The Roamers

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Pub Date May 09 2023 | Archive Date Jan 18 2024

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Description

From the award winning future-thinker comes a Solar Punk novel packed with near-future ideas from the streets of Rome, with elements of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

The pulldogs, a group of people at the twilight of Western civilisation, undergo an anthropological transformation caused by the dissemination of nanites (nanorobots capable of assembling molecules to create matter). This technology changes the way they eat and gives rise to a culture which, while reminiscent of an ancient nomadic society, is creative and new. Liberation from the imperative of food, combined with the ability to 3D print objects and use cloud computing, makes it possible for the pulldogs to make a choice that seems impossible and anachronistic – a new life, but is it really an Arcadia?

FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress.
From the award winning future-thinker comes a Solar Punk novel packed with near-future ideas from the streets of Rome, with elements of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

...

A Note From the Publisher

Francesco Verso is a multiple-award Science Fiction writer and editor (3 Europa Awards for Best Author, Best Editor and Best Work of Fiction, 2 Urania Awards for Best Novel, 1 Golden Dragon Award for the promotion of International SF, 2 Italy Awards for Best Editor and Best Novel). He has published: Antidoti umani, e-Doll, Nexhuman, Bloodbusters and I camminatori (made of The Pulldogs and No/Mad/Land). Nexhuman and Bloodbusters – translated in English by Sally McCorry and in Chinese by Zhang Fan and Hu Shaoyan – have been published in the US by Apex Books, in the UK by Luna press, and in China by Bofeng Culture. He also works as editor and publisher of Future Fiction, a multicultural project dedicated to scouting and publishing the best World SF in translation from more than 30 countries and 12 languages with authors like Ian McDonald, Ken Liu, Liu Cixin, Vandana Singh, Chen Qiufan, and others. From 2019 he’s the Honorary Director of the Fishing Fortress SF Academy of Chongqing and a literary agent of Future Wave, an agency that specialized in the import/export of copyright from/to China. He may be found at www.futurefiction.org.

Francesco Verso is a multiple-award Science Fiction writer and editor (3 Europa Awards for Best Author, Best Editor and Best Work of Fiction, 2 Urania Awards for Best Novel, 1 Golden Dragon Award for...


Advance Praise

"This is exciting stuff and is first rate futurism.” James Patrick Kelly, Nebula, Locus and Hugo Award winner


Francesco Verso has won 3 Europa Awards for Best Author, Best Editor and Best Work of Fiction, 2 Urania Awards for Best Novel, 1 Golden Dragon Award for the promotion of International SF, 2 Italy Awards for Best Editor and Best Novel.

"This is exciting stuff and is first rate futurism.” James Patrick Kelly, Nebula, Locus and Hugo Award winner


Francesco Verso has won 3 Europa Awards for Best Author, Best Editor and Best Work of...


Marketing Plan

• National consumer print, online, and broadcast media campaign

• Author bookstore & library appearances

• Publishing trade ARC/galley outreach

• Blog tour and #FlameTreeTour features online

• Advertisements to appear in key book and consumer trade print and online media, and e-blasts/newsletters

• Author interviews and excerpts available upon request

• Influencer outreach to Amazon top reviewers & Goodreads librarians, Bookstagrammers, BookTubers and more

• National consumer print, online, and broadcast media campaign

• Author bookstore & library appearances

• Publishing trade ARC/galley outreach

• Blog tour and #FlameTreeTour features online

•...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781787588332
PRICE CA$21.95 (CAD)
PAGES 272

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Average rating from 12 members


Featured Reviews

I had a good time reading this book. It's well-written, clever, and well-thought-out. It also managed to intellectually engage me, and that's always a good sign.

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This is well done with interesting tech along the way. In some ways it's a character study, and it's not high action. But the writing is solid, and I stayed engaged. Good stuff.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

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[Blurb goes here]

In a futuristic 2019-2022, nanobots are an essential part of life. These microscopic machines are used to build everything, from nano-carbon bikes to jackets. That is, if you buy the formula for such objects. Also, food consumption for pleasure, is in decline. 3D food printing has become the norm: people would rather eat nutraceutical bars that will release the required nutrients, and calories, periodically during the day, than spend a few minutes in the kitchen cooking real food.

Miriam, the mother of a forty year old man, gets a call. His son Alan has been in an accident. Globalzon, the company he works for, would rather leave him on the streets than call an ambulance. For reasons not clear, Globalzon can't let any one into its warehouse. Miriam quickly grabs a ride in a rickshaw, driven by Silvia. The young woman pedals fast through the streets of Rome taking Miriam to her destination.

Once in the hospital, a grim diagnostic shocks both Miriam and Alan: The man is paralyzed from the waist down. Miriam has to do something to help his son. Fortunately, she's friends with Ivan Shumalin, A Russian who has been living in Rome for thirty years. Ivan recommends an illegal procedure. Miriam will have to contact scientists through the Dark Web, and offer them a novel nanite design in exchange for them to program a cure for his son into the nano machines.

The treatment is successful, but it comes with unforeseen side effects.

The multiple award science fiction writer, Francesco Verso, treats this novel as if it where an essay, told through the eyes of his characters. Nothing much happens in the way of a story, but his approach to the future tech is amazing. With beautiful prose an interesting character dynamics, The Roamers makes for an inspiring insight into the future.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

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This is such an interesting concept and its unique for me as I haven't seen this before. I am excited at this type of book especially as there are many cyberpunk style books but few have a unique take on this style.

Allan is the son and Miriam is the mother and they seem to have an interesting relationship. I am enjoying it.

The accident that happened and what I am reading shows a huge great ability to think outside the box.

It is very strange and seems more futuristic and very hard to believe but in a lot of ways this is what I like about it. They don't go with what could make sense but what feels right for the story.

I have always been a huge fan of books that have some medical items such as the nanites. It makes me very happy to read these books as to what could be.

The next part is about Nicolas who is a heavyset man who seems to want to be thinner. I can understand that as I am larger than what I should be and would love to be able to take nanites and prevent the weight gain or even eating.

The first part flowed very well but now that i am going through Nicolas part I feel it doesn't have the same flow it is still good just I don't feel it is as fluid.

The story being split into multiple parts can be difficult for some people however I found that it was done well even if I found the second part not as fluid.

Sylvia is one of the characters and in the third part she is the main focus. I am not that fond of her as a character but she fits in well with this story.

The technology that they use, nanites are such a great idea and I really think that the mutations that they bring makes things very interesting.

Even after reading this the story confuses me and I don't think I picked up all the nuances of the plot but I really enjoyed it and think it definitely is a strong book.

I want to thank the author and publisher and the tour organizer for allowing me to take part in the blogtour and for a advanced reader copy of this book.

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Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy.
This started out as a si-fi tale about the use of nano technology to replace medicine and wound up being about the city of Rome waging a war on a well-established homeless camp in the name of progress. There were no winners in this story. It could have been so much more.

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