An ex-hacker falls under the sway of a seductive drug in a novel that "will remind American readers of Philip K. Dick" (Publishers Weekly). Synth is the latest and greatest-a drug that creates hallucinations indistinguishable from the actual world. It's brand new, highly addictive, and dangerous. Even the dealers don't know what the long-term effects are. But for ex-hacker Markus Olsen, Synth is a savior. An escape from his misery. Because when he and his fellow phreaks got caught, he turned traitor while his friends were sent away. Now, he's just a corporate stooge to Viborg City's secret service, aiding the oppressive state power he'd been fighting in exchange for relative free will. Then Markus's past as an anarchist comes back to haunt him in the form of a credit card with no account but an seemingly unlimited balance-and the discovery of a mysterious novel in which he is a main character. But how much of his perception is being created by Synth? Just how far has he tripped? Forced to face his past and the decisions he's made, Markus must decide to choose between the artificial comfort of a constructed life and the harsh reality of treason and the fight for freedom. If such a thing even really exists? This tale of a near-future dystopia is "a science fiction novel that explores a personal odyssey through the process of detox and rehab, a kind of Pilgrim's Progress for the narcotized" (Lucius Shepard).
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