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Gray Matters: A Novel Paperback – July 31, 2020

by John Webster Gastil (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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Can the digital networks that record our footprints hold us steady when dementia threatens to push us off the path? This question has real stakes for data analyst Charlie Sanders. His best hope for a father succumbing to Alzheimer’s comes from assistive technology that Charlie helps design for a scrappy startup. Despite early successes, Charlie has growing doubts about the motives of each of his colleagues - the eccentric CEO in Seattle, the call center guru in India, and the Trump-loving Aussie transplant who keeps the books. His worries grow when the company takes on a clandestine client who occupies the Oval Office. Will Charlie keep his father and his country on track, or turn a whole generation into glitches?
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  1. Print length
    370 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Cosmic Egg Books
  4. Publication date
    July 31, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    5.52 x 0.78 x 8.65 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1789045029
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1789045024
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gray Matters sets up shop in the painfully funny overlap of fiction's near future/real world Venn diagram. It's a rare novel that's in equal measure heartbreaking and heartening, thanks in large part to Charlie Sanders, a character so poignantly funny and so utterly compelling that I would follow him anywhere--even into a glitchy dystopia full of AI and wonky politics."-- Will Clarke, author of The Neon Palm of Madame Melançon and Lord Vishnu's Love Handles

"Gray Matters creates a dystopia that feels hauntingly close to where we are headed today. Gastil's first novel is a technological and political allegory that is equal parts Margaret Atwood and Dave Eggers. Rich metaphors, poignant humor, and brilliant writing kept me wiping away tears from laughing, crying, or both."-- Genevieve Fuji Johnson, author of Democratic Illusion

"It's rare that I see a novel that captures how language slides away from us--and how confusing the once-familiar world becomes--as one enters dementia. Rarer still is the imaginative grappling with our desire to stave off Alzheimer's with technology, a feat that often shows more hubris than humanity."-- Robert Schrauf, co-editor of Dialogue and Dementia

"Gray Matters is a gripping look at what may become of us as we willingly plug ourselves, and even our minds, into the Internet. Gastil's writing is hilarious and heartfelt, foreboding and uplifting, a mass of wonderful contradictions."-- David L. Williams, author of The Armageddon Dance Party

About the Author

John Webster Gastil is a professor at Pennsylvania State University who studies group behavior. The National Science Foundation has supported his research on the Oregon Citizens’ Initiative Review, the Australian Citizens’ Parliament, jury deliberation, and cultural cognition. Gray Matters is John's first foray into fiction, and his second novel, Dungeon Party, is also forthcoming from Cosmic Egg Books. John lives in State College, PA, USA.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cosmic Egg Books (July 31, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 370 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1789045029
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1789045024
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.52 x 0.78 x 8.65 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

About the author

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John Gastil

John Gastil

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John Gastil is Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Communication Arts and Sciences and Political Science at Penn State University, where he also serves as Senior Scholar at the McCourtney Institute for Democracy. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison but is now a loyal Nittany Lion. The National Science Foundation has supported numerous large-scale research programs in which Gastil served as a principal investigator, including work that led to the publication of Hope for Democracy (2020), The Jury and Democracy (2010), and dozens of peer-reviewed articles. Gastil has worked on campaigns for federal, state, and local office in California and New Mexico, but his research and writing focuses on improving democracy, not winning elections. In 2020, UK imprint Cosmic Egg Books published his debut novels, Gray Matters and Dungeon Party (available in all formats). Gastil resides in State College, PA.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
14 global ratings
Its the characters- I love them...
5 out of 5 stars
Its the characters- I love them...
This tale is semi science fiction- without the boring parts, with a little tech thrown in and it has a social consciousness. But mainly its so much fun. Lots of strong women in positions of power - Okay, Alice, the CEO of Gray Matters (GM) may be a sociopath (with a heart). She also has a truly inspired fashion sense. Who doesn't like to see the pretentious new age Guru put in his rightful place-this happens in GMs. Amidst all this, is a story of a father with Alzheimer's and the technology that is helping him remain independent. Gastil's grasp of the future of technology, specifically the possibilities of AI is prescient and prophetic. This is an adventure that includes love across continents, problem's with the President's mind (hmmnnnn!) and each plot line exists comfortably in the nearest future while the reader enjoys the ride.
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Top reviews from the United States

