN-10:
0006477259
ISBN-13:
9780006477259
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