[QCrit] Adult Contemporary Science Fiction THE REITER PROGRAM (113k words/1st attempt)

Hi all,

I've been reading tips and lurking on this sub since I finished my manuscript, and I'm ready to get some help from folks on my first attempt at a query. One of my big concerns is getting across the feel of my book without delving too deep on the details--the book crosses genres/stories when the main character picks up a book to read, so hopefully that comes through in the query.

Thanks for helping out, I really appreciate the outside perspective!

Hi [Agent],

I am thrilled to present my contemporary sci-fi, THE REITER PROGRAM, a stand-alone novel complete at 113k words. It combines the eerie AI presence of Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky with the interwoven genre mystery of Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell—though with a more accessible, mystery-driven plot akin to Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. [Agent Personalization here].

Kevin Reiter’s life is unraveling—his job sucks, his girlfriend left him, his dad died, and an AI is meddling with his memory.

When Kevin travels to Leadville, Colorado, for his estranged dad's funeral, he finds himself flailing to connect with the family his dad chose over his own. To escape, he turns to books. Whether he reads a 1920’s detective story, a self-help book, or a 1940’s spy thriller, each story inexplicably features the family members and the mountain town of Kevin’s real life. But every time he puts down his book, the AI intervenes, wiping the story’s details from his memory. As he continues to read, Kevin begins to understand that something is trying to deliver him a message. If he can’t uncover the aim of the AI’s interference, he risks losing not only what remains of his job and family, but his grip on reality itself.

[Bio]

Thank you for your consideration, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about THE REITER PROGRAM.