Scarcity
by Robert Calbeck
Thirty years into the future, the world is still reeling from the effects of another world war. World leaders have banned all fossil fuels other than oil, leaving the major powers to fight over what’s left. The results are chilling: starvation, war, rationing. Billions were left dead in their wake. The survivors have limped into a new equilibrium subsisting entirely on green energy, but there is not nearly enough of it to grow and transport sufficient food or keep everyone warm in the winter. Everyone has an identification chip implanted to monitor their Carbon output, ensuring compliance with the green new world.
In this world where the most precious commodity is electricity, a former paratrooper named Luthor Tenrel stumbles upon a new stable element capable of creating endless, self-renewing, clean energy through its ability to manipulate gravity. On the eve of his reveal at the International Energy Convention, ruthless men attempt to take Luthor's discovery—and his life. Framed for crimes they didn’t commit, Luthor and his team struggle to escape the seemingly omnipotent conspiracy that will stop at nothing to possess Luthor’s technology. With the help of the mysterious Vika and the strange gravitational powers of Luthor's new element, their small band must evade governments, criminals, and Luthor’s own demons to have a chance to end scarcity once and for all.
Robert Calbeck's debut novel throws readers into a complex and detailed world that explores the consequences of Climate Change and the policies designed to fight it. Hard-fi fans will appreciate the meticulous research to make Scarcity believable, but fantasy lovers will be drawn to the gravity-manipulating antics that read more like something from Brandon Sanderson.