“Rapina: Don’t trust androids” takes readers on a journey to a dystopian future in Rio de Janeiro in 2200. In this scenario, marked by interplanetary conflicts, corruption and technological advances that challenge humanity, author Gabriel Rosario, Master of Science of Computing and specialist in Artificial Intelligence, creates a captivating narrative.
At the center of this story is Peter Pijean, a former soldier with personal and financial dilemmas, who is faced with a world of inequalities and a technology capable of replacing humans. When an encounter with a Centrorian android puts him on the path to a valuable reward, Peter begins a perilous journey to rescue his wife and face the challenges this new world presents.
Between clashes and upheavals, the protagonist will have unlikely allies: an artificial intelligence with genuine emotions and a member of a resistance group. As the plot unfolds, the work raises questions about the relationship between humanity and technology, exploring the boundaries of ethics and morals.
With an agile and engaging narrative that mixes different narrative voices, rich dialogues and detailed descriptions, Gabriel Rosario, in addition to being a professional in the technological field, brings his passion for fiction to build an intriguing futuristic universe.
The author, Master in Computer Science from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and currently head of data, combines his technical knowledge with his literary creativity to launch “Rapina: Não confie em androids”, his literary debut. Born in Niterói (RJ) and currently living in Cambuí (MG), Rosario offers readers a unique vision of the future driven by her passion for technology and captivating storytelling.
What is the story setting in “Hawk: Don’t Trust Androids”? What year is it and what is the situation in Rio de Janeiro in this scenario?
The work takes place in Rio de Janeiro in 2200, a culturally diverse city due to the portals that connect the main capitals of the planet, but also dominated by corruption. Its landscape still bears the signs of a recent war against Centoria, the enemy planet, and its streets are teeming with overpopulation. Works by the private initiative rise everywhere, evicting patients from hospitals and removing residents from their condominiums, while a group of masked men rebel against the governor’s excesses.
Who is the protagonist of this science fiction and what is its main objective? How does his wife’s absence and the challenges he faces shape the narrative?
Peter Pijean is a former military officer who can’t get over his wife’s absence. Trapped in the memories of his beloved while fueling his hatred for the former teammates responsible for the separation between the two, he spends his days doing odd jobs and selling his own belongings to finance his addiction to drugs of oblivion. Although the reunion seems a very distant reality, given that she is on a hostile planet and he doesn’t even have the money to pay the rent, Peter still harbors the hope of one day rescuing her.
What triggers Peter Pijean’s desire to capture a Centrorian android? How does this quest for reward relate to his attempt to rescue his wife?
As soon as he is attacked by a Centrorian android and survives, Peter sees an opportunity to get rich by selling his parts on the underground market. Although capturing the automaton is an extremely difficult and risky activity, the amount obtained would represent figures that he would never get in life, enough to finance a clandestine operation to rescue his beloved on the enemy planet.
In addition to the android to be captured, which other important characters cross the path of the protagonist during the story? How do these characters contribute to the plot?
Among the important characters that cross his path are: Eva Ferreira, the leader of the rebel group that fights against the government. Bent on recruiting Peter to her cause, she soon finds herself tangled up in the hunt for the android and its ramifications. Ellen Toivonen, the robotics specialist who assists him in the hunt and who has a certain aversion to risk. Captain Günther, leader of the military unit interested in capturing the Centrorian android and Peter’s dislike for having been one of those responsible for his wife’s estrangement. In addition to competing in the hunt, the two still have many disagreements to resolve. Rasgatar, a mercenary specializing in martial arts who also has his own interests in capturing the android. With a corps of paramilitaries under his command, he represents a worthy competition in the hunt.
How do you use your knowledge in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence to shape the futuristic world and technologies presented in the narrative?
Many of the technologies presented in the work are based on artificial neural networks and even on generative artificial intelligence, although the book was conceived years before the concept became popular with the arrival of ChatGPT. In this future where artificial intelligence is at the apex of its evolution, combined with other technologies that today are only in the field of ideas, we have the representation of a society that was shaped around these innovations. In addition, the characters in the plot also use a lot of logical and investigative reasoning, an inherent characteristic of technology professionals.
How do you balance descriptions and dialogue in the narrative, making it snappy and engaging for readers?
I believe this impression is due to the fact that something is always happening in the story, that is, the reader is never trapped in endless descriptions. Dialogues and descriptions end up being dosed as necessary for the narrative to flow without interruption.
In addition to “Hawk: Don’t Trust Androids”, do you have other works or literary projects that you have been involved in?
No, this is my debut work in literature.
How did your passion for technology and fiction come together to create this novel? How do these interests manifest themselves in the narrative?
I’ve always been a big fan of action, adventure, mystery and investigation narratives. At the same time, I have always been fascinated by the behavioral changes that each new technology brings to society. For example, you have the world before and after the internet, or before and after social media. The relationship between people, each one’s routine, the dynamics of society… everything changes. In the past, our cars didn’t have seat belts, and people thought that normally. In the future, when it is mandatory for every vehicle to be controlled by an AI, it will be unacceptable for a person to lose their life in a traffic accident. This exercise of what life will be like down the road, especially when we have thinking non-biological minds serving us while discovering what it is to live, fascinates me.
What are the main themes or messages the author seeks to convey to readers through “Hawk: Don’t Trust Androids”?
Grief is a very important process for those left behind, but it is even more important to know when to let go of the past and move on. As I drafted the story, I still wasn’t clear on that message, but after losing my mother to cancer in 2014, it became clear to me what the story was really about. In addition, the work reflects on what makes us different from machines, that is, what makes us human, and whether this distinction will really exist when we have machines that replicate our biological brain in artificial components, and what the implications of this will be.
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