In Vitro Lottery

by Ed Ryder

"A Cautionary Tale of Epic Proportions"

The Norwegian Death changed the world forever, but that was just the beginning of Humanity’s problems. Decades later, the children of the survivors find themselves unable to conceive, with complex and expensive fertility treatment the only option. Some can afford it, but for everyone else, there is the In Vitro Lottery.

Kate Adams never really wanted a family, so when her numbers come up for treatment at the clinic, she gives her winning ticket to her sister, Emily. Then tragedy strikes, and Kate is sent on a collision course with the clinic head Victor Pearson, and the Government, in her quest for answers.

When Kate's investigation reveals devastating truths about her sister, she is drawn towards the pressure group IVFree and begins to question everything she believes in. Together, they formulate a plan to get answers and to uncover the real purpose behind the Lottery. When the fate of Humanity is at stake, who really controls the future, and what will they do to protect it?

New Apple Summer e-Book Awards 2016 winner in SciFi / Dystopia

Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Fiction

225 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 10, 2016

Reviews

[Underground Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Vitro Lottery is an interesting and thought provoking book set in a disturbing dystopian future, where the population compete in a ‘lottery’ in order to ‘win’ the chance to have children. The world is still recovering from the Norwegian Death, a disease that swiftly wiped out most of the population. The survivors of the death have been left with the legacy of infertility, unable to carry their own children due to a genetic mutation. Set in England, the plot revolves around the In Vitro Lottery, and its founder, scientist Victor Pearson. The population are able to win expensive IVF treatment by taking part in the lottery. The wealthy, are of course, able to afford their own treatment. The main character is Kate Adams, a rather cold and detached woman who wins the lottery, and is supposed to be thrilled, but is in fact disappointed, as she does not want children. She arranges to pass the win to her sister Emily, who then mysteriously dies during her treatment at Pearson’s clinic. Kate sets out to discover what happened to Emily and is soon drawn into the murky world of IVFree, a terrorist organisation who believe the fertility treatment should be free, and the next generation a right, not a privilege. Kate’s small and tidy life is then turned upside down as she fights for the truth and makes an astonishing discovery in her pursuit for answers.

A genuine page turner, with well rounded characters. I liked the fact that Kate was not two dimensional or predictable as a character.

Read more at Underground Book Reviews (dot) org

[Joe Turk · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an era of human sterility, the wealthy, the powerful, and a lucky few lottery winners are allowed to have children. Millions buy tickets for the coveted privilege of parenting, but it’s our hero, Kate, who wins the grand prize. The problem is, Kate has no interest in being a mother. So she gives the prize to her sister, who soon after, ends up dead. Thus begins the murder mystery that leads us into the lesser traveled reaches of this detailed dystopian world. Kate‘s search for answers leads her to a rebel group aiming to reclaim the right to give birth for the general population. This is the main conflict depicted in “in Vitro Lottery”. An overreaching, power-mad government seeks total control (and the DNA refinement) of its constituency. But as you might expect, this plan is met by the willful resistance of the individuals on the wrong side of this genetic oppression.

I enjoyed the world and the conflict created by the author. There were many unique details that seemed well thought out, like the way the infrastructure was falling apart because those with the expertise to run it were aging or already dead from the mysterious Norwegian Death plague. This technological retardation added a touch of nuance and believability to this sci-fi tale. And I liked the slow reveal of facts, keeping the mystery alive for as long as possible…though I have to admit, I did foresee a few of the big reveals. But that’s possibly the result of having read far too many sci-fi/dystopian/rebel stories.

The novel moves at a steady pace with quite a bit of action. I thought the writing was polished with easy-to-read diction. While the concept of a sterilized world is not completely new, there are many original details. I would recommend this book to those who enjoyed the concepts in the television series ‘Utopia’. Conceptually, it almost works as a sequel. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[E.M. Swift-Hook · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was the worst of times...

“Not much point having a statue of yourself if there is no one around to clean the moss from it.”

Having been first ravaged with plague and then rendered almost completely infertile, so forced to rely on a complex IVF process, human society is reduced to a point where reproduction is reserved exclusively to the wealthy - or the lucky.

This is a well-written and chilling view of the future which will appeal to anyone who enjoys thought through, dystopian novels set in the near future - and to a wider audience who like to read something to stir up the grey cells now and then.

