Imagine a world where everything that happens in life can be reviewed later. And not just big events like births and weddings… Everything! In Bulb, science has made Informed Light possible, thus your morning commute, your afternoon coffee and your post workout shower are all recorded. And anybody can review footage of anything in the Grand Archive. At the cost of privacy and anonymity come many benefits including a great reduction in crime and an endless supply of entertainment. Ben Tinthawin, an artistic soul and a dutifully caregiving brother, must navigate life in this futuristic world, all while mending his own wounded heart.
The idea of this open sourced streaming of every moment of the day is both creepy and exciting. However, Bulb doesn’t delve much into the ramifications of such advancements. Bradley Wind devotes much of the book to bizarre scenes which seem to be penned solely for shock value, such as rape of a young man by a morbidly obese captive woman, a car graphically crashing into a herd of deer, and the wanton slaughter of children. The story advances slowly and is confusing at times, but starts to come together by the end. Between the lack of cohesion and some editing mistakes, many readers may not make it that far.
Bradley Wind brings a unique and creative voice to the speculative sci-fi genre. Bulb has an intriguing premise set in a world that is not entirely far from imagination!
