by Adam Savage
First published 2020
Dr. Sarah Chen stares at the peculiar volume that arrived at her lab without explanation. The book claims its words can alter the fundamental nature of existence. As she reads, her thoughts begin to shift in ways she cannot recognize or control. The text promises that memorizing its contents will grant her power over others, restore her body to ideal proportions, and flood her bank account with wealth. Physics will bend to her will. She will speak with animals and microbes alike. But the book demands payment for these gifts. Sarah must spread its message to others, reciting passages on street corners and giving copies to graduates and fathers. She must share its twisted knowledge and help build new faiths around its teachings. Sarah faces a choice between her scientific skepticism and the intoxicating possibility that this strange text might actually deliver on its impossible promises.
Genres: science-fiction, fantasy, contemporary, thriller, academic, alternate-universe
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: power-fantasy, unreliable-narrator
127 pages · Paperback · Independently published
Content warnings: body-horror