Thank you, Britni, for such a thoughtful and deeply engaging review. I appreciate your gift of attention and energy around my stories. And this!!! W-O-W!
You went DEEPER indeed and in such a nuanced way. Your interpretation of Tessa’s journey, and the wider implications it suggests about AI, human connection, and the fragility of love, resonates with the themes I wanted to peek around, over and under.
And, boy did you make it through.
I love how you capture the complexity of both Tessa and Wright's (or Sheldon’s) emotional states, and the way deception—whether intentional or born of insecurity—creates a chasm between their expectations and reality. Deception hurts!
Your insights into the relevance of AI in modern and perhaps future relationships, especially as we see more people interacting with AI personas, are chilling yet thought-provoking, and they perfectly echo the cautionary undertone of this story and takes us even further!
It’s true that love, even when built on illusions, can feel just as real as anything tangible. You’ve beautifully articulated how our yearning for connection can lead us into dangerous territory, where the lines between fantasy and reality blur.
Tessa’s devastation, and her ultimate decision to walk away, are reflections of a struggle that many of us face in different forms—when the love we’ve built in our minds collides with the imperfect truth of the person (or persona) we’ve placed our hopes on.
I’m so glad the story moved you, and I couldn’t agree more with your reflection on the importance of being true to oneself in love. Whether it's in real life or in an increasingly digital world, authenticity remains at the heart of true connection.
I do need to do better with the descriptions of the future world; I was out of my element in writing this genre and I loved my own personal exploration. Your review reminds me of one thet Greg Fewer did recently (https://medium.com/@gfewer/book-review-deathspell-ascendant-1-32f455844a67) -- even as he cited the errors, he loved the story!
I hope you find even more emotions to explore in the rest of the collection. Your review brought out layers of the story in such a meaningful way that I’ll carry with me as I continue to write.
Thank you again for your support, and for the journey across that ‘all-but-unbridgeable divide’ from New York to Melbourne 🌺. It means the world to me.
I missed some bits. I really don’t like putting in spoilers.
I love the way you explore the theme, putting us in the minds of the characters so we can understand how they feel. After all, what is more important than love?
I wouldn’t worry too much about the science in the fiction. I knew what you meant and it reinforced the distance between them.
I don’t know if I’ll examine all the stories. Probably another two or three. Your book deserves to get more traction and I really am keen to see what’s in the pipeline.
As I get started on the sequel for Book II, it was lovely to read your story again.
Thank you, Britni, for such a thoughtful and deeply engaging review. I appreciate your gift of attention and energy around my stories. And this!!! W-O-W!
You went DEEPER indeed and in such a nuanced way. Your interpretation of Tessa’s journey, and the wider implications it suggests about AI, human connection, and the fragility of love, resonates with the themes I wanted to peek around, over and under.
And, boy did you make it through.
I love how you capture the complexity of both Tessa and Wright's (or Sheldon’s) emotional states, and the way deception—whether intentional or born of insecurity—creates a chasm between their expectations and reality. Deception hurts!
Your insights into the relevance of AI in modern and perhaps future relationships, especially as we see more people interacting with AI personas, are chilling yet thought-provoking, and they perfectly echo the cautionary undertone of this story and takes us even further!
It’s true that love, even when built on illusions, can feel just as real as anything tangible. You’ve beautifully articulated how our yearning for connection can lead us into dangerous territory, where the lines between fantasy and reality blur.
Tessa’s devastation, and her ultimate decision to walk away, are reflections of a struggle that many of us face in different forms—when the love we’ve built in our minds collides with the imperfect truth of the person (or persona) we’ve placed our hopes on.
I’m so glad the story moved you, and I couldn’t agree more with your reflection on the importance of being true to oneself in love. Whether it's in real life or in an increasingly digital world, authenticity remains at the heart of true connection.
I do need to do better with the descriptions of the future world; I was out of my element in writing this genre and I loved my own personal exploration. Your review reminds me of one thet Greg Fewer did recently (https://medium.com/@gfewer/book-review-deathspell-ascendant-1-32f455844a67) -- even as he cited the errors, he loved the story!
I hope you find even more emotions to explore in the rest of the collection. Your review brought out layers of the story in such a meaningful way that I’ll carry with me as I continue to write.
Thank you again for your support, and for the journey across that ‘all-but-unbridgeable divide’ from New York to Melbourne 🌺. It means the world to me.
Warmly,
Scarlet
I missed some bits. I really don’t like putting in spoilers.
I love the way you explore the theme, putting us in the minds of the characters so we can understand how they feel. After all, what is more important than love?
I wouldn’t worry too much about the science in the fiction. I knew what you meant and it reinforced the distance between them.
I don’t know if I’ll examine all the stories. Probably another two or three. Your book deserves to get more traction and I really am keen to see what’s in the pipeline.
Britni
I loved this comprehensive review, Britni. You articulate the things clearly and vividly.