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The Gestalt in the Machine
SAN FRANCISCO, the near future — When clickbait journalist Adam Arrowman witnesses a murder, he’s forced to become a real investigative reporter.
His detective work takes him into the world of Kelvin Clipper, an imperious CEO who promises that ever-accelerating artificial intelligence will let him outrun death. Thousands of protesters disagree. Their warning: Infinite growth is an illusion and Big Tech is actually racing toward the extinction of humanity.
Caught in the middle, a band of hackers searches desperately for a way to align algorithms with human needs. More violence hints at a connection to a president threatening World War III, lobbyists trying to free corporations from their stockholders, and an app that claims to resurrect the dead.
Can Adam find the killer before the killer finds him? What secrets did the victim die to protect? And will Clipper’s Singularity deliver immortality in our time, or damnation for us all?
His detective work takes him into the world of Kelvin Clipper, an imperious CEO who promises that ever-accelerating artificial intelligence will let him outrun death. Thousands of protesters disagree. Their warning: Infinite growth is an illusion and Big Tech is actually racing toward the extinction of humanity.
Caught in the middle, a band of hackers searches desperately for a way to align algorithms with human needs. More violence hints at a connection to a president threatening World War III, lobbyists trying to free corporations from their stockholders, and an app that claims to resurrect the dead.
Can Adam find the killer before the killer finds him? What secrets did the victim die to protect? And will Clipper’s Singularity deliver immortality in our time, or damnation for us all?
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2025
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 7, 2025
The Gestalt in the Machine is a sharp-witted techno-thriller that follows Adam Arrowman, a tech journalist reluctantly thrust into a deadly web of intrigue after witnessing a bombing at a Silicon Valley conference. What starts as a routine puff piece on a flamboyant billionaire’s AI announcements quickly escalates into a sprawling mystery involving murder, media manipulation, political corruption, and the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence. With a cast of rebels, reporters, moguls, and a robot or two, the book weaves a narrative that interrogates the direction of modern technology and whether it’s pulling us toward a utopia or a cliff.
This book floored me. It’s not just the plot, though, that’s plenty twisty and loaded with surprises. It’s the writing. Andy Dornan has a gift for mixing satire with sincerity in a way that feels real and raw. The characters have edges, contradictions, and actual voices. Adam isn’t your typical hero; he’s flawed, insecure, sometimes petty, and often overwhelmed, but he feels honest. The pacing is relentless in a good way, and I was laughing one minute and holding my breath the next. Even the exposition, normally the death of a good thriller, feels alive here, crackling with tension and humor. And the dialogue sings. Fast, funny, and always revealing more than what’s said out loud.
Dornan doesn’t just poke fun at Silicon Valley hype, he goes deeper, asking what it means to be human in a world where every gesture, thought, and feeling is data to be sold or shaped. The critiques of surveillance tech, algorithmic romance, and digital immortality hit hard without getting preachy. I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea that everyone’s out there curating a digital self to outlive them, while their real lives shrink. It’s scary, familiar, and sad. This book made me laugh, wince, and nod a lot. It’s fiction, sure, but it’s hitting nerves that are painfully nonfiction.
I’d recommend The Gestalt in the Machine to anyone who likes fast-paced fiction with brains, guts, and something to say. It’s for fans of Cory Doctorow, William Gibson, and even people who’ve never touched sci-fi but wonder why their phone knows what they want before they do. Techies will get the jokes, cynics will get the vibes, and anyone who’s ever been ghosted by a dating app will definitely get the message.
This book floored me. It’s not just the plot, though, that’s plenty twisty and loaded with surprises. It’s the writing. Andy Dornan has a gift for mixing satire with sincerity in a way that feels real and raw. The characters have edges, contradictions, and actual voices. Adam isn’t your typical hero; he’s flawed, insecure, sometimes petty, and often overwhelmed, but he feels honest. The pacing is relentless in a good way, and I was laughing one minute and holding my breath the next. Even the exposition, normally the death of a good thriller, feels alive here, crackling with tension and humor. And the dialogue sings. Fast, funny, and always revealing more than what’s said out loud.
