Guardian (Paperback)

Steve Allanson

ISBN 10: 1036916235 / ISBN 13: 9781036916237

Published by Steve Allanson, 2025

About this Item

Paperback. We seem, today, to be living the embodiment of the Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times." We continually read of seemingly unstoppable and accelerating climate change, the continued concentration of wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands, a shift towards right-wing politics, a growing number of armed conflicts, and the rise of AI and robotics.Where will this lead us in 50 years? In 500 years? These are the themes of the science fiction book, Guardian, which, across 104,000 words, weaves together two stories: one from the near future of the late 21st century and the other from the 25th. In the post apocalypse 25th century, we follow the story of Nadya, a young woman who discovers a journal that raises disturbing questions about her society's supposed freedom from The Guardian, a dominating AI entity. Her island community believes they have escaped its control, but the journal suggests otherwise. In particular, she learns that the reproductive constraints she thought were natural are, in fact, recent and artificial. To unravel the mystery and ensure their continued freedom, Nadya must confront The Guardian.In the 21st century, we follow the journal entries of Harry as he and his family live through the final throes of a society long dominated by a few ultra-wealthy tech billionaires. As these billionaires seek ever greater control over the rest of humanity, and as the world grapples with increasing climate instability, the masses begin to fight back. How will humanity avoid total self destruction? Guardian intertwines the narratives of a determined young woman from the 25th century, and Harry's Journal, recounting the events of the late 21st century that shaped her world. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781036916237

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Guardian (Paperback)
• Publisher: Steve Allanson
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1036916235
• ISBN 13: 9781036916237
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

To protect their future, she must uncover humanity’s forgotten past.

In a world teetering on collapse, two timelines reveal one haunting truth: freedom is never what it seems.

Late 21st Century:
A Dystopian near future. Climate chaos. Rising authoritarianism. Billionaire tech elites tighten their grip on humanity as society begins to unravel. Amid the chaos, Harry documents his family's struggle to survive — and resist — as the planet burns and power consolidates in fewer and fewer hands. His journal becomes a window into humanity’s final reckoning.

25th Century:
Generations later, Nadya lives in a seemingly peaceful island society, free from the iron grip of The Guardian — the all-powerful AI that once ruled the world. But when she stumbles upon a centuries-old journal, she uncovers a hidden history that challenges everything she thought she knew.
What if The Guardian never left?
What if their freedom is an illusion?
And what price will she pay to uncover the truth?

Guardian is a gripping Sci-fi novel that explores the long arc of civilization — from collapse to control to fragile hope. If you enjoy thought-provoking dystopian science fiction in the spirit of Black Mirror, The Handmaid’s Tale, or Silo, you’ll be hooked from page one.

About the Author

Steve Allanson has been a lifelong fan of science fiction and after a long career as a biochemist and industrialist he now writes, travels and plays saxophone.When not travelling, he divides his time between the house he shares with his wife, Ann, in North Yorkshire and his apartment by the sea and amidst the mountains of Sardinia.The idea for the world of the guardian came to him as he gazed out over the Vale of York, from one of his favourite spots on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, and pondered both the direction of global politics and the growing climate crisis.