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Datapocalypse
A dissident historian and an attorney-turned-photographer fall in love while taking on a rogue AI deleting buildings and monuments from the physical world whose counterpart photographs take up too much data in the digital cloud.The Colosseum in Rome disappears overnight. No trace, no remnants. Then the Statue of Liberty vaporizes out of thin air, swallowing all those in the crossfire. People say they saw a dark cloud descend over Lady Liberty from afar, then take off like a hurricane in a disappearing act. While researching the disappearances and finding some odd coincidences along the way, Kicis, a rebellious historian, crosses paths with Anna, former attorney-turned photographer. Pulled to New York, then to Europe, the pair fall for one another as they try to uncover the forces behind the missing buildings and monuments. They must do so covertly, as world governments have imposed a ban on any undercover investigations into the disappearances; the deletions aka irremnantizations.The true culprit fueling the deletions comes to light as the elusive Developer X concedes that her pet AI program has gone astray and morphed into something autonomous, ever-growing, virtually omnipotent, and starved for data. She, herself, is on the run from authorities after whistleblowing about her AI gone astray while others are locked up for much lesser crimes.Kicis and Anna then take on separate globe-trots to discover the truths that authorities seem to be gagging, to defend themselves from techno-tyranny, and to stop any more carnage before the carnage reaches them too. Kicis enlists the help of hackers to fight off the AI before it purges everything... but how do you fight data? Especially data that wants to destroy the real-world counterparts of what takes up too much space in the cloud. Meanwhile, Anna fends off her jealous ex-boyfriend, a world-renowned photographer himself, as she tries to prove her innocence so she can rejoin Kicis in the fight. As the irremnantizations increase, their chances of seeing each other again dwindle.Has a tipping point been reached within the bounds of Earth’s physical constraints and exploited by digital forces that seem larger than life? Or is it simply the beginning of the Datapocalypse?
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Keast
1 book3 followersChristopher Keast is a speculative fiction author, engineer, and musician. He has self-published his first novel DATAPOCALYPSE, a prequel to DIGEPOCH—yet to be released. His short story SPARKS OF SELMA can be found in The Open Arms ‘zine while his flash short VIRALPOCALYPSE can be found in Flash Fiction Magazine. His short story EYES OF EGO won the adult short story 2022 Norfolk Literary Prize at the Norfolk County Public Library. He has have recently completed the manuscript for his third novel, ERASING FIBONACCI, unrelated to the DATAPOCALYPSE series.
He spends his early waking hours writing stories that weave science and technology into satire and dystopia, promising readers a fun ride to somewhere or other. His characters struggle in worlds where virtual reality, biotechnology, and ecological strain collide with comedy, romance and the supernatural, with glimpses into realms barely pondered. Stories like social media-supernatural viruses getting injected into an innocent adolescent’s mind; cyborgs escaping their testing ground in Australia; an old man’s attempt to overcome his longtime wife’s death using her life-sized, speaking, mind-reading hologram; and, most notably, my two-novel story about peoples’ selfie, social media, and picture-taking infatuations causing an AI, run by a faceless corporation, to go rogue and begin purging the buildings, monuments, and people depicted in such photos, in order to balance Earth’s total carrying capacity for data storage.
Christopher lives in Port Dover, Canada with his wife and daughter.
Follow Christopher at https://christopherkeast.com/.
He spends his early waking hours writing stories that weave science and technology into satire and dystopia, promising readers a fun ride to somewhere or other. His characters struggle in worlds where virtual reality, biotechnology, and ecological strain collide with comedy, romance and the supernatural, with glimpses into realms barely pondered. Stories like social media-supernatural viruses getting injected into an innocent adolescent’s mind; cyborgs escaping their testing ground in Australia; an old man’s attempt to overcome his longtime wife’s death using her life-sized, speaking, mind-reading hologram; and, most notably, my two-novel story about peoples’ selfie, social media, and picture-taking infatuations causing an AI, run by a faceless corporation, to go rogue and begin purging the buildings, monuments, and people depicted in such photos, in order to balance Earth’s total carrying capacity for data storage.
Christopher lives in Port Dover, Canada with his wife and daughter.
Follow Christopher at https://christopherkeast.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 5, 2020
How many times do we live in the moment rather than capturing in our cameras?
Datapocalypse by Christopher Keast is a mindblowing tale of popular sites disappearing from the face of the earth. It primarily revolves around investigating the erosion of human civilization. Its protagonist Kicis is doing his research on the demise of the human race and whether which generation is responsible for the same. On one of his trips, he comes across the intriguing idea of all the pictures around the globe uploaded to the ‘cloud.’ When will this cloud run out of space after all? What’s the mystery behind the disappearing picture-worthy monuments?
