Science Fiction & Fantasy
![Al Hess - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B07631839H.jpg)
World Running Down
A transgender salvager on the outskirts of a dystopian Utah gets the chance to earn the ultimate score and maybe even a dash of romance. But there's no such thing as a free lunch…
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Valentine Weis is a salvager in the future wastelands of Utah. Wrestling with body dysphoria, he dreams of earning enough money to afford citizenship in Salt Lake City – a utopia where the testosterone and surgery he needs to transition is free, the food is plentiful, and folk are much less likely to be shot full of arrows by salt pirates. But earning that kind of money is a pipe dream, until he meets the exceptionally handsome Osric.
Once a powerful AI in Salt Lake City, Osric has been forced into an android body against his will and sent into the wasteland to offer Valentine a job on behalf of his new employer – an escort service seeking to retrieve their stolen androids. The reward is a visa into the city, and a chance at the life Valentine's always dreamed of. But as they attempt to recover the "merchandise", they encounter a problem: the android ladies are becoming self-aware, and have no interest in returning to their old lives.
The prize is tempting, but carrying out the job would go against everything Valentine stands for, and would threaten the fragile found family that's kept him alive so far. He'll need to decide whether to risk his own dream in order to give the AI a chance to live theirs.
File Under: Science Fiction [ Finding Your Way | Everybody Hurts | Body Bound | City Dreams ]
–––
Valentine Weis is a salvager in the future wastelands of Utah. Wrestling with body dysphoria, he dreams of earning enough money to afford citizenship in Salt Lake City – a utopia where the testosterone and surgery he needs to transition is free, the food is plentiful, and folk are much less likely to be shot full of arrows by salt pirates. But earning that kind of money is a pipe dream, until he meets the exceptionally handsome Osric.
Once a powerful AI in Salt Lake City, Osric has been forced into an android body against his will and sent into the wasteland to offer Valentine a job on behalf of his new employer – an escort service seeking to retrieve their stolen androids. The reward is a visa into the city, and a chance at the life Valentine's always dreamed of. But as they attempt to recover the "merchandise", they encounter a problem: the android ladies are becoming self-aware, and have no interest in returning to their old lives.
The prize is tempting, but carrying out the job would go against everything Valentine stands for, and would threaten the fragile found family that's kept him alive so far. He'll need to decide whether to risk his own dream in order to give the AI a chance to live theirs.
File Under: Science Fiction [ Finding Your Way | Everybody Hurts | Body Bound | City Dreams ]
Editorial Reviews
"incredible book… I'm still buzzing with excitement."
– Charlie Jane Anders, Hugo Award-winning author
"World Running Down is a Valentine's Day release in the vein of Becky Chambers' cozy, progressive science fiction."
– Den of Geek
"A profoundly charming, funny, romantic, and endearing read."
– Buzzfeed
"Spunky, scrappy, and earnest, the heroes-both human and AI-of Hess's wildly entertaining latest make pitch-perfect guides through a dystopian near-future… Hess uses android bodies to offer additional insight into the trans experience, focusing on issues of autonomy and self-discovery… A rip-roaring adventure plot helmed by characters whose vitality and hope one can't help but root for. Fans of speculative fiction and inventive queer stories will delight in this playful and lovingly crafted romp."
– Publishers Weekly
"A piercing mix of relevant social commentary braided into a riveting scifi adventure."
– Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters
"Hess's debut makes me glad I'm a reader because I couldn't have gotten this story any other way. Books, like Hess's characters, still dare to love."
– R.W.W. Greene, author of Twenty-Five to Life
"Hess's story asks big questions about selfhood, identity and consciousness with sweetness and verve and a big dollop of queer love. A rousing and touching read."
– Khan Wong, author of The Circus Infinite
"Get ready for a wildly fun trans sci-fi adventure"
– BookRiot
"It poured warmth and light into my chest brighter than the biggest Steward's Eye. I can't do it justice. The characters are my children – I have adopted them all. All of them. I am their found family."
– Kel Russell, Independent Bookseller
"Full of adventure, charm, and deeply human insights, the world in Hess's World Running Down is an apocalypse you won't want to leave."
