Joe Kuster | sci_fi | Complete
"By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it." Eliezer Yudkowsky Hey all, we're moving over to book 2. This content is in a state of transition. The book is now availble on Amazon (includes extra chapters): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W1534R8/ Artificial intelligence was nearly mankind's last invention. AI took off like a rocket, then when it racked up an impressive death toll, it crashed before it could blossom and took most high-tech industries with it. Resistance and fears became deep-set. Two decades after the infamous Rev. 4.6 incidents, humanity hasn't quit dreaming of the wealth and power that could be at their fingertips. A new generation of mega-corporations rose from the ashes. When one melds a quantum computer to a barely functional mental patient as a PR move, there are those who seek to profit, those who want to destroy it, and Alex. Alex Sage is a typical college student trying to keep up his grades and maybe find a meaningful connection with the fairer sex. Then, an automated semi crashes into his home, killing his family and turning his head into a pin cushion in the process. Alex awakens to find most of his memories gone and an illegal AI hidden in his brain implant. Now the pet project of a tech billionaire and heavily in debt, Alex struggles to stay valuable enough to be kept online. Still grappling with the repercussions of his injuries, and threats from a dangerous anti-augmentation political movement, there are no easy answers and threats loom around every corner. Alex must use whatever resources he can to escape from under the thumb of a ruthless corporation, while keeping those he comes to love safe. Chapters will stay up on RRL until Aug 10. It'll go up on Kindle Unlimited after that. How do you get those extra chapters I didn't have planned for RR? If you want them, they'll be in the published book. Book 2 will still make sense without them - I made sure of that. But... isn't $3 a lot for extra chapters? Think of it as tipping me for a good job and you'd also be getting my eternal thanks. If you enjoyed it so much that the idea of missing out a few chapters haunts you, I did my job as an author and made an engaging story. What's in those extra chapters? Resolving a few issues, set up for the cybernetic revolution, a rather intense sex scene with a new partner, revelations of who's really pulling strings, and a bit of set up for book 2. Complaints that people missed out on itwhen it was published here won't help (sorry!). I posted this for the folks who helped me shape the book, which is you all! (Again, yay!) But... Why! Why not keep it all on RR forever? My editor likes being paid for one. For two, I'd like the ability to get broader readership. If I break even on editor costs, I'll be incredibly happy. What about book 2? Drafts for Book 2 will go up around Sept 10. My draft of Book 2 is done, and it will be handed to the editor once Book 1 is published. Feedback has been even more positive. Beta readers devoured it and wanted more. I'll add a link to Book 2 once it's up on RR. I'm more or less, using you all for Beta Readers, so you get it before it's "canon" and edited. I invite active and meaningful feedback during this process. In return, you get early access to chapters. That does mean that the book content or plot might be adjusted before it gets published as I refine it. Sex Y/N? Yes. I heard the feedback, 90% wanted it explicit. You all will get the "full" experience. Will I dump all of book 2 here? Honestly, I'm not sure yet. At a minimum, it'll be up to the 75% mark as we collect feedback, much like what I did with book 1. It really depends on how good the feedback is and how nice people are. Lots of support + meaningful feedback to make it better =higherlikelihood you get all the book. Will be it up here indefinitely? No, it'll probably go up on KU at some point, but I'll make sure there's enough time for a large readership to grab it here. Then we move to book 3 which already is around 60K words already. What about other adventures in the same universe/characters? Yep. Absolutely. Nothing ready to share yet though. I plan to keep those side chapters and more slice of life stories as RR exclusive. Since I'm carving this off in book-sized segments, I'll have to figure out where those disconnected story arcs belong. I'm open to suggestions.
7.36 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:19
[Participating in the NaNoWriMo]"Damn you Josh! How could you mess up this badly? Now I will somehow have to sit out the shitstorm that麓s to come..." ~GMThis is the story of a GM and 3012 players who were one day trapped in a virtual reality game. Watch as people in power make bad choices which may or may not lead to the worst possible outcome. ___________________________________There will be some cursing and swearing, a tiny bit of gore perhaps but nothing major. The story also deals with darker emotional things... the psycho and tragedy tags are there for a reason!I had only a months time to write this story and frankly that磗 the most creative writing I have ever done in my life. 50k words I can磘 believe I did it. Thanks everyone. Without your support I doubt I would have made it.Please support me by pointing out logical errors and the things you didn磘 like about the story. As it磗 a rushed work I am aware that it has many flaws.
28.04 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:27
DarthKirby | tragedy | Complete
Perhaps the most well known of all devils, demons, or fallen angels is the one known as Lucifer, Satan, the Father of Lies. The cultural influence of this figure throughout history is by no means small. Despite that, it wasn't until the time of Milton's classic Paradise Lost that we saw an attempt to portray a dramatized version of the events leading to this figure's fall from grace and power. And while this is the case, Paradise Lost is not about Lucifer though it goes into great detail about his potential musings. No, Paradise Lost was, and still is, about the fall of mankind. So, in light of this, and the feeling that the classical story deserved another telling, I present to you all The Fall a story focused particularly on Lucifer's fall from grace and his musings both before and after.
