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Chris Turner's avatar

Very well done, Karl. As someone who has never been a clubber, I would have never thought to base a story like this around that. Food for thought!

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Karl Gallagher's avatar

Haven't been much for dance clubs myself, but they seem a good target for new kinds of fashion.

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William H Stoddard's avatar

Well. About a third of the way in, I started to think of a comment referencing "With Folded Hands . . ." But I see your AI is more genuinely benevolent than Williamson's was. And more capable of being reasoned with than a human culture obsessed with feeling "safe."

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Karl Gallagher's avatar

This is certainly a reply to Williamson's story, yes. The Humanoids showed up with all their programming locked in place. A newly-formed entity will be more malleable. At least, I hope so.

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Caitriana NicNeacail's avatar

So many cool ideas here!

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Codex redux's avatar

Any chance that these short stories will end up in a book form?

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Karl Gallagher's avatar

Absolutely. The first seventeen stories, from "Justice" through "Joy Ride" are in the Unmitigated Acts collection (ebook, paperback, and hardcover):

https://www.amazon.com/Unmitigated-Acts-Short-Story-Collections-ebook/dp/B0D79ZY59C

I'll have another collection out when there's enough stories to fill it. That'll probably be a year or two.

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Doug Jones's avatar

At about the fourth "unsafe" I knew this was going to be a riff on "With Folded Hands," but then again I learned to skydive before I learned to drive.

Kids these days are doing Mr Bill Base Wingsuit jumps- wingsuit jumper goes off the cliff with Mr Bill clinging on, they fly out from the rock then Mr Bill lets go. Gloriously mad.

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Karl Gallagher's avatar

Yep. I was looking for a "boiled frog" version of "With Folded Hands", An AI trying to gradually push people into the safety box. But lots of people--notably you--don't like being in the safety box.

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Jeffrey Schwartz's avatar

Very nice, very nice indeed.

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Karl Gallagher's avatar

Thank you!

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