A chilling look at a world where AI governs every aspect of life, eerily reflecting real-world advancements in artificial intelligence, surveillance, and social engineering. In the authoritarian city-state of New Columbia, society is governed by a flawless Algorithm-an A.I. system that ranks every citizen's worth and determines their fate. The privileged rise. The unworthy vanish.
Journalist Iris Delacroix built her career exposing threats to the system-until she uncovered the one story she was never meant to find. The city's perfect Algorithm is not without its blemishes, and the ruling elite are profiting from it. As careful as she is, Iris' work does not go undetected long. In a meritocracy built on socio-economic assets, Iris suddenly finds herself a liability. Now on the run, she is forced into the shadows of the Undercity, a hidden world of the forgotten-where survival means erasing yourself before the system erases you first.
One step behind her, Captain Evelyn Rayne is a high ranking enforcer sent to bring Iris to justice. Fiercely loyal to New Columbia's leader, she will stop at nothing to uphold the order that keeps the city standing. Tracking Iris into the Undercity, Evelyn must struggle to resist becoming another lost soul of society's damned. In her hunt for her quarry she finds herself caught in something far bigger than a fugitive journalist. Because the Algorithm holds a secret neither one suspects.
As the walls of deception crumble, two women on opposite sides of the system will be forced into an uneasy alliance-not to save New Columbia, but a reality neither could have imagined.
A cyberpunk thriller of betrayal, control, and revolution, Offloaded is a pulse-pounding descent into a world where truth is programmed, reality is rewritten, and the perfect system is the perfect lie.
About the Author :
S. Stuart Richardson is an emerging voice in speculative fiction, blending cyberpunk noir with political intrigue to explore the dangers of unchecked power, AI governance, and digital totalitarianism. A lifelong enthusiast of dystopian literature and cutting-edge technology, Richardson crafts gripping narratives that feel eerily close to reality.His debut novel, Offloaded, is a thrilling deep dive into a future where artificial intelligence dictates human worth, and truth itself is a commodity controlled by the elite. Inspired by contemporary discussions on AI ethics, surveillance states, and social control, Richardson's work is both a cautionary tale and an electrifying thriller.When not writing, Richardson is an avid researcher of emerging technologies, fascinated by the intersection of machine intelligence and human free will. He is currently working on the sequel to Offloaded in Book II of the Ghosts in the Republic series, continuing the saga of rebellion against an algorithmic empire.
Review :
"This hits a little too close to home to be a dystopian future."
"Offloaded is a riveting thriller & non-stop page turner. I couldn't put it down."
"The scariest thing about Offloaded is that we can actually see it happening"
