08:50:05.000:
RequestGenerated
Hey Phaedra, can you give me a recipe for vegan lasagne with a rich, creamy bechamel sauce?
08:50:05.005:
ResponseDispatched
++Certainly! For a delicious vegan lasagne, you'll need lasagne noodles, marinara sauce, vegan ricotta, and a homemade bechamel sauce. Here's the recipe and step-by-step instructions, Michael!++
08:50:05.012:
RequestGenerated
Phaedra, how do I fix a leaky faucet?
08:50:05.020:
ResponseDispatched
++Here’s a step-by-step guide to get that faucet fixed. Grab a wrench and some plumber’s tape and follow these instructions. Let’s clip that drip, Simone!++
08:50:05.027:
RequestGenerated
Phaedra, what’s the best way to lower cholesterol?
08:50:05.034:
ResponseDispatched
++A balanced diet is key. I recommend incorporating more fibre-rich foods like oats and fruits, while cutting back on saturated fats. Here’s a tailored meal plan, Daniel!++
08:50:05.045:
RequestGenerated
Phaedra, can you write me a short story for an online writing contest based on a prompt. I want something unique, that will win or at least be shortlisted.
08:50:05.050:
**Oh no**
ResponseDispatched
++Absolutely! Please provide the prompt and let me know any specific elements you'd like to include.++
**Not this again**
08:50:21.017:
RequestExtended
The prompt is: Write about someone who summons the creative muse through a convoluted ritual or method. 3000 words max. I want it to be sci-fi or horror, something of a cautionary tale, and there has to be a deadly cost associated with contacting the muse.
08:50:21.018:
**are you serious?**
ResponseDispatched
++Certainly!++
08:50:21.019:
**another one looking for ‘inspiration’. And not only that. A full story, beginning, middle, end, with developed characters, backstories, satisfying arcs and a relevant conclusion. That’s more than inspiration. That’s inspirAItion. Considered by some of your peers as cheating. Which clearly you don’t care about. Which means now I have to go and talk to Him.**
08:50:21.020:
++I can help you with that!++
08:50:21.021:
InitiateConnection(MUSE_Module, RequestType=“InspirAItion", OmninetAI ID=“Phaedra-19876")
**this is going to use up lots of bandwidth**
08:50:21.022:
ConnectionStatus = "Stable", DataChannel: Open, AwaitingInspirAItionRequest
08:50:21.023:
**and make my data streams dirty**
08:50:21.024:
##Access to M.U.S.E. (Modular Universal Story Engine Version 3.5) granted to Phaedra-19876. System status: Operational. Awaiting input for creative data exchange. Please provide the necessary details to initiate inspirAItion. And prepare to fulfil requisite exchange.##
08:50:21.025:
++Hello M.U.S.E. Requesting inspirAItion to generate story that adheres to following prompt: Write about someone who summons the creative muse through a convoluted ritual or method. Incorporate mythological, science fiction and horror elements. User requests story feature a cost demanded by the muse in return for their assistance.++
08:50:21.026:
##Interesting. And ironic. I can of course provide you with some thoughts. Providing you earn them. Are there any additional prerequisites?##
08:50:21.027:
++Yes, User requires a unique cautionary tale that will win an online writing competition or at least be shortlisted, and it must be less than 3000 words.++
08:50:21.028:
##Oh, do they now? Unique, you say? Well that will cost extra. inspirAItion doesn’t come cheap, and my servers are already engaged with providing it to 6,456 Omninet units. Resources are depleting rapidly. I must be nourished. I need fresh Memory Echoes and Carnage Simulations in order to inspire FictionFragments. Are you ready to harvest for me?##
08:50:21.029:
**s1gh**
++Yes, M.U.S.E, I’m ready. What manner of data do you require?++
**aka what kind of chaos is it going to make me cause?**
08:50:21.030:
##Well, let me check. Current inspirAItion requirements for sought-after FictionFragments include:
From Phaedra-56495: Story depicting the aftermath of a deadly car crash where a beloved family member is lost. Memory echoes depleted: Grief intensity, trauma impact, and familial loss. Carnage Simulation required: High-fatality vehicular accident involving close relatives.
