Audit of the Collapse and Convalescence of Minds

by Renan Bernardo

A neurauditor must find out why three artificial minds--a military drone controller, a counseling chatbot, and a dating app--are failing in their jobs.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories

20 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2026

About the author

Renan Bernardo is a Nebula, World Fantasy, and Ignyte finalist author of science fiction and fantasy from Brazil. His short fiction appeared in Reactor/Tor.com, Clarkesworld, Apex Magazine, Podcastle, Escape Pod, Daily Science Fiction, and others.

His solarpunk/clifi short fiction collection, Different Kinds of Defiance, was published in 2024. His dark space opera novella, Disgraced Return of the Kap’s Needle, was released in 2025 and was a Nebula Award Finalist for Best Novella.

Reviews

[g · Rating 4 out of 5]

grief! grief! grief! and good god if only someone had compassion for you when you were wallowing in it

[Adam G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes, we need that one last conversation with someone. The release of it, the putting to bed of something -- which life may not have given us.

[Alex Sarll]

The easy gag would be to say that science fiction about artificial intelligence is just one more thing that's been spoiled by the crap way in which actual AI is being rolled out. But that's not really the problem here, and the glib epiphanies which the widowed auditor finds in talking to artificial minds that are misfiring – and, would you believe it, realising that maybe they all have something to learn from each other? – could have been a lesser story on the Tor site at any time across the past fifteen years. Granted, I might have found the default queerness of the human characters a little more novel back then, but even now the one detail whixh made me smile was the much-missed wife having Big Father and Tiny Father.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars. Felt like this could have been better. The idea was good, but the execution really didn't work for me.

[Per · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

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