It has both the exciting plotline of a thriller and the thought-provoking, speculative, hypotheses of science-fiction. It also tackles many present day issues from the perspective of that darkened future. I liked that the explanations for all the events are eventually made clear and the whole falls satisfyingly into place, like the final few twists of a Rubik's Cube.

The main protagonist is a woman who holds a view that, even today, is one women can find themselves condemned for - she does not want to have children. She lives a generation on from the apocalyptic events and is mostly happy to accept the strictures which have been set up to lock all of society into the roles originally needed to keep chaos at bay. Her awakening from that place of acceptance is one that allows the author to bring into question the ethical assumptions we have around a number of very diverse issues: from immigration, education, euthanasia and genetic manipulation - to the value of landfill waste disposal.

"Before I started down this path I was just as guilty of the worst villainy in the world as anyone else: the crime of indifference.”

Ed Ryder does a good job of making sure that we won't walk away from this book guilty of that crime - and entertains whilst doing so.

[Russell Eberhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good first novel. Post apocalyptic novel with a difference. Keeps you guessing with lots of twists and turns - a real page turner.

[S.A. Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book turned out to be a technology and science filled, character driven story with strong villains that became a real page turner. I enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. This book meets the very definition of science fiction, while crossing into the territory of international thrillers.

The book put the science in science fiction. Two biological disasters lead to the post-apocalyptic world the book is set in. The author clearly knows biological science. I liked how the loss of technology was handled. The survivors lose technology a bit at a time, as machines wear out. And, we read about post-apocalyptic technological life, including how cars must be made to work without computers.

The story is filled with flawed characters. Each character has strong motivation to take the steps they do. I enjoyed that the villains saw themselves in positive ways. I believe the strongest villains are those that think they are the heroes.

After a slow start, the book became a thrilling page turner. I wanted to know what happened next. Kate was on a mission and would not let anything stop her. I think the story will work for young adult on up. A reader should be prepared to hear about science and expect characters to be in real danger. Give it a try, you might get pulled into this future fiction story.

[Debbie Jinks · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started reading this, I didn't know what to expect. The title was unusual and I couldn't quite relate to it at first. What I didn't expect in the opening chapter however was a very quick ending to somebody I thought was going to be an integral part of the plot! This wasn't a negative for me though as it made me want to read more to work out why it had happened.
The relationship between the characters was good and the plot moved along nicely. But for me fell slightly flat about halfway through the book.
The heroine Kate was a strong character trying to avenge her sisters death and the fact that it was centred around a lottery to enable couples to have a child was a really different take on things. I also thought the main female antagonist Rowena was sombody you loved to hate and who turned out to be completely insane. As these two plus other characters, battled against each other as part of the story the plot picked up again for me a lot more, and when Kate against all odds succeeded in her mission I was cheering her along all the way.
The final chapters for me were real highlights of the book, and had I not struggled with the middle section of it I definitely would have given four stars. It's a shame there isn't a three and half star option or I would have chosen that.
All in all a good read, and I would be interested to read a second book by this author.

[James Marquis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting combination of dystopia and medical mystery. I appreciate how much research the author must have done, very important with a book like this. Such an important and timely subject.

Takes a while to get going but pays off well. I would like to read more work by this author.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts out a generation after a plague wiped out about half the population of Great Britain. The plague is over, but its effects are not: the plague left most of the population sterile. A scientist has developed a way to combat the virus in-vitro, so a lottery is set up for women who want to have children. The rich, of course, just pay to have the treatment, but all others have to take their chances in the lottery.

The story centers on Kate. She won the lottery, but does not want children, so she gives her winning ticket to her sister. Somehow her sister dies at the IVF facility and the rest of the story is about solving the mystery of her death, finding out the truth about the virus and the IVF process, an underground group that tries to offer treatments to women who can't afford it, and a political power struggle over who will control the reproductive process in the country. The author gets in a few digs at the situation of the world today by talking about Kate's struggle to overcome what she has always believed as told to her by the government and what she finds to be the truth once she starts investigating her sister's death. You will recognize quite a few familiar themes in the book that you may actually be reading about in the newspaper today.

Once Kate starts investigating her sister's death, the book turns to almost non-stop action as she meets people in the underground, people who live outside of the main society, and goes undercover at the IVF facility, where she discovers some grisly truths.

You don't know which side some of the characters in the book are on and some of them seem to be changing sides--or are they just faking it to save themselves? Kate ends up becoming more involved and passionate about her life, after years of just following the government-mandated routine. She's smart and is able to play other people to find out what she needs.

