"In this impressive collection, a star-studded lineup of 17 authors assembled by Shvartsman (Kakistocracy) raise angst-ridden questions about human-AI collaboration.
“In ‘Silicon Hearts,’ by Adrian Tchaikovsky, a nonsense-spewing writerbot is awarded top literary prizes from judges who are also bots (they’re into lines like ‘jade plantish break fine fall the’), signaling the end of human-made literature and the beginning of a new art form: ‘machines writing for machines writing for machines.’
“In Ken Liu’s ‘Good Stories,’ which incorporates ChatGPT-generated text, machines have taken over both art and literary production, and ‘ninety-nine percent of the people can’t tell the difference, or don’t mind.’
“Just the opposite is true in Ray Nayler’s ‘Hermetic Kingdom,’ where ‘machine-generated cliches’ can no longer satisfy the players of a sadistic video game, so its makers port in human indentured servants to take the place of NPCs.
“The lighthearted ‘Stage Shows and Schnauzers’ by Tina Conolly hilariously employs AI to solve the attempted murder of an artist, while in the far darker ‘Prompt’ by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, trans. from the Russian by Julia Meitov Hersey, a young performer contends with a computer-generated producer.
"This smart, kaleidoscopic view into the digital future will have readers longing to log off." --Publishers Weekly
Ken Liu is a globally renowned author and translator known for his speculative fiction.He made history with "The Paper Menagerie," the first work to win the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award. His novel "The Grace of Kings" launched the successful 'Dandelion Dynasty' series.
Liu is also recognized for translating Chinese science fiction, including Liu Cixin's "The Three-Body Problem," another Hugo winner. His works have significantly broadened the horizons of global literature.
He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
Marina and Sergey Dyachenko are Ukrainian authors acclaimed for their speculative fiction. They have composed numerous novels, short stories, and plays with a distinctive poetic style and philosophical depth. Their award-winning novel "Vita Nostra," known for its complex characters and metaphysical themes, has gained international recognition.
Renowned for their deep exploration of human nature across diverse settings, the Dyachenkos continue to be influential figures in speculative fiction as of 2021.
They are residents of Kyiv, Ukraine
Vajra Chandrasekera is a writer from Colombo, Sri Lanka. He has published over fifty short stories in magazines and anthologies including Analog, Black Static, and Clarkesworld, among others. His short fiction has been nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. He lives Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Adrian Tchaikovsky is a British author lauded for his contributions to science fiction and fantasy genres. Born in 1972, he gained global recognition with his 'Children of Time' series, winning the 2016 Arthur C. Clarke Award for the first novel in the series. His 'Shadows of the Apt' ten-book series showcases his imaginative world-building skills.
Tchaikovsky's ability to combine unique settings, intricate plots, and thought-provoking themes has firmly established him as a significant voice in speculative fiction.
He currently resides in Leeds, England.
Alex Shvartsman is a writer, translator, game designer, and anthologist. His adventures so far have included traveling to over 30 countries, playing a card game for a living, and building a successful business.
Over 120 of his short stories have appeared in Analog, Nature, Strange Horizons, Fireside, Weird Tales, Galaxy’s Edge, and many other venues. He won the WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction in 2014 and was a two-time finalist (2015 & 2017) for the Canopus Award for Excellence in Interstellar Fiction. His political fantasy novel, Eridani’s Crown, was published in 2019.
Alex’s translations from Russian have appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, Asimov’s, Apex, Strange Horizons, and other venues.
He’s the editor of the Unidentified Funny Objects series of humorous SF/F, as well as a variety of other anthologies, including The Cackle of Cthulhu (Baen), Humanity 2.0 (Arc Manor), and Funny Science Fiction (UFO). He’s the editor and publisher of Future Science Fiction Digest, a magazine that focuses on international fiction.
Alex has resided in Brooklyn, NY for over 30 years.
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