Time Hack

A Near-Future Science Fiction Mystery Novel (The ArkTech Series, Book 2)

By: Marianne Pickles

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton

HIGH TECH, HIGH WATER, AND A RACE TO BUY A FRIEND MORE TIME

A cozy sci-fi mystery from the winner of the Green Stories Prize!

As the year 2101 draws to a close, life above the Fenland Sea keeps ticking along smoothly.

But trouble is brewing just below the surface–an unstable AI means an unstable territory, and Ben's glitches are getting worse.

When Ben notices a young man recklessly braving a violent storm, Charlotte risks her life to find out why. The trail leads to her estranged adoptive father, who's peddling a dangerous bootleg technology on the black market: a "time hack" that lets people add more hours to their days.

But the deeper Charlotte digs, the higher the stakes. Ben's fate will come down to a vote from ArkTech’s corporate board, and the one person who might turn the tide has gone missing.

Soon, Charlotte and Ben are living on borrowed time, using the illegal tech to search for answers.

Set in a near future that is neither heaven nor hellscape, Time Hack is charming, thought-provoking, and cynically optimistic – perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett, Martha Wells, and Becky Chambers.

©2025 Marianne Pickles (P)2025 Marianne Pickles

What we have time for is what we make time for.

This series is brilliant. Leaves you with much to ponder including perils of not addressing climate change and unchecked egos of those in power, potential benefits and pitfalls of AI, finding one's purpose (sometimes it's just being), and contemplating time. It's smart, very clever, heartfelt, occasionally hilarious, and expertly narrated. What would I do with extra hours in the day? Listen to more Marianne Pickles books.

Absolutely the best

Unique and beautiful. The author guides us through a believable world only inches away from our own. The characters are engaging. The storing line leads from incident to incident leaving one thirsty for the next.