The Amateurs

More about the book

In a post-apocalyptic world reminiscent of Margaret Atwood and Cormac McCarthy, a tech giant, PINA, launches a product called ports, enabling space-time travel fueled by nostalgia. Users can revisit cherished memories or historical moments, but the allure comes with a perilous catch: return is not guaranteed. As nearly everyone succumbs to the temptation of the ports, those left behind grapple with survival in a desolate landscape where wildlife flourishes, infrastructure crumbles, and resources dwindle. Amid this chaos, a diverse group of survivors, including adults and children, takes refuge in abandoned mansions of a once-thriving steel town. With winter approaching, they face a critical decision: journey south as a collective or wait for their loved ones to emerge from the ports. Central to the narrative is Marie, a thirty-something artist and shopkeeper, who clings to hope for her ex-husband, Jason, believing he may return. Meanwhile, in California, Brandon, PINA's former PR head, seeks to escape the unraveling company and find his missing mother. His journey leads him to Marie, intertwining their fates. The story explores themes of nostalgia, loss, and the quest for genuine connection in a world stripped of technological illusions.