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Show HN: Looking for Feedback on My “Computer Science Fiction” Novel Blue Screen

60 points by kylebenzle ↗ HN
This has been my Covid burnout project and I would love any thoughts or input, especially about the Bash code. I just am finishing the first chapter of the audiobook and would love any thoughts, positive or negative.

The full pdf here: https://KyleBenzle.com/BlueScreen.pdf

Free first chapter of the audiobook: https://soundcloud.com/landgrant/blue-screen-chapter-1

Giving away the Amazon ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084GHLYSX

Blurb: Peter Gustafson wants to save the world. In the year 2984, Peter is an average kid with a secret; he’s a well-behaved tenth-grader by day but cryptographic entrepreneur and hacker by night. When the electricity mysteriously goes out in his hometown, Peter takes it upon himself to investigate. The adventure leads the young hacker to a large transmitting station and into a battle of wits with the greatest AI ever created. The machine requires a human to help "throw the switch" and give it full control so engineered the power outage as a test to lure its latest recruit, Peter Gustafson.

6 comments

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moeen1122
Great
kylebenzle
Thank you! Happy to send you or anyone a physical copy too, just email me a delivery address :)
galfarragem
> "In the year 2984"

Nitpick. I just read your blurb but I would say that 2184 or even 2084 would seem more plausible.

From the book:

> In addition to the station building the summit had a small parking lot that was well maintained with spaces for a dozen or so cars.

Will cars be common in 2984? The title itself. Will "blue screens" be meaningful in ~1000 years?

I'll try to take a look on the pdf. I'm also an wannabe author (non-fiction) so I really understand the work involved. Kudos for doing it!

kylebenzle
Thank you for the thought!

1) I did maps to show how wanted to have substantial sea level rise and I found even 1,000 years was pushing it. 100 years wouldn't have been enough time for that.

2) "Cars" that function like a small personal spaceship, but "personal space ship" sounds funny. I'm betting whatever people are being moved around in in 1,000 years they might be called "cars", right?

3) That's the rub. I'll give it away, the idea is that what if in like the year 2100 or so an AI was able to take control of civilization, it might do it covertly. So the idea is that an AI has been controlling the world for 1,000 years, keeping people happy and in check while building its plan to escape!