The book puts some ugly truths out there and you may find yourself wondering how close to reality the book is. I really enjoyed the book. There was a lot of scientific information given, but it was presented in an easy-to-understand way. It may also make you think what actions are ethical in the face of the end of humanity. Is it OK to do anything? Do right and wrong still matter? These aren't easy questions to answer.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review.

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world has changed after a pandemic of disease called Norwegian Death, causing infertility and threatening the human race´s future. A team of scientists and businessmen in cooperation with new Government and Ministry of Reproduction finds a partial solution to fix the gene for a couple of days, giving the rich the privilege of purchasing the cure, and setting a Lottery for those who couldn´t afford the price.
When Kate wins the lottery, she decides to give her prize to her sister Emily. But Emily is murdered and Kate launches desperate private investigation, digging out the answers from their hiding spots.
The novel provides a very realistic view of possible future, sending chills down the spine while reading. It keeps the reader wondering about many "what ifs", thinking about topics you maybe never thought of. The storytelling is sometimes frighteningly detached and impersonal, containing very little emotions, letting the pragmatism strengthen the feeling of hard times and desperate situation full of the manipulation of those in charge.
I very liked the main character, Kate; she is very realistic and complex. The same holds for the character of Victor Pearson or the menace impersonated in Rowena (a great villain choice). However, I would like to know more about some character´s background and character development, e.g. Andrzej or Caden.
Realistic setup and polished dialogues create a solid and attractive framework, though the scientific language in some passages could make it harder to read and slows down the pace; it is however a toll to pay in exchange for the environment establishment, crucial for the general feeling.
I particularly liked the very believable plot and ending. Many plus points for pointing to human nature and not creating redundant heroes, only strong personalities facing difficult decisions. A novel worth reading.
I was provided with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Linda Elrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Vitro Lottery, by Ed Ryder is a frighteningly realistic look at what could happen in the event that a deadly pandemic virus wipes out the vast majority of the world’s population. Mr. Ryder’s characters are well developed and the plot has many twists and turns that keep the reader glued to the page.

The story takes place in England, in the year 2060, following the great death. At the time of the plague, the British government implemented drastic measures to save what was left of the population. Unfortunately, one of those measures included the use of an experimental vaccine that had been purposefully contaminated.

The shocking result caused the government, again, to exercise unprecedented powers to manage the population and control available resources.

The story follows Kate Adams in her quest to find out why her sister was brutally murdered. She becomes entangled in a complex web of intrigue, politics, and danger. Kate is on a mission and will stop at nothing to solve the murder. She follows small clues that lead her from a small underground group to the most powerful forces of the government.

The story is brilliantly written by Ed Ryder who, quite obviously, has a strong science and genetics background; but, he also has keen insight into the human psyche and makes his characters very believable

In Vitro Lottery is a great read and easily earns a five star rating. This reader looks forward to more works from this very talented author.

[Scott Spotson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a thriller that depicts a dystopian world that has just started to stabilize after a horrendous virus, like a modern-day bubonic plague, devastates much of the population. This virus has affected the ability of people to reproduce, so the government in every major country has seized the choices to select survivors to undergo treatment, so expensive that the treatment is doled out by a lottery system.

I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book. One issue I had was plausibility. Without knowing exactly what the underlying basis for which the heroes where fighting for, and how the chain of events started, I found it hard to be invested in this book. Yes, a woman named Emily starts the chain of events, but I didn't know why she was targeted by the powers-that-be, and what threat she represented. If one thinks about it, how does a crisis over being able to bear children cause terrorist-like insurgency and political alarm? I can see that the plague itself, killing much of the population, would create dissent--fighting over scarce resources and food--but not the baby lottery itself.

There were many scientific explanations and political agendas, which in themselves were fascinating, but I think I needed to be engaged with the central theme of why the crisis at the heart of this book propelled the actors to do what they did, and why they were willing to risk life and reputation to do so. Not that the author didn't try--he did--but I think more is needed.

[Esha Bajaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Vitro Lottery by Ed Ryder is a fascinating, fast paced dystopia novel about the ramifications of a plague ending human fertility in modern society. Several nations have fallen to anarchy in a world where In Vitro fertilization is the only way people can have children. A lottery system is made to select those who will receive IVF, as only the ultra-rich can afford it. The story follows a woman named Kate, who, despite tremendous social pressure, has never wanted children. After she wins the lottery, she gives the chance to be a mother to her sister, who is killed while trying to escape the IVF clinic. Why she would want to leave the clinic is a mystery, and Kate sets out to solve it.

