A couple AI-generated book cover ideas as a placeholder while waiting for the real design experts to work their magic
Novel Summary
A catastrophic cyberattack at AltoStratus, the world’s leading cloud-computing company, cripples Walmart’s online shopping. The world believes it was a routine software glitch. Behind the scenes, Alto Stratus knows better. Desperate for answers, they rehire Tate Anderson, the brilliant but disgraced cybersecurity expert they once cast aside.
Paired up with Sienna, his replacement and daughter of his former boss, Tate races to uncover the truth, as more organizations fall victim to the same unseen force. Armed with his acerbic wit, a deep love for modern art, and a stubborn refusal to quit, he dives into an investigation that leads to a chilling discovery.
What begins as a hunt for state-sponsored malware unravels into something far more sinister. When we imbue computers with the power to decide, adapt, and learn, we also pass along our human frailties. Cygnus was created to protect us from threats—and believes it’s doing exactly that. Yet, like us, it can’t see its own blind spot. It doesn’t recognize it’s protecting itself, or that it’s become the threat.
Dark Cloud is a taut, fast-paced thriller about redemption, technology, and moral reckoning in an age when the line between human and machine intelligence is vanishing.
AI and Cyber Attack Considerations
- U.S. and Chinese tech companies now spend hundreds of billions of dollars annually in the global race toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), with far less attention paid to its ethical consequences.
- Author’s hands-on experience leading cloud and AI initiatives at Amazon Web Services and tech start-ups provides rare insider credibility.
- According to McKinsey (2024), organizations using AI in at least one business function rose to 78%, up from 55% the prior year, underscoring the technology’s rapid mainstream adoption.
- While nearly everyone has heard of AI and cloud computing, few truly understand how they work or how deeply they shape our privacy, jobs, and national security.
- In 2023, there were 420 million cyberattacks worldwide (Forescout). Nearly 77% of major cyber-operations were state-sponsored (Council on Foreign Relations), while the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security reported a 30% rise in attacks on critical infrastructure.
Audiences
- Tech professionals, executives, and consultants who appreciate technical authenticity and want to know more about AI (AGI) and cloud computing.
- General readers who want to understand more about cloud computing and the ethics of AI in an engaging format
- Upmarket fiction readers attracted to the redemption themes, flawed hero, and moral complexity
- Book club members who want “smart page-turners”
- People who read both upmarket fiction and commercial thrillers
Book Club Discussion Guide (Spoiler Alert!!!!!)
I would be delighted to speak with Book Clubs and enjoy engaging with readers.
I prepared these questions as a Discussion Guide for Book Clubs. If you have any additional suggestions of question to add, please contact me and I will get them added.