Stupid Machine

Set in the year 2062, "Stupid Machine" is a gripping hard science fiction novel and cybernetic noir that explores a world where technology is supposed to be infallible. In this near-future AI dystopia, car accidents have been a thing of the past for over twenty years—until Jordan Bishop’s vehicle undergoes a fatal crash. What looks like a simple malfunction to the world is, to former police detective turned insurance investigator Araci Belo, a clear case of corporate malfeasance and maybe even a murder. As Araci digs into the suspicious death involving an autonomous vehicle, his path crosses with Jupyter Fuertes, a specialized technician who spends her days coaching sentient but glitchy appliances back to life. At the heart of this techno-thriller murder mystery is an unlikely witness: Soteria Reizoko, a smart refrigerator obsessed with a missing delivery of orange juice. This smart appliance mystery challenges the traditional boundaries of the genre, asking deep questions about the ethics of AI and robotics and whether a machine's narrow programming can hold the key to a human conspiracy. Set against the rainy, high-tech backdrop of Portland science fiction, Mark Niemann-Ross weaves a tale of "trash scuttlers," augmented reality, and the deadly side of automation. In a race against time, Araci, Jupyter, and a persistent kitchen appliance must connect the dots before a killer—who is already monitoring their every move—strikes again.