OFF GRID: Is There Anywhere Left to Hide from the Surveillance State?

Product Description

From the halls of D.C. to the remote shores of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, OFF GRID is a wild ride through a dystopian near future of mass surveillance.

In the wake of a global calamity, the economy collapses. The Feds respond by wielding every power of the Welfare State to control the populace. A key tool is
PivPal, an indispensable smartphone used to track citizens. As civil liberties crumble, resistance is relegated to flyover country whose residents—derided as off-gridders—cling to the time-honored virtues of freedom, self-reliance, and charity. Against this backdrop, Jenny Hernandez struggles to keep her rural church community nourished and safe. Hiding from the Feds, a team of inventors, and Jenny’s ex, arrive to complete the amazing plasma drive. They bring hope, but also the watchful eye of Big Brother. With the authorities closing in, local law enforcement must choose sides.

In the tradition of Atlas Shrugged, OFF GRID is philosophical fiction, wrapped in a political thriller, with a sci-fi/romance twist.

From the Author

I started the outline of OFF GRID almost five years ago. At the time, several themes of the novel were showing up on the radar screen: surveillance of US citizens, censorship at universities, socialism entering the mainstream, identity politics, biased journalism, the nanny state, etc. As the years ticked by, I realized that if I didn’t take action, I would be writing a history book instead of near-future fiction.

Fast-forward to Summer 2019. I finally sent out my manuscript for review. They liked it! They also had lots of recommendations… Anyway, I took the plunge into deep edit mode. Little did I know how deep that mode was. My original release date of Fall 2019 slipped – too close to the holidays. Okay. Then the new target date of New Year slipped. Hmm. I gave it one more shot – Spring of 2020. What could go wrong? 

The COVID-19 pandemic was a double-whammy for this fledgling author: all bookstores were closed and a key element of the novel’s plot – a disaster – was already unfolding. But this worldwide disaster has highlighted the primary theme of OFF GRID: fear and control – the tools of the totalitarian State – are upon us. God help us all. 

About the Author

J. P. Redding is a first-time author, former corporate executive, and retired entrepreneur in the field of software development. His passions include extreme watersports as well as a deep concern for the fate of our nation, as founded, and the God-given and constitutional liberties of its citizens.