£5.00
185 in stock
By Alex Baillie
ISBN: 978-1-84747-917-4
Published: 2009
Pages: 89
Key Themes: fiction, sanity, humanity, nature, materialism
Description
I AM FOREVER is a story about a world in which everyday items, possessions, ideas and concepts begin vanishing from existence. Charles Freemore is an office worker who leads an uneventful life until the world around him begins to change. The story is both about the ever changing surroundings that Charles’ finds himself in and of his realisation that he is only the person who can remember all of the things that are disappearing. With each passing day Charles begins to question his own sanity and even the nature of what is real, as he frantically attempts to find out what is happening to not only him but all humanity.
What makes this novel unique is that is shows how we take a lot of things for granted and what life would be like if these possessions had never existed. The story initially states that the world may be a better place; however as it progresses this is questioned as society becomes unrecognizable and Charles struggles with an increasing feeling of isolation. The novel has a thought-provoking end and leaves the reader questioning just what is possible in the world.
About the Author
Alex Baillie is 27 Years old and lives in Kelvindale in Glasgow. Currently, Alex works in the banking industry, he has been writing short stories since he was a teenager and he recently wrote a short screenplay that has been made into a film by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Alex’s main literary influence is Philip K Dick, with novels such as “Time Out of Joint” and “The Man in the High Castle”. Other works that have inspired him include Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials Trilogy” and “The Stand” by Stephen King. Alex aspires to write novels that challenge people’s perceptions of normality and the nature of what reality is.
Book Extract
As soon as he woke up Charles knew that something was wrong. He quickly sat up in his bed and surveyed the room, but as far as he could tell everything looked normal. Throwing off his covers he made his way over to the window and opened the curtains. It was still dark outside and the street was completely empty which wasn’t unusual for this time of the morning. Charles was just about to close his curtains when out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of purple light in the sky.
He turned quickly to see where the light had come from but struggled to see anything clearly. Charles rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was probably still half asleep and with that he closed the curtains and headed back towards his bed.
Suddenly he became aware of an odd sound. He cocked his head to the side, trying to work out where it was coming from. It was a deep murmuring noise that sounded like some kind of machinery and it seemed to be getting louder. Charles realised that it was coming from outside so he quickly moved back across the room and opened his window. As soon as he did he regretted it, the noise was becoming unbearably loud and Charles had his hand on his window ready to close it, when he saw a man sitting on a wall across from his house.
The man was looking directly at him and for a moment Charles thought he recognized him. He tried to shout to the man to ask him what was going on, but nothing could be heard above the noise that seemed to emanating from everywhere. The man across the street didn’t seem to be bothered by it and after briefly staring at Charles he stood up and pointed to the sky. Charles looked up and again saw another purple flash, and with that the noise doubled in intensity.
Charles was thrown back into the room violently and he landed hard on his back. Winded and struggling for breath he felt the whole room shake under him, outside he could hear car alarms going off and roof tiles crashing into the street.
He pressed his hands against his ears desperately trying to keep the sound out. The whole house was shaking and his possessions were being smashed to pieces all around him.
Then, as suddenly as it started, everything became silent again.
Charles tried to regain his composure but his head was spinning. His vision was going in and out of focus and a moment later he lost consciousness.
It would be a number of years before Charles Freemore would remember the events of that night, and longer still before he would remember the man across the street.
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Darcy Bennet (verified owner) –
this is a real page turner. Charles Freemore’s struggle to find out what is happening is truly captivating. I can’t wait to read more books by Alex Baillie.