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Auto Series #6
Copy
Bestselling author AB Foster’s comeback is big news in 2022. Absent for four years, she is now publishing further books and pioneering a new type of interactive digital novel.
Derek Thorpe was her biggest fan in the old days. Not any more. With the help of a private detective agency, Derek plans to expose AB Foster during the launch of her ground-breaking ieBook.
Expose her as a fraud. A copy of the original author. Her name, her characters and her writing style have all been stolen. Derek knows for a fact that this can’t be the real AB Foster.
Because he killed her, four years ago.
Copy is a 20,000 word story. It is part of the Auto Series and is included in the novel Auto.
Derek Thorpe was her biggest fan in the old days. Not any more. With the help of a private detective agency, Derek plans to expose AB Foster during the launch of her ground-breaking ieBook.
Expose her as a fraud. A copy of the original author. Her name, her characters and her writing style have all been stolen. Derek knows for a fact that this can’t be the real AB Foster.
Because he killed her, four years ago.
Copy is a 20,000 word story. It is part of the Auto Series and is included in the novel Auto.
60 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2013
19 people want to read
About the author
David Wailing
23 books59 followersI was born in Nineteen Davidey-Dave (all the best people were born that year) and live in London. I write contemporary fiction, a blend of mystery, thriller and humour.
My most recent novel is Under, a horror/mystery set on the London Underground. Both it and Signal Failure - a prelude short story available for free - are the result of a long-held fascination with the London Underground and its history.
As a native Londoner I have travelled on the Tube thousands of times, but it always feels like inhabiting a slightly different world to the city on the surface. The facts and figures of the Underground are just as fascinating as its mysteries and shadowy corners, and I hope my book does justice to both aspects.
I have five other novels available as Kindle ebooks: Auto, Auto 2, Bang, Duallists and Fake Kate.
My most recent novel is Under, a horror/mystery set on the London Underground. Both it and Signal Failure - a prelude short story available for free - are the result of a long-held fascination with the London Underground and its history.
As a native Londoner I have travelled on the Tube thousands of times, but it always feels like inhabiting a slightly different world to the city on the surface. The facts and figures of the Underground are just as fascinating as its mysteries and shadowy corners, and I hope my book does justice to both aspects.
I have five other novels available as Kindle ebooks: Auto, Auto 2, Bang, Duallists and Fake Kate.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 14, 2013
This is the fifth book in the brilliant Auto series and I I have to say is probably my favourite of them all. Not only does it have the fantastic element of how technology, and particularly ebooks could be in the year 2022 it is a truly gripping tale with a whodunit feel! Seriously well done Mr Wailing and I look forward to more from you in the hopefully not too distant future!
January 14, 2013
Another fabulous instalment to the auto series and with a very different tone to the preceding stories, this one is a lot more sinister. All the same it is just as excellent as the rest, I don't think I'll ever tire of reading the auto stories. I love the possibility that one day all these gadgets may be real!
January 15, 2013
This is the fifth book in David Wailing's series of longish shorts (Bermuda shorts?) known collectively as The Auto Series. They are set 10 years from the present and are centred around the Auto - a sort of on-line digital assistant which understands its owner's tastes and interest and can even converse on the owner's behalf. Our protagonist Derek is listening to a broadcast of a book launch as the story opens. After a gap of 5 years when the author was reported as dead, 6 new books in the series have been issued. There's an interview with the reclusive author but only Derek has noticed that the new books seem to be rehashed stories, even rehashed descriptions, from the earlier books.
David Wailing can take a science-fiction story, of the Auto which runs your life, and can push the boundaries of his own theory. It's a great skill. Would you trust a device to buy things for you? To organise your social calendar? If you give a machine such power, what happens when you no longer own it? I have enjoyed all the Auto stories which have been funny, thought-provoking and often a little worrying. This is the darkest of them by far and is an absolutely gripping read. The old saying 'For heaven's sake don't let them make any more progress!' springs readily to mind. I find myself wondering if the author can push his own theory any further? If he does - I want to be there reading it!
David Wailing can take a science-fiction story, of the Auto which runs your life, and can push the boundaries of his own theory. It's a great skill. Would you trust a device to buy things for you? To organise your social calendar? If you give a machine such power, what happens when you no longer own it? I have enjoyed all the Auto stories which have been funny, thought-provoking and often a little worrying. This is the darkest of them by far and is an absolutely gripping read. The old saying 'For heaven's sake don't let them make any more progress!' springs readily to mind. I find myself wondering if the author can push his own theory any further? If he does - I want to be there reading it!
September 7, 2015
Wow, I didn't expect the ending to be like that! You never know what's going to happen in the Auto Series. I really love reading these books. With this story, all I could picture in my mind was "I, Robot" with Will Smith.
Derek Thorpe was on a mission to find the person pretending to be AB Foster, author of a popular book series, whom he killed years before. What he finds, stuns him. He has help in finding the culprit but it all blows up in his face. No pun intended.
Really great series! Worth every second of your time. Can you imagine our world years from now, with everyone having their own auto? I can. And to be honest, that'd be a little scary. Having your daily life out there like that.
Derek Thorpe was on a mission to find the person pretending to be AB Foster, author of a popular book series, whom he killed years before. What he finds, stuns him. He has help in finding the culprit but it all blows up in his face. No pun intended.
Really great series! Worth every second of your time. Can you imagine our world years from now, with everyone having their own auto? I can. And to be honest, that'd be a little scary. Having your daily life out there like that.
March 8, 2013
The story concerns an author's work being faked in the near future. The story is well written and the language nice and accessible. The world it paints is a fascinating one and in some respects a frightening one, even more so for the dangers being not so overt.
I enjoyed reading it, the only minor issue I had was that it was a little predictable in some respects, although other aspects did surprise me. Well worth reading.
I enjoyed reading it, the only minor issue I had was that it was a little predictable in some respects, although other aspects did surprise me. Well worth reading.
May 8, 2023
I have really enjoyed all the Auto books but this one I actually saw the twist coming. While I didn't predict the dramatic ending, I did for some reason automatically assume the not-so-obvious within minutes of the story starting!
This is a much darker story than normal and while I found it entertaining and still very good, it is probably my least favourite so far.
This is a much darker story than normal and while I found it entertaining and still very good, it is probably my least favourite so far.
March 24, 2013
'Copy' is another hugely enjoyable addition to David Wailing's popular Auto series of eBooks. His writing is as assured as ever and laced with lovely bits of black humour. I particularly enjoyed the car's responses to other motorists and also the example of a book being made more literary or more dumbed-down. The latter was an inspired piece of writing!
Despite the book being set in the future, I was pleasantly surprised how the book tackles topical issues around independent publishing. There are quite a few knowing in-jokes for indie authors to enjoy and the matters of leaving reviews, sock-puppetry and indie vs traditional publishing are all mentioned in the plot.
The future David has created yet again fills me with unease, for the development of eBooks is all too real. The eeBooks and ieBooks are quite a wonderful invention by the author but at the same time are rather ghastly.
This is a great fast read and provided some much-needed light relief from a classic novel I am slowly plodding through. Not only is it a thriller, but it is also an intriguing, sometimes biting satire on both indie and traditional publishing. Or, in the words of an ieBook aimed at an audience less willing to read detail...it's very good!
Despite the book being set in the future, I was pleasantly surprised how the book tackles topical issues around independent publishing. There are quite a few knowing in-jokes for indie authors to enjoy and the matters of leaving reviews, sock-puppetry and indie vs traditional publishing are all mentioned in the plot.
The future David has created yet again fills me with unease, for the development of eBooks is all too real. The eeBooks and ieBooks are quite a wonderful invention by the author but at the same time are rather ghastly.
This is a great fast read and provided some much-needed light relief from a classic novel I am slowly plodding through. Not only is it a thriller, but it is also an intriguing, sometimes biting satire on both indie and traditional publishing. Or, in the words of an ieBook aimed at an audience less willing to read detail...it's very good!
January 27, 2013
"Copy" is such an awesome mystery suspense thriller short story that I am thinking 5 stars is just not enough! I especially liked that one of the characters from one of the previous installments in the Auto Series appeared in this story, as well as the idea of the black market server from another previous short story in this series. Brilliant work on this story, Mr. Wailing! All of the technology in these futuristic stories sounds really cool, too!
One bit of text from the book stuck out to me that, perhaps on a humorous note, I'd like to mention and comment on:
"Authors earn more money from ...'organic adverts' than they do from actual book sales."
There were many products and companies mentioned in the books, and perhaps I am wondering if Mr. Wailing got to be awarded with some kind of reward from any of the companies...Amazon, Ray Ban, Google, Apple, Nokia, Kindle, Volkswagen.... ;)
One bit of text from the book stuck out to me that, perhaps on a humorous note, I'd like to mention and comment on:
"Authors earn more money from ...'organic adverts' than they do from actual book sales."
There were many products and companies mentioned in the books, and perhaps I am wondering if Mr. Wailing got to be awarded with some kind of reward from any of the companies...Amazon, Ray Ban, Google, Apple, Nokia, Kindle, Volkswagen.... ;)
May 19, 2013
Absolutely cracking! David manages to deliver Science Fiction as it should be, by taking some of today's innovations and exploring their logical conclusions in the very near future. This is the sort of thing that Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke were so good at. I had read one of David's stories before (Auto) and knew that I was going to enjoy an enthralling read with Copy, and I wasn't disappointed.
February 8, 2013
Another enjoyable story in the futuristic "Auto" series. This one covers the possible future of e-books, and a frightening one it is! I won't say more about the plot for fear of spoiling the story. As usual with David Wailing's work, I was treated to a number of twists I couldn't predict.
Nicely done!
Nicely done!
June 4, 2013
I really enjoyed this crazy spoof of social media to the extreme. Some of it made you think about where we are going as a society. The book is like reading today with a futuristic twist. I was knocked off my feet when it all came together. Good job!
January 27, 2015
That's all the auto series read :) .. I really enjoyed David's vision of the future.. I hope there is more on the way......
181/36/6
181/36/6
November 16, 2015
Recommended to me by my daughter. Very easy to read and was very enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews