“The past is one, but the futures are many.” With this opening note, The Sigh of Shards sets the tone for what turns out to be a compelling and thought-provoking collection of speculative fiction that blurs the lines between imagination, philosophy, and lived human experience.
| Book Details | The Sigh of Shards |
| Author | Rohit Pruthi |
| Book Name | The Sign of Shards |
| Pages | 242 |
| Amazon | Book Link |
The book brings together eighteen original stories, each exploring a different possibility of tomorrow, where technology not only empowers but also disrupts, reshapes, and sometimes fractures the very fabric of society. Through the journeys of Samarth and Sukriti, readers are guided across multiple divergent realities — stories that feel both unsettlingly futuristic and alarmingly close to our present.
What stands out is how seamlessly the author integrates technology and philosophy. Each story is built around “what if” questions: What if technology began to override human emotion? What if the digital future started rewriting cultural truths? What if the choices we make today determined not just our own lives but entire societal outcomes?
Unlike most speculative anthologies that focus heavily on science, The Sigh of Shards is deeply humanistic. The technological themes are not distant abstractions — they are grounded in relationships, moral dilemmas, and the fragile balances that define our humanity. This gives the book both a literary richness and a philosophical depth, making it stand out in today’s speculative fiction space.
About the Author
The brilliance of The Sigh of Shards lies not only in its imagination but also in the life journey of its author. An avid reader since childhood, he once finished Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead in a single sitting — an early indicator of his intellectual intensity. His deep inclination toward philosophy has always influenced how he perceives human progress and technology.
With two decades of experience in technology, beginning in turbo machinery engineering and now leading as Head of AI at Rolls Royce Data Labs, the author brings both authority and insider insight into the speculative worlds he has crafted. His impressive record — 10 patents, research publications, and an IIT Roorkee background in mechanical engineering — lends authenticity to the technological layers of his stories.
Yet, this isn’t just a book written by a technologist. It’s the work of someone who balances logic with lived experience. From blogging actively during 2003–2009 to reinventing himself with health and fitness, the author mirrors many of the book’s themes — change, reinvention, resilience, and the courage to confront uncertainty. His story of going from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one, losing and gaining 30 kilos over two decades, resonates with the very spirit of transformation echoed in his writing.
The book also has a deeply personal motivator: his wife, Anupriya, whose encouragement finally led him to pursue his long-held dream of becoming a published author. Living in Bengaluru with Anupriya and their 9-year-old son Ruhaan (a voracious reader himself, immersed in Harry Potter), the author embodies the curiosity and generational dialogue that this book celebrates.
Final Thoughts
The Sigh of Shards: Speculative Echoes from the Future is not just a book — it’s a conversation between philosophy, science, and the soul. Each story leaves you with lingering questions and the uneasy awareness that the futures imagined here may already be taking shape around us.
For readers who loved Ted Chiang’s Exhalation or Black Mirror, this book will feel instantly familiar yet refreshingly unique. It is an essential pick for those who enjoy speculative fiction with heart, intellect, and resonance.
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