Glance around. Imagine that all the scenery beyond these words isn't real, nor are they. Instead, imagine that you're actually locked up in a jail cell, and the "reality" around you is nothing but a digitally created illusion generated by a microchip implanted in your brain. Would you rather continue dwelling in the comfortable world you've always known, even if it's not real, or would you prefer to pursue the mysterious truth about the terrible thing that has appened to you? This provocative question lies at the heart of the gripping techno-dystopian thriller by San Francisco author Margot Pepper. Set in the late the 21st century, the story follows Ian, a successful graphic designer working for a San Francisco biotech fi rm, and his alluring bohemian co-worker Robin on a neo-Orwellian quest to uncover the shocking truth behind their incarceration. As with any visionary fiction, American Day Dream paints a world that is only a slightly exaggerated version of our own-a world of people made to think that they have more control over their lives than they actually do. Highlighting the Bay Area's iconic landmarks, the tale delves into the darkness of our day, restoring light to an otherwise bleak landscape, and inspiring us to contemplate the direction we're heading in while there's still time to change it. *** "A great dystopian read that takes you on a journey around the streets and scenic marvels of San Francisco. More than an Orwellian dystopia, American Day Dream draws on the revelations of Edward Snowden, imagining where the National Security State might lead us. Added to this melange is a passionate romance between the two main characters, the utopian counterpoint of the story." -Roger Burbach, author of Fire in the Americas. "Pepper's engaging characters suck you right in. What's powerful is the way the story shows the soft line between our present society and the world that Pepper has envisioned. Unlike so much science fi ction that lacks that connection, its symbolic value relates directly to our historic moment...." -Art Hazelwood, artist and author of From Hobos to Street People. "Pepper creates a world of insidious virtual realities in the tradition of The Matrix and other science fi ction, only here she brilliantly uses a surreal futuristic prison story to uncover the unnerving nuances of our addiction to a hollow and oppressive economic structure. Reality slips in this magic realist tale written in the true San Francisco rebel spirit." -Director Mary Liz Thomson, Huffington Post "Margot Pepper's literary incursion into science fiction is just like her- daring, brave and fully imagined. She is a story goddess living in and out of verses, whose political stance is vital and necessary. -Luis J. Rodriguez, author of Always Running and It Calls You Back