Dornan doesn’t just poke fun at Silicon Valley hype, he goes deeper, asking what it means to be human in a world where every gesture, thought, and feeling is data to be sold or shaped. The critiques of surveillance tech, algorithmic romance, and digital immortality hit hard without getting preachy. I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea that everyone’s out there curating a digital self to outlive them, while their real lives shrink. It’s scary, familiar, and sad. This book made me laugh, wince, and nod a lot. It’s fiction, sure, but it’s hitting nerves that are painfully nonfiction.
I’d recommend The Gestalt in the Machine to anyone who likes fast-paced fiction with brains, guts, and something to say. It’s for fans of Cory Doctorow, William Gibson, and even people who’ve never touched sci-fi but wonder why their phone knows what they want before they do. Techies will get the jokes, cynics will get the vibes, and anyone who’s ever been ghosted by a dating app will definitely get the message.
September 13, 2025
Amazing
The Gestalt in the Machine by Dornan is an extraordinary book that blends philosophy, technology, and human imagination in a way that feels both profound and captivating. What struck me most is the author’s descriptive language, which is so vivid and precise that it allows the reader to picture each scenario clearly in the mind, almost like watching a film unfold inside the imagination. The narrative does not stay on the surface of abstract concepts; instead, it paints scenes that transport you, making complex ideas tangible and emotionally engaging. This ability to connect thought with imagery creates a unique reading experience where the boundaries between machine, mind, and meaning blur in fascinating ways. It is a book that sparks reflection, invites creativity, and leaves unforgettable impressions.
The Gestalt in the Machine by Dornan is an extraordinary book that blends philosophy, technology, and human imagination in a way that feels both profound and captivating. What struck me most is the author’s descriptive language, which is so vivid and precise that it allows the reader to picture each scenario clearly in the mind, almost like watching a film unfold inside the imagination. The narrative does not stay on the surface of abstract concepts; instead, it paints scenes that transport you, making complex ideas tangible and emotionally engaging. This ability to connect thought with imagery creates a unique reading experience where the boundaries between machine, mind, and meaning blur in fascinating ways. It is a book that sparks reflection, invites creativity, and leaves unforgettable impressions.
September 9, 2025
The Gestalt in the Machine by Andy Dornan was a really exciting book for me. I’m not usually into techno-thrillers, but this one grabbed me right away. The story about Adam, a journalist who suddenly gets pulled into a big conspiracy, felt like a mix of action and mystery.
I liked how the book showed the dark side of technology, like deepfakes, surveillance, and online manipulation. It made me think about how much of our lives are online and how easy it is for things to be changed or used against us. I remembered a time when I saw a fake post online about someone I knew, and it was scary to realize how fast lies can spread. The book made me question what is real, which was sometimes uncomfortable but also powerful.
I liked how the book showed the dark side of technology, like deepfakes, surveillance, and online manipulation. It made me think about how much of our lives are online and how easy it is for things to be changed or used against us. I remembered a time when I saw a fake post online about someone I knew, and it was scary to realize how fast lies can spread. The book made me question what is real, which was sometimes uncomfortable but also powerful.
September 10, 2025
Reality manipulated by AI
This book made me think a lot about where we are going as a society. At first, it seems like just a thriller with a somewhat lost journalist, but as you continue reading, you realize that the story touches on very real topics, digital manipulation, the power of big tech companies, and human disconnection in an increasingly virtual world. What impacted me the most was how everything seems exaggerated, but it is not so much if we look around us. The book not only entertains, but it also makes you feel uncomfortable in a good way. I ended up questioning things like, who controls what I believe? How much are we giving up our freedom for comfort? It is a reading that mixes action with reflection, and that is not so easy to find nowadays.
