Ghosted

by Aisha Tritle

When social media obsessed Audrey is offered the chance to test a program where she can meet ‘ghosts’ - digital impressions of people created from their online data - she eagerly accepts.

But then she runs into the ghost of Luc, the one that got away. How does he seem to know Audrey’s deepest, darkest secrets? And what is the true purpose of the program? As Audrey ventures further into the twisted virtual world, she realizes that she’ll have to find out exactly how much Luc knows…

Or risk everyone finding out about her.

44 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2022

About the author

Aisha Tritle is a novelist, playwright, actress, entertainment analyst, and AI enthusiast. Spending her childhood in Arizona, she was active in the performing arts - which led to her moving to Los Angeles at the age of eighteen to pursue a career in entertainment. She has studied with famed acting coach John Kirby and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Turning her hand to plays, she completed two One-Act Comedies in 2016: both of which have been published in the U.K.
Aisha currently spends her days as a research consultant for film studios and fulfilling her passion of writing novels. Her techno-thriller novelette Endgame was released by Kyanite Publishing in February, and her novel Life2 will be also be released by Kyanite later this year.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was crazy! Such a fast-paced thrilling sci-fi short story which will keep you hooked throughout.

The story is about AI, the ill-effects as well as what we can achieve if AI beings can replace us in order to perform our best in the future.

The writing is the highlight I would say.

I am so looking forward to this series! Do not think twice. Just grab the book when you can and enjoy the crazy ride!

Thank you, Aisha Tritle, for the advance reading copy.

[Ishika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghosted is a very fast paced short story set in the future. It's about Audrey who's given a chance to test a program which is based on online dating but the catch is that the date is a "ghost", digital impressions of a person created from their online data. There she meets Luc, someone she had dated before and who knows all of her secrets.

I liked the plot of the book. It was something new to me. I haven't read a lot of books involving AI but this one was very interesting. What I didn't get was James character or HOW Luc knows so many of Audrey's secret. I needed a little more details about how the data of a person was stored. But other than that it was good and I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an e-arc of this book.

[Abantika(hiltonjenkin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

These short novellas by Aisha are indeed a treat of a read.

Ghosted is speculative fiction that opens with Audrey checking out the likes and comment on her posts to get her daily dose of dopamine. But what starts off as a rather innocent trait of her character, soon starts to show off its teeth as the plot proceeds--and thus begins a thrill of a ride.

Similar to to Aisha's other book, Endgame, amalgamates the elements of suspense, sci-fi and thrill to deliver a powerful plot. It is high on adrenaline and only in such less pages, gets you completely invested in Audrey's story. The narrative in consuming and keeps you on the edge of your seat. But what had me at awe was her writing style(through I shouldn't have been surprised since I've read her other books too). It had such an organic flow to it. No part of the plot or dialogue ever seemed forced or put there to advance the plot. I think that is a major quality to master.

Overall, I really loved the book and definitely look forward to read more of her works.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Ghosted #NetGalley.

Ghosted
The Game, Book 2
by Aisha Tritle

This is the second book in The Game series.

Audrey gets the chance to test a probgram to meet ghosts of people she really knows and has dated. They are AI.

The book is fast paced and short.
Gives an interesting spin on AI how intelligent is it really?

For such a short book there was mystery, suspense, secrets and lies.

I would recommend this book to people who like short books that keep one turning pages until the end, where they will wish for a few more chapters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the published for a complimentary e arc in exchange for an honest review.

review posted to netgalley, Goodreads, amazon and wordpress.

[PJ Creativepaws · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aisha Tritle’s "Ghosted" is a fast-paced technological thriller that acutely captures events which may unfold in the very near future. Technology can change the world in ways we cannot imagine, and sometimes, in ways we can. Tritle’s "Ghosted" strikes a very relevant chord amidst the events happening in the world today. The global reliance on technology has given rise to potential social issues and privacy threat that are more difficult to accurately identify, isolate and neutralize. Tritle does another marvellous job of tapping people’s current subconscious fears to weave a suspense-packed yarn. The story is gripping, the conspiracy is fast-paced and the characters driven towards their own individual goals. It has all the elements necessary for late night to early morning reading pleasure. The book doesn't get too bogged down with details, giving more room for the characters to live in Tritle’s setting and making the reader more able to enjoy the book. Find answers, unfold secrets, escape from reality; you’d think it was that simple but Tritle manages to add a few twists that make things much more interesting. "Ghosted" is a fun and easy read, yet it has enough surprises to make the reader ponder long after the last page has been turned.

[& She Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

And Aisha Tritle does it to me again 🤭

Thank you so much for sending me this Aisha!!

I still think about End Game and just sit there like wow she did that to me lol 🤯

Aisha’s short stories are what I wish Black Mirror was. Ghosted is set in the same work as End Game and the connections between the two stories are done so freaking well I fangirled a little bit

And without spoiling anything I’ll just say that this made me GASP with that last sentence. Everyone needs to be paying attention on Aisha Tritle

[Elena Linville-Abdo · Rating 3 out of 5]

 Stars: 2.5 out of 5

This was a very short story, so the lack of worldbuilding and setting can be excused by the lack of time. However, I'm still not sure when this takes place. Sometimes in the future, but how far? We mention virtual reality, but the technology seems rather clunky. 

