No-Hype AI
Many of the writers I know have come to instinctually recoil from anyone who really wants to talk about AI.
No-Hype AI Part 2: Making a Neural Network Do Something
In the last post, we put together a neural network: A set of neurons, each of which has a whole bunch of weighted inputs and one simple function that sums up and transforms those inputs into a single output number. But right now, it doesn’t do anything or mean anything. Even if you poke it with a stick. We can make a neural network, but we can’t yet design one.
No-Hype AI Part 1: Neural Networks
When people talk about Artificial Intelligence or machine learning right now, they mostly mean that subset of machine learning involving artificial neural networks.
July Appearances
I’ve got some travel coming up, in which I’ll be on panels or giving readings and talks at two different (very different) conferences! First up: Readercon in Burlington, Mass. I’ll be doing a reading on Friday, and then three panels on Saturday. After that, I’ll be heading to the Chicago area to give a talk […]
New Short Fiction for 2025
I had two short stories come out this fall, both very fun projects that I’m very excited to finally get to share. Encounter at Ákroterra The first needs some explaining: it’s part of the Proxima Kosmos Life Otherwise project, spearheaded by Dr. Claire Webb at the Berggruen Institute. In that project, a number of scientists […]
The Woman Who Kicked Me Out of the Country
It’s still 72 degrees out on an August evening, humid as hell, I’m fresh off a bout of norovirus, and I’m making Japanese curry for dinner: a heavy spiced stew that’s one of my favorite dishes in the world on a chilly autumn night. Why? I learned today that my college Japanese teacher, Takeko Minami, […]
How I Beta Read
I was recently talking to a newer writer about the process of beta reading: providing feedback on an early draft in order to help a fellow author in revisions. Coincidentally, I had also just picked up a book that I’d helped beta read some years past, and out of curiosity went back to my notes […]
Readercon Schedule, and What’s New
NOTE: I’m unfortunately going to need to head home Saturday night, which means that my Sunday reading will be canceled. Very sorry for that, but hopefully we’ll have a rain check opportunity next year! I’ll be at Readercon in Quincy, MA (Boston area) next weekend, with some fun panels, an opportunity to come have coffee […]
Boskone 2024 Schedule
Hello folks! I’ve been quiet here lately: heads down writing two novels this past year and doing volunteer work for SFWA, but If you’re going to be around Boskone (Boston, MA Feb 9-11) come say hi! I’ll be on the following programming items: Fri 2:30 PM 1 Hr Harbor 2 […]
“Getting the ‘Cyber’ Part Right” Link Roundup
If you joined us at WorldCon this past Saturday in Chicago for our panel on writing computers and IT, we mentioned a few links and books and promised more. Even if you weren’t there, we promised them anyway. And, here they are! Mentioned on the Panel: DEFCON conference, held every year in Las Vegas, has […]
