How Long Has It Been?

How long has it been since I’ve posted here? Months, and not just a couple of them. My last release was a Vitalis book. A mighty fine Vitalis book, I think, but it’s been almost six months! Unfortunately, I don’t have a new release to break the tide either, but I do have a new project.

My day job has bled over into my night job. And my weekend job. And my sleep job a few times, now that I think about it. My trips to the gym are almost nonexistent and I have had nothing left in the tank. Things are slowly righting themselves… or I’m finally adapting. Either way, I found the time to help my wife get her latest 3 part serial off the ground (Changeling – go check it out!), and now I’m a couple chapters in my next book.

I’m going back to Dark Universe! New characters, for the most part, but there will be some crossover from both Lucky Star and the original books with Aden, Twyf, Seph, and Sierra (among many others). The new book’s working title is Star Struck, and it follows a small team of mercenaries employed by the UISTF (Unified Inter Species Task Force) in their attempts to drive the Kesari and Criknid from power.

So a team of violent people fighting aliens… been there, done that, right? Probably. Hopefully I can tap into my inner Michael Bay to produce some spectacular explosions along the way. There’s more to it though – remember that Dark Universe has the Ampythians and their mystical energy that other races (including Terrans) are able to harness and create magic-like effects with. As cool as that is, it’s not the center stage. Instead I’m turning to sci-fi. Specifically, artificial intelligence.

I’ve been inspired by, among other things, Blade Runner 2049, Ex Machina, a Michael Crichton book about nanotechnology, and others that have me wanting to put my own spin on AI and how it can impact the lives of real people, both for the better and the worse. AI seems pretty straight forward but that’s kind of the point of the book, to point out that it’s not.

After all, Artificial Intelligence is more than just passing a Turing test. My take on AI is creativity and free will. What if an artificial construct doesn’t want to do what it was created to do? Why not? What options does it have? What lengths will it go to in order to fulfill its own needs, wants, and self-perceived destiny? And who better to help than a gun toting professional with nothing left to lose?

When will I have it done? Beats me! Hopefully in a month or so. In reality, probably longer – but I can hope. I’m really excited about the book and the things I hope to see, do, and feel in it. So with that said, I’d better go find some time to work towards doing it!

 

To learn more about Jason Halstead visit his website to read about him, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.