Die

Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist meets George Orwell’s 1984 in this cross-genre tale, which marries visionary and political fiction in a heartfelt but high-stakes thriller.

Darah, a tech writer living in the democratic nation of California, is dismayed to see the game she’s helping develop for a Silicon Valley tech company has been tampered with. When her hacker friend Jedd investigates, he uncovers a conspiracy that could change the nation—and the world.

With a circle of close friends, Jedd digs deeper and deeper into the darknet and exposes the unthinkable: an app is being developed that uses quantum computing and neuroscience to alter people’s brains, totally unbeknownst to them. As the friends realize the devastating impact of this technology, they’re presented with a dilemma: stay quiet and stay safe, or risk their lives to stand up to the international authoritarian force behind this plot?

Combining activist, techno-thriller, and metaphysical fiction elements and scaffolded on three realities—the ancient wisdom of the Mahabharata, our current sociopolitical reality, and the near future—The Die is a fast-paced story about friendship, courage, and democracy.

Jude Berman, the award-winning author of The Die, The Vow, and Shot: A Dictionary of the Lost, grew up amid floor-to-ceiling shelves of books, with refugee parents who imparted an appreciation for social justice. She has a BA in art from Smith College and an EdD in cross-cultural communication from UMass Amherst. After a career in academic research, she built a freelance editorial business and ran two small indie presses. She lives in Berkeley, California, where she also volunteers for civic causes, paints with acrylics, gardens, and meditates. She blogs at https://judeberman.substack.com.