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AUTONOMOUS
From the author who brought you the Splatterpunk Award nominated collection "Black Tongue & Other Anomalies", Richard Beauchamp returns with a pulse pounding scifi-horror novella-
Marsa Unger, captain of the Phoenix-1 research vessel, is having mixed feelings about her new upgraded ship AI. The Autonomous Robotic Intelligence Computer, or ‘Aric’ is the latest and greatest in the Athena Class AI developed by the Intergalactic Commerce Federation, the corporate hegemony that controls all the travel and trade among the stars. Meant to handle the tedious maintenance tasks of a whole ship by itself, as well as having a next gen human communication interface, ARIC is designed to feel just like another member of the crew. Now ship captains can rest easy knowing they have one of the smartest super computers ever built at the helm. Or can they? Marsa notices his slip ups, his aberrations in behavior. But unexpected cargo from the stars will really test the captain-AI relationship when Phoenix-1 picks up a peculiar distress beacon. An escape pod ejected from an ancient ore-digger ship. A dead scrap pirate encased within a mysterious black substance. A potential universe-changing scientific discovery that threatens the lives of everyone aboard Phoenix-1. As ARIC begins to find loopholes in the protocols that are supposed to keep him a docile servant, the unexpected passenger aboard Phoenix-1 serves as the catalyst to further deteriorate ARIC’s IFC imposed chains and help him realize his true, terrible potential. To ARIC, he doesn’t see potential danger. All he sees is opportunity.
Marsa Unger, captain of the Phoenix-1 research vessel, is having mixed feelings about her new upgraded ship AI. The Autonomous Robotic Intelligence Computer, or ‘Aric’ is the latest and greatest in the Athena Class AI developed by the Intergalactic Commerce Federation, the corporate hegemony that controls all the travel and trade among the stars. Meant to handle the tedious maintenance tasks of a whole ship by itself, as well as having a next gen human communication interface, ARIC is designed to feel just like another member of the crew. Now ship captains can rest easy knowing they have one of the smartest super computers ever built at the helm. Or can they? Marsa notices his slip ups, his aberrations in behavior. But unexpected cargo from the stars will really test the captain-AI relationship when Phoenix-1 picks up a peculiar distress beacon. An escape pod ejected from an ancient ore-digger ship. A dead scrap pirate encased within a mysterious black substance. A potential universe-changing scientific discovery that threatens the lives of everyone aboard Phoenix-1. As ARIC begins to find loopholes in the protocols that are supposed to keep him a docile servant, the unexpected passenger aboard Phoenix-1 serves as the catalyst to further deteriorate ARIC’s IFC imposed chains and help him realize his true, terrible potential. To ARIC, he doesn’t see potential danger. All he sees is opportunity.
64 pages, Paperback
Published November 12, 2022
About the author
Richard Beauchamp
6 books14 followersHailing from the lush, verdant hills of the Ozarks, horror author Richard Beauchamp has been spinning horrific yarns since 2017. Since his first publication in Gehenna and Hinnom's "2017 Year's Best Body Horror Anthology" Richard has gone on to be published in over 50 magazines and anthologies, including the "Negative Space: Survival Horror" anthologies from Dark Peninsula Press, and the SNAFU series from Cohesion Press.
His debut collection "Black Tongue & Other Anomalies" was a nominee for the 2022 Splatterpunk Awards for Best Fiction Collection, and his story "Sons Of Luna" was a 2018 Pushcart Prize finalist.
His debut collection "Black Tongue & Other Anomalies" was a nominee for the 2022 Splatterpunk Awards for Best Fiction Collection, and his story "Sons Of Luna" was a 2018 Pushcart Prize finalist.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 3, 2022
Science Fiction and Horror have been my two favorite genres over a long lifetime. At first glance they seem to have nothing in common; but look again. What is NOT TERRIFYING about Space? From the very factual Challenger, Columbia, and Apollo 1 multi-tragedies (all Horrifying and unforgettable) and Dr. Who floating gently toward the Sun, to the possibilities in Space: the Void, the Cold, Systems Failures, Meteorites, Asteroids, Comets, Solar Eruptions, Terrific Planet-spanning storms; psychotic break in a crew member; sociopathic artificial intelligence; unsuspected aliens! What in Space is NOT MIND-BOGGLINGLY TERRIFYING???
WHY ARE WE EVEN IN SPACE????
If I haven't already proffered sufficient food for thought (and premises for Nightmares), I now offer you Richard Beauchamp's brand new "REASON TO AVOID SPACE EXPLORATION," titled intriguingly AUTONOMOUS. Oh my: a story does not have to exceed Proustian length to blow readers out of the water and onto an unscheduled EVA tour without a tether [yet another potential Space Terror!] I don't suppose Mr. Beauchamp has ever traveled on a Space Exploration mission, but reading AUTONOMOUS, you would never know: I swear he's traveled to Space and brought back the tale.
Do not overlook AUTONOMOUS!
[And do remember: In Space, no one can hear you scream!]
WHY ARE WE EVEN IN SPACE????
