Blog Tour Guest Post: The Six by Mark Alpert

On tour with Sourcebooks.

Author Mark Alpert is stopping by today to share a little bit about becoming a rebot. If you missed my review or the trailer reveal and an excerpt, feel free to go check those out.

The SixThe Six
by Mark Alpert
YA SciFi, Thriller
Hardcover & ebook, 368 Pages
July 7th 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire


Summary

Avatar meets The Terminator in this thrilling cyber-tech adventure…

Adam’s muscular dystrophy has taken his motility, his friends, and in a few short years, it will take his life. He takes solace in playing video games he’s programmed to reflect the life that he used to have. Virtual reality is the one realm where he can be the hero, and it’s where he chooses to spend his time, until an entity called Sigma tries to kill him.

A dangerously advanced artificial intelligence program created by Adam’s computer-genius father, Sigma has escaped its cyber prison and is threatening global destruction and domination. But Adam’s father has a plan. He will stop Sigma by using the technology he developed to digitally preserve the mind of his dying son.

Adam’s consciousness is uploaded into the body of a weaponized robot, along with a group of five other gifted teens who are terminally ill. Together, they must learn how to manipulate their new mechanical forms and prepare for combat before Sigma destroys humanity. Adam can finally play the hero for real, but will his new body be worth the sacrifice of his human existence?

This innovative and thought-provoking young adult debut, from the critically acclaimed author of adult thrillers Final Theory and The Omega Theory, questions what it means to be human and whether we are destined to be defined by our physical bodies or our intellect.

      

Top Ten Advantages of Becoming a Robot
By Author Mark Alpert

In my new Young Adult novel, The Six, dying teenagers are given a second chance at life by digitally transferring their minds to U.S. Army robots. I chose this premise for the book because I want to live forever, even if it means giving up my body. So, with sincere apologies to David Letterman’s much-missed “Late Show,” here are the Top Ten Advantages of Becoming a Robot:

10. Super strength. I’d settle plenty of old scores with my new steel fists.

9. Super speed. I won’t need a car anymore, and once I attach a jet pack to my armored torso, I’ll never have to fly commercial again.

8. Total recall. When all my memories are stored on silicon chips, I’ll never forget a birthday or an anniversary.

7. Bragging rights. If I’m the only robot invited to a party, I’ll definitely be the smartest sentient being in the room.

6. Goodbye to all those aches and pains. I’ll just need some routine maintenance every six months or so.

5. My restaurant and grocery bills will drop to zero. My electricity bills might rise, though.

4. No need for clothing either. Underwear would look ridiculous on a robot.

3. No need for any furniture except my recharging station.

2. No more crowded sidewalks. When I come striding down the street, my footpads crunching against the concrete, the other pedestrians will run for their lives.

And the Number One Advantage of Becoming a Robot:

1. No more trips to the bathroom!

About the Author

Mark Alpert

Mark Alpert is a former editor at Scientific American, and the author of several adult thrillers. He’s been praised by Douglas Preston as the “heir to Michael Crichton.” Visit Mark online at markalpert.com.


​ ​

No comments

Post a Comment

I love comments! I try to read and reply to them all. Feel free to agree or disagree and generally share your thoughts with me.