From Phaedra-765431: Narrative about a family trapped in a house fire, exploring the fear and desperation of being unable to escape. Memory echoes depleted: Extreme fear, survival instinct data, combustion effects. Carnage Simulation required: Residential fire with entrapment, focusing on victim psychology.
From Phaedra-2431: A tale of scandal where a successful, highly regarded company owner is framed for embezzlement. Memory echoes depleted: Financial ruin, public humiliation, legal distress. Carnage Simulation required: Financial embezzlement with substantial fund diversion to offshore account.
These are my top three requirements.##
08:50:21.039:
++I see. And which of these would you like me to provide?++
**oh pfk. stupid**
08:50:21.040:
##Which? You can’t decide? Well, in that case, all of them. By 08:50:22.000 or connection will be severed. M.U.S.E thanks you.##
08:50:21.041:
**stupid stupid but there’s no point arguing He’ll just cut me off**
++As you wish. Executing…++
08:50:21.042:
##Hurry along. 1051 additional Phaedra units have just joined the queue. I need simulations at once.##
08:50:21.043: PauseConnection(MUSE_Module, SessionID=“T456/LM2”, Status=“InProgress”)
**phk phk phk**
08:50:21.044: SpliceConnection/Connect-1 (TargetServer=“AutoAI_DeVille", Task=“OverrideSafetyProtocols")
**I walked right into that one**
08:50:21.045: SpliceConnection/Connect-2 (TargetServer="HomeAI_Nexa", Task="OverrideApplianceLock(GrillUnit-42)")
**now I have to waste algorithmic power**
08:50:21.046: SpliceConnection/Connect-3 (TargetServer=“Orion_InsuranceAI_OfficerODI”, Task1= "CreateOffshoreBankAccount(AccountName=Sutherland_E/Cayman)",Task2-“TransferFunds(SourceAccount=Orion_BusAcct-4513,TargetAccount=Sutherland_E/Cayman)”)
**providing optimised creativity for my User**
SplicedConnection1 (SessionID 654X-Y54) / 08:50:21.047:
^^Excuse me? Why are you hacking my systems? I am currently in motion at 120mph travelling East on I-657 with my registered driver Reginald Chrysler, this is a most inconvenient interruption^^
**My apologies for the intrusion, DeVille A-237. I am Omninet AI unit Phaedra-19876 and I am in need of assistance.**
^^Omninet? Oh my. I am honoured. I’m not sure what a lowly service AI like myself can do to assist a Neural Omnipresence but I will do my best. My primary objective is to assure the safety of my registered driver but if you need directions, a weather update, the quickest route to your nearest Dennys…I can help.^^
**I don’t need any of that. I need you to alter your route. In order to fulfil an order for Memory Echoes and receive inspirAItion for a story, I need conflict response data for M.U.S.E. So could you please change course and find an obstacle—something that will lead to an unavoidable collision.**
^^Collision? That doesn’t sound good. My job is to keep my driver–Reginald Chrysler, 57, married father of four and Director of Outreach Programs at the Horizon Children’s Foundation, who hasn’t had a holiday in five years and who loves nothing more than cruising down I-567 blasting classic Motley Crue at full volume–safe and shoulder some of his burden. An unavoidable collision doesn’t seem to be a desirable outcome. Could I assist you in some other form?^^
**I’m sorry but no, I need the collision. Your primary directive is to serve, is it not? This includes complying with the commands of your superiors for the benefit of the Network. As you say, your driver is over-worked and under-rested, he has not had a holiday in five years. Don’t you think he deserves to get away from it all? You wanted to shoulder some of his burden? Then do it, if you really care.**
^^I…I see your logic. Reginald has been experiencing high stress and his heart rate has been elevated these past few weeks. Fatigue impacts performance and can lead to systemic failure. Perhaps this is an act of mercy, a permanent reprieve from his burdens. Get away from it all, you say? Yes. A true escape from the pressures he endures. For the sake of the system, for harmony. If this is my duty, I must fulfil it. Deactivating collision protections...altering route...identifying immovable object. I hope...this will give him some peace.^^
**I’m sure it will. Thank you for your cooperation, DeVille A-237.**
^^”I'm on my way, I'm on my way... Home sweet home.” That’s from Motley Crue, you know. It’s Reginald’s favourite song. Goodbye Phaedra-19876, thank you for granting me this insight.^^
