The opening pages of Lloyd Raleigh’s post-apocalyptic thriller, WELCOME TO THE FREE WORLD, paints an all-too probable picture of our collective near future. When the Cirrus corporation introduced the world to Aurora, the idea of an AI-infused implant promising a constant state of inner-peace seemed like a no-brainer to nearly everyone. Everyone, that is, except the lucky few who realize that the Aurora chip is tantamount to enslavement. Enter the Scapels, an off-the-grid group bent on freeing people from their mental entrapment. Will Robins is proud to call himself a scalpel, but his crusade, as well-intentioned as it may be, comes at a cost. Will is aware that removing implants is illegal, but he never imagined his father would be killed. To make matters worse, the world is literally crumbling around him. Even his retreat to his family’s hideaway can’t save Will from the brewing ecological disaster disrupting civilization. Meanwhile, Jade and Martin—a pair of lovers-turned-refugees—find themselves in the thick of the global chaos as dwindling resources have forced large populations in the southwest to flee their homes. As the story unfolds, a startling truth begins to emerge: regardless of race, class, or country, time is running out for everyone.

With a professional background in Ecology, it’s little surprise that climate change factors heavily into Lloyd Raleigh’s WELCOME TO THE FREE WORLD. After all, where better to explore humanity’s potential self-inflicted doom than in the pages of a dystopian sci-fi thriller? That said, Raleigh’s debut novel feels less like a budding writer’s first attempt and more like the refined work of a seasoned pro. For instance, establishing separate but equally impactful protagonists is no small feat, but, as Raleigh demonstrates, the payoff often results in more depth. Will’s story hits all the traditional sci-fi beats—action, technology and a dash of conspiracy—and could just as easily have carried this novel. In fact, the introduction of Jade and Martin in chapter three initially feels like an unnecessary detour, but it’s their alternate perspective that ultimately elevates Raleigh’s speculative future. Equally (if not more) impressive is the way the North Carolina-based author manages to tie it all together in a riveting third act that feels eerily prescient.

Despite the effusive praise above, WELCOME TO THE FREE WORLD occasionally buckles under the weight of its own ambition. Will, in particular, is prone to philosophical detours that hinder the story’s pace as the novel unfolds. Is Will a world-weary, soul-searching protagonist, or a thinly-veiled avatar for the author? The answer is probably both, but the question speaks to one of the novel’s few points of contention. Otherwise, Raleigh succeeds at building a fully-realized world and populating it with authentic characters.

WELCOME TO THE FREE WORLD might start off as a standard dystopian sci-fi adventure, but Lloyd Raleigh’s debut novel quickly transforms into a satisfyingly unpredictable page-turner.

~James Weiskittel for IndieReader