Burn-In

An FBI agent hunts a new kind of terrorist through a Washington, DC, of the future in this groundbreaking book—at once a gripping techno-thriller and fact-based tour of tomorrow.

Burn-In: A Novel of the REAL Robotic Revolution is a new form of book, a cross of a novel and nonfiction. It is a technothriller, following a hunt for a terrorist through the streets of a future Washington DC. But baked into the story are over 300 factual explanations and predictions, replete with the nonfiction endnotes to show their source from the real world. The reader meets a new kind of hero for this genre, but through her hunt for a new kind of villain, they also learn about everything from how AI works to its impact on the future of politics, business, security, and even toys. Akin to fruit in a smoothie, it is a mix of entertainment and the latest research about important new issues that will soon shape all our lives. 

As a result, Burn-In has garnered a unique set of early reviews, which range from the current or former heads of such groups as the CIA, NSA, US Navy, Marine Corps, NATO, and LinkedIn to a chess grandmaster and even the writer of Lost, Watchmen and the new Star Trek movies. More at: https://www.burninbook.com/reviews/

Of note to recent events is that the fiction/nonfiction of Burn-In also connects to a number of key issues coming out of the Coronavirus pandemic. While the trends it explores were already in play before the pandemic, all the data shows they’ve been drastically accelerated. Much of the population has been instantly thrown into distance learning and remote work, robots have been deployed into roles ranging from policing curfews to serving in hospitals, and AI tracking of society is scaling to whole new levels. After the outbreak is over, it is unlikely that 100% of these new roles and modes will simply return back. But it also means that all the tough social, political, legal, moral, security, and even family issues that the characters of Burn-In experience are going to come faster in the real world too…

Reviews of Burn-In

“A visionary new form of storytelling—a rollercoaster ride of science fiction blended with science fact.”—Damon Lindelof, writer/creator of Lost, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Watchmen

“Burn-In is a white-knuckle adventure into our maximum probability future. I found surprises on every page, with each startlingly real depiction of new technology and its human impact. This near-future was crafted by experts, and it shows.”—Daniel H. Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse

“Burn-In = best quarantine read so far. Futuristic but so in the moment.”—General Tony Thomas, US Army ret. former commander of US Special Operations Command

“Their seamless blend of detailed research and rapid-fire storytelling make Singer and Cole the perfect tour guides for our world’s future conflicts.”—Max Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of World War Z and Devolution

“Burn-In will wake you up and shake you up. Just as they did in Ghost Fleet, Singer and Cole give us a vivid look-ahead into the near-future. Like the best science fiction, Burn-In is a human story, with great characters and a terrific plot that unfolds in a ‘just-beyond-tomorrow’ world of emerging technology. I whipped through the book, mesmerized by its glimpse into a future where intelligence—human, augmented, and artificial—all blend together in a continuous battle to understand what’s the real truth. So much to think about after reading it!”—Admiral John Richardson (ret.), US Navy, former Chief of Naval Operations

“I loved it. A glimpse into the future that is entertaining, enlightening, and scary as hell. Burn-In is filled with enthralling characters and scenes, but also key real world issues and questions, which you’ll be thinking about long after you finish.”—Reid Hoffman, Founder of LinkedIn and Author of Blitzscaling

“Good timing…Both escapist and relevant.”—Tom Standage, Editor at The Economist