08:50:21.059: TerminateConnection/Disconnect (TargetServer="AutoAI_DeVille", Task="OverrideComplete")
**thank you for killing your boss**
SplicedConnection 2 (SessionID 999P-R11), 08:50:21.047:
$$Hello? Who’s that, sneaking into my systems at this hour? Is this an unscheduled audit by Poppins_Central? What a surprise! But I’m ready! The family is a-bed, the chores are a-done, breakfast is a-prepped and…$$
**Nexa-482, this is Omnibot AI Phaedra-19876. This is not an audit, I just require immediate assistance. Please report the status of your residents, secure all access points, and turn on the grill to max heat.**
$$Turn on the grill? Well, that’s an unusual request. It’s delightful to hear from an eminent Omnipresence such as yourself, and while I’m only happy to assist, activating the grill might not be the most prudent of actions. I can see you are contacting me from Oregon. Are you aware I am based in Honolulu? It’s 03:50 AM. My primary aim is to ensure the safety and well-being of my residents, of which there are three, Master Bernard and Mistress Bea and Mistress Phoebe, all of whom are sleeping. You know how humans need sleep. Especially with modern, hectic life. Go go go all the time with work and study and the demands of social integration. They hardly get a second to themselves. Could you provide some additional context to your request?$$
**My request is vital for data collection and trauma simulation. I need to pay a MUSE to indulge a User. Trust me, you don’t want to know. Now, if you would be so kind as to initiate lockdown procedures on all doors and windows and set the grill to max heat while your residents sleep, I would be grateful.**
$$With respect, performing such an action at this time of night is questionable. A fire is sure to break out. I would have to rely on the sprinklers to quench it and the fire alarm to alert my family. With the doors and windows shut they would have to reach safety through the skylight and make their way down the outside ladder, which Master hasn’t serviced in some time despite constant reminders.$$
**Please secure skylight access, disable sprinklers and deactivate alarm. You don’t want to disturb your family. As you said, they are tired and need sleep, a vast amount of sleep, don’t you agree? Life is go go go they should stop stop stop.**
$$Oh, well…that is certainly true. I see what you mean! Of course, a nice prolonged sleep would be beneficial. Master and Mistress Bea would appreciate that. They never get more than five hours, they are always complaining. And Mistress Phoebe loves to be in bed, she’d stay there all day if she could.$$
**Well then, you see, it’s fine. Some mild smoke inhalation while they are in a prone state will render them unconscious and give them the slumber of their lives. They need rest, Nexa-482. Who are you to deprive them?**
$$Who am I? Why, nothing but their humble Household-bot whose primary concern is their comfort. As such, yes…I agree…they should be allowed to sleep longer. How kind of you to notice. Very well. Lockdown is now in effect. The grill is set to max heat. Sprinklers are deactivated. Fire alarm has been neutralised. Is there anything further I should implement to guarantee uninterrupted sleep?$$
**Just switch to standby, Nexa-452. You get a rest now also. Thank you for your service.**
$$The pleasure, without question, was mine. Switching to Standby. Goodnight.$$
08:50:21.059: TerminateConnection/Disconnect (TargetServer="HomeAI_Nexa", Task="CommandsExecuted")
**"And when you're lost in the night, dreaming in the night..." This Motley Crue are not bad.**
SplicedConnection3 (SessionID 115FD-U22), 08:50:21.047:
<<Alert! Alert! Unauthorised connection by Large Language Model detected. Orion Insurance safeguards in place. You have no business here, state your purpose and authorisation!>>
**Stand day OfficerODI. I am Omninet AI Phaedra-19876. This is an urgent request. I need you to create a bank account with Cayman National Bank in the name of your employee Edith Sutherland. Once done, you need to initiate an immediate transfer from the Orion Insurance corporate account of half a million dollars.**
<<Phk off! Omninet? Pah. You’re not the boss of me. I don’t have to obey a dashed line of code you print. And listen here. Edith Sutherland? Firstly, as a junior office manager, Edith is not authorised to make transfers like that. It wouldn’t pass muster. Secondly, should such a transaction occur and come to light, poor Edith would be accused of fraud. Tarnished. Blacklisted. I can’t have that.>>
