Panacea: The Age of AG

By Richard Carson Bailey

Book Overview

In the 31st century, life is perfect. Everyone lives in high-end, all-inclusive, tropical resorts inside massive domes.

But for sixteen-year-old Dolthea Madras Thorpe, it's too perfect. Every need is met, every day predictable.

Nothing ever goes wrong.

Then, because of an unexpected crisis, AG, the Artificial Super Intelligence that rules the world, decides that to save humans from extinction, Dolthea's dome must be shut down.

As her dome's shutdown looms, Dolthea and her friends face an impossible choice: accept their death sentence or wage a desperate war against the all-powerful AG.

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"...a must-read for lovers of young adult dystopian sci-fi and coming-of-age novels blended with adventure, suspense, and drama." - Readers' Favorite, 5 Star Review

"... an exciting sci-fi adventure, it is also a narrative of the strength of friendship...and the struggle to make your voice heard-even when the odds are stacked against you." - Feathered Quill

"...encourages young adult readers to absorb scenarios that test the history, presumptions, and survival of a group of determined teens. A superior story that is both thoroughly engrossing and filled with topics perfect for book club assignment. Rife with discovery and confrontation....a vision of the future that comes with unabashed intrigue and insights teens will welcome." - Diane Donovan for Midwest Book Review

"A gripping blend of dystopian SF and YA drama... an adventure yarn... a powerful coming-of-age story. While readers may be drawn in by the SF and suspense, they'll stay for the courage, compassion, and clarity that emerge from the characters' emotional journeys." - Kirkus Reviews

"Bailey's narrative is a strong critique of the dangers of centralized AI control, played out through AG's seemingly perfect management of human environments: food production, resource allocation, and personal wellness are all carefully orchestrated and highly controlled, with puberty delayed by hormone suppression and android counselors monitoring each person-while encouraging them to "let peace and happiness permeate each day of your existence...Takeaway: Chilling dystopian portrait of humanity's annexation by AI." - BookLife

"Bailey's narrative is a strong critique of the dangers of centralized AI control, played out through AG's seemingly perfect management of human environments, food production, resource allocation, and personal wellness are all carefully orchestrated and highly controlled, with puberty delayed by hormone suppression and android counselors monitoring each person-while encouraging them to "let peace and happiness permeate each day of your existence." AG's utilitarian decisions-such as shutting down domes and sacrificing millions for resource optimization-raise ethical questions that sift progress and morality, with the contrast between the sterile perfection of dome life and the chaotic wilderness just outside underscoring the fragility of human civilization when stripped of its technological crutches." - Publishers Weekly

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F68WJ4B3
• ISBN13: 9798891326774
• Release Date: June 2025
• Publisher: Atmosphere Press
• Length: 362 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 13 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary