Backlash Frontlash Whiplash: The Light Fantastic

by Bria Burton, Kristin Durfee (Editor), Charles A Cornell (Editor)

Software developer Dora has created the world's most advanced Artificial Intelligence hologram called Aya. Intended to be an avatar who elevates the user in social media spheres, the testing phase proves that the proverbial off switch doesn't apply to genuine AI.A short humor story in The Light Fantastic..INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHORQ - What is The Light Fantastic?A - In The Light Fantastic, nine authors unite to bring laughter, chuckles, giggles, guffaws, and amusement to the masses amidst speculative twists and turns. Literary comedic geniuses like Kurt Vonnegut, Jonathan Swift, Helen Fielding, Samuel Beckett, Terry Pratchett, Gail Carriger, Mark Twain, and Oscar Wilde inspired the authors of the Alvarium Experiment in their quest for comedic gold, exploring every facet from dark humor to slapstick, deadpan to satire, dry humor to parody, and anything else we might consider a tickler of funny bones. The featured stories fall into fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres, but they do get up again and brush themselves off. This is the sixth project by the Alvarium Experiment, a consortium of accomplished and award-winning authors.Q - Where should a reader start when selecting a short story to read in The Light Fantastic?A - Each story is self-contained and can be read in any order. The reader is free to select any of the stories at random to begin their experience. The book description will explain the premise for each particular story.About the AuthorBRIA BURTON lives in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida, with her wonderful husband, her darling son, and two wild pets. Her short fiction has appeared in over twenty anthologies and magazines, including The Prometheus Saga Volumes 1 & 2 , Return to Earth , and The Masters Reimagined Volumes 1 & 2, projects of the Alvarium Experiment. Two of her unpublished manuscripts have won First Place Royal Palm Literary Awards. Her Midnight Ride, a novelette featured in The Prometheus Saga 2 won a 2019 RPLA Silver Award. Her novella, Little Angel Helper, earned high praise from the 25th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards, and won a 2016 RPLA. She also wrote a collection of family-friendly pet stories called Lance & Ringo Tails. At St. Pete Running Company, she's a blogger and customer service manager. Visit Bria at www.briaburton.com for updates on her projects, links to purchase publications, and info about upcoming appearances.

38 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 4, 2021

About the author

Award-winning author Bria Burton lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, with her husband, son, and two wild pets. Her author motto, “Rekindle Your Wonder,” stems from her desire to renew a sense of awe and wonder in her readers. She writes science fiction, fantasy, and inspirational fiction. Her short stories have appeared in over twenty anthologies and magazines. In 2022, she joined the Joy on Paper radio program as a Special Correspondent for the monthly Science Fiction BookBuzz. She has independently published two inspirational novellas: Little Angel Helper, a 2016 Royal Palm Literary Award winner, and The Running Girls. In 2019, Her Midnight Ride won the Silver Award in the published novelette category for RPLA. While she writes, her dog and cat do their best to distract her, which is why they star in her family-friendly short story collection and podcast, Lance & Ringo Tails. At St. Pete Running Company, she's a blogger and customer service manager. She's also a member of the Alvarium Experiment, a by-invitation-only consortium of outstanding authors who have collaborated on six anthologies: The Prometheus Saga Vol. 1 & 2, Return to Earth, The Masters Reimagined Vol. 1 & 2, and The Light Fantastic. Website www.briaburton.com