Flame Tree Fiction

Last week, in Part 1 of the Robots & Artificial Intelligence Q&A, authors revealed the ideas that spawned their stories in our Robots & Artificial Intelligence anthology. As with the companion volume Lost Souls (see the Q&As with those authors here and here), the Robots & AI anthology consists of a healthy mix of old and new stories, with formative tales from the genre complementing the work of contemporary authors. Here, some of those newer authors share which Robots & AI stories have influenced them the most, as well as casting light on their various approaches to story composition...

Our latest anthology to hit the shelves, Robots & Artificial Intelligence, features stories packed with philosophy, humour, sadness and humanity. Questions surrounding the nature of sentience and the risks and rewards of technological advancements give rise to a range of imaginative tales, set in worlds not far removed from the present day. This first part of a Q&A with the anthology's authors gives us fascinating insight into the thought-provoking story ideas that form the core of the Robots & Artificial Intelligence anthology theme.

We are delighted to present the authors featured in our upcoming Lost Souls and Robots & Artificial Intelligence anthologies, the latest books in the series of Gothic Fantasy short story collections. Once again, our call for submissions was met with a good response: with over 1200 stories to read, and only around 3% of those chosen for publication in the anthologies, it has been tough to narrow down the final selection. Nevertheless, we’re excited about the final results, due for publication this September. In the usual mix of classic and new fiction, Lost Souls hosts an array of restless, drifting or trapped spirits searching for connection and existence in this plane, or another. And, presenting lost souls of its own kind, Robots & Artificial Intelligence delves into the world of advanced technology, with tales that cast light (and doubt) on what it means to be human in realities and futures not so different from our own.