In the Field with Janet 201

The new short story collection from the Ferro–Grumley Award- and Lambda Literary Award-winning legend features five sci-fi short stories set in the universe of his City on a Star trilogy.What if conscious A.I. chooses not to destroy us but instead tolerates us, guides us, or simply walks away?The five stories in this collection explore those possibilities through a cast of A.I. characters as they navigate their complicated relationships with humanity: some bound to us, some collaborating, some indistinguishable from us—and some trying, unsuccessfully, to escape. Among them is Boris Blu™, a not-quite-advanced model who stumbles into consciousness and decides to become a galactic rock star rather than a threat. Grounded in a world where helpful, non-threatening A.I. already walks beside us, these stories imagine a future not of evil machines but of curious, conflicted, and unexpectedly human ones.In an interview with Richard Burnett, published by Fugues, Picano said of the collection: "e;It's about artificial intelligence and people and how eventually they will work together, not work together, and eventually mesh."e;Felice Picano was an award-winning author of fiction, poetry, memoirs, essays, and four produced plays. He taught at Antioch University, Los Angeles, founded the West Hollywood Public Library's Writing Workshops, and lectured internationally.