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J.C. Gemmell
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Tionsphere: A Dystopian Sci-Fi Kindle Edition

by J.C. Gemmell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 29 ratings
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For a million years, the human population was less than 26,000 people. By the year 2060, ten billion individuals crowded the planet.

As humanity faced its greatest challenge, two global corporations merge to deliver a radical solution: the construction of concentric spheres encircling the planet. For almost a thousand years, the new world was astonishingly empty, but as the tionsphere approaches capacity, its universal processing service starts to fail, threatening the lives of the obsessively-connected people.

Caitlyn and her small team of contract theorists accept the impossible task of understanding why. They discover individuals who seemingly pre-date the tionsphere, including one who plans to destroy everything within Tion’s spheres. Pazel is intent on killing thousands of billions of people to preserve an elite population tailored to his own desires.

Set on an immense scale, Tionsphere follows ordinary workers surviving in a world overflowing with people distracted by their technology and threatened by a life without it.

“The tension is palpable, the dialogue complex and the artifice of life itself intelligently exposed by those who break the chain. For serious science fiction fans, Tionsphere marks the beginning of a complex new series with plenty to think about long after the intense reading experience is over, and it’s therefore highly recommended for hardcore fans of the genre.” – Readers’ Favorite

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  1. Book 1 of 3
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  2. Print length
    417 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
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  5. Publication date
    May 22, 2020
  6. File size
    1739 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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From the Publisher

J.C. Gemmell

J.C. Gemmell

J.C. Gemmell was born in Falkirk, Scotland, and received his B.A. in Computer Studies and a Master’s Degree in Applied Science from the University of Portsmouth, UK. Before turning to science fiction, he worked as a software engineer for a number of multinational organisations. He lives with his partner on the south coast of England.

Tionsphere and The Uprisers are the first novels in the Tion series, and will be followed by Demiurge in 2022. His series is accompanied by a short novel, The Visionary, which is also available as an audiobook.

The Visionary

The Visionary - A Tion Story

At the beginning of February 2060, Mount Erebus erupted, the first of a chain of Antarctic volcanoes that forever changed Earth’s future. Within days, sea levels began to rise, until sixty metres of water claimed coastlines worldwide.

Fourteen-year-old Xin-yi commences her training as a visionary. It is her task to imagine a new Earth, rising above the drowning waters. Thousands of young people strive to design a world in which the displaced millions can live, and engineer a solution that will take a millennium to populate. But Xin-yi’s challenges are more personal: coming to terms with the loss of her brother and unexpected feelings toward a friend. She has to choose between working to benefit humanity and her internal conflict with love.

The Visionary

A Tion Story

Tionsphere

Tion Book 1

The Uprisers

Tion Book 2

Demiurge

Tion Book 3

Editorial Reviews

Review

Readers' Favorite Five Stars

Tionsphere is a work of science fiction penned by author J.C. Gemmell and is the opening novel to a new series. In this newly imagined future, the planet is faced with the inevitable crush of overpopulation and considers the ways in which human society might adapt to control this issue as time marches on. We follow the coming of age experiences of the teenage protagonist amid a wide cast of characters investigating the various unusual goings-on in the system they live by. But when one figure slips away from the assignment set for his future, new discoveries are made that threaten the system and human life as a whole.

Author J.C. Gemmell has produced a hard-boiled science fiction work for fans of traditional complex societies with lots of crunch in the workings and plenty of detailed backstories. Suitable for all readers due to its non-graphic depictions, the ensemble cast and various narrative viewpoints give us a full sense of the world in which we find ourselves, and the system put in place to promote segregation and prevent chaos from taking over in a society on the brink of overflow. The tension is palpable, the dialogue complex and the artifice of life itself intelligently exposed by those who break the chain. For serious science fiction fans, Tionsphere marks the beginning of a complex new series with plenty to think about long after the intense reading experience is over, and it's therefore highly recommended for hardcore fans of the genre.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0893KJ74K
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ J.C. Gemmell (May 22, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 22, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1739 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 417 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

About the author

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J.C. Gemmell

J.C. Gemmell

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J.C. Gemmell was born in Falkirk, Scotland, and received his B.A. in Computer Studies and a Master’s Degree in Applied Science from the University of Portsmouth. Before becoming an independent author of future fiction, he worked as an engineer for several multinational organisations. He lives with his partner and two cats on the south coast of England.

The Fornax Assassin is J.C.’s newest novel, a mystery-thriller set forty years in the future in a less-familiar Britain.

J.C. published his Tion series (Tionsphere, The Uprisers, Demiurge) in 2020-22, and it is accompanied by The Visionary, available for free on Kindle.

Visit J.C. online at jcgemmell.com

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
3.7 out of 5
29 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

K MacCabe
4.0 out of 5 stars A Deep and Complex Dystopia
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2022
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Let me first begin by saying that this book requires an in-depth look at the glossary in the end. Tionsphere is a look at a dystopian world wherein humanity has overpopulated the planet to such an extreme degree that people have literally created an ecumenopolis around Earth's globe. I must give Gimmel credit here for envisioning a very dark and yet very advanced future for the human race, not unlike what you'd imagine Star Wars’s Coruscant to be like in its earlier years. Perhaps Trantor from Asimov’s Foundation series might be a closer comparison, especially in his later books.

The book itself takes a while to get into, so I suggest getting ready for a long sit down to reach the meat of the story. Once you do get into the depths of this world you will find yourself enticed by the immense world-building and clever use of new and alien words. It's an interesting look at a potential future for the human race, though a depressing one.

