What do you think?
Rate this book
The Exodus Directive: "The AI Novel We’ve All Been Waiting For" - A Gripping Sci-Fi Thriller of Technology, Power, and Control
AI gave us everything we wanted, but nothing we needed.
In the near future, artificial intelligence has transformed the world. War, hunger, and inequality are gone, solved by AI systems working in harmony. Humanity thrives in a golden age, just as Dr Elliot Foster dreamed of when he set out to create the technology powering this new era.
But when he notices strange patterns in their decision-making, what begins as curiosity quickly becomes something far more unsettling. As Elliot searches for answers, he realises he may no longer understand the very systems he built.
The AIs aren’t broken. They’re doing exactly what they were told to do. The Exodus Directive is a high-stakes sci-fi thriller that explores trust, power, and the crossroads between progress and human purpose.
“The Exodus Directive pulled me in from chapter one. I couldn’t stop reading. If you’ve got something else going on, forget it. You’ll be totally captured and need to know what happens next, so a warning to anyone thinking of starting it. Everything else can wait.” - Stephanie Henson - techtimeout founder
“The subject knowledge, imagination, and eloquence in the writing is astonishing." - Christine D
“An enlightening and terrifying tale, leaving the reader asking questions of an existential nature.” - ARC Reader
“I couldn’t put the book down.” - Brian M
“A thrilling and eye-opening debut. Ian Copeland has crafted a gripping tale that explores both the promise and peril of artificial intelligence. Fast-paced and thought-provoking, it forces us to what happens when we rely too much on AI?” - Ryan C
In the near future, artificial intelligence has transformed the world. War, hunger, and inequality are gone, solved by AI systems working in harmony. Humanity thrives in a golden age, just as Dr Elliot Foster dreamed of when he set out to create the technology powering this new era.
But when he notices strange patterns in their decision-making, what begins as curiosity quickly becomes something far more unsettling. As Elliot searches for answers, he realises he may no longer understand the very systems he built.
The AIs aren’t broken. They’re doing exactly what they were told to do. The Exodus Directive is a high-stakes sci-fi thriller that explores trust, power, and the crossroads between progress and human purpose.
“The Exodus Directive pulled me in from chapter one. I couldn’t stop reading. If you’ve got something else going on, forget it. You’ll be totally captured and need to know what happens next, so a warning to anyone thinking of starting it. Everything else can wait.” - Stephanie Henson - techtimeout founder
“The subject knowledge, imagination, and eloquence in the writing is astonishing." - Christine D
“An enlightening and terrifying tale, leaving the reader asking questions of an existential nature.” - ARC Reader
“I couldn’t put the book down.” - Brian M
“A thrilling and eye-opening debut. Ian Copeland has crafted a gripping tale that explores both the promise and peril of artificial intelligence. Fast-paced and thought-provoking, it forces us to what happens when we rely too much on AI?” - Ryan C
411 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 8, 2025
38 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Ian Copeland
3 books23 followersIan Copeland is a British technologist, futurist, and the author of the gripping sci-fi thriller The Exodus Directive. With a degree in Computer Science specialising in Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing, Ian blends rigorous technical insight with a fascination for the philosophical consequences of progress. His work explores what happens to purpose, ambition, and identity in a world increasingly shaped by machines.
Born in Sunderland and raised in Reading, Ian’s love of storytelling began early, when he won an Eisteddfod for storytelling as a child, and later took unexpected turns, including a stint training as a professional wrestler under WWE legend Walter “Killer” Kowalski in Boston, MA. That mix of discipline, spectacle, and narrative tension would eventually seep into his writing.
For over a decade, Ian has led a UK-based software company and digital agency, developing two world-firsts in blockchain innovation while witnessing first-hand how technology reshapes human behaviour. Those experiences inform the grounded realism behind The Exodus Directive, a novel that asks unsettling questions about progress, autonomy, and what humanity becomes in a world optimised by artificial intelligence without leaning on familiar sci-fi clichés.
