WELCOME!

“The world is a machine. A great, godlike, infinitely complex machine in which we all play a vital role.”

—Professor Titus Enwar, founder of PRO-T-EN Industries

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My name is Jesse Rucilez, and I’m an author from Reno, Nevada. This blog is dedicated to my current work in progress: PRO-T-EN Man—a science fiction novel; equal parts dystopian satire, technological thriller, and, hopefully, pure literary entertainment.

The year is 2099. The entire world has been overtaken by corporations, and America is ruled by the big four:

· PRO-T-EN Industries.

· e-PHEMERUS Incorporated.

· Omnert Enterprises.

· In-E-Ware Holdings & Securities.

Every citizen—politicians, judges, police officers, school teachers—is an employee of the big four. Even the President works for PRO-T-EN Industries. Hence, no more political parties. Instead, only corporate affiliations.

Against this backdrop is a highly technological, bureaucratic, commercialized, and militarized society. The country has been divided into Time Zone Quadrants, and each state has been renamed as a Sector with a numerical designation. For instance, Washington D.C. is now Sector 0, and Maine is Sector 1.

Small-town America has been demolished. Almost everyone lives in gigantic Civilian Centers built upon the ruins of major cities like L.A., Seattle, and New York. Beyond these mega-cities lie the corporate zones, crawling with bandits and lowly scavengers.

In the Civilian Centers, corporate employees thrive. All vehicles are solar powered hover crafts which use magnetic pulse technology to fly. Every citizen is connected to their corporate network via neural-net implant, and are treated to hourly news bulletins which are sponsored by all sorts of products. Along with the implant, every citizen gets a personalized A.I. assistant to help them be more productive. Most households own mechanical attendants to assist daily chores, although automation of any work performed by humans was strictly outlawed in 2041 by the notorious Anti-Automa Alterations Act.

Each of the big corporations have their own lingo, and designations for things. For instance, PRO-T-EN employees are “Savants,” whereas e-PHEMERUS employees are “Proctors.” Each corporation also employs their very own military. Occasionally, soldiers from rival corporations engage in open warfare over goods and territory in the corporate zones.

Enter Captain Gunnar Rourke, a top PRO-T-EN Industries Asset Protection Savant. In the prologue, Gunnar completes an escort mission from one Civilian Center to another, battling scavengers along the way. Then he goes on a well-earned vacation with his wife, Daphne, who’s been cleared for pregnancy.

Unfortunately, things take a sudden turn for the worse.

First, a major announcement that e-PHEMROUS has bought In-E-Ware Holdings & Securities. This puts all of PRO-T-EN administration into a panic. Panic begins to creep through all levels of management.

Second, to make matters worse, PRO-T-EN Senator Ulysses DuPonte goes missing. The old man boards a jet, then vanishes, midflight. This, after the news of the merger, ignites a wildfire of corporate paranoia.

And third, upon hearing about Senator DuPonte, the PRO-T-EN pop star, LV-RA, refuses air travel for the rest of her tour, demanding a military ground escort. Since LV-RA is the most successful pop singer in the history of PRO-T-EN Industries, and the last stop of her tour is an unprecedented performance on the moon at PRO-T-EN Lunar Colony 1, management doesn’t argue. And guess who’s chosen to lead the escort team…

You guessed it: Captain Rourke.

Vacation denied!

This is the setup and central premise for PRO-T-EN Man. Drawing upon sources like Escape From New York, Mad Max, Bladerunner, Brazil, Robocop, and Apocalypse Now, I’m working hard to craft a novel that will be unforgettable. My style is unique, and for this novel I’m enhancing the story with literary devices such as hourly news bulletins at the start of each chapter, and private email exchanges between executives.

My literary influences are vast, and I’m aiming for a special blend of magic. I want Stephen King’s depth, tinged with Vonnegut’s satirical bite. I want the prose to roar like vintage Harlan Ellison, and echo with Nabokov’s lyrical flourish.

And all of this with Asimov’s structural brilliance.

I know that’s asking a lot. And I’m not saying that I’m anywhere near those masters in terms of the written word. What I’m saying is, that with those influences, whatever talent I might have, the lessons I’ve learned from the novels, novellas, and short stories I’ve written over the years, and with nose-to-the-grindstone discipline, I know I can create a novel that will grab you by the throat and keep you reading until the final page.

So please like, subscribe, and share this page far and wide. Invite your friends who like to read, or who are fans of dark, gritty science fiction.

Thank you, and stay tuned!

JR

P.S. If you’re interested in my other work, it can all be found here: https://jlrucilez.blogspot.com/p/publications-to-date.html