{"product_id":"chosen-spirits","title":"Chosen Spirits","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDETAILS : \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAuthor : Samit Basu\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublisher ‏ : ‎ Simon \u0026amp; Schuster\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublication date ‏ : ‎ 1 December 2024\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLanguage ‏ : ‎ English\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePaperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8197949220\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8197949227\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eItem Weight ‏ : ‎ 250 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABOUT THE BOOK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eChosen Spirits\u003c\/b\u003e, authored by the highly acclaimed novelist \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"58\"\u003eSamit Basu\u003c\/b\u003e and published in 2020 by Simon \u0026amp; Schuster India, is a landmark speculative fiction novel that was shortlisted for the prestigious \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"199\"\u003eJCB Prize for Literature\u003c\/b\u003e. Set in a smog-choked, water-scarce New Delhi at the end of the 2020s, the book serves as a fiercely intelligent, terrifyingly prophetic critique of near-future algorithmic control, media manipulation, and surveillance capitalism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eThe narrative follows Joey, a \"Reality Controller\" whose highly demanding job involves scripting, editing, and curating the multi-reality multimedia livestreams—known as \"Flows\"—for Indi, a charismatic but problematic online celebrity who also happens to be her college ex-boyfriend. Through Joey's perspective, Basu details an uncomfortably familiar world dominated by algorithmic nightmares, where public dissent is seamlessly erased by corporate monopolies and simulated digital realities. The plot shifts dramatically when Joey impulsively rescues her childhood friend, Rudra, who is trying to escape his wealthy, complicit neo-elite family. By bringing Rudra into her orbit, Joey sets off a dangerous domino effect of corporate takeovers, corporate espionage, and institutional betrayals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003eRather than leaning into traditional, action-heavy cyberpunk tropes of chosen heroes toppling empires, the novel explores the exhausting psychological weight of maintaining the status quo. Basu brilliantly weaves real-world societal anxieties, including caste disparities, youth-led protests, corporate greed, and climate crises, into the everyday fabric of his characters' lives. The author famously describes the book not as a traditional far-off dystopia, but rather as a realistic \"best-case scenario\" of where modern techno-political structures are currently heading, making it an unsettling call to awareness for contemporary readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABOUT THE AUTHOR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eSamit Basu\u003c\/b\u003e is a versatile and highly celebrated Indian novelist, film director, and screenwriter who pioneered the wave of modern Indian English fantasy writing. He made a massive literary debut in 2003 at the age of twenty-three with \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"235\"\u003eThe Simoqin Prophecies\u003c\/i\u003e, the first volume of his bestselling \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"295\"\u003eGameworld Trilogy\u003c\/i\u003e. He achieved widespread international breakthrough with his acclaimed superhero novels, \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"401\"\u003eTurbulence\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"416\"\u003eResistance\u003c\/i\u003e, with \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"433\"\u003eTurbulence\u003c\/i\u003e winning Wired's Goldenbot Award in 2012.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eBasu's creative versatility spans multiple mediums, ranging from children's fiction series to graphic novels developed in collaboration with global artists. Beyond his literary achievements, he wrote and co-directed the romantic comedy film \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"241\"\u003eHouse Arrest\u003c\/i\u003e, which premiered globally as part of Netflix's International Originals in 2019. Known for his razor-sharp wit, sociological insights, and mastery of genre-blending fiction, Basu divides his time between Delhi and Mumbai, continuing to push the evolutionary boundaries of contemporary global speculative fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51566352531754,"sku":"VASY-8197949220","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/1218\/4618\/files\/91Wz9r1zMyL._SL1500.jpg?v=1779358201","url":"https:\/\/crazyshelf.com\/products\/chosen-spirits","provider":"Crazyshelf.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}