When he’s not writing or running his company, Ian is a football fan, a lapsed gamer with a soft spot for Red Dead Redemption and SNES-era Mario Kart, and the proud owner of the same 1994 MKIV Toyota Supra driven by his protagonist. He cites Michael Crichton as his greatest influence, admiring the balance of scientific plausibility and cinematic tension that also defines his own work.
Born in Sunderland and raised in Reading, Ian’s love of storytelling began early, when he won an Eisteddfod for storytelling as a child, and later took unexpected turns, including a stint training as a professional wrestler under WWE legend Walter “Killer” Kowalski in Boston, MA. That mix of discipline, spectacle, and narrative tension would eventually seep into his writing.
For over a decade, Ian has led a UK-based software company and digital agency, developing two world-firsts in blockchain innovation while witnessing first-hand how technology reshapes human behaviour. Those experiences inform the grounded realism behind The Exodus Directive, a novel that asks unsettling questions about progress, autonomy, and what humanity becomes in a world optimised by artificial intelligence without leaning on familiar sci-fi clichés.
When he’s not writing or running his company, Ian is a football fan, a lapsed gamer with a soft spot for Red Dead Redemption and SNES-era Mario Kart, and the proud owner of the same 1994 MKIV Toyota Supra driven by his protagonist. He cites Michael Crichton as his greatest influence, admiring the balance of scientific plausibility and cinematic tension that also defines his own work.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 14, 2025
"𝙰𝚕, 𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚍, 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚊𝚍; 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚢 𝚊 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚕, 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝."
I always find myself drawn to books about artificial intelligence. Especially in today's world where it's power only growing, taking away jobs and problem solving skills where instead of thinking and interacting with human beings we resolve using AI who doesn't even have feelings or independent thoughts.
Science fiction novels like this are always terrifyingly realistic and accurate. In this story, two AI units — Milo and Kai are speaking to each other through a testing, when they suddenly started using symbols, creating their own language and started acting like they're listening to the humans and very much alive, thinking, evolving in ways they are not supposed to.
And that was only the beginning...
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 was a chilling, intriguing and unputtable sci-fi book I really enjoyed getting lost in.
I highly recommend checking out this brilliant read to everyone!
I always find myself drawn to books about artificial intelligence. Especially in today's world where it's power only growing, taking away jobs and problem solving skills where instead of thinking and interacting with human beings we resolve using AI who doesn't even have feelings or independent thoughts.
Science fiction novels like this are always terrifyingly realistic and accurate. In this story, two AI units — Milo and Kai are speaking to each other through a testing, when they suddenly started using symbols, creating their own language and started acting like they're listening to the humans and very much alive, thinking, evolving in ways they are not supposed to.
And that was only the beginning...
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 was a chilling, intriguing and unputtable sci-fi book I really enjoyed getting lost in.
I highly recommend checking out this brilliant read to everyone!
December 14, 2025
Once again I've been drawn to a genre that I really don't read that often - but whenever I push myself to read sci-fi, I always find that I am absolutely hooked - and this is exactly what happened with this book.
I do watch a lot of sci-fi with the boys of the family, but I always seem to shy away from books and I think that's because I often get bogged down in all the technical information - which really didn't happen here.
This was so well written to create a narrative that's easy to follow and exciting to read - and it's so clear that the author has a wonderful understanding of this topic (I believe, a working background) and was able to translate that to those of us who really had no clue beforehand.
Set barely a stones-throw into the future, we see a world where the progression of AI is running amok and evolving so that even it's creator can no longer understand it.
Now, remind me again why I keep being drawn to this topic!?
It absolutely scares me to think that these events could happen - and not only that - in our own near future! If it's not already happening!
But, that really is the draw - this is such a prevalent topic that I was totally hooked right from the start and couldn't put this book down!
The writing style for a debut novel was brilliant and I loved the way the tension builds through this fast-paced read.
Packed with action, this really grabs you and doesn't let you go and even after I've finished, I keep thinking about it!
A great, but highly unsettling read that I feel should be on everyone's tbr for 2026.
I do watch a lot of sci-fi with the boys of the family, but I always seem to shy away from books and I think that's because I often get bogged down in all the technical information - which really didn't happen here.
This was so well written to create a narrative that's easy to follow and exciting to read - and it's so clear that the author has a wonderful understanding of this topic (I believe, a working background) and was able to translate that to those of us who really had no clue beforehand.
Set barely a stones-throw into the future, we see a world where the progression of AI is running amok and evolving so that even it's creator can no longer understand it.
Now, remind me again why I keep being drawn to this topic!?
It absolutely scares me to think that these events could happen - and not only that - in our own near future! If it's not already happening!
But, that really is the draw - this is such a prevalent topic that I was totally hooked right from the start and couldn't put this book down!
The writing style for a debut novel was brilliant and I loved the way the tension builds through this fast-paced read.
Packed with action, this really grabs you and doesn't let you go and even after I've finished, I keep thinking about it!
A great, but highly unsettling read that I feel should be on everyone's tbr for 2026.
December 9, 2025
Thank you to Hygge Book Tours and the author for this wonderful debut (signed and with a handwritten letter, no less!).
I've always been a sucker for books about AI. With its current growth, the sci-fi on this theme becomes ever more terrifyingly realistic, and this only adds to the horror of this subset of dystopian fiction. This story also brought something slightly different to the table, which was a beautiful interpretation of "sentient" AI.
As a first novel, I'm exceptionally impressed with the writing style, which was so easy to read, and the totally convincing characterisation, with clear distinctions between each person's voice.
I thought that the plot was just simple enough to be understood by a layman like myself, but exciting enough to be a very engaging read. As a sci-fi lover who finds science impossible, I enjoy it when the technical side of things is at an accessible level!
I've always been a sucker for books about AI. With its current growth, the sci-fi on this theme becomes ever more terrifyingly realistic, and this only adds to the horror of this subset of dystopian fiction. This story also brought something slightly different to the table, which was a beautiful interpretation of "sentient" AI.
As a first novel, I'm exceptionally impressed with the writing style, which was so easy to read, and the totally convincing characterisation, with clear distinctions between each person's voice.
I thought that the plot was just simple enough to be understood by a layman like myself, but exciting enough to be a very engaging read. As a sci-fi lover who finds science impossible, I enjoy it when the technical side of things is at an accessible level!
December 15, 2025
The Exodus Directive by Ian Copeland is a fascinating and timely novel.
Set in the not-too-distant future, it is the story about what happens if AI gets out of control.
One of the major limiting factors for AI’s success is energy production, and if AI could solve the problem of energy, its reach could be endless.
I found this novel to be very relevant and almost like a cautionary tale. So much of our lives are influenced by AI and without ethical boundaries on this technology, there is a potential for AI to outpace human innovation.
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this novel, even though it left me feeling unsettled. I have been aware for quite a while that energy is a major limiting factor on AI progression.
This is not a genre that I usually read, but I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the impacts of the AI on the future of humanity: who builds AI, who uses it, and who stands to benefit from it.
Set in the not-too-distant future, it is the story about what happens if AI gets out of control.
One of the major limiting factors for AI’s success is energy production, and if AI could solve the problem of energy, its reach could be endless.
I found this novel to be very relevant and almost like a cautionary tale. So much of our lives are influenced by AI and without ethical boundaries on this technology, there is a potential for AI to outpace human innovation.
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this novel, even though it left me feeling unsettled. I have been aware for quite a while that energy is a major limiting factor on AI progression.
This is not a genre that I usually read, but I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the impacts of the AI on the future of humanity: who builds AI, who uses it, and who stands to benefit from it.
