Retrovival — Douglas Thompson

In a world of the future obsessed with the past, the race is on to resurrect a Roman centurion…


In the year 2089 England has collapsed into a failed state riven by civil war. In neighbouring Scotland a populist demagogue comes to power on a wave of anti-English sentiment, promising to drive out immigrants who have fled from the south. Globally the endless search for mass entertainment has led to an intense fascination with the archaeological past, manifest in interactive simulations of historical eras, which looks set to take on an unwelcome political dimension under the new Scottish leader Fiona Drest. 


History lecturer and archaeological consultant Ailee Kenzie is drawn into these events when the body of a Roman soldier is discovered preserved within ancient bog land north of Glasgow. Advanced technology from the Retrovival company can recover fragments of the last experiences held within the dead centurion's brain. Can Caius Flavius' memories shed light on Britain's past and the cultural divides that have uncanny parallels in the volatile present?