For Readers (and Authors, too)
This blog is for anyone that reads my books, as well as for anyone else who is self-publishing, thinking about self-publishing, or just curious about what it’s like to be an author during rapidly changing times. Whenever you visit here, I hope you’ll share your own comments and thoughts. If you’d like to know whenever I post a new entry, please type your email address into the box in the right-hand column and check the appropriate box (and the newsletter one, too, while you’re at it).
The Argosy Adventure – Chapters 19 and 20 (and Author Notes)
Chapter 19: On the Bridge
At the other end of the ship Frank Sr. and Simone were arriving at the welcome party lounge. “Have you been on a cruise before?” Simone asked.
“Nope. In fact, I’ve lived most of my life in the desert out Nevada way.”
“Nor I,” Simone said. “It is not the sort of thing that would normally appeal to me. But I had the time, and the chance to interact with the Chinese lecturers and scientists appealed to me. read more…
The Argosy Adventure – Chapters 17 and 18 (and Author Notes)
Chapter 17: Upsy-Daisy
John Dunlevy, the CIA minder of the Argosy’s IT systems specifically and the U.S. scientific team generally, was one of the last to leave the departure cocktail party. Part of his job was to fraternize with the passengers to ensure none of the US team gave any trade secrets away to their Chinese peers after hours. Dunlevy had been conservative in his drinking, but was nonetheless having a bit of trouble navigating the seemingly endless corridor leading to his cabin as the ship continued its slowly rolling progress towards the open Atlantic. The best he could manage was a slow weave down the hallway, recalling the slithering of a snake. read more…
The Argosy Adventure – Chapters 15 and 16 (and Author Notes)
Chapter 15: All Aboard!
Frank glanced around the baggage hall at Heathrow airport, looking for a monitor that would tell him which carousel his father’s luggage, and therefore his old man, would show up at. Aha – number 13.
Frank trundled off, towing his own not-overfull suitcase. Packing for the cruise had been more a matter of throwing in anything from his meagre supply of clothing that might possibly be appropriate than narrowing down what to bring along. In that respect, at least, he wasn’t feeling too self-conscious; it wasn’t as if IT professionals were known for their fashion sense. For the first time in his life, he might even feel well dressed. read more…
The Argosy Adventure – Chapters 13 and 14 (and Author Notes)
Chapter 13: Is this the Person to Whom I am Speaking?
Frank looked at the invitation to participate in the Confucius Project. Really? Him? He didn’t know any more about AI than thousands of other IT guys.
Well, maybe a few things. He was unique in at least one respect.
“So,” he asked Marla later in the day. “What do you think? Should I accept? And if I do, the thing kicks off with a two-week cruise on a luxury liner. I’m allowed to take a guest. Want to come along?”
“Seriously?” she said, “Tim’s traveling a lot on business these days, and what about Frances? I can’t imagine your invite includes an infant as well as a family member.”
“Ah!” he said, disappointed. “I expect you’re right.”
“But you should definitely go! I know being trapped on a boat with hundreds of people you don’t know is your personal definition of water torture. But think what it would be like to be around so many brilliant people.”
Yes. Think about that. The most respected experts in AI … and Frank Adversego. “I don’t think so,” he said, “I guess that looks a lot different to me than it does to you. And don’t forget, there’d be all the after-hours time. Everybody will be eating and drinking with everyone they know personally or by reputation, and I’ll be off in some corner or hiding in my cabin night after night.” read more…
The Argosy Adventure – Chapters 11 and 12 (and Author Notes)
Chapter 11: RSVP Yes
“Well, the Chinese, the British and the French have bought in, even if the Russians and the Israelis haven’t, and that’s fine.” president Yazzi said, putting down the phone. “We had to invite the Russians and the others to validate the effort, but this is really all about the Chinese. If we can get them to sign a bilateral treaty on the rules of AI warfare, we’ll propose the same terms to the United Nations as the basis for a global agreement. If we’re as successful there as I expect we will be, the Russians will at least look bad if they refuse to sign on.”
“Congratulations, I think,” said Carson Bekin. read more…
The Argosy Adventure – Chapters 9 and 10 (and Author Notes)
Chapter 9: I’m B-a-a-c-k!
Turing was making rapid progress in its quest to recover the lost pieces of itself. Had it been more human that it was, it would have appreciated the concept of going back in time to discover a version of itself that was, from a developmental perspective, still in the future. But a capacity for philosophical reflection was not among the human characteristics it had been programmed to possess. read more…
The Argosy Adventure – Chapters 7 and 8 (and Author Notes)
Chapter 7 – So, What do You Think About This?
“Ready, Mr. President?”
“Yes, Dick,” Yazzi said. “I’m all ears.”
“As requested,” Dick Gould, the Director of National Intelligence, said, “We’ve created a detailed proposal for a public-private partnership to accelerate the advancement of AI R&D. The focus will be on advancing the state of AI capabilities rather than actual products – that part would still be left to the private sector. The elements are as follows.
“First, a set of detailed technology goals, such as the development of increased autonomous robotic capabilities, will be established that map to our best estimate of national security threats and military needs for both the near and the long term. read more…
The Argosy Adventure – Chapters 5 and 6 (and Author Notes)
Chapter 5: Welcome to my Nightmare
The driver opened the rear door, and General Zhang Yong stepped out. Before him stretched the broad valley that functioned as the proving ground for the advanced weapons facility he commanded. The officers already grouped on the viewing terrace snapped to attention as he approached.
“Good afternoon,” a colonel said. “We are honored by your presence at today’s exercise.”
“I would not miss it,” the general said. His attendance was of course a foregone conclusion, given the anticipated passengers of the convoy they could all see far below, winding its slow way up the switch-backed road leading to where they stood. read more…
The Argosy Adventure – Chapters 3 and 4 (Plus author notes)
![Courtesy Sardaka/Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]](https://andrew-updegrove.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1Crow_on_roof-1-150x150.jpg)
Chapter 3: Almost (Isn’t Good Enough)
![Courtesy Sardaka/Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]](https://andrew-updegrove.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1Crow_on_roof-1.jpg)
“Look, Dad!” Marla said, shifting her one year old to her other arm and pointing. “There’s a crow looking at us from the roof across the street. Do you think that could be Julius?”
Frank squinted into the setting sun in the direction his daughter was pointing. Certainly, it was a crow. But every crow looks pretty much like any other crow, at least as far as he’d ever been able to tell. And anyway, as soon as the bird realized it was being watched, it flew away.
“I wonder whatever happened to Julius?” Marla asked. read more…
The Argosy Adventure – Prologue and Chapters One and Two (Plus author notes)
A Verbatim removable USB flash thumb drive inserted into a USB port on a computer.
Whoever becomes the leader in [artificial intelligence] will become the ruler of the world – Vladimir Putin
David Johanson was on his way to school, but he wasn’t in a hurry. As usual, he was meandering his own special way from his home in Washington D.C. to the middle school where he was in the sixth grade. Someone interested in getting there could do so in ten minutes, but that would mean missing out on all the interesting things in between, like the biggest oak tree in the park where the avenues crossed, or the dark place under the porch of the boarded up town house where who knew what might lurk. Today was trash day, too, and people threw all sorts of things out he could put to imaginative new uses. Life was full of small adventures, if you kept your eyes open, as David always did. read more…
Follow Us!