Hi
there! It’s great to stop by the SFR Brigade today to help
celebrate the release of my latest SFR book. Yay.
My
latest release is the fourth book in my RECAST
series. In this book I wanted to explore what happens
when an AI gets the chance to leave all responsibility behind to
chase his own adventure. Can a machine really go on an
adventure because he’s drawn to a woman and is desperate to
encounter love? Yes, of course. And this is what Walsh does. But he’s
not the first—and certainly won’t be the last robot—to chase a
dream.
The
other day we went to see Avengers:
Age of Ultron. I love what Marvel is doing with their
movies and shows, but that’s not what I want to focus on today. I
want to chat about Ultron, the super villain in this movie. As much
as we’re supposed to despise him because he’s an evil machine who
wants to destroy the Avengers and the world, I couldn’t help but
feel some sympathy towards him.
Ultron
doesn’t start out evil. He’s actually a great idea born from two
very brilliant minds who want to protect the world from its biggest
threat. So when you put it that way, Ultron’s reasoning makes
sense. I mean, who is humanity’s biggest threat? Ourselves. Humans
often treat each other like crap, and don’t respect nature. So when
you put this into a program, what was Ultron supposed to do? Of
course it makes sense that he would want to eradicate humans. It’s
what any analytical mind would conclude… and this is what separates
human from machine.
Humans
are a lot more than intellect, plans and goals. They are creatures of
habit who are filled with emotions, feelings and all those
entanglements Ultron was so eager to escape. Yet, he might think like
a machine but he sure didn’t speak like one. He was sarcastic,
engaging, and even funny. He was articulate and made sense, he
continually found a way to evolve, and yet at the end of the day
wanted to become physically similar to humans. And that makes me
wonder…
Who
says that robots and androids can’t become more than what their
fabrication settings tell them to be? What if they could develop real
feelings and affection, know the difference between pleasure and
pain? Wouldn’t that be a fascinating possibility?
I’ve
always had a soft spot for robots and often find myself sympathizing
with the AI that humans create but then are so quick to discard, or
disregard. Robotics and computers are developing at such a fast rate
that by the time we actually create real androids, it might
just end up being more like the Vision. And wasn’t he a
masterpiece? :)
What
about you? Do you like robots, or do they freak you out? I for one
wouldn’t mind seeing robots in our future.
Thanks
for reading,
Yolanda
AUTHOR
BIO:
Wife.
Mother. Writer. Bibliophile. Dreamer. Animal lover. Intrigued by the
supernatural. Horror freak. Zombie enthusiast. Movie & music fan.
Slave to her muse.
Yolanda
lives in Sydney, Australia with her awesome husband, lovely daughter,
and cheeky cat.
MY
LINKS:
BOOK
BLURB:
She escaped the
arena of death, but trusting him might be the death of her.
RECAST, Book 4
Taylor may be the
Clash Arena’s most dominant—and only—female gladiator, but
today she just can’t catch a break. After winning yet another
brutal fight, with the arena inexplicably falling down around her
ears, she jumps at the chance to escape the prison of her
subterranean pit.
Instead, she finds
herself knocked unconscious more times than she can count, and
pursued over the edge of a sea cliff by an AI enforcer she can’t
shake off her heels.
Walsh has been
living a double life, masquerading as a tyrant’s enforcer while
hiding his true agenda. When the despicable arena falls, there’s
only one thing on his mind—saving the savage blonde who doesn’t
trust him as far as she can throw him. Which is a considerable
distance.
Once
he convinces her he’s not out to kill her but help her survive,
they form an uneasy alliance. But Taylor senses he’s keeping a
secret, not just from her, but about
her.
And the truth will show them exactly what it is to be human.
Warning:
This
book contains some girl-on-girl action, a kick-ass gladiator who
takes no crap, an AI who puts it all on the line, a band of misfits
who aren’t as merry as they seem, cute tadpoles with sharp teeth,
and grip-you-by-the-hair kisses. Strap in, interstellar turbulence is
a bitch.
