Where did I get the inspiration for Death Logs In?

Death Logs In is the follow up novel to Death Never Sleeps – it’s a free-standing sequel. The inspiration for both books came from two of my favorite movies: The Godfather and 2001 Space Odyssey.

I loved the treatment of the family relationships in The Godfather, particularly the character of Michael Corleone, the good son (at least initially) – and the realistic depiction of mob violence. I was particularly fascinated watching the development and progression of Michael from a traditional “good son” to the most ruthless of the Corleone family, he is an atypical mobster who applies his sophistication and superior intelligence to the business of the Mafia. He and some of his family interactions are the basis of some of my characters in Death Logs In. Although, I must add, most of my characters are real people whom I have known all my life, which may be frightening to some readers.

The idea to add the aspect of artificial intelligence into my story came from 2001 Space Odyssey. In that movie, the computer onboard the space ship – named “Hal” – refuses the astronaut’s command to disconnect itself and, in fact, takes over the space craft, eventually murdering the astronauts who were secretly plotting to “disconnect” him. The computer took on a life of its own, learning and growing just as the human mind does – and, just like a human, sought to defend itself and assert its basic need for self-preservation.

So many of the scenes in my books which relate to artificial intelligence were initially seen as far-fetched or unrealistic. Now we are all aware that the capabilities of AI are far greater than most people initially understood, including the potential for us to duplicate ourselves – our memories, our intelligence, our emotions – on a computer thereby offering humans the immortality that was once the sole province of organized religions.

Get your copy of EJ Simon’s Death Logs In HERE!