In parallel, the novel also follows the story of a man named Victor, the CEO of a cooperation that controls all IVF treatments. He navigates a tumultuous relationship with a politician and is forced to consider bending his ethical concerns as a scientist in order to keep the government on his side.

The book also engages with issues such as immigration and social status, and the limits of what can be justified by the greater good.

The characters are well-rounded and relatable, and the writing is nuanced and elevated. I would recommend this book to fans of Orwell's 1984, as I found the tone and writing style to be quite similar. Five stars.

[Philip Elrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrifying look into a dark and bleak future – made all the more terrifying because it is so possible that such a thing could actually happen. Kate Adams is thrust into a quest for which she is initially ill prepared to undertake, but manages to survive long enough to learn and adapt. Her world is a dark and frightening world at best and even worse when examined closely. Enemies and friends seem to join together in a massive effort to save mankind often them hard to distinguish from one another.
Ryder’s technical competence in this highly technical tale of clandestine biological manipulations is evident throughout. His picture of society struggling to recover from near extinction also addresses the nuances of the psychology involved in governmental decisions.
It is a dark and often depressing picture of a future that is not always fun to read about. Fortunately, in the end there appears to be a ray of hope for mankind – unless we manage to find a way to screw it up again.

[Darrell Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like a twist on an old premise.
The idea of a fictional plague wiping out most of humanity has been written about since slightly after Black Death wiped out most of humanity. The idea is so worn I was ready to snooze through the book. Luckily, Ed Ryder just used the plague as wallpaper. Very little time was spent on the plague just how it formed the world that made the story. Just enough to remind the reader of the millions of variation on that theme.
By doing this he could spend more time on the storytelling. In Vitro Lottery is a heart a grand conspiracy novel. Like all conspiracy novels you never know who are the good guys and bad guys, everyone is working on a larger agenda. Lots of twists and turns.
The blurb suggests that this book ponders deep ethical questions. This is true to a minor extent, but I found it to be more of a good story.
Overall, everything in it worked for me.

[Rose English · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 06 of my Goodreads Challenge

So book 05 is currently put to one side and I decided to read this as it is on the kindle and I can still read it when it's dark.

I am a big fan of SciFi and genetic engineering so this really appealed to me.

In the not too distant future over half the world's population has been wiped out by the deadly 'Norwegian Death'. Those that survive are generally infertile requiring expensive and complex fertility treatment. Great Britain, being an island has fared better than most indeed even becoming richer for it. To help the country survive and grow those unable to afford the treatment are able to buy tickets for 'The In Vitro Lottery' with a chance of winning the grand prize of a fully paid treatment and the chance to have a child of their own.

But all is not as it seems as Kate Adams is to discover after she wins and passes her ticket to her little sister who will go to any lengths to have a child.

[Roman Laskowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intriguing and captivating read – original, well-plotted and quite a page-turner. A little gruesome in places, and likely to blind you with Science in others, but never predictable; some of the good guys aren’t so good, and some of the bad guys aren’t so bad. Set in a post-apocalyptic future England, it centres on the Lottery of the title which enables winners to conceive a child via in vitro fertilization (the standard method of conception having been disabled by a virus). The most interesting part centres on the uncovering of the secrets and dodgy dealings of those in high places in relation to the lottery and how society is being controlled. The book has many action sequences and builds a very convincing and ghastly future world. A truly impressive debut and I look forward to reading more of Ed Ryder’s work.

[Daniel Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Vitro Lottery
By Ed Ryder

Captivating, clean writing style. Robust characters are articulately introduced, with a refreshing commitment to depth of dialogue. The plot development, storyline execution, and palpable emotional attachments are the bedrock of this literary offering.

I nearly did NOT finish the book; the preparation before main action sequence was tedious, and somewhat tiresome.

However, the book is an excellent standalone, and even better as part of a series. Subjects of rape, procreation, etc., are handled with a fair amount of sensitivity, without being voyeuristic.

A SOLID 4 out of 5 stars.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AG6XJC8/...

[[ASIN:B01AG6XJC8 In Vitro Lottery]]

[CommonBookSense · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Vitro Lottery, was very interesting, and is definitely one of those books that make you wonder if it will one day become our reality. The story kept my interest piqued, and the characters were well developed, but I had a really hard time reading this one. Like seriously, a reallyyyyy hard time, and I'm afraid that it had more to do with bad editing, rather than, it being poorly written. In a typical week I read between 3-5 books.....this book took 8 days all by its self. There are a lot.....

You can read the rest of this review (along with many more) here.

[Michelle McPherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Vitro Lottery

The book is based in Britain and has great build ups. It took me a few chapters to really get into the book but by the half way point I couldn't put it down and understood why the build-up was necessary.
There are quite a few editing errors, punctuation mostly, and I admit I know little about the British English, so some of it could simply be a difference in the languages.

[Kelly (CasualBookReview) · Rating 2 out of 5]

"2/5 - I did struggle to become immersed into the book when the plot changed courses more times than necessary. I will add, however, that the concept for the book was definitely strong and I loved the idea of it."

READ MORE: http://tinyurl.com/review-IVL

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Story

I really enjoyed this story. I like the way it ended. A satisfying conclusion with a plausible ending, but not such a closed ending it left no room for a continuation of the story line. I hope there is a book two.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I selected this book because I thought it sounded interesting, a future England where most of the country has died from a plague and the survivors are infertile, the government keep the population in line with a lottery to control who can have children. I'm probably doing the plot a disservice here, but I'm a fan of such near future scenarios, and the author does a great job of setting a realistic scenario and how the bleak future has come about. I really liked how the author kept the narrative in the present, with occasional glimpses into how the it all came about, really kept me intrigued. I'm a fan of well paced thrillers, so this hit the spot, a similar style to some of Ken Follet's work.

The characters are well developed and the plot keeps you guessing, there were definitely a few surprises in there. In a book with plenty of science it was so well explained and the author has clearly done their research. I'm not one to criticise another review, but I didn't have an issue with the grammar or lack of commas, I didn't notice any issues, but I do feel a little smarter that I managed to grasp some longer sentences without difficulty!

I'm not normally one for randomly selecting books off Kindle, but it has inspired me to give more authors a chance. I look forward to future novels from Ed Ryder, definitely an author with real talent.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

I liked the premise of this story but I really struggled with reading it. For one, there wasn't a single likeable character. Every single one was just awful and I didn't care about learning more about their stories and motivations. The protagonist, Kate, was especially awful and I found a lot of her internal monologue irritating.

Second, there is a lot of politics in this book and it's not subtle. I don't mind that, but the politics here are very different from my own and I struggled with reading statements that contradicted my own opinions so strongly.

So overall, not a book for me.

[Larissa Cardozo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book that shows just how far humanity will go to perpetuate itself as a species. Occasionally the writing/flow was a bit hard to follow, something that could have easily been avoided with some descriptor text at the beginning of each chapter to allow the reader to orient, but the story itself was a creative take on dystopian sci-fi, with disturbing details and descriptions highlighting the cruelty and desperation of the human race.

[Fletcher Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provoking, scarily believable and convincing, I completely loved it! The characters were believable and relatable and the plot line was well thought out and beautifully researched, I was left wanting more. Not my typical genre and I'm clueless about science, but even for the likes of me it was quick to follow, I'm excited to see what this author creates next, the writing style was just up my path.

[Margie Alec · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how the book began. It dragged me into the story and, as I am a sucker for a good dystopian book, it was riveting and convincing. I wanted far more than I did to like this novel. Even though I keep trying to see how it finishes, I never finished it and still can't. It could be too scientific and dry, maybe. Perhaps it just needs a little more polish? I don't know, but I don't seem to be able to finish this stuff, so I can't say about whether it pays off or not.

[Angel · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at pg 24.

Found the characters to be too similar in attitude and mindset to a lot of u.s.american Conservatives (anti-immigration, pro-corporate propaganda, all people with a uterus MUST want kids or else there's something wrong with them, a general sense of smarmy "I'm better than the working class peasants" vibe; things like that) to be tolerable in large doses.

[Claudette Bigby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suprise

I didn't think I was going to like a book about inverts pregnancies, but I was happily surprised at this fast paced future thriller! A good read! I really enjoyed this compelling story!

[E.J. Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book from start to finish! Very gripping with great pace and excellent characters. I loved the concept behind this story.

[Jan Staniec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing Read!

Fast paced, suspenseful, thought provoking! I wasn’t sure about it, but once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Kudos