Right from the start, the book pulls you in and keeps on throwing strange information at you. The concept of data overload, perhaps linked to the mysterious disappearance of famous sites, baffles you. You find yourself immersed in the artistic development of plot sprayed with philosophy and intriguing ideas on data. Data that entwine our lives completely. And amidst all the data theories discussed, we find our well-sketched characters engaging in meaningful conversations while battling with their own thoughts. Their dialogues, as well as monologues, provide us food for thought.
I particularly liked the overall concept of the book. It is fresh and definitely, interesting. Moreover, relatable because we are all drowned in the overwhelming amount of data. We have forgotten to live our lives because we are busy building a social image. We are projecting perfect moments on our walls and feeds/ grid, but we seldom feel that our real lives are perfect. Sadly, we crib over the imperfections. All the time! Our lives are more driven by algorithms than our thoughts. We are wishfully thinking of reaching a certain level while failing to see the meaning of it. It would be fitting to say that we’re just adding more to the already rising pile of digital trash.
Its tongue-in-cheek language and variety, as well as the intrigue of the narrative, kept me hooked throughout. However, the length did overwhelm me. Despite light moments and insightful conversations, sometimes I felt that the book could have reduced length. Datapocalypse is interesting but demands patience and attention. If everything mentioned above catches your fancy, you might read it!
Datapocalypse by Christopher Keast is a mindblowing tale of popular sites disappearing from the face of the earth. It primarily revolves around investigating the erosion of human civilization. Its protagonist Kicis is doing his research on the demise of the human race and whether which generation is responsible for the same. On one of his trips, he comes across the intriguing idea of all the pictures around the globe uploaded to the ‘cloud.’ When will this cloud run out of space after all? What’s the mystery behind the disappearing picture-worthy monuments?
Right from the start, the book pulls you in and keeps on throwing strange information at you. The concept of data overload, perhaps linked to the mysterious disappearance of famous sites, baffles you. You find yourself immersed in the artistic development of plot sprayed with philosophy and intriguing ideas on data. Data that entwine our lives completely. And amidst all the data theories discussed, we find our well-sketched characters engaging in meaningful conversations while battling with their own thoughts. Their dialogues, as well as monologues, provide us food for thought.
I particularly liked the overall concept of the book. It is fresh and definitely, interesting. Moreover, relatable because we are all drowned in the overwhelming amount of data. We have forgotten to live our lives because we are busy building a social image. We are projecting perfect moments on our walls and feeds/ grid, but we seldom feel that our real lives are perfect. Sadly, we crib over the imperfections. All the time! Our lives are more driven by algorithms than our thoughts. We are wishfully thinking of reaching a certain level while failing to see the meaning of it. It would be fitting to say that we’re just adding more to the already rising pile of digital trash.
Its tongue-in-cheek language and variety, as well as the intrigue of the narrative, kept me hooked throughout. However, the length did overwhelm me. Despite light moments and insightful conversations, sometimes I felt that the book could have reduced length. Datapocalypse is interesting but demands patience and attention. If everything mentioned above catches your fancy, you might read it!
May 17, 2020
This is a beta version of the book. It’s not ready for publication.
* It needs an editor. The number of silly spelling and (more annoying) grammatical errors is a significant distraction.
* The author needs to do more (better) research:
° The amount of data in the cloud in 2020 (about 20 zettabytes, is already larger than what
triggers triggers the datapocalypse in about 2050.
° Exabyte is a standard word for 10^18 bytes. It would not be unknown to a knowledgeable
character.
° Bulk data storage is passive; it does not need power.
° Indonesia inherited its legal framework from the Dutch and has a “no double jeopardy” clause.
Plot and style issues
* Kici’s motivation for quitting Berkeley after a routine rejection of his research proposal
does not fit his personality as previously described.
* “Paste on” prose decorations: It reads as if Keast went to a writer’s workshop where they told
him to add descriptive color to the settings (eg, what is happening in the bar).
* Why (and how) did Kici’s Celesti-pi (a smart phone) acquire the ability to jump around when
data is uploaded? Its connection to the plot is not described. Its mentioned too often just to be
merely a plot decoration.
* The plot premises:
° Sophisticated AI is needed to cull old data (eg, when backups are full). That's not current
practice.
° Behavior of the rogue AI:
. It spontaneously developed a malicious personality. Any personality is surprising, and this
idea needs some elaboration.
. It didn’t do what Kici and Wotley did - delete excess data.
. The AI discovered (using only existing data) new physical laws.
. It killed Developer X, but not Kici Orion or Prof. Wotley.
