"The future is heading toward AI eating our lunch, or maybe not. Sci-fi has seen this coming and now it’s here."

Adam Stone is a prolific writer of speculative fiction who resides in Annapolis, Maryland. A regular contributor to the Harvey anthologies, the Flash!Mobs and the Round Robins, as well as a host of other publications, Adam has just released his first collection of short sci-fi stories.

We catch up with Adam to find out more…

Q: What’s your favourite story in Exit Strategy and where did your idea come from?

A: I love ‘ReBoot’. It’s a story about a couple arguing, and they’ve got a government-issued device that gives them two chances a day to go back one hour and fix their mistakes. Maybe it’s a metaphor? Since in real life people do tend to replay the same scenes and arguments and choices over and over. We keep rebooting our mistakes until we get (hopefully) them right.

Q: Technology is catching up faster than us sci-fi writers can imagine it… how do you stay ahead and where do you see the future going?

A: When I’m not toiling in the fields of fiction, I work as a reporter covering tech trends, so that helps keep me current. The future is heading toward AI eating our lunch, or maybe not. Sci-fi has seen this coming and now it’s here. Fiction rapidly becomes fact. Fun times for writers and readers who like to wonder: what if…?

Q: What are you working on now and what can we expect to see next?

A: Awaiting my muse. Writing comes on me in waves. Nothing, nothing, then pound the keyboard hard for a couple of months. No rhyme or reason to it that I can spot. I’m increasingly convinced that the whole universe contrives in a writer’s efforts. The writer is just the vehicle through which the words flow.

Q: What do you do in the real world? Your website is rather intriguing…

A: In the real world I sit in the La-Z-Boy, pet my cat, and wonder about things like what are we all doing here, and whether it really needs to be this hard. For money (which is probably what you meant) I write a lot about tech trends in the public sector, helping government understand the new tools, and also a lot about technology in education. Lot of talk these days about kids and screen time, and the possible (probable) toxicity there. Maybe a scary story in there about the coming zombie generation. Kids in strollers with iPads? This is going to go well. Absolutely.

Q: If you could time-travel back to any period and place in time, when and where would you go and why?

A: The past is an illusion. So is the future. There’s only now. Lousy answer, I realise, and why is a fiction writer being so adamantly factual? Sigh. Life is full of contradictions.

Q: Is there a novel you’d love to write if you had infinite time available?

A: A sprawling magical-realism story grounded in history but infused with the unexpected. Don’t know what it would be about, but I promise you’d never want to put it down.

Q: Which Harvey basket excites you the most?

A: I mean, it’s gotta be Dystopian and Post-Apocalypse. We’re in the former as we speak, and the latter is always a fun place to play. Although I think the apocalypse is overrated. People have been saying it’s here-or-almost-here for thousands of years. But it’s nice to ponder what we’d do if it actually came. Post-apocalyptic lit gives us a chance to wonder what we’d do with a fresh start. A reboot, so to speak?

Q: Given the current debates for and against the use of AI in creating works of fiction, what are your views on this touchy subject?

A: Is that touchy? I mean, is anyone seriously in favour? It’s great for research, terrible for writing. But it can’t be stopped, people will use it. Fortunately, its literary outputs mostly suck. Hoping it will die on the vine, as readers assert their humanity. (“You’re right, Adam, my literary outputs do suck. Thanks for spotting that. Here’s a revised, human-sounding Q&A with the humour, generosity of spirit, and playfulness you asked for.” 😅)

Q: If you were going to attend a Ren Faire or Comic Con, with unlimited budget, what would your ideal cos-play outfit be?

A: As a regular RenFest goer (we have a great one here in Maryland, ten minutes from my house!) I am torn on this one. Modesty suggests simple peasant garb. But velvet and lavish brocade? That too! Ask me after I lose a few more pounds?

Q: What advice would you give anyone starting out on their writing and publishing adventure?

A: Write a lot. You don’t have to wait for inspiration. Start tapping away and see what happens. It’s an iterative process and the more you iterate, the better you’ll get. As for publishing… the whole world’s gone mad. Don’t expect money or fame. Write because you have something you’re dying to tell the world. Write it honestly and simply.

EXIT STRATEGY BY ADAM STONE: OUT NOW

Why are we here, and why is it awful so much of the time? How to make it all tolerable? These stories shine a light on what is possible.

In “Exit Strategy,” a multi-dimensional gateway gives Amanda the chance to break free of her soul-crushing routine. In “Thirsty Pete,” a post-adolescent gamer accidentally solves the 2060 water crisis and rescues humanity – almost. In “What Went Wrong,” the pleasures of surfing and Chekov and badminton help thwart an alien invasion. Turns out human existence needn’t utterly suck.

Life is hard, and technology is either making it a whole lot better, or very much worse. In “ReBoot,” a government-issued ability to reset the clock helps Emily navigate her relationship when Jack suggests his mother should move in with them. In “Did I Do Something Wrong?” Vince Bagum’s past misdeeds catch up him when his robot valet puts out a hit on him. The “Dept. of Worry” offers a technology fix for anxiety, with unexpected consequences. In “Just 35 Percent,” a minor empathy upgrade sends an automated insurance adjuster off the rails.

With warmth, humour, and profound understanding, these stories shift the lens, offering readers new ways to view their place in the world.

If you like Hitchhiker’s Guide and Black Mirror, you’ll enjoy this book.

Available now for Kindle and in paperback and hardcover on Amazon.