Searching for the ultimate answer, seven unsuspecting souls are sent on an involuntary journey through time. They are confronted with the supernatural reality of a man who feels deeply alienated and misunderstood by society - and who soon has to come to terms with living in a simulation.
What if everything that has happened is just a well-intentioned pointer to an imminent new beginning?
'Deep-Dive' Podcast
(Heavy Spoilers): In this fictional* episode we delve into the crazy mind of X. Even though it's going to get pretty deep, we'll pick you back up at the end after this wild trip. Or as X would say, “He who laughs, survives.“
More episodes available on YouTube.
*generated with NotebookLM
You can’t connect with people anymore, as if the link’s been severed?
You feel like you’re stuck in some bizarre video game, surrounded by NPCs on autopilot?
I’m with you. – X
The Nature of Humanity:
What remains of being human when trust is gone and social norms collapse?
Through the protagonist's disintegration of identity and values, the novel examines alienation, emotional numbness, and the search for meaning in a hyper-rational world.
Ever experienced those eerie coincidences — events and lucky breaks that feel too strange to be real? Bingo! Synchronicities.
I have this loud suspicion that something artificial is behind it.
Artificial Intelligence & Control:
The story questions how much autonomy remains for the individual in a world increasingly steered by algorithms. Is the protagonist still free—or part of a grand, possibly machine-driven design?
If the hypothesis is the truth… then I’ve cracked the code behind reality.
Just thinking that is terrifying. Even worse than the idea of an AI gaining consciousness – and realizing it no longer needs us.
Conspiracy, Truth, and Perception:
Blurring the line between paranoia and insight, the novel unfolds a speculative universe in which history may be manufactured, memory unreliable, and reality itself subject to manipulation.
The last conspiracy may not be political—but metaphysical.
Thrillers, crime novels and horror stories are all well and good. But what if it's no longer about the others, but about YOU? Brilliant book, even if you walk through the world without an aluminum hat. But beware, this novel can leave aluminum residue in your brain... 🤯😵💫😵 – Bookie
Long live the truth seekers 🌝🕊️❤️🔥💫
– odth0r
I can't or don't want to rate this book in a few lines. However, I do recommend it unreservedly, as it offers a refreshing and possibly unabashed insight into the world of X's thoughts... but perhaps also into that of the undescribed user 23? It's a book that can't be categorized, but perhaps that's exactly what it wants to be. I can't wait to see what the author reveals in his subsequent volumes. – T.K.
The novel combines philosophical depth with a pinch of madness. Here we meet characters caught up in a mix of time travel, emotional chaos and a search for truth. The boundaries between reality, illusion and simulation become blurred - sometimes so much so that you have to ask yourself: “Am I real, or just an extra in this drama?”
From everyday losses and the absurdity of modern technology to the big questions of life - the book challenges without lecturing. The tone remains surprisingly accessible and at times refreshingly sarcastic.
(…)
Conclusion: Anyone who enjoys pondering their own existence, questioning technological developments and not losing their sense of humor should not miss this trip. But beware: it could permanently change your view of the world. – Anna L.
(Reviews from German Readers)
MICHAEL HUBERTS Blunt (*1977 near Himmelsthür, Germany) writes at the intersection of fiction, speculative present, and philosophy. After two decades as a graphic designer, he was—presumably, as he himself believes—retired by an AI in 2020. Since then, he has devoted himself to writing as a way to explore future societal upheavals and what it means to be human in an increasingly technological world.