“Animals Like Me. Deep/Fake I”

2020 Larson, Rich[ard William] (b. 1992). “Animals Like Me. Deep/Fake I.” Ignorance is Strength: The Dystopia Triptych 1. Ed. John Joseph Adams, Hugh Howey, and Christine Yant (New York/London: Broad Reach Publishing + Adamant Press, 2020), 29-43. Followed by “Our Lady of Perpetual Distain. Deep/Fake II.” Burn the Ashes: The Dystopia Triptych 2. Ed. John Joseph Adams, Hugh Howey, and Christine Yant (New York/London: Broad Reach Publishing + Adamant Press, 2020), 33-48. Followed by “Failsafe. Deep/Fake III.” Or Else the Light: The Dystopia Triptych 3. Ed. John Joseph Adams, Hugh Howey, and Christine Yant (New York/London: Broad Reach Publishing + Adamant Press, 2020), 35-43. PSt

A dystopia in three parts with the protagonist in the first part the viewpoint character in the second part and a minor figure in the third part, with the parts apparently in chronological order. The first part depicts a society entirely dependent on artificial intelligence, the only employment seems to be in the gig economy, and drug addiction is normal and fostered by pharmaceutical companies. In the second part, hordes of children are running wild and killing people and body parts are removed without consent. In the third part, the protagonist is a goat herder in the mountains, where he went to escape his own addiction, and individuals start showing up announcing that the bot had been overthrown. The author was born in Niger, studied in the U. S., worked in  the Czech Republic and Spain, and lives in Canada.