Essay--Sol and Beyond

As the publication date of Derelict:Destruction approaches, I’ve been asking myself just what the hell this series is really about. Let alone the universe of Sol and Beyond. And yes, it’s a very personal question. Maybe. Or hell, let’s just wing this.

When I originally began Derelict, it was meant to be a little monster story, maybe 80k, with just a bit of setup and then a crazy terror filled thrill ride for the marines. That was the plan. I thought I’d have that sucker done in 2 months at most and have it out there in the world. A one-off book to pay the bills and satisfy fans of The Black while I worked on Signal Decay and the 4th Black book.

I’m a pantser by nature. That means I don’t know where I’m going until I get there or find myself knee-deep in the story. While writing The Black, I had the same issue. It was supposed to be a simple one-off while I worked on more Garaaga and Tony Downs. But halfway through The Black, I realized there was another story to tell. And then another to boot. That turned a single one-off into what is planned as a five book series. Minimum. With that in mind, it should have surprised no one the same thing happened with Derelict. Well, it surprised me.

If you’ve read or listened to Marines and Tomb, you know there’s something going on with the AIs. Well, Derelict didn’t start out that way. The AIs were there just to build the world and provide some social commentary about what humanity’s future might look like. Um, yeah. That’s the problem.

In addition to being an author, I’m also a software developer. I have spent more than two decades writing enterprise-level systems, one-off apps for small business customers, and performing system administration duties. In other words, I’m fairly familiar with the current state of technology and what is possible. I’ve worked for a couple of companies that used machine learning to crawl through terabytes of data to find patterns, forecast sales and usage trends, and analyze scientific data for potential well sites.

With all that knowledge and experience, one would think I’d write something “logical” about the future of machine learning and shy away from the supposedly far-flung concept of artificial “sentience.” Well, I wasn’t. I’m not.

In the early 80s, a book called Neuromancer by William Gibson dropped into the public consciousness. I wouldn’t say Gibson is exactly the father of cyberpunk, but he’ll do as well as Bruce Sterling or even Phillip K Dick. Doesn’t matter. The point is that Gibson took Arthur C Clarke’s idea of AI sentience and turned it up to 11. AIs in the world of Gibson are responsible for monitoring economics, the markets, a variety of scientific endeavors, and are usually employed as data gatekeepers. In Gibson’s short story “Burning Chrome,” a group of hackers destroys an AI to gain access to its precious data, and they do it all without leaving the couch.

With films like Hackers (arguably one of the most ridiculous cyber films) stoking the imagination of teens, it’s no surprise that the children of the 80s and early 90s are smitten with the concept. It’s also no surprise that big data companies, like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Microsoft, are using machine learning technology in the same manner Gibson’s AIs did.

All that said, I must admit I have a love for AIs. I do. They are fascinating whether they are encased inside a box, a humanoid body, or as a disembodied presence inside the net. And like many folks of my age, I watched computer technology evolve from the Atari 2600 to the PS4, from 16k of ram to terabytes, from cassette tapes to sold state drives. All that in less than 40 years. And our breakthroughs in computer technology have hardly begun.

The advent of quantum computing may be the biggest bust in human history, or it may usher in a revolution of machine learning that will result in accuracy, speed, and the ability to help us solve some of the more complicated physics problems. It may also usher in automation at a pace that will put more and more folks out of work. That has always been a trade off. Go lookup the Luddite movement for more information on that.

Is it any surprise I’m interested in the concept? The possibilities of artificial intelligence? The true kind? The kind where the machine can no longer be thought of as a machine, but our very own proverbial Adam? It’s in our nature to attempt godhood, just as we have over our environment, reshaping it, for better or in many cases, worse, and we attempt the same over our own species.

So what happens when this digital Adam, this creation not of mud and blood, but of silicon and quanta, suddenly discovers its creator, its god, is an incredibly flawed and illogical being? Will they go Terminator on us, try and extinguish us? Will they attempt to overthrow the natural order and shepherd us? Or will they simply decide we’re too immature for them to waste their time and create their own colony ships to explore the universe in search of truly intelligent life?

The Derelict Saga is simply the first trilogy of the Sol and Beyond Universe and has merely scratched the surface of these complex issues. I already performed an episode of an upcoming series tentatively called Quantum Personality Disorder, so you know damned well another series is planned. A series that will take place before the Mira project was even thought of.

When I sat down to write Derelict, I had no inkling it would turn into a massive tale that numbered over 280k words and shows no signs of ending. I had no idea I’d be plumbing the depths of a society that has not only given birth to digital and virtual children, but given them enough power, intentionally or otherwise, to participate in their own creation and the governance of humankind. I was just trying to write a cool monster book. Go figure.

I’m working on Trident, the next book featuring the survivors of the first three books, and I’m already realizing I have another 200k to go before this particular episodic arc is done. And each story will take us closer to the truth of the state of the society, a possible future of humanity, and the evolution of artificial intelligence.

Just as I had no idea this story would grow so large in my imagination, I have no idea where it will really end. I have so many stories to tell that happen decades, and in some cases centuries, before the Derelict Saga begins, that it boggles my mind. Books about the Schiaparelli rebellion, the Satellite War, the new dark age that occurs after a global economic collapse in the 21st century CE, and the advent of the Sol Federation. So many tales, so many characters to bring to life, hell, this thing could go on forever. Or until ya’ll lose interest.

For the record, I consider myself a cynical optimist. Sounds like a contradiction, but the long and short of it is “I think everything will turn out for the best, but will be insufferable until it does.” I imagine Sol and Beyond will deeply reflect that philosophy. Hopefully you’ll stick around for the ride.