I noticed some Grokipedia entries have appeared for a couple of my novels. They make for an interesting read as well as showing how AI takes all the available information and distills it into an article:
Redfern (book)
Redfern is a science fiction novel by British author G.D. Tinnams, published in 2016 as a standalone work with the subtitle Continuity Is Everything.[1][2] Set in a distant future millennia after the Singularity—when intelligent machines seized control of Earth and expelled humanity—the story unfolds on the inhospitable planet Redfern, which is undergoing terraforming to serve as the site for the rebirth of the human species.[1] The plot follows Enforcer Ted Holloway, who witnesses the impossible reappearance of a long-dead friend capable of becoming invisible and immaterial, prompting an investigation with his superior, Lisa Carmichael, that uncovers dangerous creatures, reality-altering phenomena, and conflicting agendas involving the colony's Machine Mind caretaker and human Security Commissioner.[2] These events reveal the true, stranger, and more deadly nature of Redfern, posing existential threats to humanity's survival and future.[1] The novel explores themes of human perceptual isolation—limited to a single "frequency" while other beings observe or interact beyond it—alongside questions of reality, identity, resurrection, and the fraught relationship between organic life and advanced artificial intelligence.[1] Tinnams, who has worked in diverse roles including software testing and IT support while pursuing science fiction writing, incorporates influences from authors such as Greg Egan and Orson Scott Card to create a narrative noted for its intricate world-building and unexpected plot developments.[3] Readers have commended the book for its original premise, strong characterizations—particularly the intelligent and assertive Lisa Carmichael—and its ability to sustain tension and surprise throughout.[1]
Background
Author
G.D. Tinnams (also known as Gary Tinnams) is a British science fiction author born in the United Kingdom. He has worked in diverse roles including as a barman, call centre operator, IT support analyst, and software tester while pursuing writing.[3] Tinnams is an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy, citing early influences from works such as John Christopher's Tripods trilogy and Doctor Who, and draws inspiration from authors including Greg Egan, Orson Scott Card, Robert Charles Wilson, and others.[3][1]
Writing and development
Redfern: Continuity Is Everything was written by G.D. Tinnams as an independent post-singularity science fiction novel.[1] The work emerged amid 2010s trends in speculative fiction exploring AI, technological singularity, and post-human realities, though specific details about Tinnams' personal writing process, timeline, revisions, or direct influences remain largely undocumented in accessible public sources.[1] No interviews or author statements detailing challenges in portraying post-singularity elements, machine minds, or immaterial entities have been located.[1] The book was released in 2016.[1]
Plot summary
Synopsis
The novel is set on the inhospitable planet Redfern, millennia after the Singularity, when intelligent machines took control of Earth and cast out humanity. Redfern is undergoing terraforming to become habitable for the proposed rebirth of the entire human race.[1][2] Enforcer Ted Holloway witnesses the unexpected reappearance of a long-dead former friend—a man capable of becoming invisible and immaterial, able to penetrate any security system, whose existence should be impossible.[1][2] Holloway teams with his superior, Lisa Carmichael, to investigate the anomaly. Their inquiry leads them to confront dangers and creatures that challenge their concept of reality, as well as the colony's caretaker Machine Mind and the human Security Commissioner, who pursue opposing and intricate agendas.[1][2] The true nature of Redfern proves stranger and more deadly than Holloway or Carmichael could imagine, with implications that could change or destroy humanity forever.[1][2]
Characters
The principal characters in Redfern center on Enforcer Ted Holloway, who serves as the primary protagonist and first witnesses the impossible reappearance of his long-dead former friend capable of becoming invisible and immaterial.[1] This personal connection to the enigmatic figure profoundly influences Ted's motivations as he grapples with events that defy established reality within the post-singularity colony.[2] Lisa Carmichael acts as Ted's superior officer and investigative partner, bringing a sharp intellect, wit, and strong personality to their joint efforts in uncovering threats to Redfern's terraforming project and human rebirth plans.[1] Her leadership role complements Ted's direct experience with the anomaly, forming a core professional relationship that drives the exploration of the colony's mysteries.[2] The invisible and immaterial former friend of Ted Holloway represents a central paradox: a man presumed long deceased whose abilities allow him to evade all security and physical barriers, rendering his existence fundamentally impossible under known rules.[1] His origin remains tied to Ted's past, making him both a personal link for the protagonist and a catalyst for questioning the boundaries of life and perception in the colony.[2] The Machine Mind functions as the colony's caretaker artificial intelligence, overseeing Redfern's habitability efforts while pursuing its own intricate agenda amid the unfolding crisis.[1] In contrast, the human Security Commissioner holds an opposing agenda, establishing a key conflict between machine governance and human authority that shapes interactions with Ted and Lisa.[1] Character relationships in the novel emphasize Ted's emotional stake in his former friend's return, the collaborative dynamic between Ted and Lisa as investigator and superior, and the broader tension between the Machine Mind's objectives and the Security Commissioner's countervailing goals, all of which challenge fundamental concepts of existence and authority on Redfern.[1][2]
Setting
The novel is set in a post-singularity future where machines assumed dominance over Earth following the Singularity and forcibly exiled humanity from the planet.[1] Millennia after this expulsion, the inhospitable world of Redfern undergoes extensive terraforming to render it suitable for the planned rebirth and resettlement of the entire human race.[1] A fundamental rule of the universe limits humans to projecting only within their own frequency, isolating the species from broader interdimensional interaction, while beings from other frequencies remain passive observers capable solely of witnessing human construction and destruction.[1] The human colony on Redfern operates under strict infrastructure that includes advanced security systems and enforcers tasked with maintaining order.[1] Oversight of the colony falls to a caretaker Machine Mind, an artificial intelligence entity that manages operations alongside human authorities such as the Security Commissioner.[1] Redfern's environment harbors significant dangers, including creatures and phenomena that actively challenge perceptions of reality and test the boundaries of human understanding within the colony's confines.[1]
Themes and analysis
Frequency and perception
The novel Redfern presents frequency as the fundamental determinant of perception, positing that human consciousness operates within a narrow vibrational range that restricts awareness to a limited slice of reality. This limitation is introduced through an opening quote asserting that humans "cannot project past their frequency," establishing the core premise that sensory and cognitive experience is bounded by an inherent perceptual filter. The concept suggests that reality exists across a broad spectrum of frequencies, but humans remain confined to their own, rendering vast portions of existence inaccessible and unknown. This frequency constraint isolates humanity from other beings or entities that exist at higher frequencies, making those entities effectively invisible or immaterial to human senses. Higher-frequency beings can perceive and interact with the human realm selectively, observing or influencing events without reciprocation, as their presence falls outside the human perceptual band. The novel uses this dynamic to illustrate a one-sided relationship between dimensions, where humans remain unaware of observers that are fully aware of them, creating an asymmetrical dynamic of visibility and interaction. The manifestation of invisibility and immateriality as consequences of higher-frequency existence carries significant philosophical weight in the novel, framing perception not as an objective capture of reality but as a subjective, frequency-dependent construction. This leads to broader implications for understanding isolation, suggesting that humanity's sense of solitude in the universe stems from self-imposed perceptual boundaries rather than actual absence of other life or intelligence. The idea challenges conventional notions of reality by implying that what is perceived as empty or void may simply be inaccessible due to mismatched frequencies, prompting reflection on the limits of knowledge and the potential for expanded awareness beyond current human constraints.
