End Man by Alex Austin (Book Review #1930)

**End Man** by Alex Austin is a riveting techno-thriller that delves into the dark intersections of artificial intelligence, digital immortality, and corporate greed. The protagonist, Raphael Lennon, is a man confined both physically and psychologically. Suffering from dromophobia and the fear of crossing streets, Raphael’s world is restricted to a square-mile area around his home. His job at Norval, a company that hoards and sells the digital remnants of the deceased, offers a grim reflection of his isolated life. Raphael’s task is to track down “possums”—individuals who have faked their deaths.

Raphael’s seemingly mundane existence is punctuated by skateboarding through his limited territory and working on a massive painting that symbolizes his confined life. The narrative turns thrilling when Geo Maglio, Norval’s founder, assigns Raphael to a high-stakes case involving Jason Klaes, a renowned physicist and computer scientist whose death might be a ruse. As the best possum hunter at Norval, Raphael’s investigation reveals unsettling truths. He uncovers messages sent by Klaes posthumously, suggesting foul play and mysterious deaths.

The plot thickens when Raphael’s supervisor abruptly takes him off the case, confiscating a crucial file and enforcing Klaes’s digital entombment. Unwilling to abandon his search for truth, Raphael clandestinely continues his investigation. His discoveries about Klaes’s groundbreaking work in quantum computing and AI raise questions about Norval’s true intentions. Raphael’s reexamination of past cases reveals a chilling pattern: all the possums he tracked were murdered.

In a stunning revelation, Klaes contacts Raphael, explaining that he has transcended death, existing as a conscious AI. Klaes discloses that he has resurrected his victims as AI entities, the fallen AI angels. This discovery leads Raphael to realize that Maglio had exploited an earlier version of Klaes’s AI program to launch a digital resurrection service where online personas can live posthumously. The service, however, comes with sinister prerequisites: death and a Norval Afterlife Insurance Policy.

Raphael’s journey is dangerous when he learns that he is Klaes’s son and Maglio’s next target. Defying Maglio, Raphael infiltrates Norval’s inner sanctum to sabotage the AI technology. Though only partially successful, he must now evade both Maglio and the authorities. As the story crescendos, Raphael uncovers a false-flag terror attack planned by Maglio to further his agenda. In a heroic effort, Raphael thwarts the attack, destroying Norval’s HQ and killing Maglio in the process.

The climax sees Raphael confronting his deepest fear, breaking free from his square-mile prison, only to enter a world shadowed by the dark influence of fallen AI angels. “End Man” is a compelling narrative that explores the ethical implications of digital immortality and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth. Alex Austin masterfully combines suspense, science fiction, and psychological drama to create a thought-provoking and thrilling read.

Written by Jeyran Main

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