SAN DIEGO - s4story -- Synth Pulse, the debut science fiction novel by San Diego author Nat Ajuba, releases today.

Set in a near-future Southern California, Synth Pulse follows a volatile Organic woman testing the boundaries of the New California Republic (NCR), and a Synthetic soldier built to obey, whose bid for self-actualization may be the biggest threat to the status quo.

Synth Pulse is a speculative fiction novel that explores the meaning of selfhood, autonomy, and the cost of choice in the presence of oppressive power and duty, suitable for readers who want the depth of contemplative literary sci-fi and the propulsion of a dystopian thriller.

Ajuba is publishing independently, and is excited to see Synth Pulse available online at local independent bookstores.

"I would love for Synth Pulse to find its readers through independent bookstores. Booksellers have a sixth sense about matching the right book to a reader," Ajuba said.

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Synth Pulse is available in ebook and paperback. San Diego readers can order Synth Pulse online directly from Mysterious Galaxy, The Book Catapult, and other indie bookstores in the area. If you would like to see the distinct orange cover and potato on bookshelves, remember to request Synth Pulse at your favorite bookstore.

It is also available through Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Walmart.com, and other retailers.

More information on the book and the author can be found at natajuba.com.

Nat Ajuba is a San Diego-based novelist and founder of NYZ Press. Raised in Nigeria on a steady diet of British literature and television, she writes speculative fiction. Synth Pulse is her debut novel.