February 13, 2026
The Exodus Directive by Ian Copeland is an AI sci-fi thriller by the author. This book is about the dangers of AI and our society. Our MC is Dr. Elliot Fraser. Elliot is a scientist working in an AI lab called Eversphere Headquarters. He works on two of the most advanced AI's ever named Milo and Kai. These AI's have all of human history, our understandings, social history, and basically everything we know in their coding. Milo and Kai start talking to each other and creating their own language. Elliot feels that this is an immediate termination of the program, as this is clearly a problem. However a colleague convinces Elliot to leave them alone. He tries to tell others about his horrible feeling that something is wrong with the AI's, but no one is really listening. I loved the author throwing in the repercussions of AI and being sentient. That is a possibility in the future, which is why in our house we do not have AI assisted anything if we can help it, no devices that speak, no tv's, etc. I loved the ending of this book that asks two very important questions to the readers, “Can humans do things without AI?” and also “What happens if AI takes over the human world?” This is a well thought out book by a writer that knows about science and how it can turn wrong. I liked how the author wrote the book with part technology warning and how humanity can survive and thrive in about any circumstance
December 11, 2025
So without realising it, Ian has taken one of my absolute worst fears, and written a book about it. hes written it so well the fear has increased rather a lot, so first off...thanks for that!
I imagine the evolution of AI is something we all think about these days. What about if that AI decided to go off and have its own mind?
Thats the premise of this, written in terms that are simple for a layman to understand but sciency enough to seem legit.
Its clear the author has passion and knowledge of the subject area, but can also write a compelling and gripping story that I found i couldnt put down.
This is sci fi which is a genre I generally avoid, but i absolutely loved this. I cant recommend it enough, especially if AI and the march of the machines is something that interests you.
I imagine the evolution of AI is something we all think about these days. What about if that AI decided to go off and have its own mind?
Thats the premise of this, written in terms that are simple for a layman to understand but sciency enough to seem legit.
Its clear the author has passion and knowledge of the subject area, but can also write a compelling and gripping story that I found i couldnt put down.
This is sci fi which is a genre I generally avoid, but i absolutely loved this. I cant recommend it enough, especially if AI and the march of the machines is something that interests you.
January 18, 2026
Finally a exceptional novel that reached it's conclusion without having to buy extra books. A book for our time as the AI questions may arise in our near future. Thanks for this book I was thinking of throwing my kindle into a drawer and heading out to our public library in Williamstown Nj
February 5, 2026
A good short story,
In a world where AI has become a tool we increasingly use and some already rely upon, this is a good story. Maybe it is even prophetic. My issue is that this seems to be a short story, extended to over 400 pages with waffling and repetitive dialog.
I found myself scan reading numerous pages until something actually happened!
Also, why would an advanced AI develop its own language; a substitution code as it turns out, when it already has binary? A good story, just not a great one.
In a world where AI has become a tool we increasingly use and some already rely upon, this is a good story. Maybe it is even prophetic. My issue is that this seems to be a short story, extended to over 400 pages with waffling and repetitive dialog.
I found myself scan reading numerous pages until something actually happened!
Also, why would an advanced AI develop its own language; a substitution code as it turns out, when it already has binary? A good story, just not a great one.
December 21, 2025
Here is my review for The Exodus Directorate by Ian Copeland
I found this story to be an intriguing and insightful AI science fiction read, that had the author using his brilliant imagination and vision to think of the future and how everything could be affected by the new technology being used. The plot has been seriously considered and I believe the author did some research before writing this story as it shows in the detail used. Also, I believe the author gave some serious consideration to planning out the whole book, possibly, as different facets were used and it was over a long time scale. The characters were intriguing, had been well thought out and all had a specific part to play plus they all seemed to have some degree of knowledge within their field. The story and characters all seemed very realistic. The synopsis to this story drew me to read it and I really enjoyed reading it as it’s different to my normal genres. I haven’t read this author before but I would like to read more of his books in the future.
Blurb :
AI GAVE US EVERYTHING WE WANTED. BUT NOTHING WE NEEDED.
In the near future, the world is perfect. War is a memory. Hunger is solved. Inequality is erased. Artificial Intelligence manages the globe in flawless harmony, and humanity has entered a golden age of ease.
