2019: The Year All Tobacco Will be Permanently Banned
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Kevin Godbee - May 30, 2012
- 2 min read
Kevin Godbee
2019 is the year that all tobacco will be permanently banned … at least according to the new fiction novel, "Tangent" by Mike Pomery. Tangent is a politically-charged, time-bending, dystopian view of the distant and not too distant future. The story starts in the year 2051 where former pipe smoker, Alan Febras is scheduled for his "Complete Synthetic Upgrade" as mandated by the "Life Extension Act of 2048".
Alan Febras’ apathetic trudge through another day of forced retirement is interrupted by the sudden arrival of James, an old friend he thought lost. In an instant, Alan is offered an escape from his upcoming scheduled mechanization by traveling back into his own past. With Alan’s assent barely uttered, he is whisked off to a hidden laboratory to make his journey back.
The story follows Alan as he rediscovers the everyday pleasures of our modern world that had been lost to him in our boringly Utopian future. Armed with the flippant wisdom gained from his sixty-five years on earth, Alan decides to make a few divergent changes from his first run-through at life.
Bizarre dreams of the past and present interrupt the newfound peace in Alan’s life, as do some reckless decisions. As things go from bad to worse Alan begins to question his sanity and the validity of the world around him. Perceptions of reality slowly distort as the book reaches its harrowing climax.
More than most time-travel stories; Tangent has a strong literary flavor and lovingly explores the strange rituals of modern life. Alan encounters many interesting characters, who all serve in one way or another to unlock the mystery of his own fate.
Tangent also explores our perception of reality and one individual’s struggle to gain solidarity and peace in a world seemingly governed by quiet subversion and unchecked greed. The reader is left to ponder the possibilities that Alan discovers through the course of the novel.
Here’s a preview of a few pages –
We skip ahead ….
About the Author
Mike Pomery lives near Australia’s famous wine region, the Barrossa Valley, with his fiancée and his two daughters. Whilst working as a commission artist and graphic designer, he used his spare time writing what has become Tangent, a book about the complexities of free choice and the deception that stems from it. He is also a pipe smoker. www.mikepomery.com
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Thanks for a great review of a book that I’m sure will hold everyone’s interest, whether one is a pipe smoker or not.
Glad to see Mike has this on the Market. Way to go, my doppleganger.
The title of this article popped up on my twitter feed this afternoon and I about soiled myself. What relief by the end of the sentence! What an interesting concept, and promising read. Thanks for sharing!
What an interesting read! When we reach the year 2051, I will be nearing my 65th birthday. I hope I’m not in the samme boat as Mr. Febras!
Nifty. (Though I hope he is wrong!)
I finished this book this morning. Well worth the time and an amazingly thought provoking read.