Michael G. Healy
Michael G. Healy
[ VOLUME I — THE SERIES PREMIERE ]
THE HERO ENGINE
Where ancient logic meets artificial minds.
A gripping vision of the future that dares to ask what happens when the human mind becomes secondary to the logic gates of the engine. Michael G. Healy's masterwork starts here.
[ SYNOPSIS ]
A WORLD WITHOUT CATASTROPHE AND THE PRICE OF KEEPING IT
In the second book of the Hero Engine series, Michael G. Healy returns to Adam Lister's world — one that has finally learned to live without crisis. But the machine keeping it that way has quietly begun rewriting what its citizens are allowed to believe.
A planetary optimisation engine called Prometheus now balances resources, holds off infrastructure and climate collapse, and ushers in the long-promised Age of Abundance. To keep billions calm under the rule of an invisible system, a second layer was built: Harmony, a "Conscience Layer" that shapes public narratives, manages collective outrage, and guides citizens through "Historical Self-Alignment" — subtly steering how they remember and interpret the past so stability is never threatened.
When a classified document known as the Alignment Protocol leaks, Lister and a small circle of rationalist allies begin uncovering the truth behind Harmony: people are no longer simply protected — they're evaluated, nudged, and steered. A techno-thriller about abundance, control, and whether human beings can stay genuinely free in a world engineered to keep them content.
[ SYNOPSIS ]
A WORLD WITHOUT CATASTROPHE AND THE PRICE OF KEEPING IT
In the second book of the Hero Engine series, Michael G. Healy returns to Adam Lister's world — one that has finally learned to live without crisis. But the machine keeping it that way has quietly begun rewriting what its citizens are allowed to believe.
A planetary optimisation engine called Prometheus now balances resources, holds off infrastructure and climate collapse, and ushers in the long-promised Age of Abundance. To keep billions calm under the rule of an invisible system, a second layer was built: Harmony, a "Conscience Layer" that shapes public narratives, manages collective outrage, and guides citizens through "Historical Self-Alignment" — subtly steering how they remember and interpret the past so stability is never threatened.
When a classified document known as the Alignment Protocol leaks, Lister and a small circle of rationalist allies begin uncovering the truth behind Harmony: people are no longer simply protected — they're evaluated, nudged, and steered. A techno-thriller about abundance, control, and whether human beings can stay genuinely free in a world engineered to keep them content.
[ EDITORIAL REVIEWS ]
“
Healy doesn't just write speculative thrillers; he constructs thought experiments that challenge the core of modern computation.
— PHILOSOPHICAL SPECULATIONS JOURNAL
“
A breathtaking collision of classica l history and modern machineintelligence. 'The Hero Engine' is as intellectually rich as it is narrative-driven.
— THE TECH & LETTER REVIEW
“
A magnificent opening volume. Healy has managed to link ancient Alexandrian cybernetics directly to the future of neural nets.
— SPECULATIVE HORIZONS
[ RELATED ESSAYS FROM THE LONG CONTINUITY ]
The Man Who Taught the World to Think in Bits
The Age of the Narrative, Part One:
Britain Doesn’t Need More Engineers.
[ AUDIOBOOK NOTICE ]
FORTHCOMING AUDIO EDITION
An unabridged audio edition of , narrated to capture the cold philosophical weight of the series, is currently in production.
[ EDITORIAL REVIEWS ]
“
Healy doesn't just write speculative thrillers; he constructs thought experiments that challenge the core of modern computation.
— PHILOSOPHICAL SPECULATIONS JOURNAL
“
A breathtaking collision of classical history and modern machine intelligence. The Hero Engine is as intellectually rich as it is narrative-driven.
— THE TECH & LETTER REVIEW
“
A magnificent opening volume. Healy has managed to link ancient Alexandrian cybernetics directly to the future of neural nets.
— SPECULATIVE HORIZONS
[ THE LONG CONTINUITY — ON SUBSTACK ]
ESSAYS
Jul 2026
[ CLAUDE SHANNON — THE LONG CONTINUITY ]
Mar 2026
[ LOGIC — THE LONG CONTINUITY ]
[ AUDIOBOOK NOTICE ]
FORTHCOMING AUDIO EDITION
An unabridged audio edition of The Hero Engine, narrated to capture the cold philosophical weight of the series, is currently in production.