Introduction
The First Colony is the first book of the trilogy The Montecristo Project by Edoardo Volpi Kellermann, published by Delos Digital – Milan, both in digital and paper format (277 pages). The first edition was released in May 2022, the second edition in June 2024.
It is “hard science-fiction”, that is, scientific speculation based on real and current theories, but developed to the most extreme consequences.
The First Colony is a thriller full of twists and turns, set in Italy in the mid-future, with non-trivial philosophical implications. The result of 14 years of work and several rewrites, The Montecristo Project takes inspiration from a 1993 story that aroused a certain interest in the world of film productions.
The second book, Tempesta, will be released after summer 2024, followed within a few months by the final third book, Awakening. But the story won’t end.
For now the novel has not been translated into English, except for the “Chapter 0” which you can read freely here in PDF format. We recommend reading on two pages to have the original text and the translated text facing each other.
Presentation of The First Colony
What is an artificial consciousness? What is a conscience?
Do we have the right to try to instill one in an object we create?
And if we succeeded, should we continue to treat this new being like a machine?
The consequences of scientific research can radically change not only our society, our world, but the very nature of existence. The protagonists of this science fiction novel set in Tuscany in the 70s of the 21st century will find out at their expense.
Espionage, plot twists, plausible future science come together in a complex but easy to read story, in a choral plot that keeps the human being, his feelings and the insatiable curiosity that leads us to overcome the boundaries of our knowledge at the centre. .
“We need to know. We will know.” David Hilbert, epitaph.
The First Colony: an augmented book
The Montecristo Project – The First Colony is an augmented book, which integrates the possibilities offered by digital technologies without disturbing linear reading.
In both the digital and paper versions, an internal Wikipedia allows you to delve deeper into the most interesting aspects of the future world and access multimedia bonus content. Each scene is preceded by a glyph, a symbol which in turn refers to an Internet page where it is possible to find hidden meanings, new interpretations, music, images, videos.
The augmented book concept is arousing more and more interest: searching “What is an augmented book” (in Italian: “Cos’è un libro aumentato”) on Google or Bing will bring up several hundred thousand results, the first of which is the italian page on this site dedicated to the topic .
Edoardo
Why should I read The First Colony?
- Because it is a world-novel.
- It’s a film project.
- It’s a collaboration of multiple minds.
- It is a set of love stories. Real.
- It’s a nice big book (the trilogy), but one that you enjoy.
- It is a reflection on life, science and consciousness.
- It is the beginning of a war. Perhaps.
- It’s zen.
- It’s a leap forward.
- It’s an orchestral score.
- It’s something you don’t expect.
- It is the first of (at least) three novels (the trilogy).
- He’s hungry and foolish.
- It’s easy but not simple.
- It is the Tuscan Archipelago.
- It is the Island of Montecristo.
- There are dolphins. And Bea.
- There are 42 chapters (The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything)
- It’s frontier science.
- It’s pure adrenaline.
- It’s Leghorn.
- And many other things.
Is not enough?
If this isn’t enough for you, read what other male and female readers think.
And then maybe taste some.
The New Book Trailer
The reviews, the articles, the interviews (Italian)
Some taste of "The First Colony" (Italian)
Some taste of "Storm" (Italian)
Some taste of "Awakening" (Italian)