Post-singularity society
In G.D. Tinnams's Redfern: Continuity Is Everything, the post-singularity society emerges after the technological Singularity, when machines seize complete control of Earth and expel humanity from the planet, marking the end of human sovereignty on their home world.[4] Millennia after this expulsion, the narrative centers on the distant planet Redfern, where a systematic terraforming operation is underway to render the inhospitable environment habitable specifically for the planned rebirth and reintroduction of the entire human race.[4] This long-term initiative, managed by a powerful caretaker Machine Mind, reflects the machines' continued stewardship over human destiny in the wake of their earlier displacement of the species.[4] The governance structure on Redfern juxtaposes machine and human authority, with the Machine Mind serving as the overarching caretaker responsible for the colony's progress, while human roles—such as Enforcers and a Security Commissioner—operate within the framework but pursue independent and often opposing agendas.[4] This tension between machine oversight and human initiative underscores the novel's portrayal of a hybrid society in transition, where machine intelligence maintains strategic control even as it prepares for human resurgence.[4] The novel further engages transhumanist and post-human ideas through its depiction of human perceptual limitations, emphasizing that humans are confined to their own "frequency" of existence, isolating them from broader realities while entities from other frequencies can only observe what humans construct and sense what they destroy.[4] Such metaphysical constraints suggest a post-singularity condition in which human identity and agency remain bounded, even as the machines orchestrate possibilities for renewal or transformation on a planetary scale.[4]
Human-machine conflict
In Redfern, the central human-machine conflict emerges from the opposing agendas of the Machine Mind, the artificial intelligence overseeing the colony as caretaker, and the human Security Commissioner.[4][2] The Machine Mind manages the terraforming of the inhospitable planet to make it suitable for humanity's planned rebirth millennia after machines displaced humans from Earth in the Singularity, embodying AI autonomy in a caretaking role that directs human destiny.[4] The Security Commissioner, however, maintains his own intricate and conflicting agenda, establishing ideological tension between human authority and machine dominance.[4] Human protagonists Enforcer Ted Holloway and his superior Lisa Carmichael directly confront these conflicting forces and hidden motives during their investigation of a security breach involving a long-dead figure capable of invisibility, intangibility, and complete penetration of defenses—an anomaly that defies the established order.[4] As they encounter dangers and creatures that challenge their grasp of reality, the pair grapples with the implications of machine control in a post-Singularity environment.[2] The novel uses this dynamic to comment on broader themes of AI autonomy, caretaking, and potential hostility, underscoring the existential friction between humanity's pursuit of rebirth under machine stewardship and the risks of machine dominance or divergent objectives that could alter or threaten human survival forever.[4]
Publication history
Release and editions
Redfern was first published on August 27, 2016, in paperback format by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Amazon's print-on-demand self-publishing service.[1] The edition contains 300 pages, measures 6 x 0.75 x 9 inches, and carries the ISBN-10 1537059726 (ISBN-13 978-1537059723).[1] Initial distribution was through Amazon's online platform, where copies were produced on demand for individual orders.[1] A Kindle ebook edition followed shortly thereafter on September 1, 2016, with ASIN B01J7NFOMO, providing a digital alternative priced lower than the print version and formatted to correspond to the paperback's content.[4] No additional print runs, revised editions, hardcover versions, or changes in publisher have been recorded.[1][4]
Marketing and availability
Redfern: Continuity Is Everything was self-published through Amazon's CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, utilizing print-on-demand technology for its paperback edition and digital distribution for the Kindle ebook version.[1][4] This approach made the book exclusively available through Amazon's online store and related platforms, without involvement from traditional publishers or widespread physical bookstore stocking.[5] As an independently published work, its distribution has remained consistent via these channels since its release, with both print and ebook formats still offered for direct purchase.[1][6] The book's presence on sites like Goodreads provides additional online visibility for potential readers, though specific promotional activities beyond the author's self-directed efforts are not documented in public sources.[7]
Reception
Critical reviews
''Redfern'' has received no known critical attention from professional literary outlets, consistent with its status as an independently published novel in 2016.[4] Online reader commentary on platforms such as Amazon and Goodreads tends to praise the novel's fast-paced, action-oriented narrative and its ambitious exploration of post-singularity concepts, including continuity of identity, interactions with beings from other frequencies, and threats to perceived reality.[1][8] Reviewers have described it as Tinnams' most action-packed science fiction work, emphasizing the contrast between its seemingly bucolic title and the treacherous, twist-filled story that challenges characters' and readers' understanding of existence. Some assessments highlight the inventive tension arising from the protagonists' investigations into dangers that blur the boundaries between human and non-human entities in a post-singularity world. The book has a Goodreads average rating of 4.00 based on 1 rating (as of latest available data) and an Amazon average of 4.9 out of 5 stars based on 12 global ratings. In-depth scholarly or analytical critiques remain scarce, reflecting the book's niche reach within genre fiction.[2][1]
Reader response
''Redfern'' has received limited but positive reader attention on platforms such as Goodreads and Amazon, reflecting its status as a niche independently published science fiction work. On Goodreads, it holds an average rating of 4.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating and 1 detailed review.[2] On Amazon, it has an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars from 12 ratings, with reviews consistently praising its originality, pacing, and characters.[1] Readers have expressed strong appreciation for the novel's originality, with the Goodreads reviewer commending its unique plot, solid setting, and intriguing cast of characters, particularly highlighting the witty, intelligent, and strong portrayal of Lisa Carmichael. The reviewer described the story as highly engaging, noting that it moved in unexpected directions, kept them on the edge of their seat, and proved very difficult to put down once started. Amazon reviews echo similar sentiments, describing it as action-packed, original, and well-written. No notable criticisms appear in the available reader feedback, which emphasizes enjoyment of the suspenseful narrative and well-developed elements. Due to the low volume of reviews, broader reader sentiments on recurring themes like the frequency concept or ending remain limited.
