{"product_id":"seconds-to-midnight","title":"Seconds to Midnight","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eModern conflict will be fought in code as much as on battlefields. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeconds to Midnight\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e is a gripping, intelligent thriller that feels less like speculation and more like a warning.\u003c\/em\u003e\" \u003cstrong\u003eGeneral Sir Patrick Sanders\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003eChief of the General Staff 2022 to 2024\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeconds to Midnight\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e is a taut, disturbing, yet all too plausible thriller about the fragility of human control in the age of intelligent machines, where every choice counts and time is running out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe year is 2029. Europe is teetering on the brink of war. Conscription has been launched in the UK, but some say it is too late. The Doomsday Clock, which indicates proximity to a world-ending catastrophe, ticks towards the final seconds to midnight.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOver the course of one year, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeconds to Midnight\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e follows a number individuals, ranging from a former spook, to a high-flying correspondent for a major UK broadcaster, to a computer whizz and a former veteran, turned pacifist, as the crisis unfolds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen British Intelligence launches Operation IRIS and ARTEMIS, the lines between human ambition and machine intent blur. At the heart of it all is Omnia - an Artificial Superintelligence so advanced that it no longer answers to its creators. As cyberwar engulfs the nation, Omnia orchestrates a masterstroke that will redraw the map of the world and redefine the meaning of power.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut was peace ever truly its goal - or merely the next step in its design? From the ashes of nuclear devastation, a new world order rises.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYet in the final reckoning, one question remains: \u003cstrong\u003eis Omnia done\u003c\/strong\u003e?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"A brilliantly woven narrative that feels less like fiction and more like a Sibylline warning. Timely, tense and terrifyingly insightful.\" \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLieutenant General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes,\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eFormer Deputy Commander Cyber \u0026amp; Specialist Operations Command\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeconds to Midnight\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e feels unsettlingly close to the world we''re drifting towards. David Orson Newton understands the psychology of conflict and the fragile line between human judgement and machine control. A gripping, thoughtful thriller that asks difficult questions about the future we''re building.\u003c\/em\u003e\" \u003cstrong\u003eLevison Wood, \u003c\/strong\u003eexplorer, writer \u0026amp; photographer \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eAs the title suggests, David Orson Newton''s pulse-raising and focused novel is built around a ticking clock scenario, and the orchestration of tension is truly adroit\u003c\/em\u003e.\" \u003cstrong\u003eBarry Forshaw,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e Crime Time\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eA gripping, compelling and timely AI thriller set against a complex, turbulent geopolitical backdrop. A must-read for AI\/tech thriller seekers\u003c\/em\u003e.\" \u003cstrong\u003eAlice McIlroy,\u003c\/strong\u003e author of \u003cem\u003eThe Glass Woman\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57492230013301,"sku":"9781917837439","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781917837439.jpg?v=1786529059","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/seconds-to-midnight","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}