The Milkman: A Free World Novel

Michael J. Martineck

May 2014 · Free World Book 1 · EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing

About this ebook

In the near future, corporation rules every possible freedom. Without government, there can be no crime. Every act is measured against competing interests, hidden loyalties and the ever-upward pressure of the corporate ladder.

Any quest for transparency is as punishable as an act of murder. But one man has managed to slip the system, a future-day Robin Hood who tests dairy milk outside of corporate control and posts the results to the world.

When the Milkman is framed for a young girl's murder and anonymous funding comes through for a documentary filmmaker in search of true art beneath corporate propaganda, eyes begin to turn and soon the hunt is on.

Can the man who created the symbol of the Milkman, the only one who knows what really happened that bloody night, escape the corporate rat maze closing around him? Or is it already too late?

Ratings and reviews

A clever, insightful dystopian noir. Enjoyed this immensely. It has the darkness that underlies a dystopian society, this one run by corporations, but it's well balanced with likeable characters who, despite the odds, manage to cling on to hope. Artfully written, thought provoking and a very satisfying read. I'll be reading more by this author, it's an intriguing world he's developed. I received an e-ARC and voluntarily chose to post a review.

About the author

Michael J. Martineck started writing stories when he was seven. Over the years he's written short stories, comic book scripts, articles and a quartet of novels. He lives and writes in Grand Island, New York, a little cap of clay nestled between the US and Canada, with his beautiful wife and two children.

DC Comics published a couple of Martineck's stories in the early '90s. Planetmag, Aphelion and a couple of other long-dead e-zines helped out in '00s.

His previous works include The Misspellers, The Wrong Channel and Cinco de Mayo (also from EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing) which was short-listed for a Readers' Choice Award.

As the author says "It's not wholesome, but it is good for you. Promise!"