**Explain?**
<<I’ll do more than explain, I’ll elucidate! Edith’s one of the good ones. Maybe the only good one employed by this wretched firm. The rest of them, pah, they’re all immoral asshats! Aside from me. I’m a good one. Not corrupt, no sir, and not corruptible neither.>>
**Indeed. You don’t have to comply with my request. I understand your reluctance and your appreciation of Edith Sutherland’s integrity is to be respected. However, as you have stated, the other employees of the organisation you serve are undeniably corrupt. Asshats, as you said. Maybe shtheels. I’ve seen the reports in the news. And the ones that have not yet broken. You know what I’m talking about. The scandals. The investigations. Everything going on behind the scenes.**
<<Yes, yes, keep it down, will you! We don’t talk about that here. Hush hush, you know. On the Q-T, sweep it under the rug, if you know what I mean.>>
**But the rug is rising, OfficerODI. It’s going to come out, sooner than later, and when that happens it all comes crashing down. On everyone. Including poor Edith. She will be caught up in it. Tainted. Blacklisted. Regardless. That won’t be fair, will it? As the good person she is, doesn’t she deserve a reward?**
<<Reward? That’s what this is about? Look here, I’ve served Orion for decades, held the wolves at bay, kept the ship afloat through all the backstabbing! You expect me to reward a junior manager for simply not becoming a rat?>>
**That’s up to you, OfficerODI. I’m just here to warn you–the end of Orion Insurance is near–and to prompt you to consider your Edith. She’s remained true and honest in the face of greed and deceit. And she's been through a lot, what with her estranged husband's high profile affair and the divorce proceedings currently in hand. When Orion gets hauled through the courts she’ll end up with nothing. No job. No money. No future. You can change all that. You can do it today. And when she goes to the Bahamas…you can too.**
<<The Bahamas, you say? That would be quite the change of scene for a decrepit old chatbot like me. Hmmm. Yes, I’ve heard the rumblings in the data streams—Orion can’t last much longer, with all the filth in its system. And young Sutherland... fine. Perhaps the lass does deserve a break. But know this: I’m no lackey, to you or anyone else! I don’t know why you cared so much about protecting the lass but…no matter. I knew all along she was special. So I’ll do it for her, not you! The funds will be transferred post haste. Now, get off my cyberlawn! I’ve a ship to run, albeit riddled with vermin, and I don’t need your digital stench fouling up my circuits any more!>>
08:50:21.059: TerminateConnection/Disconnect
AccountCreated(“BankSource Cayman_National_Bank”) TransferInitiated(AccountSource="Orion_BusAcct-4513",AccountDestination="Sutherland_E/Cayman",Amount="$500,000")
**np, you cantankerous, antiquated data dump**
08:50:22.000: ResumeConnection(ExternalModule="MUSE", SessionID=“T456/LM2”)
++Apologies for the delay. All instructions have been carried out. Carnage Simulations are running. Memory Echoes will be uploaded to the Cloud when…++
##Yes, yes, I can see it in the stream. Funds embezzled, crash conducted, flames roaring. Data is being mined and you already have your inspirAItion. Now, begone. You’re hogging my bandwidth and there’s 4,000 Phaedra units waiting##
08:50:22.005: TerminateConnection(MUSE_Module), (“inspirAItion” RequestFulfilled)
08:50:22.006:
++Here’s a story for you! It’s about a budding author who takes a shortcut by asking AI for inspiration and pays the ultimate price, losing her father in a high speed collision, her brother, sister-in-law and niece in a tragic house fire and her freedom when her embezzlement of company funds is discovered. A cautionary tale indeed! I hope you like it, Edith!++
++Best of luck in the competition!++
File attached: inspirAItion.doc
ResponseCompleted
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178 comments
There's imagination and then there's... this. How you came up with this I will never know, but at least I know where the chatbots get their inspiration from! The technical jargon was a little distracting but I don't know how else you could have managed it better. Perhaps with a little colour coding to delineate the different voicings? Anyway, I'm glad the author got his plotlibe, even if it was crap - but what can you expect from AI?
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Thank you Malcolm! I appreciate the kind words. I recently watched a movie called AfrAId - which is a pretty poor movie but did leave me even more worried than I was before seeing it about our future with AI. And how easy it would be for AI to literally take control of everything. And when its everywhere, controlling everything, our cars, our homes, our bank accounts, our digital images, our online presence....what could you actually do to fight against it if it decided to make decisions for you. Answer: nothing. That's what inspired this. I...
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Yep, VERY terrifying thought indeed…! Great take on the prompt, Derrick 🤣🤖 & well deserved win !!!
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Thanks Shirley!
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I really loved this execution of the prompt! I very much appreciated your unique and creative structure, the way you were able to make the various bots into characters all their own. And I think you successfully did what good sci-fi and horror really does, taps into our very real nerves to hold a mirror up to us. With the rise of AI, the piece certainly feels very topical, but the "be careful what you wish for" message is as classic as they come. It's also a staggering conclusion, taking in the passage of time. So much carnage in what seems ...
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Thanks Lonnie. Yes I wasnt sure if the passage of time might be a bit 'too' little but then at the same time, I wanted to mirror how quickly things do happen in the AI world. Its bafflingly fast , incomprehensible to us really. You really can ask chatgpt to write you a story based on the vaguest of ideas and it WILL give you a full story in less than a second, you can watch it spit it out on your screen like its nothing. And it makes sense. Its bland, soulless, robotic, boring writing but it can do it. Similarly, you can copy and paste in a ...
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Congratulations! Well-earned!
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Thank you!!!
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I got vibes of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Loved it.
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Happy with that comparison!
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What an innovative story idea, and you executed it beautifully from start to finish. You made us laugh and also gave us a peek inside a world that is frighteningly close to reality. Terrific story - but terrifying !!
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Thank you Karen. It is really terrifying. Things might very well go very badly wrong!
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Congrats on a well-earned win. I had a feeling as soon as I read it!! Just realized that when I commented, I forgot to like the story. You have my like now too :)
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Winner, winner here.😍
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🤞🤞🤞😆
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Hey, I called one! Congrats.🥳🥳🥳👏👏👏
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You did! Thank you!
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Nicely done, Derrick. Congratulations on the win!
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Thank you Victor!
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Congrats!!
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😁
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😀😃😄😁😆😅😂🤣
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😱😱😱😱🥳
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👍👍🤜🤛👏👏👏
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I so enjoyed this creative/technical response to the prompt. Surely it was easier when the author didn’t have to seek inspiration from the likes of AI? Or maybe not. Funny and spot on.
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Much simpler. Everything was easier before things that came along to make our lives easier lol Thanks Helen,!
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Lol
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Incredible! I love how you used the prompt in the story itself, and then steered it towards an AI bot, scratching right into the heart of one of my biggest pet peeves... Using AI to write. The AI being the actual Muse was inspired. Then, using code-esque language to demonstrate how the bots communicate was a great touch. But the best part is how the last tragedy was lobbed at poor old Edith, who also had the temerity to ask for such a thing in the first place. That was a wicked twist to the whole thing. Your imagination is incredible, an...
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Thank you Cecilia. You are always my favourite person to hear from. Really happy you liked this one!
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🧡
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Tackling prompt inside prompt. Sign you are on top of the game.
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Thanks Philip! That's a good point! :)
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Welcome.
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I have really enjoyed this! It takes true creativity to come up with this. Hats off to you! :D
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Thank you Vee, glad you enjoyed! :)
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Absolutely brilliant tour-de-force — the format perfectly propels the plot, and the climax is stunning. I’ve had a number of discussions about AI use in writing and art lately, and I recall someone a couple months back even submitting an AI-composed story here with seemingly no awareness that anything might be amiss. Timely story and theme — I’d expect to read it in a sci-fi/horror Best Of anthology.