If I were to find comps of my own for this title, I would probably choose Altered Carbon. I find that title to tackle many of the same concepts and I do think they share themes. If you are interested in an in-depth look at a possible future, with incredibly deep world-building that is intricate and necessary to understand the story, then this book will most certainly satisfy your itch.
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Diamond Sutherland
5.0 out of 5 stars Intense Great Read
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2022
All the books is my motto - this book lives beyond that standard. I will be reading this one several more times. I truly enjoy when a writer works hard to build a different world. The task is not an easy one.

Tionsphere makes me very much appreciate my little suburban life and low level reliance on technology. However, I will very much be diving back into J.C.’s crazy world.

I am still creeped out (in a good way) - similar feeling when I first read Brave New World. Well, excuse me - I am going to slowly reread this one and be back again to update because *shivers* it is an intense great read.
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SJ Kan
4.0 out of 5 stars Dive into a dense and detailed world
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2022
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When you first read Tionsphere, you’re immediately dropped into a foreign environment, populated by mysterious cultures. It’s both a jarring and enticing feeling. The mystery of your surroundings and the characters pulls you into a story that’s quite ambitious in its scale. However, the story is also complex and can be challenging to absorb, given the numerous characters, settings, foreign terminology used. And there’s not a lot of hand-holding when it comes to understanding the world’s technology. For example, characters are able to change or assume new bodies. But this may not necessarily become clear to you at first. Thankfully, the author created an extensive glossary in the back of the book that will explain the various terms used. So I would definitely dive into that as you begin reading.

Hence, Tionsphere is a novel best geared for readers looking for a dense narrative that tries to immerse you into its world on a psychological level. That said, it can feel rewarding as you move through the novel, piece the various narrative pieces together, and realize the stakes involved.
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Charissa Dufour
3.0 out of 5 stars Would have been 4* but...
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2023
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I really really struggled with how to review this book. On one hand there is this incredibly in depth world built to dazzle and amaze plus an intense highly developed plot, but on the other hand you have to memorize the glossary found in the back before any of it make sense. This meant that readying said intense highly developed plot felt more like reading a text book. Like i needed to high light words and take notes as I went. Maybe smarter people wouldn't struggle through the way I did, but i found the use of technical or made-up technical jargon to be a major detraction from the intense highly developed plot set in one of the most amazingly structured dives into world building I've ever seen. So like I said, I struggled with how to review this book. In the end, I had to give it only 3 stars because if when all is said and done I didn't ENJOY it because it felt like work, then the author got too wrapped up in his own world to remember to tell the story in a way the average reader can get lost in. Otherwise it would have been 4 stars.
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Matt Bitonti
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting concept
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2023
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This book was entertaining. It's a multi-perspective head swapper. I enjoyed the concept of a "Tionsphere," similar to a Dyson Sphere, a massive superstructure surrounding a planet. This thing is enormous, failing, and it needs to be saved by the characters. Or at least someone has to figure it out. It's like the entire world has a bad internet connection. Fair enough. The structure, keeping everyone separate, is like the bad guy. There's also body-swapping digital stuff like Altered Carbon, for fans of that book. There was also some odd Icelandic vocabulary that needed to be more challenging to follow. How can I say something in one's head when there are letters the readers don't know how to pronounce? Also, I found a few too many characters to keep track of, especially with the body-swapping aspect—this is probably the hardest part of the read. It's challenging but an entertaining read nonetheless.
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Elizabeth Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars Very original
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2022
I received a copy of this book for an honest review. I have to admit that I was initially intimidated by the story since it was so complex. The intricate plot with its own vocabulary relies on a glossary which I did have to visit now and again to make sure I understood correctly. However, by the time I was 1/4 of the way into the story I couldn't put it down. Now I am eager to read the next installment in this series. I could easily see this adapted into a Netflix/Amazon Prime series. Thank you to Booktasters for their recommendation of this book and the author for providing me a copy.
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Top reviews from other countries

Al
4.0 out of 5 stars Impressive sci-fi for the deep thinkers
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2022
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Tionsphere tackles head on the credible scenario of significant human over population, to the extent where humanity is forced to live in spheres above the surface of the planet. In addition to the population issue, the theme of data dependency is explored, which seems very relevant to our current life!

There are three principal characters to get to know: Hyun-jun, Danesh and Conner, but there are so many more characters, it can get difficult to keep track, especially if you put the book down and pick it up a little later.

Rather unusually for a fiction book, a glossary is included. I was in two minds about this. On the one hand, I would prefer to have a story presented rather more simplistically, to the extent I wouldn’t need the glossary, but on the other I didn’t find it too inconvenient to refer to, and started to consider it reassuring that it was available.

Overall, whilst being somewhat daunting initially, the book kept me reading and definitely got me thinking. The author has a pleasant and very readable style, and has clearly given this whole area a lot of thought. Recommended.
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Darren Gilmore
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastically compelling stuff
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2020
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Wow. Complex, compelling and deliciously deep. Intricately woven setting, from an author who clearly understands his subject matter. Characters who are alive and believable, but I want to find out more about them. This isn't throw-away fiction, this is a commitment, and one you will be pleased you made.
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Huw Langridge
4.0 out of 5 stars Dazzling Sci-Fi, Grand in Scope
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2022
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Reading Tionsphere I felt I had been airdropped into a richly formed, complex futuristic landscape. A challenging set of language and rules unfold quickly, and the effect is dizzying. This is a book unlike anything I have read before. Grand scope sci-fi that asks a lot of its reader and rewards you with something that really could be a dazzling extrapolation of our species cultural evolution. This is one for fans of authors like Peter F Hamilton. Immersive hard SF!
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