A clever ad kicks off the novel Transference: “Life Have You Down? MAKE YOURSELF WELL — Try the Disease Transfer Machine Today!”

Here’s the catch: in this dystopian society only the super-rich can afford The Box (the disease transfer machine) while the rest of humanity are paid to take on sickness and diseases.

Ian Patterson

Colorado Springs author Ian Patterson presents, in his debut sci-fi novel, an intriguing story that provokes several questions and ideas. Would you take on someone’s ailments or diseases for monetary gain? How much payment is enough to take on a common cold? What about cancer?

In Patterson’s masterfully crafted world, a rigid caste system governs the lives of those within this future city. Our protagonist, Nicholas, hails from the tenements of Five Boroughs, where he takes on ailments of the wealthy upper classes. After narrowly escaping death from his previous job with The Box, Nicholas has a daring plan to dismantle the machine’s servers, expose its true nature and transform society (for the better, or so he believes).

We learn through Nicholas of the incredibly alluring, and somewhat scary, medical procedures that are available to those in the upper echelons of this society. Honestly, if these were available to us today, I’d have a challenging time not to have something done (except for face melting … big pass on that one). In a rare opportunity, the technology of the time allows Nicholas to assume someone’s identity—someone who has quietly and recently passed. Someone who has access to the multilayers of this vexatious population.

His body is pinpricked and realigned, memories and experiences are downloaded into his system so that he is able to become that person. Nicholas’ plans coalesce further, and his determination is strengthened. Trusting in his conviction, his marvelous, good looks and the fresh new memories he’s inherited, he is ready for the next step. He signals to his new family he is coming back home after a months-long recovery.

A hovercar ride later, Allen, formerly known as Nicholas, is adjusting to his new life of luxury, tiny robots that dress him, delicious food and even a talking panther. As he learns more about his new family, he’s surprised to embrace their warmth and care. They aren’t at all what he was expecting. The greatest challenge is meeting Allen’s ex-girlfriend. She’s part of the even more privileged group above his new family, and she’s the key to cementing Allen’s resolute goal of destroying The Box. Will she accept Allen, who has now eschewed the thing that drove them apart and his story of rebirth and determination? Or will she recognize him as the outsider he is?

Each of Nicholas’ and Allen’s personal histories collide at a celebration where they discover that the rich and powerful aren’t so different from the rest of us. They like to have fun and be a little bit naughty, just like us. During the party, something unexpected and important happens that puts Allen’s true identity at risk. Is this when his charade will be discovered? The incident summons the dark and scary Inquisitors, automatons that terrify even the most innocent people. In these circles, Inquisitors are always watching. Perhaps the life of the privileged isn’t so grand at all.

In the aftermath of the party, Allen and the girlfriend make up. They realize they have a common goal and work together to make things right. But they’re not the only ones who want to change things. Things get really intense, and Allen barely makes it out alive. This is where the story takes a wild turn, leading the reader on an exciting adventure, revealing that not everyone is as they seem. Last but not least, will The Box be turned off?

Mr. Patterson’s first novel is a real page-turner. He paints a vivid and believable world that feels as though it could happen. His writing is engaging and brings a fresh take to the genre. This is the first book in his Narrator Cycle, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next. Book 2 of this duology is due in early summer 2025, according to Patterson.