Funscreen, Page 3

  After two long, ponderous minutes, the Funscreen switched itself on.

  "Hello, Roger," said a pleasant female voice. "Hello, Danny."

  They looked at each other then back at the Funscreen.

  "Our good friends at Smile Time, Inc. would love to tell you about their latest worry-killing wonder drug, clinically proven to reduce stress and anxiety by 95%. You will each receive 25 FunFare credits for viewing this placement."

  Danny stood up and walked away.

  Seven seconds passed.

  Roger raised his thumb.

  THE END

  Author's Notes

  Thanks for reading Funscreen. If you enjoyed this story, please pass it on! I would greatly appreciate if you could spare a few moments to leave a helpful review or share Funscreen with a friend who might enjoy it.

  Funscreen is a spin-off from my dystopian novel Sycamore, in which the invention of a palm-based microchip implant combines with Augmented Reality contact lenses to create the ultimate gadget. The Seed is to a smartphone what the Funscreen is to a regular TV.

  Imagine the computational power of the Funscreen on a biochip under your skin, then imagine the Funscreen's targeted advertising superimposed onto the real world around you. What you've just imagined doesn't come close to what The Seed is capable of. Meanwhile, the ubiquitous UltraLenses ensure that nowhere is safe from the corporation's prying eyes. In short, Sycamore = Funscreen gone wild.

  Themes of reckless technology, corporate exploitation and rampant consumerism are common to both Funscreen and Sycamore. Both works come from a similar train of thought -- I drafted this story while I was in the middle of writing the novel -- so there's an excellent chance that readers who enjoy one will enjoy the other. A novel naturally allows for far greater character development and depth of plot than a short story does, so in one sense Sycamore can be thought of as Funscreen's big brother.

  What readers say about Sycamore:

  "An interesting and matrix-like insight into what the future could hold"

  "1984 for the Facebook generation"

  "Dystopian fans should not miss this one"

  "I enjoyed how modern the book was, referencing very recent technology and culture"

  "Think 'Big Brother', government spying, identity cards, Google Glass, Facebook and merge in some current (and probably justified) conspiracy theory concerns"

  "This is a very well written book and really draws you in"

  Sycamore is available now in both ebook and paperback format.

  For more information on Sycamore and other new releases, visit craigafalconer.com.

  SYCAMORE

  Imagine a world where your eyes can't be trusted.

  Imaginethe truth was hidden behind a veil of augmented reality. Protests airbrushed from view. Targeted advertising on every corner.

  Imagine microchipped consumers under constant surveillance. Taxed for moving. Blinded by convenience. Punished for crimes they haven't yet had the chance to commit.

  Imagine you were the one responsible for it all, and you were the only one who could stop it...

  -----

  When the Sycamore corporation releases the ultimate gadget -- an implantable microchip designed to replace smartphones -- society rapidly descends into dystopia.

  Augmented Reality contact lenses act as the new system's display and simultaneously record everything in the user's field of vision. The potential applications are limitless. So are the surveillance opportunities.

  Soon after gaining access to Sycamore's inner circle and learning the corporation's plans for the future, the chip's young creator painfully regrets ever giving them the idea.

  Power like this has never existed...

  craigafalconer.com