Week Thirty-Five - August 27th - September 2nd

Title: The Mechanical Muse

Author: FranklinBarnes

Genre: General Fiction

Number of Chapters: 22

Completed? Yes

Link (Added as an in-line comment):

Blurb:

College student Chris Marley agrees to help an enigmatic professor test a cutting-edge AI tool, but discovers he's entered into a Faustian bargain, and must fight to resist the temptation of power and save his soul.

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In this modern reimagining of the Faust myth, Chris Marley, a student at Southern California University, joins an enigmatic professor's research team testing Project Narcissus, a new AI content-generation tool. Limited only by his imagination, Chris invents new talents and accomplishments to erase his shortcomings. His only proof is what he can conjure with Project Narcissus, but the evidence doesn't lie--or so people believe.

Though his fabrications earn him fame, fortune, and a girlfriend, the more Chris embraces his new persona, the more he sacrifices to maintain it. When his unconditional access to Project Narcissus expires, Chris must choose between the temptations of his unfettered creativity and preserving his authentic self.

Goose's Thoughts:

It's another week, and we are venturing into the complex world of AI and just how people can abuse it...

Chris, our protagonist in this story, is probably one of the most unlikable characters I have had the pleasure of reading, and I couldn't be happier. There was something refreshing about having a main character whose entire motivations and actions are questionable from the very beginning. I enjoyed the hypocrisy of his thoughts in the narrative juxtaposing his own actions and the way he behaved throughout the story. Franklin does a fabulous job of creating such a dislikable character. 

The use of AI throughout the story definitely posed some interesting questions given the use of AI in this current day and age. We see Chris, and his friends Valdez and Lucy, use the AI for their own ends and see nothing wrong with their actions. This happens multiple times throughout the story, and by the end, none of them have really seen the error of their ways. It certainly added an interesting commentary into our own lives and the way some people use AI without any consequences. 

To follow of that, one of the things I found most interesting is a lack of any punishment for either Chris, Valdez, or Lucy. They use this AI programme to manipulate their way into popularity and nothing comes about it. None of them are punished for what they did and they all get away with it despite their actions. This is such a strong commentary on our own lives that it felt a little too real in places. 

Franklin's descriptions throughout the story were incredible. He was really able to make the descriptions come right off the page before our very eyes. I loved how he played off on the senses, going above the physical descriptions and leaning into the smells and sounds of the college campus. There were some wonderful descriptions throughout. 

If you're looking for a short story that creates a social commentary on our own world and our own use of AI in the twenty-first century, then I would recommend Franklin's story. He is a master of words throughout the story and I loved following a main character who isn't necessarily a good person and it's hard to judge whether we should route for him or not.

Thank you for writing such an amazing story, Franklin!

-Goose