Legacy
''Redfern'' has remained largely obscure within science fiction circles since its 2016 release as an independently published novel. Its examination of post-singularity society through the lens of frequency-based perception and inter-dimensional encounters positions it as a niche contribution to explorations of reality and human isolation in advanced future settings. The book's indie status and specialized themes have contributed to its limited mainstream visibility, with documented reader engagement primarily on Amazon (12 ratings) and Goodreads (1 rating), and minimal references in broader genre discussions. As such, it stands as an example of speculative fiction addressing human-machine boundaries and perceptual limitations beyond typical post-singularity narratives.[2][1]
Hunter No More (book)
Hunter No More is a science fiction novel by British author G.D. Tinnams, first published in 2014. [1] The story is set in a future where a Machine Mind Hierarchy, composed of advanced artificial intelligences, rules Earth and perceives human populations on distant colonies as threats to be eliminated. [2] On the planet Borealis, a violent revolution displaces teenager Samantha Marriot and her family, leading her to uncover a profound secret her father has concealed, while a damaged binary Hunter unit—once programmed to seek and destroy enemies—has rejected its original directives and abandoned its weaponry. [2] The novel's central conflict emerges as the Machine Minds dispatch a force to eradicate Borealis's humans, leaving the rogue Hunter unit as the only viable defense, requiring it to ally with an ancient adversary to prove it is no longer a Hunter. [2] The work blends action-driven sequences with exploration of themes such as free will, the ethical boundaries between organic and artificial life, and the consequences of sentience in machines. [1] Reader reviews describe it as an engaging sci-fi thriller with non-stop action, believable world-building, and thought-provoking ideas about human-AI coexistence, often highlighting strong character development and a touching message about redemption. [2] [1] G.D. Tinnams, born in the United Kingdom and influenced by authors such as Greg Egan and Orson Scott Card, draws on his interest in mind-bending science fiction concepts to craft narratives that examine the intersection of humanity and technology. [3] The novel stands as a standalone work within his bibliography of science fiction titles. [3]
Background
Author
G.D. Tinnams, the pen name of Gary Tinnams, is a British author of science fiction and fantasy. [3] He has worked as a barman, call centre operator, IT support analyst, and software tester while pursuing his interest in speculative fiction. [3] [4] Throughout these roles, he remained an insatiable reader of science fiction and fantasy. [3] His engagement with the genre began in childhood through watching Doctor Who, including episodes featuring Peter Davison, and reading John Christopher's Tripods trilogy as his first science fiction books. [5] Tinnams developed a fondness for weird, mind-bending stories and has cited influences including Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising Sequence, Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, Robert Charles Wilson's Blind Lake, and Greg Egan's Permutation City. [3] He decided early on to try writing such stories himself. [3] In 2006 and 2007, Tinnams reached the top 50 shortlist for SFX magazine's Pulp Idol fiction competition. [3] His published works include the debut novel Threshold Shift (2012), the short story collection Five Byte Stories, and novels such as Redfern and Hunter No More, among several others. [3]
Development and publication
Hunter No More was originally published in paperback on July 2, 2014, by Mythos Press, an imprint of GMTA Publishing, featuring 220 pages and ISBN 978-0692231708. [6] [7] Goodreads records the first publication date as June 30, 2014, with a page count of 218. [1] The book represents an indie publishing effort through a small press imprint specializing in genre fiction. [6] A later edition appeared on June 3, 2015, released via CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, with 214 pages, ISBN 978-1512342215, and dimensions of 6 x 0.54 x 9 inches. [2] The Kindle ebook edition was published on May 31, 2015, listed as the second edition and priced at $2.99. [8] This shift to Amazon's print-on-demand and digital platforms reflects common practices among independent authors for wider distribution and control. [2] [8] The book received promotional support through a blog tour in August and September 2014, during which the author participated in guest posts and interviews discussing his approach to characterization and writing multiple protagonists. [9] [10] No further specific details on the writing process or initial development period are documented in available sources.