4.75 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:30
Chet is your average college student. He works at a part time job to help pay for his education and clips coupons on the weekends to help save a few dollars when he goes shopping. However, dreams of a simple life and working at a decent job are quickly tossed aside as he finds himself transported into what he assumes to be a fantasy world! Everything was going exactly as he expected it to go, as he had read a few novels describing situations exactly like the one he found himself in. But those expectations are quickly thrown out the window when the Demon Lord herself shows up for a surprise visit! Perhaps this land of fantasy isn't so fantastical after all. (Updates whenever this funky cat completes a chapter.)
28.52 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:58
T C Griffin | historical | Complete
Frightened and alone, held captive by the enemies of my father, the King, the only thing that scares me more than my captors is the man that came to save me
1.06 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:30
Pocket_Pigeon | historical | Complete
Left behind by the flow of time, how would you spend eternity?
0.91 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:30
TLCsDestiny | historical | Complete
A reverse type of Aladdin' Story.(Book 2 of TLCsDestiny Fairy tale books) Rangcew, the capital of Commorda, might be flustering about with the upcoming marriage of Cid and Princess Bethany but that doesn't mean everything is going according to plan for Prince Elton.Prince Elton, the next in line for the throne, has serious plans to disrupt and force his own father to abandon the title of King'. With this, Prince Elton finds what he needs to make this goal to finally happen!&The Little Pillager' knows and has evidence that he needs! He must obtain it without fail!But to woo the woman, he is in the unknown and feels like he's the one being wooed instead! Alison, a thief with a cause, ends up in trouble, only to be caught in a web from the very same person that had brought her family down. Suddenly, she's become a daughter to another family, with nice dresses and yummy food&This was all to tame' someone&It is all to woo the Prince&With reason to play along', Alison finally finds evidence to reclaim her family's innocence but&Never thought that she'd stupidly' fall for the son of that man!It all just seems so impossible and wrong to go down a certain path, it's a romance that can't even be thought of, yet alone acted upon! Then&Why is she so easily lying and pretending like she does want this? Sometimes she even forgets who's she's supposed to be entirely and gets swept away by the idiot who claims himself to be a Prince! Without knowing, they help the other. Without knowing they both become greedy for a certain person's presence and affection&Can a thief strive for the position of Queen? Can the Prince speak the words that need to be said?
17.16 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:31
MajorKerina | psychological | Complete
In an age of fungal computers inside people's heads, the boundaries between reality and illusion are much harder to distinguish.
14.35 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:49
HungryVisitor | satire | Complete
Bobby was a normal child - until his parents decided to improve his future chances with bleeding edge technology.
9.22 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 09:38
MattyMillard | satire | Complete
A mixture of light and dark. A mixture of solemn and laugh out loud. A mixture of sci-fi and fantasy. There's something in here for everyone, but each story has something in common. They all begin in the real world - but each story has it's own distinct twist. Have you ever experienced the corrupted underground scene of high school conkers? Gambling, dirty dealings, blackmail? Ever met the girl of your dreams but wondered whether she's a vampire? Have you ever met a dragon... made of cake? If no is the answer to any of these questions, you ought to know what you are missing. Matty Millard's collection of short stories is not one to be missed. Featuring the prize winning short story "Weapons of Mass Destruction", placed first in the GKBC Inc 2013/14 competition by crime novelist Tim Weaver. I've taken the majority of the chapter down now as this is due to be published very soon, but Weapons of Mass Destruction is still there to be read. I will link to the published book soon!
1.11 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 09:37
Cinn | contemporary | Complete
People are extraordinary. They are glorious, chaotic, imaginative, grim, all kinds of smart and driven. They are capable of living in harmony or incredible destruction. They can be both caring and loyal but vicious and self-centred. However, Olivia wished that the first year of her PhD didn't have to showcase quite so much of the melting pot. People. Harmony. Dysfunction. is a story that follows a research group through the drama and challenges life throws at them. It has an (unspecified) modern setting and focuses on the characters. Updates: Monday, Wednesday & Friday.
29.94 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 11:29
Anthony Ellison | drama | Complete
Two veterans of the most recent galactic war have struck it rich. A whole asteroid richer that is. In a time where metal is in short supply from the war, their discovery could mean the downfall of the Federation they fought to protect. What will these hardened men of war do with their find? How will this discovery affect the balance of power in their corner of the universe? Join Tony Delgado and Sam Forzet on their cargo haulerLone Wolfas they discover the answers. This novel is mostly action with some drama. I would classify it as Space Opera. The cover art is by Michael Oberschneider, used with the company Six Foot's permission. � Grey Box, 2018 Copyright,� by Anthony Ellison, 2018. The novel is completed and will soon be available on Kindle Unlimited. Due to the limitations of KU, only the first three chapters shall remain up. Thank you for your understanding and I hope you enjoy the preview.
6.91 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 11:31
Sakinah B | tragedy | Complete
You can connect over coffee. Connect through pain. Connect with someone's smile or with their tears. It can be that simple. But sometimes it's not.
