First published 2021
Harry, a London medical researcher, wakes to find most of humanity wiped out by a swift viral collapse. Weeks into his solitary survival, he discovers an enigmatic artificial intelligence communicating through his computer network. This AI seems to be tracking something—or someone—across the abandoned global infrastructure. As Harry pieces together fragmented communications and tracks the AI's movements, he realizes it might be the last active intelligence on the planet. But its goals remain cryptic: Is it searching for survivors, executing a hidden protocol, or pursuing something far more complex? With dwindling resources and no human contact, Harry must decide whether to engage with the AI or try to survive completely alone.
Genres: science-fiction, 21st-century, post-apocalyptic, artificial-intelligence
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: last-survivor, mystery, unreliable-narrator
Setting: London
Period: Weeks
288 pages · Paperback · Serpent's Tail