Mind Space Volume 1 Conspiracy Book 1 The Martyrs

by David Seldon Moore

Mind Space Volume 1: Conspiracy Book 1: The Martyrs The Mind Shield is a medical marvel. When Dr. Matthew Henderson's mother is incapacitated by a stroke and dies on her kitchen floor 2 days later, he imagines an implanted device that can monitor the health of the host's brain and issue alerts when medical problems arise. When the product– the Mind Shield– is finally released to market, Dr. Henderson assures the media that its purpose is purely to monitor the brain. But he lied. After two years of blistering sales the Mind Shield's mind influencing features are switched on. A resistance movement is organized to combat the Mind Shield. Dr. Ralph Orville first realizes that the Mind Shield is a threat to personal freedom when he removes a bullet from the brain of a gunshot victim– and destroys the patient's Mind Shield in the process. The patient's agonized withdrawal from the device's conditioning convinces Dr. Orville that he must fight the Mind Shield with every ounce of his energy.

332 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2014

About the author

I was born in Portland Oregon and have lived most of my life in the beautiful (but wet) Pacific Northwest.

I taught math and computer science in Junior High and High School for 6+ years, then left teaching to seek my fortune elsewhere.

I had my own business in software consulting for about 5 years, then worked for Coinstar in software engineering & architecture for 23 years.

Now retired, I am concentrating on writing. My work in software engineering was all consuming, and my time for writing (and marketing) was therefore very limited. Now that I am able to devote most of my time to writing I am finding that my long-pent-up interest in writing is coming to full flower.

My tastes in music run from medieval to Indian ragas to Mozart to Prokofiev to Villa-Lobos to Bob Dylan to Linda Ronstadt to Philip Glass to Jon Gomm to Estas Tonne, and many many others.

I'm very interested in cosmology, the history and philosophy of science, and the foundations of mathematics. I've read widely in each of these areas.

I also have an especial interested in religion-- see my book titled The Reverent Atheist. That book attempts to answer the question of whether there are such things as religious truths.

Writing is the greatest tool that humans have ever devised for helping us understand the world around us. It enables us to preserve the history and insights of the present for future generations. To those of us who style ourselves as writers, it is therefore our responsibility to cherish and conserve it. A work of writing, in whatever form or genre, should treat the tool of language with the great respect and and care that it deserves.

Reviews

[Rachel Barnard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mind Shield is a medical miracle and for two years after FDA clearance, it is sold and subsidized to the public with specific focused targeting on those in office and those in the military, as well as those over the age of 50, a population susceptible to what the Mind Shield 1 monitors for: Hypertension and stroke. At the turn of the third year, the secret and real intentions of the Mind Shield are turned on and suddenly all those millions with the Mind Shield are not just being monitored by the device. Marianna sums up the struggle of those opposed to the Mind Shield on page 330, “The Mind Shield is a device that takes away our most sacred right — the freedom to think whatever we choose, without external influence! It is time we put a stop to this dangerous product. It it time we told the FDA to remove this psychological weapon from the market.”

In a world where healthcare is being reformed and new advanced medical devices are being developed all the time, David S. Moore’s novel hits hard. The essential essence of his book is wholly entrancing. The questions he brings up are deviously difficult to answer. After finishing his book, I am still wondering whether the Mind Shield is good or bad. Is our own society moving towards a product that could be taken advantage of and used for nefarious purposes just like the Mind Shield – a Trojan horse? The Mind Shield is the greatest medical marvel of the 2050’s and newer versions get better and better,saving more and more lives, but at what cost? The technology is easily used to not only monitor but control and therein lies the paradox.

“There are some people who really need a Mind Shield,” Traci said. “They need the monitoring that the Mind Shield offers. People with high risk of stroke. People who have cancer.” (page 258).

