Virtual Book Tour: Anticipation Day by Jeff Michelson #sciencefiction #scifi #interview #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Science Fiction

Date Published: December 3, 2024

 

 

2025 Book Excellence Awards Finalist in Science Fiction

“A musing science fiction novel about the future of AI, Anticipation Day follows a group of friends as they try to improve their lives through government-sanctioned fantasies." —Foreword Clarion Reviews

“A boundary-pushing plunge into a vividly imagined future, Anticipation Day poses powerful questions about identity, the human experience, and our digital destiny as a species, resulting in a provocative mixture of Black Mirror and The Surge.” —The Independent Review of Books

 

In the summer of 2026, amidst the sights and sounds of one of the oldest pubs in London, Dr. Joshua Lee receives a call that will alter his life for the foreseeable future—he’s asked to work on a clandestine project that will transform every American’s way of life.

Six years later, amidst the steel and glass canyons of the Denver suburbs, a group of friends assemble for dinner the night before their first escape into Anticipation Day, an immersive simulated experience that is promised to be an annual respite from the daily grind.

Amongst this group of friends are Alexandra, Eric, Patrick, Mike and MaryAnne, each at inflection points in their lives and each with their own life scars and unrealized dreams. As they prepare to plug into the simulation, they are forced to confront their own fears and desires, all while interfacing with their chosen simulated experience, blurring the lines between reality and the artificial dreamscape.

These experiences force the group to confront their deepest fears, chase exclusive happiness, and unlock truths buried within their souls. As they delve deeper into the algorithmic labyrinth, more truths about their existence are fully revealed.

However, the question begs: Will their journey lead to salvation, or will it unravel the very fabric of their existence?

 

Join this eclectic band of suburbanites as they look for meaning amidst the chaos of the digital age. Anticipation Day beckons, but not everything is as is seems in this electrifying tale of urban futurism.

Interview

Introduce yourself and tell me about what you do.

I am a certified public accountant and work for a public accounting firm. My family also invested in a kosher-style delicatessen in NJ that my wife runs during the week. This is my first foray into writing professionally

Tell me more about your journey as an author, including the writing processes.

The idea for this book started a few years ago with the concept of how the feeling of “anticipation” is missing in most people’s lives. I had to think about what would people anticipate doing for the entire year that it would cause society to be happier. Eventually, I came up with the idea of a government-sponsored program that allowed you to enter a simulation once a year to experience an entire different life from your real life. The writing took about 4 months with ~ a year of editing and rewriting. Cannabis was the main driver behind the creativity of the stories as it allowed me to relate to the characters and where they were in their lives and how they would react to their simulation experiences. It was a fun experience but not sure I would do it again

Tell me about your Book

As I previously noted, the book involves a government sponsored program that allows every citizen one day a year to enter a simulated world of their choosing. Each citizen could spend what would feel like up to one year in the simulation, but would only be ~7 hours in real-time). The citizen also has the option of reliving one day from their memories if they so choose. The prologue of the book follows the development of this technology and how it was eventually approved by the government. Part One of the book introduces the main characters of the book who will be going into their simulation experiences together. I wanted the reader to get a good sense of where each of the characters were emotionally the day before their simulation experiences. Part Two of the book follows each of the character’s simulation experiences, so it is five separate stories the characters go through. Part Three follows the post-simulation experience with a surprise twist at the end.

About the Author

Jeff Michelson is a Certified Public Accountant by trade, a deli owner on the weekends and a first time author. Jeff lives in the NJ suburbs with his family, including their dog Maggie and lots of koi fish!

As a first time author, Jeff really enjoyed the creative process of writing this book and hopes others enjoy reading the story as much as he enjoyed writing it!

 

Contact Links

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Purchase Link

Amazon