A Presidency under siege. A worldwide pandemic, followed by a global economic collapse. Is a happy ending even possible?

Does real life emulate fiction? Or does fiction emulate real life?

All five books of the BrainTrust examine topics ripped from today’s headlines: Pandemic, Global Economic Meltdown, Deportation. How closely will the world follow the BrainTrust script?

Warning: Political satire included in this near-future hard sf techno-thriller. Please remember the Golden Question: How do you tell if a politician is lying? His lips are moving!

Long ago, the President for Life expelled all foreign engineers from Silicon Valley. They moved to…

The BrainTrust:

A fleet of immense cruise liners jammed with teams seeking the next great breakthrough.

A locus freed of bureaucracy and autocracy, a thorn in the side of every dirtside power.

A home for creativity where no problem is unsolvable, but no crisis is as simple as it seems.

A clean, well-lighted place for … ferocious commando assaults, and desperate copter combat.

The Heroines:

Dash: the plucky mad scientist.

Ping: the bouncy itty bitty ninja with the Real Big Gun.

Jam: the quiet, resilient commando with the grace of a dancer.

The Frightening Fact: A little too much of it is coming true.

If you can’t laugh about your favorite politician, journey elsewhere.

Otherwise, Come Aboard the BrainTrust.

Every book a Prometheus Award nominee.

If you like Robert Heinlein, Michael Crichton, Charles Stross, or Ayn Rand, buy your ticket and come aboard.

Marc Stiegler