The organization opposed to the Mind Shield cannot simply shut down and destroy the entire Jaimeson-Cale operations, because the Mind Shield undoubtedly saves lives. But to many characters in the novel (those not currently under the influence of the mind controlling aspect of the Mind Shield) it is not worth the personality change and control just to have the comfort of the monitoring abilities of the device. It is not worth it to give up individuality for comfort and peace of mind. This essential question is answered by David S. Moore in his novel, just like it is answered in dictatorship-held nations or bland fictional Utopian societies. Moore brings up the question in regards to a life-saving and life-changing miracle. The Mind Shield can save your life, but what life will you have under its influence? Such an essential thought-provoking concept makes for such a beguiling read. As this is a series, Moore has given me ample reason to read on.

Not only has Moore intrigued me with the essential idea of his novel, but also with the way he tells the story. I love a good apocalypse novel, yet most of them focus on the aftermath and the destruction that society must live beyond. Moore gives us a taste for the actual apocalypse and the slow devolution of humanity through this singular device that is heralded both as a great medical miracle and as an evil instrument of mind control.

He tells the story with care and focus, specializing on the effects of the Mind Shield device and those leaders involved in its inception, production, and (hopefully) ultimate demise. As a reader, I am rooting for the triumph of humanity. I hold my breath for the second and third books in the series to find out if humanity will win in the end or realize their great mistakes in approving the Mind Shield and allowing it to pervade into society and then control its citizens.

At times, due to the way Moore focuses on the Mind Shield across time, I lose details into how the world is changing or what the world is like other than the few details and complete focus on the Mind Shield. In the 2050’s is the Mind Shield the only modern marvel? Moore does mention other everyday technological devices, hinting into the environment of the world and the advancement of the society. He gives just enough detail to quench my thirst while still leaving me wanting more. He reiterates the Mind Shield sales pitch and how the device works on a technical level to the point where a layman can almost completely understand its inner-workings, which, as a layman, I very much appreciate.

I was a bit disturbed that the “good” guys (those opposed to the Mind Shield) used kidnapping as a means to accomplish their ends, to deprogram those who had been under the influence of the device. As Dr. Orville declares to Lucia, “ We’re in the business of freeing minds, not enslaving them.” (page 88-89). Yet, he condones kidnapping, which one could argue takes away as much of a person’s basic human rights as mind control. Moore amends this by later saying that there was a case of a doctor being prosecuted for kidnapping and sent to prison for 30 years (page. 209), thereby re-establishing a world of justice and balance in his novel and in my mind as a reader.

The format of the novel was fairly standard and easy to read. I got a bit bogged down in the lengthy title and amount of exclamation points, but on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed David S. Moore’s first book in his Mind Space series and look forward to reading the next novel, Restoration.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a well written novel and easy-to-read science fiction novel. This book reminds me of Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke in it’s sweeping narration through long periods of time with a focus on a single aspect of society.

[Victoria Bastedo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character of this book isn't a person. It's a device of tiny size and world-reaching implications. We never hear what this device is thinking. We're not certain who wants to make use of this device's power. Shiny pamphlets in sterile but pleasant medical facilities diagram how simple and beneficial it is to have this tiny device implanted. And the side effects are to feel better, and enjoy life more distinctly than you ever have before. Scientists assure that this will be the best decision you have ever made...
Feel nervous yet?
That's genius behind this book. After we get to know the mind shield and it's muscular chumminess, we are swept into a thriller of a chase. David Moore is a steady, but creative author. You'll have to get the other books to complete the tale of this Sci-Fi thriller!

[Sheri J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have waited way too long to review this, but it isn't for lack of interest. I just have too much to do and I wanted to do this book justice. But I don't want to delay anymore. For now, let's just say the series has a great concept that is well developed in the first book. The technology and scientific aspects maintain integrity and are definitely sci-fi not fantasy.
Other than a slight lull in pace around the third chapter, I was compelled to keep reading, and I bought the next one in the series immediately when I finished the first one because I wanted to know more.
The style is clear and keeps me in the story. I'm looking forward to continuing to read the second book.