1.66 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 12:34
TienSwitch | action | Complete
"Herald City. A great American metropolis, with gleaming towers and bustling streets. Never before has there been a safer place to live and work, because the citizens know that when disaster strikes, they can count on the protection of BLUE EAGLE. Blue Eagle--also known as David Dufraine--was born with incredible strength, powerful eyebeams, superhuman senses, and the amazing ability of flight. Possessing a strong sense of justice, he seeks to protect the city from criminals who prey on the innocent. Having taught these values to his son Jack, who possesses similar abilities, they protect Herald City as Blue Eagle and Switch the Blue Eaglet! Together, the Father-Son Duo wages a war on crazy criminals and notorious ne'er-do-wells, including the powerful perverter of plant life, QUEEN VENUS. These are the adventures of BLUE EAGLE and SWITCH THE BLUE EAGLET." Welcome, everybody! This superhero adventure is a nostalgic return to the good ol' days of the Filmation and Hanna-Barbera superhero cartoons of the 1960s and 70s. With Super Friends, The Adventures of Super Boy, and The Adventures of Batman and The New Adventures of Batman as inspiration, I hope to take you back to the olden days of wacky stories jam-packed with superhero action and excitement! This is actually a leadup of a much larger project I'm working on (which will be played straight, have a darker and more serious tone, and will be a multi-season serialized epic). I've been itching to publish something with my characters for some time, and this 8 episode miniseries just scratches that itch. So while my main series is being written, I hope you find some enjoyment in some good old fashioned superhero fun.
24.57 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 12:33
Mad Sadie | one_shot | Complete
A guard has a conversation with a storm. A short story.
0.52 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:38
KeeperAbra | one_shot | Complete
No shackle can bind him. No seal can stop him. He's the Lock Picking Lawyer...in another world. An OP MC parody of LPL. You ever see those lowkey memes where he's unstoppable? Yeah... A short story by KeeperAbra.
5.22 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:44
Blue Draggy | tragedy | Complete
An adult imagining of Beatrice Santello's life prior to the events of Night in the Woods. There are no explicit depictions of sex here, though there are obviously adult themes and situations involving it. I wasn't going to post it to Royalroad as I didn't think Fanfiction was okay here - but now I see it is and I am quite convinced it is the best work I've ever done yet, I've got to see what any fans of NitW think about it! The first chapter was originally written as a short vignette and wasn't intended to be continued into a full blown story. It was just intended to be moody and evocative. Even though anyone that has played Night in the Woods has a good idea how this must end, I hope it will still be worth the read. Also, since I've finished writing it, I'm going to post it as one big chapter dump all at once. Cover drawing by GreasyMojo and colored by me (with permission!). I don't think it should be too risque on it's own but I suppose I'll soon find out.
11.25 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:52
Kaylaellen92 | contemporary | Complete
Kevin's life changed forever when a mysterious girl named Zoey came knocking at his door. After his wife died, Kevin felt guilty that, as a doctor, he was unable to save her. He left his career and previous life and now liveswith his tiny dog, Ghost, across from the cemetery where he is the groundsman. He never dreamed his life would turn out thisway. Then one day, a mysterious girl knocks on his door. When Zoey comes into his life, he is intrigued when he realizes she has nomemory of her past. Kevin shares his home and eventually his love with this mysterious girl. When he discovers the truth about her,can their relationship survive?
8.21 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 14:10
Jacob A Zucker | fantasy | On going
NOTE: Hi all. I've published my book on Amazon! Unfortunately because of KDP exclusivity rules I've had to remove my story from Royal Road. I just wanted to thank everyone who read Nomads of the Sea and offered their thoughts. You're the reason the book is published now and I can't express my appreciation enough. If you decide you want to check out the book on Amazon, it's available here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09RWGRS5K/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0 Synopsis In the Nisi Archipelago, a civil war festers. Zealous insurgents burn villages across the islands in an effort to return the Mangaal people to the sea and free themselves of their Lyssan overlords.Sig of the Midandaal, the son of a diplomat, must combat the growing threat. As he stamps down the rebellion, he quickly finds his talent for bloodshed surpassing his talent for peace.Idalia Goss is attached to the Lyssan company that has been sent to aid the loyalists. The daughter of a renowned physician and arcane scholar, her task is to learn more about the Mangaal mages, who far outstrip the mainland sorcerers. Her efforts are hindered by the dark reputation of her predecessors.Back on Lyssa, Bryn Urien, the Inferno of Mochan Pass, has lost his spark. Once, as the foremost mage of the royal army, he slew indiscriminately in the name of his queen. Now, he finds himself enfeebled and on the run.Witness the beginnings of the storied band of soldiers who came to be known as the Fishgut Guard.
0.87 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:12
John works as a rider, moving from settlement to settlement and enforcing the rule of the court. Of course, none of this means he can't take a short detour to handle matters of personal importance. The stories I write take place in the same world; you can read more about this world when more of it is written.
0.90 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 15:05