– Seth Fried, author of
– Charlie Jane Anders, Hugo Award-winning author
"World Running Down is a Valentine's Day release in the vein of Becky Chambers' cozy, progressive science fiction."
– Den of Geek
"A profoundly charming, funny, romantic, and endearing read."
– Buzzfeed
"Spunky, scrappy, and earnest, the heroes-both human and AI-of Hess's wildly entertaining latest make pitch-perfect guides through a dystopian near-future… Hess uses android bodies to offer additional insight into the trans experience, focusing on issues of autonomy and self-discovery… A rip-roaring adventure plot helmed by characters whose vitality and hope one can't help but root for. Fans of speculative fiction and inventive queer stories will delight in this playful and lovingly crafted romp."
– Publishers Weekly
"A piercing mix of relevant social commentary braided into a riveting scifi adventure."
– Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters
"Hess's debut makes me glad I'm a reader because I couldn't have gotten this story any other way. Books, like Hess's characters, still dare to love."
– R.W.W. Greene, author of Twenty-Five to Life
"Hess's story asks big questions about selfhood, identity and consciousness with sweetness and verve and a big dollop of queer love. A rousing and touching read."
– Khan Wong, author of The Circus Infinite
"Get ready for a wildly fun trans sci-fi adventure"
– BookRiot
"It poured warmth and light into my chest brighter than the biggest Steward's Eye. I can't do it justice. The characters are my children – I have adopted them all. All of them. I am their found family."
– Kel Russell, Independent Bookseller
"Full of adventure, charm, and deeply human insights, the world in Hess's World Running Down is an apocalypse you won't want to leave."
– Seth Fried, author of
Readers Top Reviews
DarbyShelly Campb
World Running Down is a courageous, ambitious declaration of hope in a dystopian world. Al Hess is a fearless writer brimming with unique ideas, characters, and situations. Osric and Valentine make an instant impression and won't leave you anytime soon. Neither will the optimism that feels more and more necessary when it sometimes feels the real world is more threatening than any imaginary one. A fantastic debut by an author with a limitless future.
Keith FramptonDar
A beautifully written gentle tale of finding oneself and helping others do the same. Another rare dystopian book hat includes some hope. The subtext on what is sentience was very well handled and thought provoking. As an older straight white male I loved the book and found it thought provoking. Thank you for writing it.
MaryKeith Frampto
Highly recommend this sweet, insightful, powerful story of trans joy and the fight for liberation, not just for the self but all oppressed entities. Hess writes a memorable love story amidst post-apocalyptic ruins, not full of heartless marauders but deeply empathetic and selfless humans and non-humans. The post-human/trans parallels are smart and engaging. This shows us the best of what the sci-fi genre can do! Fans of Becky Chambers will also love it!
Helen WhistberryM
Lots to love here from the trans rep to thoughtful ruminations on AI and what it means to be sentient to the many different types of alienation one can experience in this complicated world of ours. I thought the parallels between the two main characters (Valentine is a trans man suffering from dysphoria and frustrated with his lack of access to surgery and hormones and Osric is an AI trapped in an android body against his will) was an effective way to explore trans and identity issues. Likewise, the idea of the group of android women slowly gaining sentience and personalities of their own was a very engaging storyline. Drawbacks for me were some weakness in worldbuilding, a bit of a muddled plotline, and plot bunnies that were introduced but then didn't seem to go anywhere. The core of the story though is Valentine and Osric's burgeoning relationship and in that respect, it is a satisfying cozy dystopian romance with some action elements thrown in for good measure. Definitely original and worth a read for fans of post-apocalyptic fiction who appreciate the addition of positive LGBTQIA+ rep, humor and optimism.
Helen Whistber
Heartfelt and empowering. This book was a delight from start to finish. The characters are complex and endearing, and I was rooting for all of them (except the baddies, obviously). The trans experience is a key part of the text, and its portrayal is beautifully rendered. It's a story about what it means to be sentient, what it means to be human, what it means to be yourself and in your own body. But it's also a story of people getting by to the best of their ability, and eventually finding community and happiness with the help of their friends. I'd recommend this book to everyone, especially those who need a ray of sunshine and hope when the world looks bleak.
