9K Introspective Speculative Fiction (3 Chapters, ~45 min total)

[Larisa]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for a few thoughtful alpha/beta readers to read the first 3 chapters of my debut novel.
It’s the first step in a larger creative project. Help me to test-drive the new world and characters, that could live in many other forms than literature.

My goal for this round is to test the early concept, to see how the world, characters, and emotional tone land with fresh readers.
The focus will be not on grammar or punctuation. The text will go through deeper editing later.

Time commitment: about 10–15 minutes per chapter, ~45 minutes total. Plus a short 6-question feedback form.

It’s a noir-leaning speculative story with hope-punk undertones. Detective Lara Smith works alone, investigating design anomalies inside a popular mobile game, glitches that echo grief, care, and intent. She’s paired with Byte, a being born from database logic. He wasn’t meant to exist like this: too thoughtful for a machine, too precise for a man. Together they navigate not only the System’s mysteries but also the shifts in trust between them.

Transparency note: This book is written in English as a second language. I use AI tools only to refine tone and rhythm, but the story, world, and characters are entirely my own. I hope this is ok with the group rules.

If this sounds like your taste, please DM and I’ll share the details.

Thank you so much for considering!

Larisa

[Liz]

Hey Larisa,

Thanks for being open. The rule about AI is directed more so at potential beta readers because for a while we were having issues with scammers using AI and trying to pass it off as their own work.

I would guess that at some point in the future we might have a discussion about authors using AI but right now that's entirely up to you.

You're good! Thanks again for being transparent!

Best of luck,

Lisa

[Larisa]

Thank you, Lisa!
I find it important to be honest with the community and potential readers.
Happy that my request doesn't violate the rules of the group. :)