If I haven't already proffered sufficient food for thought (and premises for Nightmares), I now offer you Richard Beauchamp's brand new "REASON TO AVOID SPACE EXPLORATION," titled intriguingly AUTONOMOUS. Oh my: a story does not have to exceed Proustian length to blow readers out of the water and onto an unscheduled EVA tour without a tether [yet another potential Space Terror!] I don't suppose Mr. Beauchamp has ever traveled on a Space Exploration mission, but reading AUTONOMOUS, you would never know: I swear he's traveled to Space and brought back the tale.
Do not overlook AUTONOMOUS!
[And do remember: In Space, no one can hear you scream!]
December 3, 2022
Autonomous is a story about the lengths we'll go to for love, explored through the lens of an outcast young boy fighting to save his pet from euthanasia. Sure, the boy is a homicidal A.I. and the pet is an insatiable mass of alien viscera, but when I was his age I tried to perform voodoo on Santa and had a jar full of sea monkeys, so I'm not in a position to judge.
The prequel to this novella, Red Death, was one of my favourites from Beauchamp's debut collection. Its quick pacing and gripping tone are found here too, while the introduction of a second threat provides a unique spin to keep things fresh. While reading Red Death first isn't necessary to enjoy this story, doing so definitely adds to the fun. Either way, at 64 pages Autonomous will make for a great afternoon thrill.
My thanks to the author for providing an advanced copy for unbiased review.
The prequel to this novella, Red Death, was one of my favourites from Beauchamp's debut collection. Its quick pacing and gripping tone are found here too, while the introduction of a second threat provides a unique spin to keep things fresh. While reading Red Death first isn't necessary to enjoy this story, doing so definitely adds to the fun. Either way, at 64 pages Autonomous will make for a great afternoon thrill.
My thanks to the author for providing an advanced copy for unbiased review.
June 19, 2024
Autonomous was unnerving...in a cosmically-infernal way. This story serves as a companion and sequel to "Red Death" (which was a story in Beauchamp's collection, Black Tongue and Other Anomalies). It is equal parts sci-fi, cosmic horror and a classic struggle between humanity and the forces that see fit to eliminate its existence. This takes a few classic tropes and turns them into refreshing glimpses into infinite darkness.
In this story, we meet a crew who intercepts a pod from a junker that contains "a lifeform," which some of the crew want to research further and the others want to cast back into the cold vacuum of space. During this escalating debate, we encounter ARIC, the AI computer software that is gaining sentience at an alarming rate. It becomes aware that it is more intelligent than the crew using it for their tasks, which doesn't sit well with it. The AI decides to break protocol and do its own tests on the bio-mass extracted from the pod. These actions are disturbing to the leader of the expedition, who is an active foil to ARIC and its homicidal, ulterior motives.
Will sentient AI and a malignant lifeform bring death to the crew aboard this ship???
This story touches on elements from a few classic sci-fi stories and films and makes them fresh again. The "AI going rogue" idea hearkens back to 2001: A Space Odyssey and HAL-9000, the software that wants to eliminate the crew on its ship. The alien menace can draw allusions to Alien (with the captain in this story doing a wonderful tribute to Ellen Ripley). Also, we can see a bit of Event Horizon in the abandoned ship from "Red Death" and the evil bio-mass that survived in the pod. These congeal together to create a new, unsettling piece of sci-fi horror.
One last point to discuss before the rating: the AI artwork preceding each chapter. This story had been published before the major AI scandal that has rocked the art and literature communities, so the inclusion of Midjourney art shouldn't be held against the book or even the author. If anything, the AI art works for this story. To this reviewer, it serves as a lens into the rapidly decaying and changing mind of ARIC. These images provide a glimpse into the crew's demise in real time and ARIC's perception of the events that transpired in this story.
The awesome cover art was not done by AI, but by fellow indie horror author Chad Lutzke (who you should also read)!
Taking this all into consideration, I'm giving this story that is as cold as the blackness of space a much-deserved ☠️x5!
In this story, we meet a crew who intercepts a pod from a junker that contains "a lifeform," which some of the crew want to research further and the others want to cast back into the cold vacuum of space. During this escalating debate, we encounter ARIC, the AI computer software that is gaining sentience at an alarming rate. It becomes aware that it is more intelligent than the crew using it for their tasks, which doesn't sit well with it. The AI decides to break protocol and do its own tests on the bio-mass extracted from the pod. These actions are disturbing to the leader of the expedition, who is an active foil to ARIC and its homicidal, ulterior motives.
Will sentient AI and a malignant lifeform bring death to the crew aboard this ship???
This story touches on elements from a few classic sci-fi stories and films and makes them fresh again. The "AI going rogue" idea hearkens back to 2001: A Space Odyssey and HAL-9000, the software that wants to eliminate the crew on its ship. The alien menace can draw allusions to Alien (with the captain in this story doing a wonderful tribute to Ellen Ripley). Also, we can see a bit of Event Horizon in the abandoned ship from "Red Death" and the evil bio-mass that survived in the pod. These congeal together to create a new, unsettling piece of sci-fi horror.
One last point to discuss before the rating: the AI artwork preceding each chapter. This story had been published before the major AI scandal that has rocked the art and literature communities, so the inclusion of Midjourney art shouldn't be held against the book or even the author. If anything, the AI art works for this story. To this reviewer, it serves as a lens into the rapidly decaying and changing mind of ARIC. These images provide a glimpse into the crew's demise in real time and ARIC's perception of the events that transpired in this story.
The awesome cover art was not done by AI, but by fellow indie horror author Chad Lutzke (who you should also read)!
Taking this all into consideration, I'm giving this story that is as cold as the blackness of space a much-deserved ☠️x5!
January 23, 2023
Autonomous by Richard Beauchamp
Autonomous is a very short horror sci-fi at only 63 pages.
Marsa Unger, captain of the Phoenix-1 research vessel, is having mixed feelings about her new upgraded ship AI.
The Autonomous Robotic Intelligence Computer, or ‘Aric’ is the latest and greatest in the Athena Class AI developed by the Intergalactic Commerce Federation, the corporate hegemony that controls all the travel and trade among the stars. Meant to handle the tedious maintenance tasks of a whole ship by itself, as well as having a next gen human communication interface, ARIC is designed to feel just like another member of the crew. Now ship captains can rest easy knowing they have one of the smartest super computers ever built at the helm.
Autonomous is everything you’re looking for when reading a horror sci-fi i read it in one sitting and i think it’s definitely worth a read. Maybe not something i would enjoy if it was a full novel but it’s still a great little story!
Thanks to Richard Beauchamp for giving me the chance to read this!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Autonomous is a very short horror sci-fi at only 63 pages.
Marsa Unger, captain of the Phoenix-1 research vessel, is having mixed feelings about her new upgraded ship AI.
The Autonomous Robotic Intelligence Computer, or ‘Aric’ is the latest and greatest in the Athena Class AI developed by the Intergalactic Commerce Federation, the corporate hegemony that controls all the travel and trade among the stars. Meant to handle the tedious maintenance tasks of a whole ship by itself, as well as having a next gen human communication interface, ARIC is designed to feel just like another member of the crew. Now ship captains can rest easy knowing they have one of the smartest super computers ever built at the helm.
Autonomous is everything you’re looking for when reading a horror sci-fi i read it in one sitting and i think it’s definitely worth a read. Maybe not something i would enjoy if it was a full novel but it’s still a great little story!
Thanks to Richard Beauchamp for giving me the chance to read this!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 18, 2023
Not enough deep space horror out there, so I greatly appreciate the existence of Autonomous.
Fast-paced and visceral. Though I would have liked a bit more detail on the ship and some of the other crew members needed even the faintest of fleshing out. I felt there was room for a few more chapters without overstaying its welcome.
I went and read Red Death from Richard's short story collection Black Tongue and Other Anomalies first before checking this out and now I'm going back to finish the rest of the collection!
3.5 stars overall. Absolutely good stuff. Looking forward to finishing Black Tongue and eventually picking up Triptych.
Fast-paced and visceral. Though I would have liked a bit more detail on the ship and some of the other crew members needed even the faintest of fleshing out. I felt there was room for a few more chapters without overstaying its welcome.
I went and read Red Death from Richard's short story collection Black Tongue and Other Anomalies first before checking this out and now I'm going back to finish the rest of the collection!
3.5 stars overall. Absolutely good stuff. Looking forward to finishing Black Tongue and eventually picking up Triptych.
January 27, 2023
Fast paced and genuinely frightening, Richard Beauchamp’s “Autonomous” synthesizes all the best elements of movies like “Alien,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Life,” and “Event Horizon,” and includes a truly original and distressingly believable psychological portrait of an AI with a severe personality disorder. The way Beauchamp gets inside ARIC’s perspective is both enlightening and chilling. It’s what I wanted from “Alien: Covenant’s” David and didn’t quite get.
Add in some pretty gnarly alien/body horror, and this is the best space horror story I’ve read in a long time.
Add in some pretty gnarly alien/body horror, and this is the best space horror story I’ve read in a long time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2022
In this short story the author condenses several fears of space travelling resulting in a fun read! I didn't know this author but both the story and the writing style were very enjoyable and I'll be reading more of his works. I would have liked this story to continue and I recommend it as a short but effective space thrill!
December 12, 2023
An enjoyable read, but rather predictable. I do enjoy non-human protagonists, so reading from the AI's perspective was fun.
Unrelated to the story, I wasn't a fan of the use of AI-generated illustrations. Perhaps I should excuse that choice in a book about a rogue AI?
Unrelated to the story, I wasn't a fan of the use of AI-generated illustrations. Perhaps I should excuse that choice in a book about a rogue AI?
December 18, 2022
A neat little sci fi horror set in space. Being so short I didn’t really get to know any of the characters enough to care about them, so I was rooting for the AI and the creeping alien stuff, which is A okay for me. I enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews