Dennis Meredith: The Neuromorphs

Advance copy: Backstories on books by NASW members

For this column, NASW book editor Lynne Lamberg asks NASW authors to tell how they came up with the idea for their book, developed a proposal, found an agent and publisher, funded and conducted research, and put the book together. She also asks what they wish they had known before they began working on their book, what they might do differently the next time, and what tips they can offer aspiring authors. She then edits the A part of that Q&A to produce the author reports you see here. Publication of NASW members’ reports in Advance Copy does not constitute NASW’s endorsement of their books. NASW welcomes your comments, and hopes this column stimulates productive discussions.

Cover: The Neuromorphs

THE NEUROMORPHS
Dennis Meredith
Glyphus LLC, April 9, 2018, $16.95 (print), $2.99 (Kindle)
ISBN-10: 1939118247; ISBN-13: 978-1939118240

Meredith reports:

The idea for The Neuromorphs was inspired by two quotes, one of them unintentionally provocative:

The first was in a Science magazine article by Robert F. Service on the advances in brain-like computing. Scientist Todd Hylton was quoted as saying. “We think robotics is the killer app for neuromorphic computing.” Of course, he didn't mean that lethal robots would result from the technology, but the juxtaposition of the words “killer,” “robotics,” and “neuromorphic,” started my story-telling gears whirring away.

The other quote was from a Wired magazine article by Jason Tanz: "With machine learning, the engineer never knows precisely how the computer accomplishes its tasks. The neural network’s operations are largely opaque and inscrutable. It is, in other words, a black box. And as these black boxes assume responsibility for more and more of our daily digital tasks, they are not only going to change our relationship with technology — they are going to change how we think about ourselves, our world, and our place within it.”

The final ingredient in the genesis of The Neuromorphs arose from the realization that it is human greed and folly, not the technology of artificial intelligence itself, that will trigger the end of the human race, as the late Stephen Hawking has warned.

Dennis Meredith

Thus was born a plot set in 2050, when lifelike neuromorphic “Helper” androids have become invaluable aids to humans. The robots have absorbed all their owners’ intimate information, including financial. Realizing this, Russian mobsters bribe the chief engineer behind the androids' operating system to program into their OS the autonomy to murder selected wealthy owners. The mobsters then have the androids re-shaped to mimic their owners’ appearance, enabling them to loot the owners' estates and enrich themselves.

But neither the corrupt engineers nor the greedy thugs realize what catastrophe they have wrought in programming autonomous abilities into the robots. They have unwittingly created a new race of networked "hive-minded" sentient creatures with a relentless survival instinct: the Neuromorphs.

The plot is discovered by a lower-level programmer. He teams up with a former Navy SEAL and his wife — who also find themselves enmeshed in the robotic revolt — to try to thwart the seemingly unstoppable evolution of a new dominant species on the planet.

As with all my novels, I did extensive research on the science and technology of artificial intelligence and robotics. My sources are available at www.TheNeuromorphs.com.

Contact info:

Dennis Meredith, 760 451-6845, dennis@glyphus.com
Website: www.DennisMeredith.com
Book website: www.TheNeuromorphs.com
Blog website: www.ResearchExplainer.com
Publicist: Joni Meredith, 760 451-6845, editor@glyphus.com

NASW members: will your book be published soon? Take advantage of this opportunity for shameless self-promotion. Submit your report for Advance Copy.

Tell your fellow NASW members how you came up with the idea for your book, developed a proposal, found an agent and publisher, funded and conducted research, and put the book together. Include what you wish you had known before you began working on your book, or had done differently.

See https://www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines.

Thinking of writing a book? If you are a NASW member, you may access a list of more than 150 books and online resources to help you craft your book proposal, find an agent and funding sources, negotiate your contract, learn about self-publishing, publicize and market your book, and more at https://www.nasw.org/article/write-book.

Send book info and questions about book publishing to Lynne Lamberg, NASW book editor, llamberg@nasw.org.

Advance Copy

The path from idea to book may take myriad routes. The Advance Copy column, started in 2000 by NASW volunteer book editor Lynne Lamberg, features NASW authors telling the stories behind their books. Authors are asked to report how they got their idea, honed it into a proposal, found an agent and a publisher, funded and conducted their research, and organized their writing process. They also are asked to share what they wish they’d known when they started or would do differently next time, and what advice they can offer aspiring authors. Lamberg edits the authors’ answers to produce the Advance Copy reports.

NASW members: Will your book be published soon? Visit www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines for information on submitting your report.

Publication of NASW author reports in Advance Copy does not constitute NASW's endorsement of any publication or the ideas, values, or material contained within or espoused by authors or their books. We hope this column stimulates productive discussions on important topics now and in the future as both science and societies progress. We welcome your discussion in the comments section below.