In their gripping new techno-thriller The Forever Factor, former Oracle executive Tom Hogan and co-author Amanda Iles dive into one of humanity’s oldest obsessions: the desire to live forever. Now a #1 Amazon bestseller, the novel blends real-world science with the ethical dilemmas and shadowy power plays that surround longevity research.
“What begins as a showcase of biohacking breakthroughs quickly spirals into something much darker,” Hogan explained. “A secretive group of Silicon Valley legends are experimenting on their own bodies to cheat death. Their motto? Live forever — or die trying.”
Hogan’s personal connection to the world of biohacking gave him unique insight into the story’s core. “When you get to the point that a doctor says you’re going to die early if you don’t take action, you broaden your definition of what’s acceptable,” he said during a recent interview.
At the heart of The Forever Factor is Petra Alexander, a brilliant bioscientist and math prodigy driven by tragedy. After losing her sister to a rare, rapid-aging disease, Petra becomes obsessed with cracking the code to human longevity. Her research leads her to a groundbreaking discovery: a previously unknown protein that lies at the center of the aging process.
To bring her work to life, Petra is pulled into the ruthless world of Silicon Valley startups, where innovation often comes with high risks — and even higher stakes. She and her team develop cutting-edge AI simulations to manipulate the aging protein, hoping to slow or even reverse aging.
But their progress draws the attention of powerful adversaries. Big Pharma and elements of the U.S. government, fearful of the social and economic upheaval such a discovery could unleash, begin a campaign of sabotage and obstruction. The closer Petra gets to the truth, the more dangerous her world becomes.
Set against a backdrop of clandestine yacht meetings, venture capital deals, and biohacking labs, The Forever Factor delivers both fast-paced suspense and thought-provoking questions. How far should we go in the pursuit of immortality? Who gets to control life-extending technologies? And at what cost?
Fans of authors like Michael Crichton and Blake Crouch will find Hogan and Iles’ novel both thrilling and unsettling — a fictional glimpse into a future that may be closer than we think.