This book made me think a lot about where we are going as a society. At first, it seems like just a thriller with a somewhat lost journalist, but as you continue reading, you realize that the story touches on very real topics, digital manipulation, the power of big tech companies, and human disconnection in an increasingly virtual world. What impacted me the most was how everything seems exaggerated, but it is not so much if we look around us. The book not only entertains, but it also makes you feel uncomfortable in a good way. I ended up questioning things like, who controls what I believe? How much are we giving up our freedom for comfort? It is a reading that mixes action with reflection, and that is not so easy to find nowadays.
September 13, 2025
This science fiction gem kept me entertained from start to finish for three main reasons: the subject matter is topical, which makes it more relatable to the reader. The narrative is extremely fast-paced and well-crafted. And its non-stop action and mystery make it impossible to put down.
As if that weren't enough, I believe the author shares a very valuable and important message about artificial intelligence and how its effects can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the hands it falls into. The truths we find within the pages of this book may be uncomfortable, but I find it invaluable that they are presented disguised within the plot of the story.
Andy Dornan is a new author for me but I am very glad I have now found his work.
As if that weren't enough, I believe the author shares a very valuable and important message about artificial intelligence and how its effects can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the hands it falls into. The truths we find within the pages of this book may be uncomfortable, but I find it invaluable that they are presented disguised within the plot of the story.
Andy Dornan is a new author for me but I am very glad I have now found his work.
September 12, 2025
The Gestalt in the Machine by Andy Dornan is an exciting new thriller and murder mystery that taps into a lot of current technological and societal developments and explores how they could play out in the future. The protagonist is Andrew Arrowman, a journalist who becomes a witness to a murder that might just spell the beginning of the end for humanity. As he investigates, he discovers a web of deceit that involves Big Tech companies and artificial intelligence that is evolving too fast. If you like reading action-packed thrillers that nevertheless make you think about current issues and deeper consequences, then you will love this book. I am awarding this book five stars.
September 12, 2025
I felt like this book caught me staring at my phone in the dark and asking: What’s really happening behind the screen? This book got under my skin in a good way. It mixes thriller puzzles with ideas about AI, tech hype, and what “being human” means now and this is something that has been in my mind for months.
Sometimes the “idea parts” got heavy, when the book stops for long explanations. But even then, the tension pulls you back in. I closed it feeling uneasy in a good way: more aware of how tech shapes and influences in our lives, more careful about what I share, more curious what comes next
Sometimes the “idea parts” got heavy, when the book stops for long explanations. But even then, the tension pulls you back in. I closed it feeling uneasy in a good way: more aware of how tech shapes and influences in our lives, more careful about what I share, more curious what comes next
September 13, 2025
This fictional novel will take you on an exciting investigation where a murder mystery and a possible Third World War caused by technology and Artificial Intelligence are part of the plot. ‘’Gestalt in the Machine’’ has become one of my favorite novels in recent months. A compelling main character with strong investigative skills and strengths gives the novel depth and growth throughout the story. High stakes create tension and a roller coaster of emotions, always hoping for more due to the unpredictability of the reading. I have to say that the plot of this novel is authentic, and the author's unique way of telling the story makes this novel exciting and captivating from the beginning.
September 12, 2025
Amazing!
I liked this story. It unfolds like a mix between a science fiction novel and a thriller. The general theme and the development of the book not only reflect the digital revolution that the world is experiencing today, but also highlight the real impact that technological advances have on society. Although this book may seem like pure science fiction, in many ways it resembles the reality we are likely to face in the near future. It is an easy-to-read and very engaging book, written in a style that allows the reader to feel part of the story and identified with it.
I liked this story. It unfolds like a mix between a science fiction novel and a thriller. The general theme and the development of the book not only reflect the digital revolution that the world is experiencing today, but also highlight the real impact that technological advances have on society. Although this book may seem like pure science fiction, in many ways it resembles the reality we are likely to face in the near future. It is an easy-to-read and very engaging book, written in a style that allows the reader to feel part of the story and identified with it.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews