The Pennyworth Recursion
In which I'm excited to find out a book I wrote is being published (soon)
Brace for excitement. My new Lucy Wilson story is now available for pre-order!
I created Pennyworth, named as a homage to Batman’s famous butler, as a bit-part character (no computer pun intended, but duly recognised) for “A Little Lucy Christmas”. He turned up again in a different incarnation in “The George Kostinen Mystery” and now he’s back in “The Pennyworth Recursion”.
We’ve seen Pennyworth in a variety of shapes and sizes, from a smart speaker to powering the body of a classic Doctor Who Yeti. Now he’s back again, and again, and again…
The team at Candy Jar had some very kind things to say about the story:
Publishing Co-ordinator, Keren Williams, shares her enthusiasm: “Chris has been with us since the inception of this series and has a remarkable grasp of the characters, especially Hobo. Whenever I get a Chris story for proofing, I know that I’m going to have a fantastic couple of days!”
Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, adds: “Chris has been a cornerstone of the Lucy Wilson series, particularly with his annual Christmas stories. While this story takes on a slightly darker tone, akin to The Terminator franchise, Chris’ signature outlandish ideas make it truly exceptional.”
You can pre-order The Pennyworth Recursion direct from Candy Jar.
Also, sometimes, I can tell the future
If you’re a subscriber to my newsletter or follow me online, you may noticed I have some pretty strong views on generative AI. I wrote The Pennyworth Recursion over a year ago, give or take, and it’s always a worry when you include anything too scientific in a story that the science might change or technology might overtake you.
You might have already picked up from Steve Beckett’s fantastic cover that “The Pennyworth Recursion” involves more than one version of the titular robot/yeti/killing-machine. It turns out this was remarkably prescient, as I read today that the latest technique in improving generative AI content is… more generative AI. Yes, just like a certain time-travelling robot/yeti/killing-machine, the key to fixing your AI problems is to pass the problem through another AI. Good grief.
But, I’m probably saying too much now. Read the story for yourself and let me know what you think…
Now, just before I go
Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the publication of “Welcome to Neverbury”. To celebrate, the book will be receiving a special time-limited discount on Amazon and subscribers to my mailing list will receive an exclusive sneak peek of the next book, “Return to Neverbury” with a new story “The Thing in the Basement”.
So, I’d like to ask you a small favour - if you know anyone who’s a fan of weird, creepy little horror stories, who likes magicians and witches and books and things that lurk underground… do them a favour and recommend that they get signed up to the mailing list before midnight tomorrow…
And if you didn’t already get your own copy of Welcome to Neverbury, there’s never been a better time (except for all the times before this, for which I can just about forgive you…)
See you over the weekend with The Thing in the Basement.
XOXO
Chris