Tag: fiction

For the Love of Books #32

A nod to my last post themed on nature, and a recommendation following a gorgeous day out in Dorset at Abbotsbury Swannery. Tipping a dramatic coastline, this unique and natural wildlife habitat is the only place in the world where you are able to walk through the heart of a managed colony of free-flying, nesting Mute Swans. And what a place to live – it’s no wonder they choose to stay.

 

And after a big breath of avian sea air, it’s back to the realm of stories with Comic Con. Star Wars is clearly a favourite, and the full size array of robots through the franchise. They may be made of metal, but they are far from expressionless.

The emergence of AI and its interplay in the art world is a big topic. From droids, space travelling humanoids, alien terminators, and colonising machines set to take over the world, robotics and AI have long featured in our stories. Recently I was introduced to a fascinating series, with a whole new take on this vast subject:

The Subjugate; by Amanda Bridgeman

In a watchful world where humanity is complemented by AI, cities are ruled by security companies, yet crime and murder are still commonplace. The story features two detectives, Salvi Brentt and Mitch Grenville, each one an interesting character in their own right, with intriguing complex backstories and a dynamic that at times complimented the dis-ease of the thriller, which I found compelling.

The setting of the story is well-drawn, an imagined future where ethical limitations of AI are subtly observed, with talking robo-cleaners and dedicated AI prefilling data of transcriptions and interviews, yet always with a human hand to sign them off to ensure their eligibility in court. Yet some pullaway communities are resisting technological advances. Just outside the city, the unincorporated community of Bountiful is one of the leading pullaway communities, and one of the most religious. Founded in 1934, it is a town built on religion, populated by the Children of Christ. There’s no internet, mobile phones or computers, although it does have a close relationship with the nearby Solme Complex. The Solme Complex houses violent criminals called Subjugates, who undergo extreme treatments involving religion and technology, and include painful chemical castrations and implanted neural technology which can be used to shock into submission. There are interesting themes around redemption, forgiveness and freedom from sin, with aptly disturbing methods. Subjugates who are successfully converted over the course of several years of ‘treatment’ are called Serenes. They are released unsupervised but with the neural implants recording electrical activity in the brain. When heightened emotion is detected, it triggers a visual alarm in the silver crown worn by Serenes, called a halo.

Following the discovery of a young woman’s body in the community of Bountiful, the two detectives head out to investigate. A discovery of biolume at the scene, bacterial natural lighting, leads them to the Solme Complex, with Subjugates the prime suspects. As the investigation continues, further layers of the world are revealed, with the relevant question of ‘how far is too far’ with technology explored through inventive examples, including augmented realities where avatars are free to play out forbidden desires. There are questions around, just because you can, should you, and are we all slaves to something whether it be religion, technology, or law enforcement? And there are themes around how this all connects to freedom and control. In a bid to be free, do we just end up creating further structures, disciplines and controls? Is freedom truly possible in a world of corruption? I enjoyed the exploration of these big questions, the intriguing future dystopian world, and contrasting characters leading this fast-paced sci-fi thriller that kept me wanting to know more.

The Sensation; by Amanda Bridgeman

Salvi Brentt had killed a man, and he had almost killed her. Under psych review she was cleared for active duty and has a new partner, the department’s dedicated AI, Riverton. A case opens when the body of 34-year-old Devon Barker is found in Sensation. A woman, Myki Natashi, is discovered unconscious in the bedroom by police, who had responded to a domestic disturbance. Myki doesn’t know what happened, and only remembers dinner the night before with Devon. Vincent Calabri was seen in the area, a man with a small rap sheet in the employ of detective Francis Melon, who is Myki’s ex-boyfriend of 3 years. Melon works in the financial industry, a known acquaintance of John Dorant, affording him loose ties to organised crime, and friends in high places. This case is also coupled with the murder of undercover officer, Caine, and the disappearance of the Chief’s daughter into a drug gang.

As in the first book of the series, I enjoyed the character arcs, and in particular the main character, Salvi, a complex woman with a past, and strength to face herself and get the job done. She is still seeing her old partner, Mitch, which was an interesting aspect of her character development in the first book, and continues to add interest in this sequel. Previously, Salvi had faced two serial killers, and one was still alive: Edward Moses, Subjugate-52, locked up in the Solme Complex. Subjugate-52 has been asking for Salvi. He hasn’t received what was promised him after helping Salvi in the last case. He was promised to become a Serene, but Salvi disappeared on him, renegading on her word. Now she is concerned what level of deception he is capable of, and how he might manipulate access to the wider world.

The development of the role of AI in this sequel was particularly interesting. Talking robo-cleaners have names, and the AI, Riverton, is humanised through friendly interactions, showing apparent consideration to which Salvi responds in kind. Hackers cause chaos to evidence by wiping CCTV footage, and more sinister, they hack neural implants that leave a brain wide open to abuse and full-on takeover. A broad range of available technology sees a further reduction in human/human interaction, with drone surveillance, VR headsets and tasers, robot dancers, and holographic forms. Neural tech is also injected in drug form, rendering a person entirely helpless to being used as a sex droid. There are interesting questions here, since the drug lowers a person’s inhibitions and heightens sexual desire, leading to sex. But this is under the influence of a drug, illegally administered without consent, and therefore constitutes rape.