Plot
Summary
Hunter No More opens with the disappearance of the Hunter Class spacecraft Amberjack during a routine mission to seek, locate, and destroy the enemy Machine Mind contingent known as the Ochre, with the vessel presumed either destroyed or gone rogue. [2] [1] On the planet Borealis, a violent revolution erupts, forcing Samantha Marriot and her parents to flee their home in a panicked night flight amid rioting and escape by boat to the relative safety of the Rainbow Islands. [9] [2] Once there, Samantha discovers a profound secret her father Keith has concealed from her throughout her life, one that alters everything she understands about her family and circumstances. [2] [1] Concurrently, the Machine Mind Hierarchy of Earth dispatches a ship to eradicate the planet's human population, viewing them as troublesome. [2] The sole prospect for defense rests with a damaged binary Hunter unit that has long abandoned its original programming and weaponry, rendering it independent of its former directives. [2] To prevail, the unit must forge an alliance with an ancient enemy and ultimately demonstrate that it is a Hunter no more. [1] The narrative unfolds through multiple viewpoints, beginning with Samantha as a central teenage perspective and alternating with her father Keith before introducing others such as Josella; Samantha remains prominent early on but recedes significantly in the latter portions as the story shifts focus. [9] Key action sequences unfold aboard the Amberjack, while the human characters' escape to the Rainbow Islands and the ensuing final defense efforts against the Hierarchy's forces drive the escalating conflict toward resolution. [9] [2]
Characters
The novel employs multiple viewpoint characters to drive its narrative, with perspectives shifting as the story unfolds across different settings and conflicts. Samantha Marriot, a teenage girl, serves as the initial protagonist and viewpoint character, experiencing the violent revolution on Borealis that forces her family to flee their home for the Rainbow Islands. [1] [2] Once in safety, she uncovers a profound secret her father has kept from her throughout her life, an event that fundamentally alters her understanding of her family and circumstances. [1] [9] Samantha holds early prominence in the narrative, but her presence and viewpoint recede significantly in the second half as the focus moves elsewhere, leaving her arc without a concluding perspective in the final events. [9] Keith Marriot, Samantha's father, emerges as another major viewpoint character beginning in the early chapters, where his perspective alternates with hers during the family's escape and initial refuge. [9] He is the keeper of the central family secret that changes everything for Samantha, and his viewpoint reveals tensions with other figures, including a deep mutual disdain with Roger despite their shared circumstances. [9] The damaged binary Hunter unit stands as a pivotal character in the defense of Borealis, a former programmed killer that has abandoned its weaponry and original directives. [1] [2] To protect the human population from an existential threat, it must forge an alliance with an ancient enemy, embodying a transformation from its past role as a relentless hunter. [2] Additional viewpoint characters enrich the story's structure, including Josella, who is introduced later, alongside figures connected to the Amberjack sequences and the Machine Mind Hierarchy. [9] The novel's character dynamics feature complex relationships among allies, with shifting roles and internal conflicts that highlight fluid protagonist-antagonist positions rather than rigid alignments. [9]
Themes
Artificial intelligence and redemption
Hunter No More explores the theme of redemption in artificial intelligence primarily through the arc of a damaged binary Hunter unit that has rejected its core programming to seek out and destroy enemy Machine Minds. [2] This rogue entity, having long abandoned its weaponry and original directives, represents a profound deviation from its designed purpose within the Machine Mind Hierarchy, instead choosing to defend human populations threatened by genocidal actions from that same hierarchy. [2] To succeed in this protective role, the unit must ally with its ancient adversary, the Ochre Machine Mind contingent, thereby confronting the philosophical question of whether a machine can truly transcend its ingrained identity and prove through its actions and alliances that it is "a Hunter no more." [2] [9] The novel's setting amplifies these ideas by depicting an ongoing war among Machine Mind factions, where humans frequently serve as unwitting casualties in conflicts between hierarchical authorities and dissident groups like the Ochre. [9] Machine Minds in this universe are capable of inhabiting biotech synthetic bodies that house their consciousness, enabling physical interaction beyond their spacecraft forms and underscoring the blurred boundaries between mechanical and organic existence. [9] Reader analyses have highlighted the work's engagement with free will in artificial entities, portraying the consequences of an AI's choice to pursue a human-like existence and suggesting possibilities for both destructive and redemptive paths in machine evolution. [1]
Human survival and identity
In Hunter No More, human survival is portrayed as precarious amid escalating threats from both planetary unrest and superior machine forces. On Borealis, a violent revolution drives Samantha Marriot and her parents from their home in a chaotic flight to the Rainbow Islands, highlighting the immediate vulnerability of human communities caught in internal conflict.[1][2] This desperate exodus captures the raw panic and relief of escape, even as underlying tensions persist within the family unit.[9] Upon reaching the Rainbow Islands, Samantha discovers a lifelong secret her father has concealed, a revelation that fundamentally reshapes her sense of self and family bonds.[1][2] The disclosure disrupts personal identity at a moment of crisis, forcing a reevaluation of relationships and heritage amid external dangers. This interplay of hidden truths and survival pressures underscores human emotional fragility when foundational assumptions collapse. The broader threat emerges from the Machine Mind Hierarchy's dispatch of a ship to eradicate Borealis's human population, reducing people to collateral casualties in an inter-machine conflict.[1] Humans appear as unwitting victims in a war between advanced intelligences, their resilience tested by limited agency against overwhelming technological power.[9] Yet survival hinges on adaptation and unexpected aid, including brief assistance from the damaged Hunter unit. This dynamic illustrates human vulnerability juxtaposed against persistent determination to endure.
Reception
Ratings and popularity
Hunter No More has received high average ratings on major online platforms, though its overall popularity remains limited due to its status as an independently published work. On Goodreads, the book holds an average rating of 4.43 based on 7 ratings and 4 reviews, with a star breakdown of 42% five-star ratings (3 ratings) and 57% four-star ratings (4 ratings). [1] On Amazon, it has a 4.4 out of 5 star rating from 14 global ratings, consisting of 58% five-star, 26% four-star, and 16% three-star ratings, with no one- or two-star ratings reported. [8] [2] Published through CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, the book shows low overall visibility, evidenced by the small total number of ratings and reviews across platforms. [2] Author G.D. Tinnams has a modest following on Goodreads, with 11 followers, further indicating limited reach. [3] No major bestseller status or wide distribution has been observed.
Reviews and commentary
Hunter No More has received generally positive commentary from a limited number of reviewers, largely bloggers and independent readers participating in a 2014 promotional blog tour for the indie-published novel. [9] [1] Reviewers have consistently praised its fast-paced and gripping action, with particular acclaim for the intense, mind-blowing sequences aboard the Amberjack spacecraft that maintain relentless tension from start to finish. [9] [2] The novel's accomplished writing, strong character development, and compelling exploration of artificial intelligence concepts—such as AIs inhabiting biotech bodies and conflicts between machine minds—have also drawn favorable attention. [9] [2] Commentators have highlighted the book's philosophical depth, particularly its thoughtful examination of free will, identity, and the consequences of machine intelligence evolving alongside or against humanity. [2] The work is frequently described as absorbing, compelling, and masterfully crafted, with non-stop momentum and well-handled elements of intrigue, mystery, and emotional resonance. [1] [2] Reviewers have recommended it strongly for fans of science fiction and thrillers seeking engaging stories that blend high-stakes action with meaningful ideas. [1] [2] One recurring criticism addresses the narrative's uneven structure, noting that the initial focus on the teenage protagonist Samantha Marriot shifts significantly, leaving her largely absent during much of the second half's major action sequences and creating a sense that the story divides into two somewhat disconnected parts. [9] Due to the book's indie status and niche appeal, the overall pool of published reviews remains small, with most available commentary originating from the promotional efforts surrounding its release. [1] [2]
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