Splash and save: my father, the unlikely hero
The narrator takes her 6-year-old sister Maggie to a water theme park, though she would rather be at home sketching. Maggie wanders off on her own as usual. The narrator spots Maggie standing dangerously at the top of a tall, steep slide. She tries to text her dad to come help, but sends a confusing message. A crowd gathers below. The narrator races up the stairs to get to Maggie, but a staff member stops her. Finally their dad arrives, climbs up, and rescues Maggie in a dramatic fashion, becoming a viral hero, while the narrator resents no longer being the center of attention.
Where are you Nasim?
A squeak, a thud, and a heavy rolling sound from upstairs sent alarms blaring in Jocelyn's head. She froze. Couldn't have been Nasim--he should still be at the dinner with pharmaceutical people. Or was that meant to be tomorrow night? Suppressing irrational thoughts, she rested her hand on the marble of the kitchen top. Cold. Her heart knocking against her chest wall, her stomach dropped.</p> <p>Two steps. She stood in front of the block of knives and hesitated. With a swift action, she drew the steel carving blade and held it with her dominant hand. Icy fear coursed through her veins.</p> <p>A few more steps and she approached the darkness of the living room.
Driving test for AI in fiction writing
<p class="ng-binding">Artificial intelligence has made great strides in replicating human skills like visual recognition and speech processing. But can AI truly emulate and enhance something as complex and creative as writing fiction? This article explores early experiments in training machine learning models on fiction datasets and prompting them to generate their own stories. We assess benchmarks for coherent plot and compelling character development as a way of "driving testing" these AI writers. Just as self-driving vehicles are tested on real roads, we look at ways to test and improve AI fiction on the long road ahead to matching human creativity.</p> <p></p>
Party Animals Dig Dominoes
My flash fiction piece: Step into this living room, where drama unfolds as the party host surveys his guests. Explore the dynamics of a gathering filled with individuals who range from being bitchy to utterly bored. The room, adorned with red banners and corny Chinese couplets, sets the stage for an eventful evening. Witness the moment when Boxer, with his bad breath, breaks the silence and suggests a game of dominoes. Join us as we delve into the intriguing dynamics and unexpected twists that unfold in this lively gathering.
Review of "Lying Eyes" by Ashish K Kulshreshth
<p class="ng-binding">Dive into the captivating world of Ashish's adult historical fiction novel, which made its debut during the prestigious Singapore Writers Festival in November 2022. This thought-provoking book delves into the horrors of the war period, exploring themes that are not for the faint-hearted. Follow the gripping journey of characters who have endured unimaginable circumstances, including being forced into prostitution by an occupying army and facing rejection from their own community after the war. Discover the haunting aftermath of the conflict as they grapple with the moral dilemmas of pointing fingers at anti-Japanese conspirators, ultimately questioning how they can live with themselves after the war. Immerse yourself in the intricate lives of these characters, including a man, a woman, and a survivor of the Changi Beach Massacre, as their stories intertwine in this evocative historical narrative.</p>
Gone baby gone
Join us as we delve into the captivating world of the 2007 movie "Gone Baby Gone," directed by Ben Affleck and based on the novel written by Dennis Lehane. This isn't your average crime movie, and in this blog post, we will explore why. Discover the intricate web of characters that includes private investigators, police officers, hysterical family members, drug dealers, and criminals. We'll unravel the story of Patrick Kenzie, a young private investigator living in Boston with his partner Angie Gennaro. When a 4-year-old girl named Amanda goes missing, Patrick and Angie are enlisted by Bea McCready and her husband Lionel to aid in the search. Prepare yourself for a thought-provoking journey as we explore the layers of this gripping narrative, highlighting what sets it apart from typical crime movies.
