Colin Barrett: Blog

Three chapters today. The first one's fairly short, although the other two aren't. But all three are either transition chapters or, in the last instance, a bit of a digression, and it's time to move along a little more smartly. Besides, they conclude this section; I'll start a new section Wednesday, and get back more closely to the main story. There's a bit of Spookish fun to begin, which ought to put a point to the degree of power that a computer can wield in today's electronics-dominated world if it comes alive.

Two more chapters today, as promised. A little more on religion, though it won't come up again. It does strike me as a subject in which a hypothetically self-aware computer might be interested, among of course many others, but the notion of an omniscient and omnipotent supreme being strikes me as one of the unique characteristics of our species.Regrettably for our race, so are the horrors committed in the name of that supreme being, who is probably thoroughly pissed off at having his (or her, if you will) name invoked as ostensible justification therefor.
One or two readers have contacted me with more information about computers than I can readily digest. They seem to feel that I'm more knowledgeable about the discipline than I am, and am possibly a professional. Let's see; in the novels I've written my various heroes and heroines have been in computerization/electronics engineering (three times), the law (twice), sociology (just once, but for three books), grand opera (twice, both in the same book), marine biology, the military, and business administration. There's also a call-girl, plus the odd dilletante or so. I'm none of those (and am anatomically disqualified for one), although I did at one time write computer programs, I've had some training (I truly detest the all-too-common use of "training" as it's applied to human beings-to me, dogs, cats, domesticated bears and seals and other animals are trained, people are educated-but it's the correct term in this case) and a little experience as a singer and actor, I grew up in the military, I worked for a comparatively short time in the civilian bureaucracy, and I administered the two businesses that I've owned, but I've opted in this area not to follow the literary admonition to "write what you know." My professional background is in freight transportation law and management-so yes, I also have some legal experience and knowledge, albeit limited-and as an author in that field; I've personally found it fascinating, but it's not the stuff of fiction, so my characters must look elsewhere for their livelihoods.
In particular , my personal knowledge of and experience with the computer world is pretty badly out of date, and I'm afraid I'm not really able to carry on much of an intelligent dialogue about it. Still, although a couple of readers told me that state-of-the-art computer hardware and software is more likely to be found in academia or the private sector (which wouldn't have worked for my story) than at the Department of Defense, so far nobody's found a major technological gaffe in A.I. Well, a few readers have remarked about firewalls (anybody seriously think they'd pose a problem to Spook?), and one reader keeps nagging me that Spook could indeed get Jack and Lisa passports-U.S. or any other country-without trouble (which tells me stuff I didn't really want to know about national security). All in all, I'm pleased. I hope you continue to enjoy.

Just one chapter today. It's stand-alone, but the next two go together so I'm saving them for Friday.
This one's indirectly about bureaucrats. They're a species unto themselves. Although I acknowledge that for a short time I was one of their number, I didn't fit in well. I'm not quite sure how they relate to the human race other than genetically.
The bureaucrat sees himself (or herself, of course) as part of an organizational entity above all else. Individuality isn't prized, it's deemed rather a liability. Especially where it's somebody else's individuality that's involved, in particular where the "somebody else" happens to be lower on the hierarchical totem pole than oneself, it's to be discouraged and penalized; it means that person is not being a "team player," properly subordinating himself/herself to organizational priorities. So it's needed to "put him/her in his/her place," that is, to make a big point of showing that the heretical individual can be replaced (ideally, replaced by a small machine that goes "click" at periodic intervals, but if not that, certainly by any other human cog in the organizational structure). The idea that some individualistic underling actually can perform a unique task better than any substitute is bureaucratic anathema. Thus, Richard's situation is actually not that uncommon. And Jack's response is sure to endear him still less to his pursuers. I mean, it's bad enough that he's a potentially dangerous hacker, but it's far worse that he's attacked the order of bureaucratic structure. Let's not lose track of which is the greater sin.

Two more chapters to keep the continuity as we start a new section.
A little more about geography. In most of my novels, I've left the locations fairly indeterminate (in one, you're not even sure what part of the U.S. you're in), but with A.I. I needed to start it off in Washington, D.C., for story reasons, and so went on to continue with specifics. If you know Charleston you should have no trouble identifying Battery Park, at the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper rivers. The pavilion where Jack and Lisa were married actually exists there and is an especially lovely setting now that reconstruction/maintenance work is finished, although I'm told it's usually booked for months ahead, so it really is fiction that they were able arrange a fall wedding there on a couple of weeks' notice.
Since they live close by, it's clear that their rental apartment is in the posh South of Broad (Broad Street, Charleston's social dividing line-think "right side" and "wrong side" of the tracks) neighborhood. That's realistic. too; although the homes there are mostly multi-million-dollar estates, most dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, some owners rent out spacious walk-in basements (converted from what were originally ground-level carriage accommodations-garages, as it were, from the horse-and-buggy era) for surprisingly affordable prices, and occasional houses have been subdivided into condominiums, a few of which are also rentals.
The score you've given the novel continues to rise with each submission, for which I thank you. I also thank you for the many purchases of the complete book on Amazon, and of my other novels.

Well, you get a bonus: three chapters today. We've reached the end of the first section of the novel, and I thought no point to leaving you hanging over the weekend.
Jack and Lisa are presently free from pursuit now. It's time for them to get back to daily living. Except Spook is still there, of course, playing a big role in their lives.