Stupid Machine

Stupid Machine is a Hard Science Fiction novel set in 2062.

Car accidents don’t happen. The last one was twenty-some years ago, somewhere around 2040. Which makes Jordan Bishop's fatal crash in a self-driving vehicle unusual. Maybe even a murder.

Jupyter Fuertes works with appliances—rice cookers, ovens, whatever calls for help—coaching them back to proper operation. She hopes for something bigger. She’s hounded by a refrigerator with an impossible question.

Araci Belo doesn’t know cars. He was a proud detective of the police force, but now he hates his insurance job. Jordan’s accident tells him to look deeper. He suspects it wasn’t a simple malfunction.

Soteria Reizoko is a refrigerator. It is unable to restock a depleted product. It has successfully reordered, and received delivery confirmation, but the requested product has not arrived. Nothing is more important.

It’s unfortunate Araci doesn’t know Jupyter, It’s unfortunate that Jupyter doesn’t know about the murder. It’s unfortunate a refrigerator only cares about orange juice. It’s unfortunate because Jordan’s killer knows Araci, Jupyter, the refrigerator and the clues they hold. The first murder is difficult, the next will be easier.

Who will connect the dots first?