The Self-Murder Of Aldrin 207 – Novella

Genre

Science-Fiction, Sci-Fi, Retro-Futurism, Satire, Dark Comedy, Mystery, Robots, Androids, Classism

Scaling

Comedic: 8/11

Romantic: 1/11

Scary: 4/11

Suspense: 2/11

Sadness: 4/11

Comfort: 3/11

Cerebral: 6/11

Erotic: 1/11

Dramatic: 7/11

Synopsis

It’s another perfect night in New Manhattan!

At least it seems to be, until Aldrin 207, one of the latest android Helpers built only a few weeks ago, inexplicably walks into the center of New Times Square and sets himself on fire.

Shrugged off by the media as a freak accident, everyone quickly forgets the incident. Everyone except for bystander, Sebastian, who takes it upon himself to investigate the android’s death against the advice of his roommate, Joseph. His inquiries quickly become an obsession, uncovering a dark underside to his city that threatens to topple the delicate utopia of the citizens above.

Mood excerpt

“You see, the very function of a gasoline canister is to prevent gasoline from spilling. When opened and tipped past its limit, the flammable contents can spill, and if brought into contact with a match, this can pose a very serious health and safety concern.”

Read This If You Liked…

If you love the philosophy of Detroit Become Human and the retro-futurism aesthetics of Fallout, then this is a book for you!

A Word From The Author

Petrichor Moss: “This was one of the hardest books to write in my career to date, partly due to the subject matter and partly due to the immense pressure and deadlines it came attached to. Despite that, it became a story I was proud of and now feel is particularly relevant as the age of AI is quickly sneaking up on us. What started as one of the most challenging novellas I’ve ever written has now become something that I hope will challenge others to consider the world we’re rapidly heading towards, the place of technology in our lives, and the human cost it places on us.

Content Guidance

This novella has no graphic scenes but it does explore themes of suicide, psychosis, and genocide that some readers may find uncomfortable.

Average Read Time

Word Count: 34,000 words

Average Chapter Read Time: 20 minutes

Average Total Read Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes