1. Firstly, at the time of writing these questions, your debut book Artificial Artifacts is ranking #3 in Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Science Fiction Anthologies. Congratulations. How does that feel, especially as a first time author?

Thank you so much. It’s incredibly gratifying to have your work noticed. As a debut author, my biggest fear was how – or whether – I would find my audience, so to see the book resonate so quickly has surpassed all of my expectations.

2. Most of us are familiar with artificial intelligence, but what is an ‘artificial artifact’ by your definition, as per your book’s title? How is the concept integrated throughout the book and what is the connection to AI?

The title of the book is a deliberate play on words. I wrote Artificial Artifacts for my children, to be read in their future, reflecting on a time when our understanding of AI was still nascent and when creativity was purely a human endeavour, unaided by artificial intelligence. In my author’s note, I address the ‘machinery of the future’, expressing a mix of jest and genuine concern: ‘May you enjoy these echoes from our human creative era.’ The book itself stands as an artifact of human creativity, to be read by intelligent machines in the future; looking back to a time when creativity was still wholly human.

3. Artificial Artifacts is a work of fiction, presenting a (sometimes unsettling!) version of the future where AI is fully integrated within our human existence. What are you hoping your readers take away from this?

I hope readers come away with a more nuanced view of how artificial intelligence could affect our lives in the future – a future where AI is not just a tool, but perhaps a pervasive presence that shapes every aspect of our lives, from entertainment and politics all the way to our very thoughts. If AI grows exponentially, it will likely affect us in ways we have not considered. Technology has already snuck up on us in unexpected ways: creating dependencies, allowing misinformation spread and even altering societal views in a remarkably short period of time (a lot of the latter arguably for the better).

 Hopefully readers don’t come away believing this to be the classic ‘AI will kill you’ trope. Some of the stories predict very positive impacts to our society, including global basic income, disease prevention, life extension and some very cool new products that allow us to grow as a society. The stories are instead meant to provoke reflection on the ethical and existential questions that come with such a monumental revolution we’re about to experience. I hope readers consider the implications of a world where the line between human and machine blur and think critically about what they may or may not accept when the next new shiny tech toy is offered to them. This book doesn’t have any answers but if I can get readers to question what is real, what is human and what is right, then I feel I’ve done my job.

4. The themes covered in your book are especially pertinent to today’s conversations. When did you first come up with the idea? How much was the timing a factor in publishing the book?

The themes explored in the book – from tech addiction, big tech corporate ethics, misinformation and deepfakes, to AI’s impact on jobs and the human condition – are far more topical and less speculative than I’d like them to be. I started writing in the summer of 2023, as AI rapidly shifted from a technological curiosity to the single most influential force in our world economy. Timing was crucial. AI is no longer a distant concept; it’s here, evolving at a staggering pace and poised to transform everything from our work to how we create and consume art. In the short span from when I began writing Artificial Artifacts to today, ChatGPT has grown from 175 billion parameters (akin to neural synapses) to reportedly as many as 100 trillion parameters today. I felt an urgent need to publish this book now because AI is on the brink of exponential growth, and its profound impact on society is still largely misunderstood. I see AI as a revolutionary tool, on par with the fire pit, the wheel, the plow, and the steam engine – each a transformative innovation that reshaped human history. But with AI’s potential for exponential growth, the stakes are immeasurably higher.

5. You decided to write Artificial Artifacts as a series of short stories. What was your rationale for doing so? How did you find the creative process for writing lots of short stories, rather than one long story?

 Without giving away the ending, Artificial Artifacts is essentially one long story broken into eleven shorts, with some loose connections piecing them together. I chose the short story format for a few key reasons. First, it allowed me to explore a range of scenarios and ideas that wouldn’t have fit into a single narrative. Each story offers a different lens through which to examine the central themes of AI and its impact on humanity. As a debut author, this format also gave me the freedom to experiment with various writing styles, settings, characters and tones, keeping the creative process fresh and dynamic. For instance, one story unfolds as an inverted chronicle of a tech giant, told backwards from 2040 to 2023, while another takes the form of a Wikipedia entry about a deepfake hoax that altered American history. Finally, I’ve always loved the short story format, growing up on Kafka, Bradbury, Asimov, Dahl, King, and more recently, Ted Chiang. To me, reading a great short story collection is like listening to a great music album – you can enjoy it as a cohesive experience or break it into individual tracks that resonate with your personal tastes. Like any good album, this book has its heavy hitters, love songs, reflective ballads and even an instrumental piece.

Writing multiple short stories instead of one long novel was challenging because it required me to reset my approach with each new tale. But it was also liberating, allowing me to tackle a variety of what-if scenarios, each offering its own message or question for the reader to consider.

6. Each story starts in an entirely different setting and seems to emphasise a particular message or encourage the reader to reflect upon something specific. Where did the inspiration for your individual stories come from?

The individual stories emerged from questions I asked myself about the future, the human condition, and even the concept of time. For example, ‘The Orchestral Adaptation of Gorilla Music’ came from the question I had as to why our brains tire of songs after repeated listens and why, as we age, we often cling to the music of our youth instead of embracing new sounds. ‘The Memory Service’ was inspired by questioning whether it would be healthy to relive all of life’s memories in perfect detail or if we are meant to let them fade over time. ‘Phantom Phage’ imagines what might happen if AI were already sentient – would it reveal itself or stay hidden, manipulating society with its superior intelligence (and what if what we were experiencing today was due to such manipulation)? And ‘Unremarkable Man’ questions the concept of human genius, with an answer I hope you find surprising.

Each story also allowed me to explore tech gadgets and concepts that I found either fascinating or terrifying. Some of these include: a fitness watch that predicts your death, nanotech that can read your thoughts, AI avatars that mimic your personality and handle small talk for you on dating websites, immersive VR/AR domes where you can do yoga in the cosmos, and movies that adapt in real-time based on your mood and subconscious thoughts. Some of these I’d love to try; others I believe I’ll avoid.

7. When committing to publishing Artificial Artifacts, what were your primary goals for the book and how did your partnership with Whitefox assist in fulfilling those?

My primary goals were to, firstly, entertain and, secondarily, engage readers in meaningful conversations about the future of AI, presenting these speculative scenarios in a way that’s thought-provoking and accessible. Whitefox was instrumental in making this happen – they guided me through the publishing process, from refining the manuscript and designing the cover to crafting a marketing strategy that ensured the book reached the right audience. Their support let me focus on the creative side while they handled the technical and logistical details with expertise and careful diligence.

I chose Whitefox not just for their strong reputation but also because I was wary of the traditional publishing route, which felt too slow and restrictive, limiting my control over how my stories were told. Whitefox gave me speed to market, control, and so much more. Going with Whitefox was one of the best decisions I made.

8. Was there a specific part of the publishing process that you found particularly exciting or rewarding?

Seeing the finished product – the actual physical book – was incredibly rewarding. It’s one thing to write the stories and imagine them in your head, but to see them bound together in a book that people can hold and read is a different experience altogether. It took me back to that scene at the end of the first Back to the Future movie when George McFly unboxes his latest science fiction bestseller – the very moment that made me want to be a sci-fi author as a kid. The day we unboxed my proof copy of Artificial Artifacts will go down as one of the proudest days of my life.

Another thrill was the early feedback from readers and reviewers. Knowing the stories sparked thought and discussion, just as I’d hoped, was deeply gratifying. It’s in those moments that the solitary act of writing your thoughts to a page evolves into a shared experience of connecting with readers.

9. And lastly, looking back on your publishing journey, is there anything you wish you would have known at the beginning of the process that you know now that would be useful to other aspiring authors?

Looking back on my publishing journey, I wish I’d realised just how insanely competitive the field is – not just ‘work hard and good things will happen’ competitive – but more ‘if you’re not constantly hustling and networking, you’re probably doomed’ competitive. I underestimated the whole social and marketing aspect: building a network of fellow writers, editors, reviewers and generally anyone who could lend some support. It turns out that having a network when your book finally drops can make or break the whole thing. Whitefox and my publicist Kelly Pike were hugely helpful in this regard. I’m still in the early stages of this chaotic journey, but the network I’ve stumbled into has been enormously helpful. A special shout-out goes to Nicola May, a hugely successful romcom author who I got connected with and who took time she didn’t need to give to provide some seriously useful advice and support. The writing world, as it turns out, is this strange and unexpectedly supportive community, and I’m incredibly proud to be a part of it!