This one was short and sweet. It had some really interesting takes on what lengths humans will go to with technology. I'm definitely interested in seeing what else this author writes as their writing style was right up my alley.

*Received via NetGalley for review*

I thought this was a collection of stories, and so was surprised when I was finished after one very short one. I understood the description to mean that this was an anthology series rather than a novella. Maybe if I read the other stories I'll warm up to this one, but right now it's a little forgettable.

"This novel is very well-written and kept me hooked right up to the very end, and the build-up of tension didn't disappoint - I definitely did not see that twist!"

This was such an excellent story. I hate to say anything about it. This man was so alone. His story broke my heart.

had finished reading a quite long, thought provoking book and felt I wanted to start a shorter read, and as this one is listed as a novella it was ideal. The book is set in a sparse, snow laden post-apocalyptic world.

The main character is Alden, an older gentleman who has built himself an underground home made from cargo boxes. It’s been a while since he has spotted anyone on his surveillance set up, so either the marauders have found a decent supply of what they need, they have moved on, or they have died.

We join Alden as he is walking down the pathway inspecting and tending plant after plant. He greets his plants with good morning or hello, then tells himself off for talking to his plants, saying people would call him crazy. Alden grows tomatoes and peppers , potatoes, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, and even wheat. Some of his plants were ready to harvest, others are at a more juvenile stage, but every variety you could need for a balanced human diet. There is one exception to the only edible plants, it’s right at the end of the rear wall. It’s a well tended single rosebush, that when it flowers it reveals the most beautiful violet blossoms.

These vegetables and the violet rosebush are what sustain Alden as everything above ground has been looted many, many times. So when his electric ventilation system falters Alden hurries back to his computer to check out what is happening. The computer Alden created himself is an intelligent computer system that he call’s Harmony. Harmony checks the ventilation system and answers Alden in a voice that is neither male nor female.

I can’t really go into more detail of the novella as it would reveal something that needs to be realised when you are reading the book. I enjoyed the in depth, descriptions within the book, they certainly helped you visualise the environment Alden was in.

When the end of the novella came my immediate reaction was that it had been a great novella and it's title is perfect. Though as time went on, I felt I wanted more, so I checked out the author on Goodreads to see if this novella was set in the same world of a series the author had written. Sadly, it isn’t, I really would love to read more.

To sum up I enjoyed the novella, it’s setting, characters etc. I would have just loved more of it. Perhaps more people living with Alden, or nearby for him to interact with. I will be checking out other titles by the author as I did enjoy his writing style a lot. I also adored the twist! The twist was. . . .well the twist was excellent!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the free novella.*

Even though I quite liked the themes in this novella (loss, AI, dystopia) none of them was really explored. The story was very interesting in parts but then just stopped. I also liked the plot twists, yet the end left me with a lot of questions.

2,5 Stars because this had so much potential...

Existence Augmented is an apt title that doesn’t mince words. How far will humanity push technology and can technology replace human interaction? How close can technology come to reproducing humanity?

One man, Alden, is living a life that might ask and answer these questions. This stand-alone short is described as a dystopian, sci-fi novelette and psychological thriller, and it doesn’t disappoint. I’ll be on the lookout for more from Channing Whitaker.


Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the provided ebook and the opportunity to read this book. My review is honest, unbiased, and voluntary. #NetGalley #ExistenceAugmented

Dystopian aesthetics is my weakness and this one hit home. The story is very promising, there is something about the idea of ''the last man on Earth'' that is very intriguing. The writing is also noteworthy. Alden, the protagonist, is a character with great potential and I hope we get to see more development. All in all, it was soo good but soo short. I have so many questions. What happened to humanity? What was it that made the Earth's climate so hostile? Who are the Marauders and how have they managed to survive? What is the recipe for the so-so cakes?
This is my official appeal to Channing Whitaker for <i> ''Existence Augmented: the series.''</i> Please make it happen.
Many thanks to #NetGalley for this eARC!

This is talented author. A nice little story with an interesting plot. As others have noted, it does leave the reader wanting a little more, which may have been the author's intent. Recommended.

I really appreciate the copy for review!

This was a quick science fiction read, barely a novella, more of a novelette. The title is very descriptive, so you know what to expect. In fact, it probably gives away too much, considering the plot twists here were easy predictable. It’s about a scientist who lives alone in a bleak dystopian world and amuses himself by…you got it…augmenting his reality. Outside of some predictability, it was actually a perfectly enjoyable read. I liked the story and the writing. With the plot twists more obscured and/or the story made more opaque, it would have been something along the lines of a Black Mirror episode, possibly. Albeit sans moral, which the show always delivers. Unless it’s the lackluster season 5, where neither digital trickery nor morals weren’t enough. But yeah, this was a quick fun read and appears to be one of the series of genre themed novelettes, all of which sounded good in previews. Thanks Netgalley.