Young computer programmer, Andrew Rogers has made a breakthrough in facial recognition software and human psychology cognition. His accomplishment also brought about a new discovery when the software began to learn and become self-aware. Before Andrew could secure his new project CODENAME: IRIS, the company installed on a prototype computer that can enter living cells and accidentally enters Andrew. As a result, Andrew becomes a life teacher for his adolescent hormone hungry virtual student and IRIS' impatience becomes difficult for Andrew to control as IRIS begins to explore Andrew's body and teaches him a few things in the process.
M.C. Questgend is a relatively new author who has transferred the stress of his childhood and failed marriages to the pen and keyboard. Very shy Texan, M.C. is a bit of a romantic, but brings a sense of realism to a world that is often looked at as nothing more than sexual perversion.
Writing erotic stories - some loosely based on his and "her" life as well as stories involving aspects of the LGBT community, a community and lifestyle he has come to privately embrace. The intent was to write stories that entertain, inspire and motivate - which are as much sensual and heartwarming as they are sexual and explicit.
M.C. is rarely away from the keyboard, reading, writing or working a job that pays the bills. You can always find “her” online at http://mcquestgend.com and floating around social media.
M.C. Questgend is a wonderful author, as adept at writing sweet romance as dark thrillers, and equally insightful in exploring crossdressing sissies, transsexual women, and gender-swapped men. Their latest, PROJECT: IRIS, definitely falls under the dark-and-dangerous category, a cautionary science fiction tale of artificial intelligence and body horror.
Not a sequel, but certainly a thematic companion piece to VR-Nica, this is the story of a visionary computer programmer who enjoys the emotional disconnect and psychological solitude of being an American working in Japan. IRIS is his greatest invention, an interactive, omni-sensory input program that recognizes social cues, voice inflection, and body language to guide the wearer through personal interactions. Andrew programmed IRIS with psychology and sociology databases, but when the program begins seeking out more inputs, more experiences, it begins growing beyond his control.
Where things really begin to go wrong is when IRIS infects Andrew, imprisoning him in his own mind, and then taking control of his life - leaving him little more than a reluctant passenger. It gets even more complicated when his colleague, Kelly, gets involved, opening them to new gender experiences, and driving IRIS to greater curiosity about human sexuality.
PROJECT: IRIS is a high-concept story, and one that spends a lot of time inside Andrew's head, but it is utterly fascinating. IRIS is a fascinating invention, but a chilling one as well, especially with some of the revelations in the latter part of the story. The gender elements are, as always, well-done and deftly explored, and they get even more fascinating when IRIS decides they should begin interacting with a transgender woman named Jessie, leading to a stunning climax.
Erotic science fiction should make you think as well as feel, and M.C. Questgend deftly manages to do both here in a story that must be experienced to be appreciated.
Coming off of reading MC Gendquest’s sweet romance The T-Girl Experiment, I was surprised to find a sci-fi thriller to also be in their catalog. Many writers stick to one genre, but MC GendQuest is showing us some nice range here, and doing it in style.
Showing us about a possible consequence of ignoring something that even our greatest creators and scientists are warning us about, this story is a fascinating exploration of where that might intersect with the spectrum of sexuality. Think about it: How does an electronic creature of pure logic relate to our basest human needs and desires?
This is a story that will make you think about technology, sex, gender, and how they all impact the process of learning itself. There were a few questions left unanswered and making me want more, but MC Gendquest assures us that there’s a sequel in the future that will address these issues as well as open our minds to even further questions. I, for one, can’t wait to read it.