Legendary cyberpunk pioneer Rudy Rucker has launched a Kickstarter campaign for his latest science fiction venture, Sqinks, a novel that blends his signature "transrealism" with modern AI anxieties. Set in contemporary San Francisco, the story follows a Rucker-inspired protagonist confronting alien entities called "sqinks" that resemble large language model AIs and have sinister plans for human brains.
The campaign, which has already raised nearly $9,500 of its $12,000 goal with 25 days remaining, will fund both the novel and a companion piece, "The Sqinks Journal," which documents Rudy's creative process.
"It's a surreal rollercoaster, rich with ideas, scares, and laughs," Rucker explains about the novel. "It's a love story. A transreal cyberpunk love story. It'll make you laugh, and it'll make you feel good."
Previously:
• Rudy Rucker interview: 'All these years, and I'm still looking for the big aha.'
• Rudy Rucker is Kickstarting his next novel, Juicy Ghosts
• Rudy Rucker on Walkaway
• My favorite Rudy Rucker novels in new editions
• Rudy Rucker's autobiography: Nested Scrolls
• 'Big Germs' — short fiction by Rudy Rucker
