Case Study

A Dystopian Novel about Absolute Empathy

De: Arsenii Moskvichoff

Narrado por: Jonathan Davis

What if empathy were absolute? Would it make our world better?

William is a mental health specialist in a world of absolute empathy. It's a dangerous job: one slip-up and an escalating empathy feedback loop with a patient could kill them both. Every day, William faces the worst consequences of the hyperempathy virus release and loathes the restraints it puts on humanity.

His life is upended when a new patient claims to have freed herself from the virus. If others can follow in her footsteps, there's no telling what it will do to the hyperempathic society.

And yet, it's too tempting not to try. As William follows this thread, it leads him ever further into the darker side of the world and of himself.

The novel is best for lovers of classic dystopias like 1984, Brave New World, or Fahrenheit 451 who also welcome a touch of hard psychological science fiction and mind-bending mystery reminiscent of Philip K. Dick.

If you are one of them, you should give it a listen.

©2025 Arsenii Moskvichev (P)2025 Arsenii Moskvichev

The next 1984!

This was a gripping story from start to finish. It has been a while since I've listened to a book that had me looking for excuses throughout my day to listen to a few minutes here and there just to see what would happen next. (There are some curse words here and there, so one must steal away from one's children in order to listen, especially since I don't do well with headphones!)

The book is begging for a sequel or even a series. But this will be tricky to follow!

Great performance from the voice talent too! Sometimes the voice you here sounds overly eager or on the other end of the spectrum, too matter-of-fact. This reading struck the right balance for me, making the story both engaging and easy to understand.

interesting from start to finish

This was a riveting story! Written in such an interesting way too. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book. Recommending to all my friends so I have people to talk to about this book. I hope this author write more books like this because I will read or listen to every title.

empathy can be scary

I found this novel quite enjoyable.I was also surprised by the results of complete empathy in this particular situation.I recommend the read , and I hope this author writes again soon.

Which world would you choose?

Remember when you first watched the movie The Matrix or the tv show Severance and you were not only immersed in a groundbreaking, imaginative new story, but you also could consider which of the two “worlds” you would choose?
This book also immerses you in a groundbreaking, imaginative new story, and it also lets you ponder whether you would live in our current world or a hyperempathic world, each with their pros and cons. This book was captivating and every chapter was filled with so many interesting ideas to think about. My husband and my parents read this book too, and we all thought that it was incredible! -Nicole