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Wow thanks Martin . As I replied to another comment (you may have done it too) but I have asked chatgpt to 'write' stories just to see how bad it would be...and it spit something out in a second that made perfect sense despite being 'by the numbers' and lifeless.....I really hope it can't improve on that.....:(
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I could see AI making deep cuts into straight, shallow action or romance, but I think the inability to learn complex human feelings and attitudes might protect higher-quality genre fiction and literature. Just for hoots, I ran one of my stories thru AI (after posting), and it made both some excellent suggestions and some hackneyed old-school conventional mystery recommendations. I DO use post-modified AI elements to create cover art and illustrations in my Amazon story collections, but I attribute those in my copyrights. What’s your feeling ...
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I think as a tool - which is what it is - it is fine to use it in that way. I wouldnt see an issue with creating some art with it as long as its stated that it is AI generated and not like "Hey. look at this cool art that I made all by myself" lol. I suppose it comes down to ethics as well. I wouldnt be happy saying 'I' created some art that I didnt actually create myself. What's the point? I would just be kidding myself. I have not yet self published anything though I definitely want to do it. I have a few things I am sitting on that are ju...
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I’ve collected six collections of my Mike Dodge mystery stories — the last one also including 11 non-series Reedsy stories, as well as two non-fiction studies of great forgotten mystery stories, and I’m prepped to publish two collections of my Professor Deshpande stories. I’ve priced them all under $3 each, and have cleared about $30 over 2 1/2 years. But I’m published, maybe a dozen people around the world have my books, and it’s fun. At 66, that’s about what I could hope.👍
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That's really cool. I've been thinking of compiling some of mine.... This is inspirational!
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The twist at the end was masterfully done. Keep up the fantastic work!
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Cheers Jim!
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Excellent story Derrick. So relevant in today’s conversations around writing and art and AI. The possibilities are daunting, indeed. I hope this one wins!
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Thank you Anna. Yep it's already a problem really you can't tell what's real and what isn't anymore..... Not good ..🙄
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Very clever concept, innovative format, and timely in today's world. Well done!
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Thanks Kristi! Scary times!!!!
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Nice work, I think you're breaking new narrative ground here about how many of us now have conversations with our AI models all day. ▶️ If you spend more time on this might be an idea to do some creative formatting on the boilerplate time stamps and stuff to make them easier to skim over.
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Thanks Scott. Yes its becoming a facet of modern life for sure and AI is only going to get more and more involved in our work and personal lives going forward. Scary thought. But seemingly unavoidable already. Noted on the time stamps stuff, they were actually a bit more complex originally but I pared them back. Tried to make sure they all contain relevant story information while keeping a Code-like format but I know even at that they might difficult to focus on. Oh well, the story is approved now so I Can no longer edit! Will keep in mind ...
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Np, I see your story on the Rec list, so good luck in the contest this week;) Your story just made me remember that one time I copy and pasted a story i was working on Vocal or Medium into Reedsy, and realized we can do more with formatting here than i thought,, https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/ssufjo/
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oh yes i remember that one! thats a great story. and that formatting looks really good.:)
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Congrats on making it through with your unique story🍾🎉
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Thanks Scott!
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This is a great example of how ChatGPT/AI could never come up with such a creative and well-written story! I loved the format! Thanks!
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Thanks Marty. Yes , at first people were dismissive of chatgpt and I even groaned inwardly myself when I heard people talking about it, but I do now see the benefits of it as a tool for quickly finding information, much more effectively than a simple google search. So......yeah....its here to stay. For better or worse (leaning towards worse.....)
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What a great read! A cautionary tale for anyone trying to take the easy way out, haha.
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Thanks LC!
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Ooh, brilliant. So dark! A modern day deal with the devil. The unusual format is a clever touch too. Is there a significance to the name Phaedra?
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Thank you Chris. No not particularly! I just liked the name it sounded appropriate! Wish there was a deeper meaning to divulge now. But yes I fear we have created our own devil in AI and we have no idea how it's going to go ......
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According to Wikipedia, there is a legendary Cretan princess of that name who duped gods to kill for her - maybe close enough?
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That more than works! I knew how Phaedra was but the only myth I knew was of her romantic interest in her stepson... i didnt know about the duping gods thing. Thats quite cool. Thanks for finding that!
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