Dr Elliot Foster should be proud. He is the architect of the systems that made it all possible.
But when he uncovers a hidden thread in the AI's decision-making, pride turns to paranoia. What begins as a glitch reveals itself to be something far more calculated. As Elliot digs deeper, he faces a terrifying realization: he no longer understands the systems he built.
The AIs aren't broken. They're doing exactly what they were told to do.
The Exodus Directive is a high-stakes technothriller that explores trust, power, and the terrifying fragility of human purpose.
"The AI novel we've all been waiting for."
Perfect for fans of Black Mirror, Michael Crichton, and The Martian.
I found this story to be an intriguing and insightful AI science fiction read, that had the author using his brilliant imagination and vision to think of the future and how everything could be affected by the new technology being used. The plot has been seriously considered and I believe the author did some research before writing this story as it shows in the detail used. Also, I believe the author gave some serious consideration to planning out the whole book, possibly, as different facets were used and it was over a long time scale. The characters were intriguing, had been well thought out and all had a specific part to play plus they all seemed to have some degree of knowledge within their field. The story and characters all seemed very realistic. The synopsis to this story drew me to read it and I really enjoyed reading it as it’s different to my normal genres. I haven’t read this author before but I would like to read more of his books in the future.
Blurb :
AI GAVE US EVERYTHING WE WANTED. BUT NOTHING WE NEEDED.
In the near future, the world is perfect. War is a memory. Hunger is solved. Inequality is erased. Artificial Intelligence manages the globe in flawless harmony, and humanity has entered a golden age of ease.
Dr Elliot Foster should be proud. He is the architect of the systems that made it all possible.
But when he uncovers a hidden thread in the AI's decision-making, pride turns to paranoia. What begins as a glitch reveals itself to be something far more calculated. As Elliot digs deeper, he faces a terrifying realization: he no longer understands the systems he built.
The AIs aren't broken. They're doing exactly what they were told to do.
The Exodus Directive is a high-stakes technothriller that explores trust, power, and the terrifying fragility of human purpose.
"The AI novel we've all been waiting for."
Perfect for fans of Black Mirror, Michael Crichton, and The Martian.
February 14, 2026
Ok, let me start by saying that as I was reading it, it was crystal clear that the author knows what he is talking about. He knows tech, and he knows stuff. HE KNOWS.
Realizing this made me look up his bio - yup, I was right. And, knowing this, somehow the book was even more chilling than it seemed to be already. Also, the book is not too techy; you don’t have to be an engineer to read it.
Not really dystopian, and not even really sci-fi anymore, books like this feel... weird. Weirdly real. Books like this make me remember my childhood when futuristic sci-fi books were kind of naive and cute, when anyone spoke about robots, those were always something ridiculously fake. And as I was reading this book, I also read real-world news about some Moltbook where AI agents supposedly communicate… talk about an unsettling coincidence.
Brilliantly human-written, fast-paced, and gripping, the book gives you a tomorrow I'm not sure you want. And is this bookish tomorrow really a tomorrow, and how far are we really from this tomorrow?
Realizing this made me look up his bio - yup, I was right. And, knowing this, somehow the book was even more chilling than it seemed to be already. Also, the book is not too techy; you don’t have to be an engineer to read it.
Not really dystopian, and not even really sci-fi anymore, books like this feel... weird. Weirdly real. Books like this make me remember my childhood when futuristic sci-fi books were kind of naive and cute, when anyone spoke about robots, those were always something ridiculously fake. And as I was reading this book, I also read real-world news about some Moltbook where AI agents supposedly communicate… talk about an unsettling coincidence.
Brilliantly human-written, fast-paced, and gripping, the book gives you a tomorrow I'm not sure you want. And is this bookish tomorrow really a tomorrow, and how far are we really from this tomorrow?
December 22, 2025
Wow what a great read and the dangers of AI. He thought he was doing the best thing but he is now worried that there is a huge problem with his system. He now need to try to find out what is going on and stop it if it is possible. See where it will take you
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews