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Artist I Am
A Masterpiece Destroyed. A Culprit Unknown. The Answer Unprecedented.
In the glittering world of international art, a high-stakes investigation will challenge the limits of technology and human ingenuity.
A contentious art auction reduces a priceless masterpiece to ashes, prompting the call for retired INTERPOL director Nick Stirling to lead a covert task force tasked with uncovering the truth. But as Nick and his team dig deeper into the mystery, they soon realize that there's more to the case than meets the eye.
In a world where state-of-the-art technology blurs the distinction between what is real and what is not, they must navigate risky technological terrains where appearances can be deceiving. From the gleaming halls of corporate headquarters to the shadowy back alleys of the dark web, the international investigation takes Nick and his team on a pulse-pounding journey through the underbelly of the digital world.
As they race against time to unravel the truth, they must confront their own demons and grapple with the ethical dilemmas posed by a brave new world powered by artificial intelligence.
With the fate of the art world hanging in the balance, Nick and his team must use every tool at their disposal to uncover the truth before their tricky nemesis destroys more priceless works.
"Artist I Am" is a gripping technothriller that combines heart-stopping action with thought-provoking exploration of the ethical implications of technology in the world of art. With its richly drawn characters, intricately woven plot, and pulse-pounding suspense, this novel will keep readers guessing until the very last page.
In the glittering world of international art, a high-stakes investigation will challenge the limits of technology and human ingenuity.
A contentious art auction reduces a priceless masterpiece to ashes, prompting the call for retired INTERPOL director Nick Stirling to lead a covert task force tasked with uncovering the truth. But as Nick and his team dig deeper into the mystery, they soon realize that there's more to the case than meets the eye.
In a world where state-of-the-art technology blurs the distinction between what is real and what is not, they must navigate risky technological terrains where appearances can be deceiving. From the gleaming halls of corporate headquarters to the shadowy back alleys of the dark web, the international investigation takes Nick and his team on a pulse-pounding journey through the underbelly of the digital world.
As they race against time to unravel the truth, they must confront their own demons and grapple with the ethical dilemmas posed by a brave new world powered by artificial intelligence.
With the fate of the art world hanging in the balance, Nick and his team must use every tool at their disposal to uncover the truth before their tricky nemesis destroys more priceless works.
"Artist I Am" is a gripping technothriller that combines heart-stopping action with thought-provoking exploration of the ethical implications of technology in the world of art. With its richly drawn characters, intricately woven plot, and pulse-pounding suspense, this novel will keep readers guessing until the very last page.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2024
About the author
Fish Phillips
7 books8 followersFish Phillips was born and raised as the son of an enlisted Marine.
After attending high school in Hawaii, and top universities elsewhere, a genre-defying career path led him to writing.
Over decades, he has served as a technology founder, medical researcher, college professor, web developer, screenwriter, filmmaker, program manager, and artist.
His academic background in science, art, cultural anthropology, and theology enables him to render rich worlds accessible to broad audiences.
As a multi-platform creator, he shares unique, high-concept stories to delight, entertain, and cultivate curiosity.
Based in Atlanta, he lives with his engineer wife and a teenage daughter who once mocked him by saying, “Look at daddy signing books like he’s famous.”
After attending high school in Hawaii, and top universities elsewhere, a genre-defying career path led him to writing.
Over decades, he has served as a technology founder, medical researcher, college professor, web developer, screenwriter, filmmaker, program manager, and artist.
His academic background in science, art, cultural anthropology, and theology enables him to render rich worlds accessible to broad audiences.
As a multi-platform creator, he shares unique, high-concept stories to delight, entertain, and cultivate curiosity.
Based in Atlanta, he lives with his engineer wife and a teenage daughter who once mocked him by saying, “Look at daddy signing books like he’s famous.”
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 30, 2024
Interesting
This book felt too short to get a full grasp on what was happening. Would be good to have a sequel with more depth and a longer storyline
This book felt too short to get a full grasp on what was happening. Would be good to have a sequel with more depth and a longer storyline
July 13, 2025
‘Artist I Am’ by Fish Phillips is one of those rare novels that manages to be both thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking. On the surface, it’s a fast-paced, high-stakes thriller, complete with art forgeries, elite circles, and dangerous secrets, but beneath that, it explores complex, timely themes about authenticity, identity, and how technology is reshaping what we believe to be true.
At its core, this is a story about the collision between tradition and innovation. The art world, with its obsession with provenance and value, is the perfect setting for a new kind of threat: deepfakes and AI-generated forgeries. Phillips doesn’t treat AI as a simple plot device; instead, he delves into how it challenges the very nature of perception. When everything can be faked, paintings, documents, even people, what does “real” even mean anymore?
The novel plays cleverly with the idea of trust: trust in what we see, in institutions, in legacy, and how quickly that trust can erode when faced with technologies that outpace human judgement. There’s a growing sense of unease as you read, not just because of the plot’s tension, but because it feels frighteningly plausible.
There’s also a thoughtful examination of power, whether it’s a wealthy backer, a gatekeeping institution, or an algorithm pushing images online, the story asks: who gets to decide what matters? And what happens to those left behind when the definitions shift?
If you enjoy art-world intrigue, morally ambiguous characters, and stories that grapple with the ethics of emerging technology, this is a must-read. ‘Artist I Am’ is sharp, stylish, and unsettling in all the right ways. A brilliant blend of suspense and social commentary.
At its core, this is a story about the collision between tradition and innovation. The art world, with its obsession with provenance and value, is the perfect setting for a new kind of threat: deepfakes and AI-generated forgeries. Phillips doesn’t treat AI as a simple plot device; instead, he delves into how it challenges the very nature of perception. When everything can be faked, paintings, documents, even people, what does “real” even mean anymore?
The novel plays cleverly with the idea of trust: trust in what we see, in institutions, in legacy, and how quickly that trust can erode when faced with technologies that outpace human judgement. There’s a growing sense of unease as you read, not just because of the plot’s tension, but because it feels frighteningly plausible.
There’s also a thoughtful examination of power, whether it’s a wealthy backer, a gatekeeping institution, or an algorithm pushing images online, the story asks: who gets to decide what matters? And what happens to those left behind when the definitions shift?
If you enjoy art-world intrigue, morally ambiguous characters, and stories that grapple with the ethics of emerging technology, this is a must-read. ‘Artist I Am’ is sharp, stylish, and unsettling in all the right ways. A brilliant blend of suspense and social commentary.
April 17, 2024
I didn't really care for this book. The plot was interesting, but the mystery was glaringly obvious from a very early part (and I am the worst at guessing 'who done it'), the story was rushed, and the ending non-existent. The story just stops.
The reason I gave 3 stars is because I was invested enough to finish the story and the characters were actually great.
The reason I gave 3 stars is because I was invested enough to finish the story and the characters were actually great.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews