Prepare to fight for humanity against a powerful AI network in the poignant fictional YA thriller debut from award-winning author, John Be Lane. The Future Lies (Feb 6, 2024, Global Arts Press) follows one brave gamer’s journey to thwart the domination of AI within this post-dystopian universe, where the Network controls every aspect of human life.

Winner of the IPPY Award for Best First Book, John Be Lane returns with a propulsive science fiction thriller where humans struggle under the oppression of a “Big Brother''-style AI called “the Network.” Reflecting on current issues like authoritarianism, the casual surrender to technology, and AI’s growing popularity, John Be Lane creates a cautionary tale that asks the question, “what could happen if we continue down humanity’s current path?”

About the novel: In a time when people exist within an AI-created reality, Calvin, a young gamer, journeys beyond the walls of the game, “Kill It! Till It Die!” to find a place outside the simulated world. There he meets Juniper, a young woman who is horrified by the conditions Calvin and his friend Roscoe exist in. Literacy is a punishable offense, and the Network feeds nonsense to the huddled mass of “goners” on tablet-like devices called “slabs.” Juniper, Calvin, and Roscoe work together to free themselves and others from the Network. They’re met with a battle against the darker forces behind the world, and discover the deeper secrets about humanity hidden away in the Network’s CPU. The perfect haunting read on the future of humanity for fans of The Matrix, Black Mirror, and Ready Player One.