What happens when someone with the means to do so decides to burn society to the ground?
I met Ian on Substack, where he was sharing rough draft chapters of his in-progress novel, COG (keep your eyes peeled for that, because it’s going to be GOOD). When Ian suggested swapping books (ADTR for Transference), I jumped at the chance (I’m always down for good sci-fi, and holy shit I wanted that gorgeous cover in my grubby mitts).
What eventually arrived was a box with not one, but two books in it, both Transference and Transcendence, the sequel. I’ve since read Transition, too (the prequel). I’ll be writing reviews on all three, but let’s start with the first (which kinda makes sense).
All the Details
Title: Transference
Series: The Narrator Cycle
Genre: Sci-fi/political sci-fi
Length: 238 pages
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
Where to Buy: https://ianpattersonbooks.com/
Awards:
- 2025 Colorado Book Awards Winner: Science Fiction
- 2024 Discovery Editor’s Choice Award Shortlist
The Review
I have a love-hate relationship with sci-fi. When it’s done right, all the tech and future stuff fades into the background. When it’s done wrong, it’s a technical manual. Transference falls squarely into the former category. Yes, there’s future tech, and it does play a central role, but it supports the story rather than dominating it. And what a story it is!
Transference is the journey of Nicholas Fiveburroughs, a so-called Sicko. The Sickos are the lowest of the low — people who survive only by selling their health to those with the money to pay for it and diseases they want to be rid of. The Box is the tech that lets this happen, transferring health to one person and funneling anything unwanted back to the Sicko.
Nick has decided to take on a new client, one with terminal cancer. If things go wrong, Nick’s dead. If they go right, he’ll have enough money to care for his widowed mother and to embark on a plan that will ultimately shake the entire city to its foundations.
The procedure goes right, but Nick’s only saved by the kindness of a friend. In a moment of transparency, Nick shares his plan with his benefactor, who is horrified for Nick’s safety but….
Nick’s plan calls for a change of appearance, but he’s not going small, and he’s not thinking temporary. He undergoes a procedure called facemelting that rearranges the body’s DNA to literally turn you into someone else. Nick becomes Allan Cloudspire, a recently deceased drug addict who also happened to be a member of society’s upper crust. No one in the city is aware of Allan’s demise, so Nick’s usurpation of his identity should go off without a hitch, thanks in no small part to Allan’s partial memories, harvested from the man’s dying brain, and implanted into Nick’s.
Nick’s plan is deceptively simple but incredibly dangerous: slip unnoticed into the ranks of the city’s wealthy, find a way into Sunspire, and destroy the technology that allows the wealthy to live on the backs of the poor. However, what he doesn’t count on is discovering humanity and love in equal amounts to the expected arrogance and hubris, or how his quest will finally end.
What I Loved & What I Didn’t
Let me be upfront: I loved pretty much everything about this book. Yes, it’s a first effort, and that shows here and there in some minor ways that didn’t bother me at all. It’s fast-paced, tackles some serious issues in a short amount of time, is peopled with engaging characters who feel real, and hits that dystopian future feel dead on.
Who’ll Enjoy This?
While I think anyone who enjoys tightly-written sci-fi and dystopian stories will dig Transference, I think that anyone who loved Altered Carbon or Dark City would also love this.
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