Triggers

Canadian futurist Sawyer (Flashforward) builds a turbo-charged techno-thriller around an experimental memory-altering machine. After an assassination attempt, U.S. President Jerrison is rushed into surgery. Minutes later, a bomb explodes at the White House. Dr. Ranjip Singh is working with a veteran recovering from flashbacks when an energy surge from the explosion overloads his equipment and puts his patient’s into Jerrison’s mind. The event also swaps around the memories of the surgeon, Dr. Singh, Secret Service agent Susan Dawson, and several others—including someone who now has access to Jerrison’s memories on the eve of a major secret military operation. Interleaving the stories of 21 people suddenly involved more intimately than spouses, Sawyer offers an escape from the recent run of near-future dystopias in a combination of classic and contemporary science fiction. Agent: Chris Lotts, the Lotts Agency. (Apr.)