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Impermanent Universe: A Sci-Fi AI Thriller Kindle Edition

4.2 out of 5 stars 563 ratings

✭✭✭✭✭ 2021 Silver Medal Winner - Readers' Favorite Book Awards

"A strikingly mature and original work...easily one of my top three picks of the last few years."

Dr. Tess Carrillo had it all.

Her dream job working for NASA.

The love of her life and soulmate, astronaut Ryan Quinn.

Then in an instant…she lost everything, plunged into a hazy web of misery.

But when a famous tech visionary recruits Tess to design the synthetic mind for the most advanced quantum AI ever created she starts to see a glimmer of hope for another chance at life.

And now the AI is waking.

But there's a problem...

It's networking... With a parallel universe.

And as different worlds hurtle toward an inevitable inflection point, Tess will learn a secret that alters the very nature of reality.

Join the adventure!

"There is no way to summarize this intricately woven, confusing, yet elegant story. Read it."

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Editorial Reviews

Review

✭✭✭✭✭ Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
Impermanent Universe is a sci-fi thriller written by Vern Buzarde. Tess Carrillo, a lead computer scientist at NASA, loses her semblance of a normal life the day a mysterious software hack leads to the death of two astronauts, including her boyfriend Ryan Quinn, aboard the spaceship, Essex. After going through a depressive spiral, Tess gets her chance to redeem herself when charismatic billionaire Dr. Anton Satoshi offers her a job to create an advanced quantum supercomputer named Prajna. Meanwhile, ex-Silicon Valley tech mogul Milo Ackerman starts working toward ridding society of technology by using extreme radical methods. Things get complicated as Prajna turns prescient while harboring an inherent dislike for humans. Furthermore, the past springs up unexpectedly on Tess with the news of Essex's trajectory back to Earth.

Author Vern Buzarde weaves an intricate plot, seamlessly incorporating multiple scientific theories to create a pulsating sci-fi thriller that keeps you hooked throughout the pages. Impermanent Universe is an enthralling page-turner of a novel. The non-linear narrative fits in perfectly with the themes of the book, which explore topics such as the nature of reality, the state of sentience, nanobot technology, and much more. Most of the characters seem to be used as tools to move the plot forward and explore the themes in which the narrator is interested. But some of the major characters, such as Tess, Dora, Dr. Satoshi, and Prajna, are well-realized with distinct personalities, making them compelling to read. Impermanent Universe is one of the best sci-fi novels I've read this year. I highly recommend it to sci-fi fans.



What Amazon and Goodreads reviewers are saying:


✭✭✭✭✭
"Very few books are literally hard for me to put down, but this one was. I knocked it out in two days."- Guy Wheatley

✭✭✭✭✭
"Superb writing makes this introduction of a new author and a new sci-fi series an event worth noting." - Grady Harp

✭✭✭✭✭
"The theme of this book is enormous. What is base reality or the ultimate reason for existence? Unlike Melville this book is not overly wrought with superfluous imagery, nor is it ostentatious. If I were a Kirkus reviewer I'd give it a starred review."- Scifiguy

✭✭✭✭✭
"Vern Buzarde is an author that weaves deep layers of deceit, espionage, and secrets within his novel, adding an atmosphere of suspense and thrills. This book is well written, with complex characters and events." - JoJo Maxson

✭✭✭✭✭ "I love a good sci-fi thriller and this one is probably the most exciting I've read since David Feintuch's Midshipman's Hope." - Ivan

✭✭✭✭✭
"This is a five-star beginning to a series. It would make a great movie. I will definitely be reading Book 2." - Thriller Writer

✭✭✭✭✭
"I can't remember a book I've read cover to cover in a single sitting." - Joseph E. Coury

✭✭✭✭✭
"Best book I've read in a long time...alternate realities, quantum physics, lots of hard science. This is a book to read over and over. More layers appear each time." - dh

✭✭✭✭✭ "
I really enjoyed this! The writing was really enjoyable and particularly high quality. The story moved fast and I was hooked from the start!...Bravo!" - Elle Otero

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B086WNRGMB
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 8, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.0 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 284 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ Impermanent Universe
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 563 ratings

About the author

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Vern Buzarde
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Vern Buzarde spent many years living internationally and incorporates some of those experiences into his books. Although most of what he writes has a technological theme, his main focus is always the human aspect. He currently resides outside of Houston, Texas and always enjoys communicating with readers.

Please visit his website or contact him directly at vern.buzarde at gmail dot com

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
563 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this sci-fi thriller engaging with full of surprises and twists, and appreciate its elegant writing style. The book features great characters and explores timely questions of technological advancement, with one review highlighting its intricate web of time and space. While many customers enjoy the book, some find it confusing, and the plot development receives mixed reviews.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

40 customers mention "Story quality"30 positive10 negative

Customers enjoy the engaging science fiction story, describing it as a suspenseful adventure full of surprises and twists that kept them intrigued until the very end.