Also, I didn't see the point of mentioning that our protagonist is obsessed with social media and recognition. It has zero impact on the story. She volunteers for this experiment not because of her obsession, but because she wants to sell this technology afterwards. So what was the point of that set up?

And the "ghost" didn't really seem all that threatening to me. He hinted at a lot of things, but honestly, Audrey was such an unlikeable character from the get go, that I didn't particularly care about her well-being. Even her big secret wasn't much of a shocker. As far as I'm concerned, she got what she deserved.

PS: I received a free copy of this story via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Alice Branch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t say I am the biggest fan of Sci-Fi or cyberpunk, but to be honest, I found this short story absolutely mind-blowing. The story is set somewhere in the future and the world has developed quite a lot by that time. The main character is Audrey who accepts to test a new program created by her friend James. The program consists of the AI gathering digital details of dead persons. Then, it will create a “ghost” which can be used to interact with the living people. From this experience Audrey has the shock of her life when she realises that her most well-kept secret is found out!
The story is well-paced: the start is a normal narrative, building to a fast-paced outcome at the end. I enjoyed seeing how Audrey crumbles under pressure, not necessarily because she is unlikable, but because it was very well written. Also, the twist at the end was a really nice touch, although a touch too brisk. I’m not gonna be a spoiler hehe! I do recommend this book for being short and extremely entertaining.

[Alena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aisha Tritle writes action-packed, suspenseful sci-fi short stories with a plot that could be our future.

Ghosted is about AI and dating. Audrey works at a company where they create virtual experiences, she's testing a new dating app, but it's not real, the candidates are ghosts, data for dead people or people from your past. Soon Audrey's past could come to light and her reputation could be damaged, as her past is not entirely pure.

The novella also talks about the connections we make online and how we want to be accepted and not feel alone.It's not just dating, Audrey needs to check the likes she receives on social media and fears for her reputation.

It's a short story that will leave you wanting more, there is a lot of mystery around it and with an air of realism, this could be our reality in a couple of years.

Thanks to the author for the digital copy.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story about a woman with secrets who gets in over her head with what should be just an interesting experiment. What will happen next is anyone’s guess.

If you like books that leave you thinking, “well, that was weird,” then this book is for you! It grabbed my attention right away and didn’t let go. But be warned, this book is also very short, and it will leave you wanting more!

But seriously, what would you do if you could talk to digital ghosts of people you once knew?

I also have a Booktube Channel and a Book Blog :)

[Catherine Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great short read and I liked it. I love the idea of VR in books. It makes it even more interesting especially when a crime was committed.you can hide everything in VR so people would not know the real you. Only problem I had about this book, was way to short. It needed like about 3 - 5 more chapters.It felt very infinished.

I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this sci fi thriller! A perfect quick read last night, I couldn't put it down until it was finished!

[Amina Thajudeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghosted by Aisha Tritle is an intriguing sci-fi drama set in an AI-controlled nearby future. Audrey Tierney is a top-level PR executive for an AI and virtual experience company. She gets an invitation to test out their new product by their VP of Product, James. She was drawn into the possibilities of a new program that uses the data of dead people to recreate their virtual avatars. But soon she realizes that these virtual avatars know much more than the real ones! Her secrets are spilled out and her life and reputation are in line. But what if she is still stuck in the virtual world? Who is behind this game? Will she be able to get out?

Audrey is not a typical protagonist. She has her own dark sides, which she likes to hide from anyone. Just like the VR program, The Game, she also likes to play it in real life. But every game takes something from the loser and gives it to the winner. Technology changes, but will humans change? Their deceptive nature always prevails and their race for more money and materials continue. With technology, this greed amplifies. Ghosted is a remainder of this human nature.

Humans are inching towards an AI-driven world. With the advent of the metaverse, our lives will transform into virtual controlled realities in a matter of time. With this exciting power, comes greater responsibility. Technology comes with a lot of boons as well as a curse. We tend to ignore the flip side and are only excited about the possibilities. Ghosted is a sneak peek at this curse which is not too far away.

Sci-fi dramas are always open new doors to our imaginations. They fire our dreams and rewires possibilities. Due to this, crafting something set in a future timeline is not at all easy. It requires immense knowledge and storytelling skills. Most importantly, you need the ability to connect the dots. Building a new world is easy, but making them exciting needs craftsmanship. Through Ghosted, Aisha Tritle shows us how thrilling this experience can be! What makes Ghosted a standout is, it is very close to our near future. This story can be a real one in a matter of years. We can see ourselves through the characters. Thinking about this possibility alone gives me chills down my spine. When the line between reality and virtual experiences thins, we will lose our ability to separate truth and a lie.