By Brian Pinkerton (MSJ89)

Society is sheltered indoors. The economy is in ruins. People spend their lives addicted to a breakthrough virtual reality technology, desperate for escapism in a troubled world. The Nirvana Effect has taken over.

Aaron and Clarissa are members of a subculture of realists who resist the lure of a fake utopia. They watch in horror as the technology spreads across the country with willing participants who easily forgo their freedoms for false pleasures. When the young couple discovers a plot to enforce compliance for mind control, the battle for free will begins. What started as a playful diversion turns deadly. The future of the human race is at stake.

The Nirvana Effect is a 2021 release from Flame Tree Press/Simon & Schuster. Brian Pinkerton is the author of 10 novels in the thriller, science-fiction and horror genres, including the USA Today bestseller Abducted. He lives in Wilmette, Illinois.