Hello Readers! I’d love to introduce you to author Seb Kirby, who hails all the way from Wirral, UK! He is the author of the James Blake Thriller series (TAKE NO MORE, REGRET NO MORE and FORGIVE NO MORE), the psychological thrillers EACH DAY I WAKE, SUGAR FOR SUGAR and HERE THE TRUTH LIES, and the sci-fi thrillers DOUBLE BIND and JESSICA 8.

An avid reader from an early age, Seb’s grandfather ran a mobile lending library in Birmingham and he was hooked from the first moment he discovered the treasure trove of books left to his parents. Now, as a full-time writer, his goal is to add to the magic of the wonderful words and stories he discovered back then.

I’d love to introduce you to his novel Jessica 8!

Deception is the name of the game…

When Detective Cheryl Ryan is paired with Jessica 8, a next-generation AI, they form a formidable partnership.

Yet nothing comes easy.

They face opposition from those who say AIs have no place in police work.

When Jessica discovers she can enter Cheryl’s memories and uncover the truth about the detective’s damaged past, she questions what it means to be human – leaving Cheryl to wonder if this isn’t Jessica’s plan all along.

Join them as they investigate a deceptive game of disappearances and murder and confront a life-threatening conspiracy of the rich and powerful.

I wanted to ask Seb a few questions about Jessica 8.

Me: What inspired you to write this novel?

Seb: The inspiration for my effort is the stage play ‘Marjorie Prime’ by Jordan Harrison which appeared as a film in 2017. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Prime ). This raised the prospect of presenting a character normal in appearance and most actions that happens to be the product of artificial intelligence, an AI. My concept is to utilize this in a crime thriller and push this to take in near-future science fiction themes including life extension and the social response to AI itself.

Me: What message or theme do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Seb: I’m not that keen on sending messages but I’d be interested for readers to form their own views on the themes at work in the book. It looks certain that use of AI will increasingly become a fact of life in both our working and personal lives. Is this an opportunity or a threat? And at the philosophical level, will AIs develop to display a consciousness equal to, or even superior to, that of humans? Also, how far is it moral to pursue life extension to its limit? Big questions for our time. But be assured, these concerns are woven into the fabric of a crime thriller with the main aim to be entertaining and immersive in its own right. 

Thank you Seb for letting us learn about you! If you are interested in checking out Seb’s work, please click here: https://mybook.to/q0zt1X