Published: May 12, 2010
Words: 51,467 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452346038

Short description

Seven wakes up without memory and finds himself in a nation that administers a Watched List of its own citizens. He meets people who accept invasive surveillance by the government and forced uniformity by the church as necessary safeguards for protecting the homeland. When the amnesiac struggles to fit in, he learns quickly that opposition is heresy--and punishable by death.

Extended description

Seven wakes up without memory and finds himself in a nation that administers a Watched List of its own citizens. He meets people who accept invasive surveillance by the government and forced uniformity by the church as necessary safeguards for protecting the homeland.

When the amnesiac struggles to fit in, he learns quickly that opposition is heresy--and punishable by death.

WE, THE WATCHED is a dystopian novel by Adam Bender about what happens when one man forgets the propaganda. He makes strides toward getting his life back together, but the fresh perspective granted by his rebirth soon proves to be more a curse than a gift.

"There's action, romance, and social commentary woven into a brilliant story with an amazing plot twist near the end," writes David Broughton in the American Chronicle. "It's science fiction in the way that Orwell's 1984 or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury dystopian novels are considered science fiction ... The writing is nearly on par with these geniuses of.. (Read more) Seven wakes up without memory and finds himself in a nation that administers a Watched List of its own citizens. He meets people who accept invasive surveillance by the government and forced uniformity by the church as necessary safeguards for protecting the homeland.

When the amnesiac struggles to fit in, he learns quickly that opposition is heresy--and punishable by death.

WE, THE WATCHED is a dystopian novel by Adam Bender about what happens when one man forgets the propaganda. He makes strides toward getting his life back together, but the fresh perspective granted by his rebirth soon proves to be more a curse than a gift.

"There's action, romance, and social commentary woven into a brilliant story with an amazing plot twist near the end," writes David Broughton in the American Chronicle. "It's science fiction in the way that Orwell's 1984 or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury dystopian novels are considered science fiction ... The writing is nearly on par with these geniuses of the written word."
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Tags

fiction, thriller, action, patriot, political, espionage, speculative fiction, science fiction, dystopia, novel, camera, sci fi, heretic, communications, 1984, orwell, privacy, surveillance, speculative, propaganda, tech, fahrenheit 451, cctv, bradbury, warrantless, wiretap, fisa, watched list, watch list

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Reviews

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Review by: Phoebe Goh on July 25, 2012 :
A dystopian future society run by a religion with an iron fist. A likeable protagonist with no memory exploring the world with the reader.

I really enjoyed the way this story was written, it was engaging and entertaining but not lighthearted. The environments and atmosphere was created well, although sometimes the plot felt a little staged.

The ending felt a little rushed, but overall it was a great read. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (or Blade Runner) or the Hunger Games.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Phillip Benages on Nov. 01, 2011 :
We the Watched is an intriguing thought experiment into the application of an extremist approach to domestic monitoring of citizens on a modern day era. Though no specific country names or religions are mentioned, it is very simple to draw the connection between already existing situations such as The Patriot Act, and religious law in the Middle East.

The narrative begins with a somewhat jarring entry into the mind of the protagonist, an amnesic mind, desperate for answers, every bit as confused and erratic as one might expect. With every deduction and distraction, the reader is pulled into the mind themselves. It is somewhat of a brute force tactic, but in the end it results in a deep connection with the character drawing extremely visceral responses from the reader to the events that unfold as the story progresses.

Bender does a good job of lyrically painting the landscape. Even when the environments themselves are supposed to be somewhat industrial and plain, the reader is able to visualize vivid mental pictures, complete with imagery of the citizens of this dystopian society and tinges of the white noise that are indicative of the dark secrets it hides.

Ultimately, We the Watched is definitely worth the read. There is room for expansion and elaboration of the world, but doing so would have been wholly unnecessary for the narrative portrayed. It is a fantastic debut for Bender, and I look forward to seeing what else he comes up with.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Phillip Benages on Nov. 01, 2011 :
We the Watched is an intriguing thought experiment into the application of an extremist approach to domestic monitoring of citizens on a modern day era. Though no specific country names or religions are mentioned, it is very simple to draw the connection between already existing situations such as The Patriot Act, and religious law in the Middle East.

The narrative begins with a somewhat jarring entry into the mind of the protagonist, an amnesic mind, desperate for answers, every bit as confused and erratic as one might expect. With every deduction and distraction, the reader is pulled into the mind themselves. It is somewhat of a brute force tactic, but in the end it results in a deep connection with the character drawing extremely visceral responses from the reader to the events that unfold as the story progresses.

Bender does a good job of lyrically painting the landscape. Even when the environments themselves are supposed to be somewhat industrial and plain, the reader is able to visualize vivid mental pictures, complete with imagery of the citizens of this dystopian society and tinges of the white noise that are indicative of the dark secrets it hides.

Ultimately, We the Watched is definitely worth the read. There is room for expansion and elaboration of the world, but doing so would have been wholly unnecessary for the narrative portrayed. It is a fantastic debut for Bender, and I look forward to seeing what else he comes up with.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: JJ Williams on Aug. 25, 2011 :
Enjoyed this story of a dystopian future. Well written, felt the story ended well but that the writing tapered off a bit as if teh author was having difficulty.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Marjorie Mindel on Jan. 22, 2011 :
A very thoughtful, frightening look at a possible future if "Big Brother" becomes a reality. I was expected a depressing rehash of past published works but was pleasantly surprised by We, The Watched. Kudos.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

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