Friday, April 4, 2025 - See Previous Newsletters

You know what separates writers from "normal" people?

When we have a great idea for a book, we just have to write it.

It grabs hold and simply won't let go.

Even though we know it's going to be a ton of work and probably stretch us to our limits, both mentally and physically, we have to write it anyway.

This is the case for all of the books I've ever written, and BLOB is no exception.

The idea came to me not long after Covid, around the time ChatGPT was released.

A lot of people were concerned about the long-term impact of artificial intelligence, and I was one of them. I kept visualizing a disturbing future where we all became more and more dependent on it until it reached the point where we were all so lazy and obese we couldn't even stand up on our own.

And then I thought: what if there was some programming error or glitch that caused the AI to prioritize its own existence over everything else? And it became our master, instead of the other way around?

Of course, this fear is nothing new, but here comes the twist. Scientists say there are likely thousands or even millions of civilizations in the universe, some not as advanced as ours and some far ahead.

If so, wouldn't this nightmare have happened before, somewhere else?

That notion is at the core of BLOB, which is the name of the main character in the story. He's an alien from a distant planet where the entire population has been enslaved by AI.

Blob's goal? To come to Earth, a planet he has studied from afar, and warn everyone about the dangers of AI. Ideally, he hopes to convince the world leaders to ban all further development of such technology.

Naturally, there are plenty of us Earthlings who don't want to heed his warning—powerful people, filthy rich people—and therein lies the main tension of the story. Blob's arrival and message wreak havoc and upset the world order.

At the same time, some people understand that it's also possible that Blob has come to Earth for less than the altruistic reasons he gives. Isn't it possible that he was sent by the AI to "soften us up" for their takeover of our planet, whatever their goals might be?

All this makes for a juicy main plot, which is summed up in this thirty-second video trailer:

If you're not a fan of science fiction, please don't be put off. This is not a story about aliens flying around in spaceships, the kind of thing that only appeals to tech nerds. There's only a light dash of actual science fiction in the story. The rest is good old human conflict.

Yes, you read that correctly—human conflict.

It turns out that Blob is almost more human than we are, if you catch my drift. He suffers from all the foibles and blemishes we all do, if not more so. He has an ego, is an idealist, and has the capacity to fall in love.

Which brings me to the juiciest part of the book, at least for some readers. The protagonist of the story, Dr. Aurora Minotti, a Stanford biophysicist, can't help falling in love with him in his idealized human, AI-generated form. He's warm, charming, super-intelligent, charismatic, and makes her feel beautiful. Even though having a "real" romantic relationship with him seems impossible... it happens anyway.

Serial Publication of BLOB

I've decided to publish this story serially, chapter by chapter, on Substack.

Free.

Once completed, the serial chapters will be deleted and it will be published as a paid ebook like most of my others.

Why am I doing it this way? By publishing it free, and making a lot of noise about it with video trailers and excerpts on social media, I'll hopefully pick up new readers who will go on to read more of my books.

Also, it's just plain fun to release a book serially. A lot of people enjoy having brand new chapters sent to them each week to read, and I get a lot of useful feedback in the form of comments that help me shape future chapters of the story.

I'd love for you to try it!

To start reading Chapter 1 and sign up for future chapters, click here.

I hope you enjoy the book.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mike

P.S. Have you read all my books?

Catch Up on the Lust, Money & Murder Series With

These Discounted Trilogy Boxed Sets

More 'Unputdownable' Books by Mike Wells
(Click on the photos for full synopses)

International Crime Thriller - Lust, Money & Murder (Series)
The deeper she goes, the more she risks becoming a criminal herself.

International Crime Thriller - Outback Diamonds
In the Outback, trust is the most valuable gem of all.

International Crime Thriller - Marilyn's Secret Lipstick
The past never stays buried.

Crime/Psychological Thriller
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Crime Thriller - The Drive-By Wife
Takes "home invasion" to an entirely new level.

Crime Thriller - Renata's Revenge
They. Picked. The. Wrong. Girl.

Crime Thriller/Serial Murders - With Mother's Approval
A mother's love is eternal. For some, it's lethal.

Romantic Suspense - Forbidden (Series)
Temptation has its price.

New Adult Sci-Fi Adventure - Wild Child (Series)
You don't choose the green water...the green water chooses you.

Horror/Black Comedy
Babies always know...and they don't forget.

Technothriller - The Tesla Secret
Unlocking Tesla’s free energy secret could power the world...or end their lives.

Technothriller - Blind Scorpion
He could walk away a hero...but for which country?

YA Sci-Fi Romance - The Mysterious Disappearance of Kurt Kramer 
Lost in between worlds, will his heart lead him home?

Romantic Comedy - Secrets of the Elusive Lover
He plays the field, but she changes the game.

Coming of Age Suspense - The Wrong Side of the Tracks
First love in the teenage hell known as high school.

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