Ella is the oldest five-year-old in the universe. For fifty-eight years, the founder of a simulated colony-planet has forced her to pretend to be his daughter. Her “Daddy” has absolute power over all elements of reality, which keeps the colonists in line even when their needs are not met. But his failing experiments and despotic need for absolute control are increasingly dangerous.
Ella’s very life depends on her performance as a child. She has watched Daddy delete her stepmother and the loved ones of anyone who helps her.
But every sixty years, a Technician comes from the world above. Ella has been watching and working and biding her time. Because if she cannot make the technician help her, the only solution is a desperate measure that could lead to consequences for the entire universe.
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One Level Down – Tachyon Publications
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Our teacher, Camilla Wolkowitz, has driven us in the truck to the edge of the forest. (1)
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(@TachyonPub, 11 March 2025, 196 pages, ARC from the publisher via @NetGalley_UK)
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This is my first time reading the author. I really enjoyed One Level Down. I pretty much knew I’d enjoy it when I read the blurb and wasn’t disappointed. I really enjoyed the premise of this novella and how the author executed it. This is a well-written, engaging read. I’d like to read more of the author’s work. I’d recommend this.
