Author William Jefferson’s Future-Cast of Tomorrow Releases March 15
ROGERSVILLE, Mo., March 6, 2024 — Amidst the continual emergence of new technologies, methodologies and robotics purportedly designed to simplify our lives, "2102: Pretense, the Play" delves into present-day concerns surrounding the abnormality of AI—both its promises and perils—and propels these issues into a striking vision of the future.
In “2102: Pretense, the Play,” releasing March 15, 2024, author William Jefferson draws on a range of contemporary nonfictional works that weave empirical research and findings into the storyline, creatively shedding light on the potentially dehumanizing and devastating impact these advances could have on our personal and community well-being.
“A recent article published by Cornell University’s Center for AI Safety opened with ‘The world as we know it is not normal,’” said author William Jefferson. “This is exactly what ‘2102’ explores. As our society becomes increasingly dominated by distant, discarnate, mediated experiences, this book offers a heartwarming tale of unswerving determination, resilience and hope that takes readers on a journey where wily artificial intelligence challenges the wisdom of the ages.”
In Jefferson’s 2021 Amazon bestseller, “Presence, the Play,” the novelist underscores the superiority of incarnate presence over disembodied connectivity. Wittingly, Jefferson expands the topic in “2102” as he hones-in on AI mediating messages across numerous mediums and platforms, fabricating a brave new world of art, musical scores, scripts, plays, dramas and all manner of unauthentic works.
“Artificially produced content,” explains Jefferson, “enters not a void or vacuum but a virtual blizzard of mediated, communicative action. Thus, interaction takes place between the artificial and the real, between a non-human source and humans, creating highly unpredictable long-range consequences.”
In this regard, Jefferson’s train-of-thought aligns with Mustafa Suleyman Author of “The Coming Wave,” argument that “technology is an eternally dangling carrot, constantly promising, more, better, easier, cheaper. Our appetite for invention is insatiable.”
Jefferson embraces the full gust of tech’s insatiable draw, by taking readers on a journey to the year 2102, led by the novel’s heroin, Margin, a gallant figure presumed to be none other than Joan of Arc.
Richly laced with poetry, “2102: Pretense, the Play” is set in the mysterious land of Onglander, where crimes are tried on stage and the accused must act while donning masks. The better the act, the greater the prospect of acquittal; to refuse to be real and transparent brings swift condemnation.
“2102” is a work of fictional realism, not fantasy, offering an undeniable probe of modern-day reality throughout. The Characters routinely voice empirical facts regarding media and society drawn from a range of contemporary nonfictional works and nonprofits like The Center for Human Technology, Center for AI safety and the Media Ecology Association.
Book Nerdection Review offers the following critique, of 2102:
“William E. Jefferson’s ‘2102: Pretense, The Play’ masterfully weaves a captivating narrative that explores the intricate dance between advancing technology and the very essence of human existence, leaving readers spellbound by its thought-provoking brilliance.”
To preorder a copy of “2102: Pretense, the Play,” visit Amazon at https://a.co/d/ht7j8sm or Barnes & Noble at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/2102-pretense-the-play-william-e-jefferson/1144939023?ean=9781736496770.
To learn more about author William E. Jefferson and his previous novels visit estillyen.com.
About William E. Jefferson
A seasoned author and brilliant storyteller, William E. Jefferson is the creator of the mystical Isle of Estillyen, introduced in his debut novel, Messages from Estillyen (2014).
Jefferson holds an MTh in Theology and Media from the University of Edinburgh and an MA in Communication from the Wheaton Graduate School. He serves on the board of the Marshall McLuhan Initiative (MMI) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and is an active member and supporter of the Media Ecology Association. He writes from a Civil War-era cottage, in the rural Ozarks and is the owner of Storybook Barn, an all-occasion event venue.
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