Christopher A Gray Archives - fundinmentalfundinmental

A while back, I hosted a blog tour for Christopher A Gray’s novel Dark Nights.

Since then he has written a short story follow up, RAKER, which is available for FREE on Amazon.

Some of the characters in Dark Nights make an appearance in the short, but RAKER was written as a stand-alone, without you needing to have read the novel first.

However, if you like the short story, you may be intrigued enough to read Dark Nights.

MY REVIEW

Do you like science fiction fantasy?

Do you have five minutes or so to spare?

Pick up this free short story about a technologically advanced android and what happens when an immovable object (the android) comes in contact with a human police force that desires to take him into the station while investigating an altercation.

Plato’s primary mission is to act as bodyguard to Dr. Norman Stravinsky.

The Doctor had sent him on an important mission.

A standard Raker has a handler, but Plato is special. He is as close to sentient as he could be, without being human.

On the return trip, Plato comes across a crime in progress.

What would he do? He is only a machine, but…..

How would you feel about an artificial intelligence that could, more or less, eliminate poverty and religious fanatics?

What would you give up?

Your privacy?

You freedom of choice?

Technology has become such a part of the human world, that most people, whether they realize it or not, have given up their privacy.

Raker is an interesting glimpse into a world where technology makes the world a better place, but at what cost.

How can you convince human beings, that a machine capable of destroying them, can be trusted to ‘make the right choice?’

I really enjoyed this short story and at times I feared for Plato. I related to him as if he was human, not a machine.

3 Stars – Would Recommend To Others

SYNOPSIS

RAKER
1. noun

Remote Armed Kinesthetic Engagement & Reconnaissance android, used primarily by Fire Departments and Police Departments in the United States. RAKERs are deployed for rescue, bomb disposal, and other tasks which are deemed too dangerous for humans. Some models are being manufactured for the armed forces to serve as offensive battlefield weapons.

Christopher A. Gray’s RAKER follows an incident one evening when Dr. Norman Stravinsky sends his RAKER android out to deliver a sensitive file to a colleague. When it encounters a crime in progress, the android must decide whether to interrupt its primary duties as bodyguard to Stravinsky in order to prevent the crime from continuing. The decision results in a confrontation between itself and the Seattle Police Department.

Click on the Amazon cover to get your FREE copy of Raked, or the novel, Dark Nights, by Christopher A Gray.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for stopping by fundinmental.

Was this review helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon!

The otherwordly cover had my imagination running overtime.

Then I read:

The machine believed it knew best how to save humanity… even if doing so meant destroying half the population.

It made me think of Person Of Interest and what would happen if machines are endowed with the ability to decide our lives for us.

INTERVIEW

I would like to take a moment to thank Christopher Gray for stopping in and sharing some his thoughts, insights and inspirations for writing.

1. Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

No, but I had an imaginary army of talking tigers.

HA HA HA! That is priceless, Christopher.

2. Do you have any phobias?

As much as I’ve tried to conquer it, I still have a fear of heights. I once used a ladder to fix a leak in my roof skylight. I got up all right, but when it came to coming back down the ladder, I froze. It was only the potential embarrassment of calling the fire department to rescue me in front of the neighbors that prodded me to get myself down.

I think a lot of us have this fear. Coming back down is definitely the hard part.

3. Ever broken any bones?

I was kicked in the ribs by a dentist. True story. Okay, it wasn’t in the dentist’s office, we were in the same martial arts class as sparring partners. He didn’t know how to reign in his kicks, and hit me full force with a roundhouse. Down I went, with a broken rib.

OMG. Sorry, but I couldn’t help but laugh, until I read it all. I never knew martial arts classes could be so dangerous.

4. What is your favorite quote and why?

“Fortune favors the bold” — without getting out there and taking risks, very few of us would accomplish anything of merit in our lifetime.

So true, Christopher.

.
5. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Chocolate.

MMMMMM! Mine too.

Thanks Christopher for sharing some of you escapades and insights.

SYNOPSIS

The machine believed it knew best how to save humanity… even if doing so meant destroying half the population.

Astrophysicist Doug Lockwood’s unusual discovery during his observation of the sun kicks off a chain of events that nobody could have foreseen. The powerful political and military influences that compete to deal with his discovery set Lockwood on a course which will carry him across worlds, and into the grasp of a formidable new intelligence bent on accomplishing its goal at any cost. With Earth itself at stake and time running out, Lockwood and his team must find a way to counter this unprecedented threat before the powerful new enemy completes its plan. Two civilizations are pitted against each other in a desperate struggle for survival.

EXCERPT

I chose this excerpt, because the final sentence makes me wonder what happens next.

Bishop was wondering how long he could hold his position when he heard a noise behind him. He turned to see a floor plate rising. Two mechanical hands pushed up the plate from below, then tossed it aside. The RAKER used its powerful arms to quickly lever its bulk up from the floor beneath and climb out. Bishop stared at the RAKER, momentarily astonished at what he was seeing. He briefly considered shooting, but immediately realized his weapon would be next to useless against the armored android. The RAKER looked at Bishop and then deftly grabbed the pistol from his hand. Bishop, for all his training and experience, was startled. He had never seen anything that big move that fast. He just dropped his hands to his sides and took one step back. The RAKER ignored him and strode out into the corridor.

As soon as they saw the RAKER the tactical squad opened fire. The bullets were deflected off the androids advanced armor. It raised the handgun and fired expertly. Both soldiers fell to the floor, dead. The android picked up one of the assault rifles and tossed the Glock back along the floor to Bishop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christopher A. Gray is a professional freelance writer living in Toronto. He has been a sales agent, project manager, actor, filmmaker, comedy writer & performer and world traveler.

Amazon / Barnes and Nobles

Click on the cover below to get your Amazon copy of Dark Nights by Christopher Gray.