Mind Space Volume 1: Conspiracy / Book 2: Restoration by David S. Moore
A Science Fiction Novel published on amazon.com (01/10/2014)
Summary:
Book one of the Mind Space Series ended with the Alliance broken apart and the giant corporation Jaimeson-Cale taking a hit from a terrorist attack that cut off their ability to use the mind control aspect of the Mind Shield while still being able to monitor for certain health conditions. Version 3 of the Mind Shield is introduced in this novel Restoration as the ability of the Mind Shield to eliminate drug addiction. Sounds great, right? Not if you are forced to get a Mind Shield. This second book in Moore’s series introduces the more nefarious sales tactics of Jaimeson-Cale. They will do anything to get the sale, but not just to build their bottom line or please their investors. Moore gives us more background into the ultimate purpose of the Mind Shield in this second book: Mind Space. Mind Space will be version 7, the final version, of the Mind Shield that will create a sense of community bond in order to bring about spiritual purity. The catch is that Mind Space cannot exist unless 73% of the population of the world have Mind Shields. On top of that number, Jaimeson-Cale already promised Mind Shield users that version 7 and Mind Space will be available in 2084. The projection of sales doesn’t even come close after the attack of ’55, but they have strategies to build up their user base and with the release of each version hope to convert new followers to their cause. The only problem is the introduction of competition in the market in the form of the Limbic Freedom. Limbic Freedom’s endgoal is simple: to combat the Mind Shield and keep Mind Space from happening
“The Mind Shield was a nemesis. The best tool that they had to defend against it was Limbic Freedom — of that she was certain. It had a mass appeal, it was simple to use, and most importantly it was based on freedom of choice. Let the user decide what to do. The Mind Shield was designed to mold the user to its purposes — or rather, those of its masters. Mind Space is the promised future for those who enjoy the privileges of Mind Shield.” (Page 217).
Keywords:
Science Fiction, Mind Control, America 2050’s, Technology, Resistance Movement, Rival Product, Monopoly, Free Market, Restoration
My Review:
This series speaks to me in so many ways. It deals with business, marketing, medical devices, manipulating the public into buying a product, regulatory concerns, bureaucracy, underdogs, good versus evil, gray areas, consumer psychology, etc. I get angry when Jaimeson-Cale uses underhanded (and at times) illegal business practices to make a sale of the Mind Shield. I root for the Limbic Freedom and the Alliance to shut down sales of the Mind Shield. I get nervous when Jaimeson-Cale has the upper hand. Moore is so adept at pulling me emotionally into the book on so many levels and yet, he doesn’t answer all my questions. How much does the Mind Shield or the Limbic Freedom cost? How is there no health concern with the transmittal of information from the nanites in the brain to the monitoring database at jaimeson-Cale? Are there no side effects at all from either device?
Moore answered some of the questions in this second book that I had brought from reading the first book. He delves into the past of Jaimeson-Cale and how they developed the nanite technology and how they created their model of different versions unveiled every six years and ultimate plan of development. Moore introduces us to Adam True, an ingenious scientist with so much potential, he just had to develop a stunted philosophy (or is it?) about community and freedom. True’s philosophy and his mindset on humanity and community are similar to the concept in the series Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. If you haven’t converted, you get left behind. The difference between Left Behind and Adam True’s vision of Mind Space is that no one will be left behind because anyone who has not chosen to get a Mind Shield would invariably be forced to have one or be killed.
Mind Space might seem like utopia, but anyone who is not currently hosting a Mind Shield would think differently. I envision Mind Space as a great connection between all Mind Shields, except that individuality is censored and the collective consciousness is just the nice version of that collective conscious in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. Mind Space is like teeth in a comb, all the same parts of a whole instead of like pine cones on a tree, mostly similar but uniquely different. That sounds perfectly wretched to me, to be forced to think the same as everyone else. To Mind Shield hosts and Adam True followers, Mind Space is like Ragnarok, with a cult following ready for a specific day’s event in the ever-nearing future.
Moore begins gearing up his characters for war. There has already been the terrorist attack at the end of book one and the underhanded sales techniques in book two. “Eventually the polite competition of products in the marketplace would be transformed into an all out war for the minds of the masses.” (Page 392).
Hopefully Limbic Freedom can combat the Mind Shield, it monitors the same health conditions that versions 1 and 2 of the Mind Shield monitors and allows the user complete freedom of choice and control of thought. There is a key difference between the two devices, more than just the lack of mind control capabilities in the Limbic Freedom. Moore most likely has faith in humanity and I do not. Limbic Freedom requires configuration, learning, and training and Mind Shield does not. I’m assured that most people would rather the convenience of control than the inconvenience associated with the freedom of choice and thought. If it takes time to make the Limbic Freedom device capable of the same things as the Mind Shield, it won’t appeal to a large portion of society. Isn’t that why the Limbic Freedom was such a hit in the first place, because it treated obesity/overweightness by buffering the user from their own lack of willpower?
Moore throws short detailed scenes throughout the book, where the reader is presented a first-hand account of a character’s experience with the Limbic Freedom or the Mind Shield. This was very Stephen Kingesque of him and I rather enjoyed the brief evidence each scene brought to my side of the fence, where both the Mind Shield and Jaimeson-Cale are evil.
A new depth is introduced in book two regarding the type of Mind Shields produced. There are levels of Mind Shields with levels of controls built in, as if they are directives for robots. Moore also connects the Mind Shield and its directives specifically to the Way of Truth, gearing up for the big finish in his next novel of the series, Mind Space.
Is it truly bad to be a sheep in society if there were no addictions, anxiety, depression, hate, envy, etc? Mahatma Ghandi said, “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a well written novel and easy-to-read science fiction novel. This book reminds me of Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke in it’s sweeping narration through long periods of time with a focus on a single aspect of society.
This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 01/10/2014 and is available on Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 4.75
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