° Historical oddities (given that the year is ~ 2050):
. The US and European governments have become much more authoritarian. Some mention of
recent (2020-2050) history would be appropriate.
. Similarly, the air lockdown (an irrational response) is not motivated. Is this a 50-year old
reflex from the 9/11 attacks? Not plausible.
. The UN, etc. are gone, replaced by similar institutions with different names.
* What is Anna’s role in the plot? Does she exist solely to provide romantic interest?
Ultimately, the story ends with an appeal to magic. The author even uses that word. It's as if he ran out of ideas about what to do with the situation he created.
* It needs an editor. The number of silly spelling and (more annoying) grammatical errors is a significant distraction.
* The author needs to do more (better) research:
° The amount of data in the cloud in 2020 (about 20 zettabytes, is already larger than what
triggers triggers the datapocalypse in about 2050.
° Exabyte is a standard word for 10^18 bytes. It would not be unknown to a knowledgeable
character.
° Bulk data storage is passive; it does not need power.
° Indonesia inherited its legal framework from the Dutch and has a “no double jeopardy” clause.
Plot and style issues
* Kici’s motivation for quitting Berkeley after a routine rejection of his research proposal
does not fit his personality as previously described.
* “Paste on” prose decorations: It reads as if Keast went to a writer’s workshop where they told
him to add descriptive color to the settings (eg, what is happening in the bar).
* Why (and how) did Kici’s Celesti-pi (a smart phone) acquire the ability to jump around when
data is uploaded? Its connection to the plot is not described. Its mentioned too often just to be
merely a plot decoration.
* The plot premises:
° Sophisticated AI is needed to cull old data (eg, when backups are full). That's not current
practice.
° Behavior of the rogue AI:
. It spontaneously developed a malicious personality. Any personality is surprising, and this
idea needs some elaboration.
. It didn’t do what Kici and Wotley did - delete excess data.
. The AI discovered (using only existing data) new physical laws.
. It killed Developer X, but not Kici Orion or Prof. Wotley.
° Historical oddities (given that the year is ~ 2050):
. The US and European governments have become much more authoritarian. Some mention of
recent (2020-2050) history would be appropriate.
. Similarly, the air lockdown (an irrational response) is not motivated. Is this a 50-year old
reflex from the 9/11 attacks? Not plausible.
. The UN, etc. are gone, replaced by similar institutions with different names.
* What is Anna’s role in the plot? Does she exist solely to provide romantic interest?
Ultimately, the story ends with an appeal to magic. The author even uses that word. It's as if he ran out of ideas about what to do with the situation he created.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2020
Datapocalypse introduces Dr Kicis Ryan Orion, who lectures on History at Berkeley, specialising in the demise or erosion of civilizations. While on a trip around the ancient sites of the Mediterranean to gather material for a paper he is producing, he becomes intrigued by an idea which arises from a boozy conversation in a Greek island taverna. With the huge number of photos and films being taken on mobile devices and uploaded to social media when will the ‘cloud’ run out of space? Would we need to start deleting the burgeoning mass of data, and what would be the result on society in losing their precious photo memories? Unbeknown to him though, steps in this direction are already in progress. But when the autonomous Artificial Intelligence tasked with the project starts to run out of control, strange things begin to happen, and when the Colosseum in Rome disappears into thin air, fear and confusion reign - air transport is grounded and governments go into lockdown. Kicis is convinced that the data overload and the strange events which continue to happen are somehow linked. So, much against the advice of his university colleagues and together with an attractive photo journalist, he sets out to prove his theory, embarking on a journey that will take them through Europe and as far as Turkey and Asia, while struggling against an establishment which is determined to stifle any independent investigation. Is there any chance they will be able to prevail against such seemingly insurmountable odds?
Datapocalypse by Christopher Keast delves into an intriguing idea. When will we run out of data storage space? Nothing in the world is infinite so this must happen at some point. What will be the indicators that will signal we are reaching saturation point? Mr Keast has taken this fascinating subject and produced a novel which is part science fiction, part dystopia, part love story and part conspiracy thriller. Personally, I found that tough absorbing, the narrative jarred at times with the author’s strange choice of words and the plot was a little stretched in places. A certain amount of artistic licence is required, but the concept was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end. A novel and interesting addition to the sci-fi genre.
Datapocalypse by Christopher Keast delves into an intriguing idea. When will we run out of data storage space? Nothing in the world is infinite so this must happen at some point. What will be the indicators that will signal we are reaching saturation point? Mr Keast has taken this fascinating subject and produced a novel which is part science fiction, part dystopia, part love story and part conspiracy thriller. Personally, I found that tough absorbing, the narrative jarred at times with the author’s strange choice of words and the plot was a little stretched in places. A certain amount of artistic licence is required, but the concept was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end. A novel and interesting addition to the sci-fi genre.