Tech used to keep subjugates in line can equally be used to keep slaves in line, adding a further, compelling sinister edge. Salvi is on a deadly mission to uncover truths, and among the truths are: where do we draw the line, who is good and who is bad or is society just lurking somewhere between, what is right and wrong and who has the right, who is hunter and who is prey? Technology affords power, and with it comes responsibility, but is anyone responsible enough? These are questions I am left with, making this an inspiring read.

What are you reading?

Happy New Year 2023!!!

With each new year comes a brand new book with blank pages just waiting to be filled, and I wonder what the new year will bring. In many ways, 2022 has been bursting with creativity, and it has been fun looking back on some of the highlights.

Most recently, it’s been wonderful to see my piece, Desert Flower, exhibited with Art Show International.

I often think that the process of creating my intricate, hand-painted mosaics, is as much a part of the art as the end result, and this one holds particular personal significance, as it was painted while staying with my dad when he was ill. The patience involved in the painstaking process of painting mosaic effect is something I know he would have appreciated. Art is significant, in all its forms. The smallest book can be the greatest gift. A painting can hold a world. Desert Flower was inspired by the deserts of Sudan, which I maintain great fondness for, from when I lived there many years ago. It’s a place that inspired another painting, Tuti Island. Deserts and the life I found there, also find their way into my stories:

‘The line of the horizon transformed into great mountainous peaks, cloaked in shades of orange with the setting of the sun. It was almost dark by the time we reached the first slopes on a path that abruptly grew steep. In the shadow of splintering crags and sheer cliff faces we meandered narrow paths, the soft thumps of the camels’ padded feet, and occasional whip cracks echoing around deep canyons. Like the desert, this was a barren landscape. I thought of the stories I had grown up with, thought of the picture my great grandmother had painted, and imagined a time when people had climbed these same mountain passes on a pilgrimage, imagined their footsteps still echoing where camels now trod.’ Return of the Mantra

My life is also enriched by the creative endeavours of others, in all its artforms, which in turn inspires me to continue finding routes to share my own. My re-kindled passion for poetry saw me invited to be featured poet for the night at a local favourite open mic event, which was great fun.

And of course it has been great to get out and about with my books, Blood Gift Chronicles, either in person, or online (thank you Covid!). And, as is customary, the new year will begin with scheduling for more, so plenty to look forward to.

In contrast, it’s always good to take the time for some R&R and a breath of fresh air. I’ll leave you with some photos of a recent trip to Haldon forest, where scores of real-life Xmas trees live, watched over by a robin or two.

Wishing Everyone a Happy, Healthy & Peaceful New Year…

xxx

Winter Hues

Winter has arrived, crisp, cold, and muted blue/grey skies with a strange white sheen that makes you wonder, is there snow on the horizon?

Either way, it’s time to hunker down, and hibernate with a good read, and a manuscript in progress. And I have to say, I’m loving the magic of Blood Gift Chronicles Book 3, a book that slips into different time periods, with overlapping lives as we move towards answers to the big question… I love a good origin story, and I love magic, so here goes. And with new societies and landscapes there’s much to get my teeth into. Finally, I get up close and personal with the elusive Evren, a woman who doesn’t fit, but who lives dangerously unapologetically.

Spontaneous

Following my last blog, The Human Condition, I was left thinking more about the ingredients that make life, and stories, interesting. The unexpected plot twist, the random event, stepping outside the familiar to embrace something new, to learn, to experience something fresh. It’s one of the reasons I like cities, or at least ones which ooze the diverse nature of humanity.

The Human Condition

If a novel was good, would you care if it was created by Artificial Intelligence?

Inspired by an article in the Guardian, click here, this was a question posed a few weeks ago by Devon Book Club, a weekly forum on Twitter discussing all things books.

My response was one of resistance. My exact words were, ‘This is so inhuman it makes me shudder’.

Recovery

I’ve never had a problem with self-motivation, which, as a writer, is handy. Writing a story, finding a publisher, editing to the final draft, can feel like an uphill struggle. My first book is published, the second is in the editing stage, the third is on the first draft, and I still live by the Mantra, don’t focus on how far you’ve got to go, focus on how far you’ve come. In writing as in life, I find this a useful Mantra, none more so than in recovery.

Storytellers

There’s a reason why people in the UK obsess about the weather, when all four seasons can happen in one day. Conversations often feature words like nippy, overcast, drizzling… and end with dismayed comments like, ‘I’ve got washing on the line,’ or optimistic comments like, ‘it’s turned out nice again’. So after weeks of an uncommon and persistent heatwave, variable weather is back on the agenda.

Diversity in Fiction

It’s the Monday after a gloriously sunny weekend spent at the Exeter Respect Festival: a fabulous event to celebrate our diverse communities. Among live music, singing, and spoken word, the park is filled with a bustling array of stalls, food, and campaigns. Whether you want to sample authentic Syrian cuisine, be amazed by flamenco dancers, or shop for handicrafts from all corners of the world… Exeter Respect carries the message, ‘all different, all equal’.

Always Thinking

I once saw a picture of an imagined futuristic image of how people would evolve; how they’d look in years to come judging by human behaviour. Essentially it involved alarmingly long fingers, a deeply curved spine, and a seriously overweight body – a future born from sitting hunched over a screen, typing. When I thought of my daily life, much of it sitting at a computer, it got me thinking – I have to get out more!