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Amazon link: Accidental Intelligence
Author: Bryan Chaffin Threads: @geektells; BlueSky: geektells.bsky.social)
Website: geektells.com
Thumbnail sketch: Fast-paced futuristic thriller with memorable characters and a twisty plot. A fun and satisfying read as well as a promising debut for this author.
4 Stars: An excellent story that I recommend. A fun, thrilling, exciting or enlightening book that I wish had not ended.
My take on Accidental Intelligence
The debut novel from Bryan Chaffin, Accidental Intelligence is a fast-paced futuristic thriller shot through with elements of tech noir. This review is based on an advance copy provided by the author for that purpose. The book will be available on November 14, 2023.
More than a century from today, it seems like the life of a private investigator hasn’t changed much: Mason Truman specializes in tracking errant romantic partners and low-level corporate espionage, and he’s not exactly rolling in eagles – the currency of the day and a nice call-back. When he’s approached by a woman looking for her missing brother, he passes on the job until his contact in the local police warns him to steer clear of her.
Mason has a bit of oppositional/defiance to him, a quality that can be dangerous in an age of rampant surveillance and corporate-dominated politics; on the other hand, it’s helpful when uncovering a vast conspiracy involving the powerful Artificial Intelligences vital to everyday life in the Terran Republic. Aided by his trusty implanted factotum, Sam, a techie ‘tinker’ named Peanut, and an erratic AI, Mason has to leverage his natural defiance into overcoming his reticence if the day is to be saved.
The setting and elements of the world depicted in Accidental Intelligence feel familiar to anyone who’s read or watched any amount of futuristic sci-fi – all-powerful corporations and AIs, smart implants, hover cars, food and medicine synthesizers. Wisely, the author avoids dwelling on the gee-whiz stuff and instead gives full attention to a plot filled with twists and indelible characters. Some background is provided in small snippets from ‘contemporary’ reference sources at the start of each chapter, but many details – some important, others merely interesting or fun – are gleaned unobtrusively through character interactions.
Accidental Intelligence is an entertaining read, and I’m looking forward to more great stories from this writer
Scott Whitmore, writer 