M.O.D. is a book unlike any I've read. It is pure fantasy which portrays a perfect world - free of disease, poverty, superiority and oppression.

 

It begins with two F.B.I. Agents, Scott and Sheelia, who are trying to find the location of a man who is taking over the government's resources - in terms of military equipment, vehicles and even its employees.

 

However, they soon realize that this man (Eric) is able to see and hear everything, as long as there is some type of electronic/digital device present. In other words, if there is a television, cell phone, telephone or computer present in a location, it's possible that everything is being recorded while people are unaware.

 

Of course, this type of technology is an invasion of privacy but, as with anything, if there's nothing improper going on, there's nothing to worry about. Yes, a good person who finds out may feel invaded and resentful because of it. A criminal, however, would be outraged knowing illegal activities were being recorded.

 

Would we want such a system in reality? Even without bringing an omniscient, omnipotent God into the situation, to some degree, we already do.

 

Certain words we write and say trigger alarms which could easily cause our conversations and correspondence to be monitored.

 

Satellites could zoom in to see me typing at my computer as I write. In fact, a friend from Germany e-mailed me once, asking which house was mine. He picked the image up from a satellite and I was shocked at the detail in front of me. How he knew which section of town I lived in, I have no idea but he had it narrowed down to one of about six houses.

 

Honestly, a part of me wishes there was some type of system in the world in which a team of people could sit behind computer monitors and catch criminals in the act.

 

Illegal drugs would not be robbing the minds of adults and teens. Gangs would not be controlling some of the streets and neighborhoods. Abuse-related crimes would not occur as they do today. People would not be driving the roads recklessly, endangering human lives, and so on. The world would be a safer place and people would be able to live more peacefully with themselves and each other.

 

The problem with such a system, however, lies in how innocent people can easily become victims. Even the most innocent pictures can be misconstrued. When taken out of context, a naked toddler sitting on a parent's lap can look suspicious; a snapshot doesn't reveal the toddler getting out of the bathtub a short while before, not wanting to get his clothes on right away.

 

The same is true for expressions: an angry parent can hold an expression which lasts less than five seconds. A snapshot, framing the moment forever, might convey all kinds of horror stories about to take place.

 

To take it one step further, a girl may get really excited about something which happened at school and throw herself into her father's arms for a hug. Frozen in time, it may look improper because the spontaneity of the action isn't obvious.

 

I must say I enjoyed reading M.O.D. It made me think about how life really is - how the rich keep getting richer while the poor continue to become poorer.

 

Sadly, people aren't always poor because of laziness; sometimes they just don't get the breaks others do. They don't have the right connections or, because of unforeseen circumstances, a marriage falls apart or a spouse dies, throwing a monkey wrench into any plans which had been made for the future.

 

Perhaps illness sets in and insurance doesn't cover the full cost of health care. Sometimes there's also the case when a person regards his/her dignity more highly than a large bank account, thus walking the straight and narrow path as opposed to one which promises wealth, or personal gain, through criminal activities.

 

We're living in a society where it matters what you do, who you are and what you are willing to do to get ahead or to get vengeance on another person.

 

Yet, in a perfect world, it would be like the one Eric created. Sickness would be, practically, nonexistent. People could work as they wanted, doing what they enjoyed. Instead of being jealous of each other's accomplishments, they could work together as a team, surpassing the greatest of expectations in shorter periods of time. One would live no better than another; poverty would be a thing of the past.

 

Even so, fiction imitates life in that, even when people work together for the greater good, a force always comes along trying to destroy it.

 

If you're looking for a book which will take you into a fantasy world, which will make you think and keep you engaged, M.O.D. would be perfect for you. At the end, your perception of who the real criminal is just might change.

 

If you would like to learn more about this book or even to purchase it, you can visit the book's page on Amazon.

 

If you would like to read my review of another title published by J.C. Allen, please visit Novel Ideas. You can also read the author interview!