Kevin C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, with lots to enjoy
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is a great read, with so many different aspects to enjoy. The characters are richly drawn, with arcs that unfold in surprising and nuanced ways, and relationships you find yourself rooting for. The plot is gripping, weaving together technological, cultural, and political intrigue. There is also a tremendous sense of place, with Seattle and Detroit the stars. And there are abundant laughs, highbrow and low(er)brow alike. Any reader could enjoy this smart and funny novel, but those interested in politics will derive special pleasure from the varied political themes and characters—including some fictional characters whose limitations/eccentricities are all too familiar in the US political milieu. As you read, it’s easy to imagine this making a terrific streaming series. Cast Leslie Odom Jr. as Charlie and go from there!
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Patrick L. Scully
4.0 out of 5 stars Template for the next great HBO or Netflix mini-series?
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2020
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This is a fun read that combines new and old forms of politics with a glimpse of how Artificial Intelligence could be used to sinister ends with a push from a few (mostly) well-intentioned coders. Oh, and it is also a love letter to all things Detroit, MI.
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auntdragon
5.0 out of 5 stars Its the characters- I love them...
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
This tale is semi science fiction- without the boring parts, with a little tech thrown in and it has a social consciousness. But mainly its so much fun. Lots of strong women in positions of power - Okay, Alice, the CEO of Gray Matters (GM) may be a sociopath (with a heart). She also has a truly inspired fashion sense. Who doesn't like to see the pretentious new age Guru put in his rightful place-this happens in GMs. Amidst all this, is a story of a father with Alzheimer's and the technology that is helping him remain independent. Gastil's grasp of the future of technology, specifically the possibilities of AI is prescient and prophetic. This is an adventure that includes love across continents, problem's with the President's mind (hmmnnnn!) and each plot line exists comfortably in the nearest future while the reader enjoys the ride.
Customer image
auntdragon
5.0 out of 5 stars Its the characters- I love them...
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2020
This tale is semi science fiction- without the boring parts, with a little tech thrown in and it has a social consciousness. But mainly its so much fun. Lots of strong women in positions of power - Okay, Alice, the CEO of Gray Matters (GM) may be a sociopath (with a heart). She also has a truly inspired fashion sense. Who doesn't like to see the pretentious new age Guru put in his rightful place-this happens in GMs. Amidst all this, is a story of a father with Alzheimer's and the technology that is helping him remain independent. Gastil's grasp of the future of technology, specifically the possibilities of AI is prescient and prophetic. This is an adventure that includes love across continents, problem's with the President's mind (hmmnnnn!) and each plot line exists comfortably in the nearest future while the reader enjoys the ride.
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Lori Leonard Britt
5.0 out of 5 stars Science, politics and great characters
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
Loved this book even though I am not a Sci-Fi reader normally. Great story about the ethics of science and aging set against a backdrop of global business and US politics. All the elements come together for a book you are not ready to have end.
One person found this helpful
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Maryellen
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read - but a little frightening to see technology advance so quickly
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
Good story, well written and well-timed with AI and technology being as it is. Also, as a 50-something daughter of a 96 year old parent, I found it especially relevant to my life.
Easy read. Highly recommended.
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Danna Young
5.0 out of 5 stars A tale of technology, algorithms, agency, and free will
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2020
Gray Matters tells the story of Charlie Sanders, who works as a data analyst for a company that designs products that are supposed to help aging people suffering from dementia (walker talker and the elder compass). “Smart devices” that are programmed to remind you what you are supposed to be doing (based on your past behavior) and are connected to human beings who help you navigate your way through the world.

The technology that is being sold to people to help their aging parents is found to glitch, such that the live voices can give instructions that serve as a sort of brainwashing – or, perhaps worse, that the AI tells people what to do. Behind all the artificial intelligence is the “loop” a sort of internet on steroids, that uses unique algorithms to make predictions about what each individual will do and say and think.

Lots of questions arise through this story about agency and free will. If these devices are programmed based on past behaviors, then how are human beings able to change? And while we don't have devices in our ear telling us what to do based on our past behavior (not yet), how different is this concept really from the functional effect of algorithms on our daily lives through social media and commerce sites. Underneath these considerations are questions about the nature of knowledge, the essence of what it is to be human, and how intelligent we might actually expect "artificial intelligence" to be.

Gastil is himself a political scientist whose work on political deliberation and decision-making comes through in the novel. The characters even talk about the Citizens Initiative Review (CIR), a citizen-led process of researching and distilling referendum items to provide voter information prior to an election. Gastil is known for his research on the CIR, as he has studied its effects on individuals and democratic health. As someone who has read his academic work for years, getting the chance to explore these concepts through this fictional world is a delight.
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Kathy Sakahara
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, entertaining. and a little frightenedly too close to home.
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2021
A powerful combination of the intersection of technology, morality and politics with some wonderfully compelling characters thrown in. With the advance of artificial intelligence many are asking where the person stops and the machine begins. This book illustrates one possible answer, and it ain't pretty. It also is not inevitable. If you love technology, politics, Seattle or someone with Alzheimer's, you don't want to miss this book. Dr. Gastil, please tell me there is a sequel in the works.
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Reader
3.0 out of 5 stars Okay
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2020
Charlie sanders, who works as a data analyst for a company whose product is supposed to help aging people suffering from dementia. “Smart” devices, connected to people who help you navigate through the world, provide guidance on what a person is supposed to do based on their history. The only problem is the glitch in the devices that perform a sort of brainwashing to the people who use them. Behind it all is an algorithm that is supposed to predict how people will think, act, and react. The story brings out lots of ideas that are basic to our lives and nature. How about free will? Do we get to choose what to do or are we told what to do? There is a lot in this book, and the story around which it is loosely fashioned makes it more palatable and easier to understand. The author definitely hit on something by inputting his ideas and thoughts into a story-like framework to bring them to more people. I did find some of it a bit overwhelming, but managed to get through, nevertheless. This book is an interesting way to learn more about the subject and perhaps enjoy doing so. I received this form NetGalley to read and review.
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