authorburton's Reading List
8 stories
THE END OF WAR (Watty Award Winner) by BenSobieck
BenSobieck
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    Parts 88
A secret program in the United States seeks to replace human militaries with artificial intelligence-driven machines, but the machines aren't so willing to play along. *** Picture a world where humans no longer fight wars. No more families missing loved ones. No more veterans with lifelong mental and physical scars. No more conscription. For the super-secret End of War Project inside the United States government, such a reality is already here. The project models out how artificial intelligence can overcome dangerous and morally sensitive war scenarios with algorithms and automation. The centerpieces are "autonomous combat machines," or ACMs, that look like humans but function like supercomputers. After a string of brilliant successes in the field of combat, the End of War Project is preparing to reveal itself to the public, but something unusual stands in the way. Against their programming, the ACMs start exhibiting all-too-human signs of apprehension, guilt and compassion as they're pushed to perform ever more extreme tasks. The human leaders of the End of War Project race to find who "hacked" the ACMs, but what they find is even more startling--and revealing--than they could ever imagine. ***2019 Watty Award Winner - Science Fiction***
Static Crush  {M/M}  ✔ by kataraqui
kataraqui
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    Parts 59
WATTY 2019 WINNER Hale, a state of the art android, can do nearly anything a human can. He cooks meals, cleans and organizes the house, repairs broken appliances, and runs errands. He can even provide for the more carnal needs of his owner. None of these tasks should present any challenge for Hale, and they don't-until he meets his next door neighbour, Rayner. Rayner seems like an unassuming gardener, but he asks Hale a lot of questions. Does Hale wish he could smell or taste food? What would he look like if his appearance hadn't been chosen for him? From the moment they meet, Hale runs into errors in otherwise simple tasks. He experiences bizarre sensations that none of his diagnostic tools can explain, and struggles to appease the people in his owner's social circle. As the errors in his programming begin to wear on his owner's patience, Hale faces the most difficult decision yet. If he can't evolve to meet her needs, he'll be returned and recycled into parts for future androids. If he does evolve, is he still just an android? Or something more? In all this, Rayner is the only man who can help him, and Rayner only has one question left for Hale. What does he want? Hale wasn't designed to want anything, but perhaps he can find the answer in the man with all the questions. TOP RANKINGS #1 in #freethelgbt #1 in #android - UPDATES WEDNESDAYS Story and artwork by Alistair Reeves This story is edited by Lyra Evans; she has amazing books on Amazon, so check her out if you like fantasy and mxm romance! I always love hearing from readers! Your time, votes, reviews and comments keep me constantly motivated. If you're interested in supporting this story even more than you already do by reading, please check out my Patreon (linked from my profile)! You can find me @kataraqui on Twitter/IG/Tumblr - Content warning for emotional/sexual abuse (not between MC and LI). Sexual abuse at the end of chapter 2 if you want to skip it.
Prospect: Paradigm by thepaulbianchi
thepaulbianchi
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A young archeologist is launched on the adventure of her life when she joins a mixed crew of humans and aliens on a mission to atone for the failings of Earth. *** The Terra Prospect Mission offered humanity a chance at space travel, technological advancement, and enlightenment courtesy of its alien benefactors who made first contact thirty years ago. Daran Chree brought that mission to a fiery end when he crashed the Terra Prospect spaceship into Gate Delta Eleven. Now, it's humanity's second and final chance to prove they're ready to journey into the stars. Nineteen-year-old studying archeologist Sofeta Prenares finds herself not only drawn to the mission, but on a collision course with the fate of the galaxy. 2019 Watty Awards Winner For Sci-Fi! Content warning: This story contains reference to self harm and intense combat scenes.
Trial 017 - 2019 Wattys Sci-Fi Winner by jhobbes627
jhobbes627
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    Parts 39
***2019 Watty Award Winner - Science Fiction*** Charlie has always been the one left behind. It isn't because there's something special about him; in fact, there is nothing special about him at all. As one of the few unlucky members of Terran society to be born without powers, Charlie's luck has never looked worse. After a visit to his brother's school ends in an international disaster, Charlie finds himself stranded on an alien planet with no idea where he is, how he got there, or why he is even awake. Why did his captors let him go? How will Charlie get home? And more importantly, what in the world is Trial 017? [Book One of the Scion series]
The Destroyer by authorburton
authorburton
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    Parts 19
NOW COMPLETE! This book is a continuation of my previous book called Time Off. Centuries after Earth has ceased to support human biology, the human species lives on. Lola explores the outer reaches and the deep mysteries of the multiverse. We also peer back into the past, where humanity is desperately trying to find a way to survive. Lola is also the pioneer in human survival. Now, mankind finds itself having impacts on a universal scale and must make new discoveries, or else outgrow the expanse of the known universe. But there is a problem. Humanity is at risk of annihilation by its own creation. Please read Time Off first, which will provide more basis. I also wrote a series called Running Boys. That is a great adventure story. It can be read in its complete form or as two smaller volumes that are separated according to two different time periods. The complete form is a long read but a better way to experience the story.
The Four Baristas of the Apocalypse (sample) by Reffster
Reffster
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When aliens invade, four baristas are forced to become the saviours of the world. Grab your double-shot of java and strap in - it's going to be a bumpy ride! ***** In the Earth's darkest hour, unexpected heroes are stirring... their coffee, that is. Four baristas on a camping trip are under-qualified to save the world from an alien invasion. But thanks to a hologram with no fashion sense, newly developed superpowers and an alien with a guilty conscience, they've landed the job anyway! So grab your double-shot of java, your blueberry muffin and strap in - Hasta barista, baby. [[2018 Wattys winner and twice featured]] [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Please note this is a sample of the book, which has been published and is available for purchase: Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WKFVKQJ Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1644342154