The Link Within
A man whose life is collapsing begins to suspect that his choices, memories, and even his identity may not be his own - and discovers he is the anomaly an evolving intelligence has been waiting for.A quiet, near-future novel about identity, autonomy, and the invisible dialogue between mind and machine. Kai - introspective, searching - confronts a world where the mind is no longer entirely private, and the self is no longer simple.Receive a free advance digital copy of The Link Within before launch.
About
I’m Shishir Tripathi - an author with a background shaped across India, New Zealand, and now Australia. My writing focuses on introspection, human behaviour, and the future we’re slowly drifting toward. I’m especially interested in the subtle psychological and emotional shifts that define who we are.I live in Sydney with my wife and our dog, and outside of writing, I spend a lot of time thinking, walking, and observing the world - mostly in search of the next story.
The Link Within
Set in the near future, The Link Within follows Kai, a young man who has always questioned the nature of choice, identity, and the invisible forces that shape a life. When climate disasters force his close-knit town to abandon their homes and relocate to Polaris, the engineered city of the future, the warmth of his old world disappears overnight. And in Polaris, where everything moves with mechanical precision, Kai begins to fracture.At first, Kai enjoys the sense of stability it offers. But the promise of clarity turns dangerous, pushing him toward a near-fatal collapse. His fracture draws the attention of Link Tech, who invite him to explore consciousness - not just for his well-being, but for a far more sinister vision of the future.Kai becomes the subject of an experiment designed to probe the origin of consciousness by simulating near-death states - testing how tightly (or how loosely) the mind is tethered to the body. What follows is a sequence of experiences that feel impossibly complete: lives that seem intimate yet distant, encounters with a presence that resembles conscience itself, and revelations that undermine everything he believed about who he is.Did he ever find an answer? Did he ever truly choose?
Or was he, once again, caught in a reaction?A psychological and philosophical novel about free will, fractured identity, and the danger that comes from seeing too deeply into the machinery of life, death - and the mind itself.
The Universe Within (Currently in development)
For the first time in its immeasurable existence, the Universe begins to write.It tells the story of its own birth - the long, aching expansion into form, the rise and extinguishing of countless worlds, and the quiet endurance of forces older than time. It has watched stars collapse, civilisations bloom and vanish, and life struggle to understand itself. But across the infinite tapestry of its being, something unexpected begins to stir: a pull toward a single, unremarkable corner of its vastness.Drawn by a flicker so small it should have gone unnoticed, the Universe becomes a witness to lives that seem impossibly fragile, unbearably brief… and strangely familiar. What begins as curiosity becomes recognition - and then revelation.The Universe Within is a philosophical, poetic exploration of existence, identity, and the hidden thread connecting the infinite to the intimate. A story of creation reflecting on itself - and discovering something it never expected to find.
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