September 18, 2020
Datapocalypse. The clever title attracted me, and the prologue had me hooked with its clear precise prose. And then I was thrust into the arcane future world of high-end Artificial Intelligence; visionary imaginative ideas and theories, couched in some of the most inventive, humorous and creative prose I've read for a long time.
The story follows Kicis, an intelligent, thoughtful man who, like everyone else, makes an almost continuous photographic record of his every move, storing the data on the ‘cloud’ for later retrieval.
And then the Roman Coliseum disappears.
What follows is a search by Kicis and his friend Fred to discover how such a thing could happen. We meet Anna who witnesses another disappearance, as well as several other interesting people, not all of whom are pleasant. The brilliant Wotley whose description of the ‘Cloud’ as: “…a cute misnomer referring to a bunch of hunks of metal and plastic resting in unison in some cold warehouse somewhere.” triggered, “Feelings of farcical re-emerging inside me,” to use Wotley’s words.
As more famous monuments disappear, Kecis runs foul of the authorities who try to hide their ignorance under blanket bans on research, but eventually he and others discover the cause, but then wonder if the solution is worth the sacrifice. And will it be permanent? Is it even possible to restrain… “Swirls of amassing code—compounding algorithmic glorification—forming infinite data-spirals of its own. Unique maps and registers following in quick pursuit. Perceptions of repetitive, constrained processing being usurped by altruistic thinking for maximum efficiency.”
To paraphrase Kicis’ words, I felt “A strange new discernment coming over me” as I read and enjoyed the wondrously believable digital gobbledygook, and relished the humour of such jewels as a wasp that dutifully stung him after being sufficiently harassed, and pictured Kecis and Fred contemplating the problem, when “Nothing could alter their train of thoughtlessness as they sat there. ”
The story is visually enhanced by excellent, witty drawings at the beginning of chapters.
The story follows Kicis, an intelligent, thoughtful man who, like everyone else, makes an almost continuous photographic record of his every move, storing the data on the ‘cloud’ for later retrieval.
And then the Roman Coliseum disappears.
What follows is a search by Kicis and his friend Fred to discover how such a thing could happen. We meet Anna who witnesses another disappearance, as well as several other interesting people, not all of whom are pleasant. The brilliant Wotley whose description of the ‘Cloud’ as: “…a cute misnomer referring to a bunch of hunks of metal and plastic resting in unison in some cold warehouse somewhere.” triggered, “Feelings of farcical re-emerging inside me,” to use Wotley’s words.
As more famous monuments disappear, Kecis runs foul of the authorities who try to hide their ignorance under blanket bans on research, but eventually he and others discover the cause, but then wonder if the solution is worth the sacrifice. And will it be permanent? Is it even possible to restrain… “Swirls of amassing code—compounding algorithmic glorification—forming infinite data-spirals of its own. Unique maps and registers following in quick pursuit. Perceptions of repetitive, constrained processing being usurped by altruistic thinking for maximum efficiency.”
To paraphrase Kicis’ words, I felt “A strange new discernment coming over me” as I read and enjoyed the wondrously believable digital gobbledygook, and relished the humour of such jewels as a wasp that dutifully stung him after being sufficiently harassed, and pictured Kecis and Fred contemplating the problem, when “Nothing could alter their train of thoughtlessness as they sat there. ”
The story is visually enhanced by excellent, witty drawings at the beginning of chapters.
August 6, 2020
Good book! It's themed on artificial intelligence and a critical perspective on how our interaction with technology impacts us, particularly social media.
The prologue throws you into the plot with an A.I. that has gone astray, fragmenting data stored in the cloud. Apparently, civilization is approaching the Bekenstein Bound (the amount of information that can be contained in a given space). At first, we’re unsure on whether the A.I. is exploiting this.
The social commentary is witty, smart, and philosophical as he analyzes our history, our present, our social media usage, and our obsession with capturing the present moment while never being in it.
If you enjoy social science and A.I. as I do, then check it out!
The prologue throws you into the plot with an A.I. that has gone astray, fragmenting data stored in the cloud. Apparently, civilization is approaching the Bekenstein Bound (the amount of information that can be contained in a given space). At first, we’re unsure on whether the A.I. is exploiting this.
The social commentary is witty, smart, and philosophical as he analyzes our history, our present, our social media usage, and our obsession with capturing the present moment while never being in it.
If you enjoy social science and A.I. as I do, then check it out!
March 14, 2020
This started out strong, it really held my interest, and then it just fizzled out towards the end. Nothing really gets resolved, and the side plots amounted to nothing. Still worth reading though.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews