Truth is Stanger than Fiction, but now Fiction is Turning into Truth

UPDATE: Stephen Wolfram launched the Wolfram/Alpha this past Saturday, May 16, 2009. Be sure to visit his site and try it.


When I finished my thriller, DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM (DEOS), two years ago I never imagined that some of it would come true!

With the reported release of the Wolfram/Alpha search engine this month (May 2009) by its creator Stephen Wolfram, a significant plot element of DEOS will come true.

Like the chip that I imagined in my novel, the Wolfram/Alpha program “draws on the knowledge on the internet, as well as private databases,” according to a May 3 report in London’s The Independent online edition.



“Instead of searching the web for info, Alpha is built around a vast repository of curated data from public and licensed sources. Alpha then organizes and computes this knowledge with the help of sophisticated Natural Language Processing algorithms. Users can ask Alpha any kind of question, which can be constructed just like a Google search (think: ‘hurricane bob’ or ‘carbon steel strength’),” explained a post on April 25 from the blog ReadWriteWeb.

The imaginary chip/program in my novel runs spiders all over the Internet recording and logging the location of specific information. When you ask the chip a question it locates the relevant information and uses algorithms to produce the most correct answer. Only this imaginary chip becomes sentient as it gains more knowledge and within two weeks of its launch has the IQ of a teenager in the novel.

Much of the technology I mention in my novel is based on existing or developing technology that I stretch a bit with literary license to create a dramatic plot and rich characters. Some of the plot elements are based on actual events and plausible scenarios that I uncovered in my research into the hacker culture and its players.

I wrote the book hoping to raise awareness of the real and looming threats in cyberspace. And now, some of those threats are coming to fruition.

One such event was the Conficker Worm attack in April which is also similar to a plot element in DEOS. (See my press release on the Conficker Worm.) The DEOS plot is about an Internet worm that takes over the US power grid and cell phone network, and it cannot be stopped. Does that sound like the Conficker Worm?

I just hope the rest of DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM never comes true.


(Get a FREE signed printed version of DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM! Download a free ebook version from Smashwords.com and let me know if you will review the novel. Post your review and I'll send you a signed printed version.)

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Have You Ever Read an Ebook?

Now's your chance.

With the explosion of ebooks and electronic book readers, Read an E-Book kicks off the international literary event Read an Ebook Week (http://www.ebookweek.com) this Sunday (March 8) to raise awareness of ebook reading.

During the week-long event, ebook authors around the world will offer their ebooks at deep discounts, or even free, to generate excitement about ebooks.

Read an E-Book Week is a not-for-profit week set aside to inform the public about the pleasures and advantages of reading electronically.

Authors, publishers, vendors, the media and readers world-wide have joined the effort and promote ebooks. The organization welcomes anyone to help in this worthy event. For more information on how you can help visit their website at http://www.ebookweek.com/ebook_promotions.html

And by the way, both of my mystery thrillers, ABSENCE OF FAITH and DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM are FREE this week to support ebook week. Click here for your free download(s).