"...because of the manner in which he composes his story – grounded in credibility, such as the opening: ”Dr. Carrillo, this is Special Agent Angela King..." Read more

"...In others, the story will rely on well-crafted characters and engaging subplots. This book has its definite distinction in the dialogues...." Read more

"...There's a lot going on, tons of distractions, action, the plot constantly moves, but at the same time it's jumbled and you're confused the whole..." Read more

"...an author that weaves deep layers of deceit, espionage, and secrets within his novel, adding an atmosphere of suspense and thrills...." Read more

38 customers mention "Writing quality"35 positive3 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its elegant style and well-crafted text, with one customer describing it as a richly imagined take.

"...Superb writing makes this introduction of a new author and a new sci-fi series an event worth noting...." Read more

"...But the author managed to create an intricate weave, bonded by interesting, thoughtful conversations...." Read more

"...I liked most of the characters; I found them believable and I liked their dialogue...." Read more

"...This book is well written, with complex characters and events...." Read more

33 customers mention "Readability"33 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and entertaining, with one mentioning it kept them very interested throughout.

"...suspense and fascination with the aspects of the tale keep the reader’s attention throughout...." Read more

"...But was it an enjoyable read? Yeah it was pretty enjoyable. I'd compare it to a Michael Bay Transformers movie...." Read more

"...or journey to a different world, and that makes it a wonderful journey for the reader as well...." Read more

"Brilliant! A compelling mix of High tech vs anti-tech and a heartbreaking love story. Can’t wait to dive into book 2." Read more

12 customers mention "Character development"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one mentioning the believable female protagonist and another noting the multi-dimensional character.

"...His ability to create near recognizable characters is a trait that allows the exploration of the unknown comfortable...." Read more

"...In others, the story will rely on well-crafted characters and engaging subplots. This book has its definite distinction in the dialogues...." Read more

"...BUT I liked most of the characters; I found them believable and I liked their dialogue...." Read more

"...This book is well written, with complex characters and events...." Read more

8 customers mention "Concept"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's concept, with one review highlighting its intricate web of time and space, while another notes how it deals with timely questions of technological advancement.

"...Not only is the novel engrossing as an adventure: it also invites us to examine the future as shaped by the current obsession with all things high..." Read more

"...of the book before I started to read it, there has to be a great sort of time travel or journey to a different world, and that makes it a wonderful..." Read more

"...The novel deals with timely questions of technological advancement and what it means to humanity. The issue of reality is central to the story...." Read more

"...Her subjective journey is described with such skill and insight that the complex elements of the story never threaten to fall apart as they might..." Read more

6 customers mention "Confusion"0 positive6 negative

Customers find the book confusing, with one mentioning it's not following a clear path.

"...To me, it got confusing, and it’s one of those examples where a good editor could be of use." Read more

"...Overall the book was just too confusing for me." Read more

"It was well written and an interesting concept but it got confusing in the end.I still don't know what happened.I" Read more

"Maybe it's me. Too many different planes. No answers. I guess I have to read the second book of I want answers." Read more

5 customers mention "Plot development"0 positive5 negative

Customers find the plot development of the book unsatisfying.

"...The pacing is way too fast. Nothing seems fully developed. The author is kind of throwing everything against the wall and hoping something sticks...." Read more

"...the altruistic Asian genius billionaire Dr. Aton Satoshi seemed a bit trite. Tess Carrillo is a strong, believable female protagonist...." Read more

"...Boring In places, too. No sequel for me." Read more

"...The ending was unclear and unsatisfying. Maybe the next one will better develop the characters and explain things but I dread starting it." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2020
    Texas author Vern Buzarde offers no biographical information that would be helpful in recognizing his obvious in depth knowledge of the effects of IT on mankind! The fact that he elects to place the quote from Anais Nin as the first communication with the reader suggests his appreciation of philosophy. To date he has published two novels that comprise his Impermanent Series of Science Fiction – IMPERMANENT UNIVERSE is Book 1, and THE NAVIGATOR is Book 2. His writing style is elegant while being immediately accessible to all audiences.

    The themes – parallel universes, sentient computers, artificial intelligence, romance – have been explored by others, but few authors are as facile at making these planes of thought fresh and intriguing as well as Vern. His ability to create near recognizable characters is a trait that allows the exploration of the unknown comfortable. Not only is the novel engrossing as an adventure: it also invites us to examine the future as shaped by the current obsession with all things high tech – communication through manipulation of computers, mobile phones, and other IT devices, the loss of privacy and innocence in an age where all things become codes etc. This direction Vern makes ‘tangible’ and credible because of the manner in which he composes his story – grounded in credibility, such as the opening: ”Dr. Carrillo, this is Special Agent Angela King. My name is Daryl Holcomb, Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. I know this is a difficult time for you. For the whole team.” Tess Carrillo eyed them across the table, attempting to gauge the situation, not sure if she was under suspicion or if being interrogated by the NSA was standard procedure after these types of events…’ Mystery opens and the principle character subtly introduced.

    The plot is complex, in a good way, and the suspense and fascination with the aspects of the tale keep the reader’s attention throughout. The plot is condensed as follows: ‘When computer scientist Tess Carrillo experiences a traumatic loss, she enters a high-stakes world where two powerful technology titans battle over the future of reality itself. As if guided by fate, Tess is recruited to lead a team of eccentric experts in a secret complex deep within the San Juan mountains of Colorado. As the first sentient computer comes to life, dimensional lines begin to fray and blend causing her to question what is real. Equipped with clues scattered throughout her psyche, time, and space, she struggles to solve the ultimate puzzle before everything ends.’

    Superb writing makes this introduction of a new author and a new sci-fi series an event worth noting. Vern Buzarde appears to have the qualities that promise a solid career in fantasy literature – books that entertain …and make us think: he encourages us to be sentient – aware of ourselves and our role in tomorrow. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 20
    17 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2020
    Since the Matrix, there have been tons of versions of this story. Some sort of robot or AI becomes too powerful, too wise, too aware. In this case, it becomes sentient. The key to making the story original while following the same premise is to distinguish it from the rest. In some would be the action scenes and special effects (if taken to the big screen). In others, the story will rely on well-crafted characters and engaging subplots. This book has its definite distinction in the dialogues.

    We've all read fantastic sci-fi stories with laughable, corny, or trite dialogues –it's not usually their forte. But the author managed to create an intricate weave, bonded by interesting, thoughtful conversations. Real conversations, which makes characters even more believable and the story somehow relatable. I agree with other reviews; some characters were unnecessarily introduced, and then nothing happened with them (perhaps in the sequel?), and some parts felt void of meaning. With its peaks and valleys, impermanent universe had me glued to the pages, attempting to understand Tess Carillo and the mess she got into. If you have the patience to immerse yourself in such a universe, I do recommend it.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2021
    To be honest this isn't very well written. The pacing is way too fast. Nothing seems fully developed. The author is kind of throwing everything against the wall and hoping something sticks. You can kind of tell that there wasn't ever a master plan from the beginning. Subplots get lost and don't resolve. Reasons for things that are happening are just glossed over with no explanation. Very jumbled, seems to be written in a hurry. But was it an enjoyable read? Yeah it was pretty enjoyable. I'd compare it to a Michael Bay Transformers movie. There's a lot going on, tons of distractions, action, the plot constantly moves, but at the same time it's jumbled and you're confused the whole time. I really loved how ambitious this book was, but it needed a lot more pages. It needed to slow down, fully explore the concepts, take it's time. If this book was more like 500 pages, and spent more time fleshing everything out it would've been wonderful. A good start for an amateur author though. Writing style was decent enough to not cause exhaustion. If this author paired with a good content editor I think he'd be capable of producing some great stuff.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2020
    I'm torn on this review, so I'm going to settle on giving this a 3 star rating...I both liked it and didn't like it, let me explain.

    A pet peeve of mine is when an author introduces characters and then does nothing with them at all; that happened in this book and grrrrrrr, I HATE that. It comes across as nothing more than filler material. Once a story is written and gone back through, if a writer finds characters like this they really need to ask themselves why they are there...are they crucial to the story? If they aren't don't make a big deal out of introducing them, let them be outlier characters and that's it. Otherwise readers will expect more of them and wonder where they went.

    Second, this story bounced around too much, there didn't feel like a distinct direction for it to be headed...it kind of meandered it's way to the ending.

    BUT

    I liked most of the characters; I found them believable and I liked their dialogue. I liked the concept of this story and many times I did grab me....but then it let me go....and then it'd grab me again.

    I feel like a good content editor could have helped this author out in many ways; so....I'm setting on 3 stars for this one. Would I recommend it? Hmmmm....if I'm honest, no...probably not.

    Love the cover tho!
    4 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
    Reviewed in Canada on October 6, 2021
    I devoured this book! A page turning, thought provoking twisty plot with exceptional character development. I can’t say enough good things about this book. This book deeply satisfied the philosophical science fiction geek in me. I Loved every minute of it and couldn’t put it down!
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars In permanent Universe
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 28, 2021
    Thoroughly recommend this book. Must do as usually I don't leave reviews. The story flows but makes you think about it at the same time. Brilliant
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Roller-coaster
    Reviewed in Australia on February 27, 2022
    This book is a roller-coaster of realities, great
    story and ideas. Wasn't really sure about what was real and what wasn't, still not.
  • Bob B
    4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Story
    Reviewed in Canada on September 29, 2023
    Yes, it's not perfect. But really good writing, a super story line, and obviously an honest effort. I enjoyed the book very much. Was thinking it should really have been expanded into a series. Then I saw it was actually number 1 in a series.. But this Book 1 could in and of itself be expanded into a series. In fact, I think it still could be.
  • Dawsie
    4.0 out of 5 stars hop scotch
    Reviewed in Australia on March 19, 2022
    The book jumps all over the place interesting to the point I’m not sure where it is going to go

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