I am seeking representation for my techno-thriller, Human+, a 73,000-word exploration of the intersection between human consciousness, technology, and self-mastery, dubbed “Psi-Fi” by bestselling author and lucid dreaming guru Robert Bruce due to its blend of speculative science and mysticism.

Originally self-published in 2012, Human+ has enjoyed positive reviews from readers and critics alike, with many 4-star and 5-star reviews on Amazon (US UK), Goodreads and LibraryThing. 

In a review for KurzweilAI.net, the influential futurist Giulio Prisco commented, “Adapted from a movie script, the novel combines reality-warping and edge-of-your seat action scenes reminiscent of Wild Palms, Vanilla Sky, and The Bourne spy series.” The Bulgarian writer, editor and publisher Kalin M. Nenov wrote, “I can’t remember the last time I was so sucked in by the opening of a novel. I’m not kidding. … Heehee! Alice never had so much fun in Wonderland.”

The novel follows David, a struggling artist facing addiction and terrifying visions on the streets of New York. His reality shifts dramatically when he encounters The Company, a shadowy network that offers the promise of psychic self-mastery and a key role in a grand plan to awaken human potential at a grand scale.

Soon drawn into a power struggle, David must navigate his place in a movement that could determine humanity’s next steps—and potentially lead to his own ruin. In a page-turning manner, the novel examines the duality of mind and matter in an age when science and mysticism have drawn closer, exploring the prospects and perils of human-directed evolution.

In a time when such themes as human augmentation are moving from fiction to reality, I am confident that Human+ is ready for a wider audience, especially with the support of a publisher capable of broader retail distribution. As mentioned, the novel was based on my own screenplay, which makes it a visual and dynamic read, and perhaps also even a contender for film adaptation.

In recent years, Human+ has displayed an uncanny prescience. With its depiction of brain-computer interfacing and its charismatic billionaire backer, Human+ resonates even more strongly in an era of Elon Musk and Neuralink. I am excited now to relaunch the novel and perhaps to rework it in collaboration with an interested publisher, incorporating insights and updates that could add new dimensions.

I am also eager now to continue my journey as a novelist, with a second techno-thriller concept in development—a thematic companion to Human+. This novel, provisionally titled Decent People, (a pun on decentralised, a founding principle of blockchain technology and its most famous application Bitcoin) will likewise examine the intersection of technology and human potential. The story follows the founders of a socially conscious startup and its “killer app” that combines blockchain and AI into a platform to drive real-world action, rather than the more passive interaction typical of social media. When the founders anonymously seed an interest group on the platform, they strike an unexpectedly powerful chord, and the group garners a snowballing global membership. With AI-augmented idealism and blockchain infrastructure, the group soon becomes as disruptive, decentralised and indestructible as crypto—and posing as similar a challenge to powerful vested interests.

My background is in PR and journalism, in recent years specialising in the crypto/blockchain/web3 sphere. I am currently Content Lead with the PR company VComms, and in recent years I also served as Media Director for a blockchain startup. Following the initial release of Human+, I was for some years also a podcaster on themes of consciousness and technology, interviewing writers, thinkers and experiencers on these subjects. 

I am myself an experiencer of some of the profound “non-ordinary” states of consciousness touched upon in Human+. If published, I would be willing to help in its promotion by pitching to, and speaking with, podcasts and other media about the novel, its themes, and my own experiences.

Thank you very much for considering my submission. I would be happy to provide additional materials or discuss my work further – whether Human+ or my proposed second novel – at your convenience.

Warm regards,  

Martin Higgins.