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Kyle Benzle
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Blue Screen: How Peter Gustafson Defragmented the World Kindle Edition

by Kyle Benzle (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 61 ratings
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Peter Gustafson wants to save the world.
In the year 2984, Peter is an average kid with a secret; he’s a well-behaved tenth-grader by day but cryptographic entrepreneur and hacker by night. When the electricity mysteriously goes out in his hometown, Peter takes it upon himself to investigate. The adventure leads the young hacker to a large transmitting station and into a battle of wits with the greatest AI ever created. The machine requires a human to help "throw the switch" and give it full control so engineered the power outage as a test to lure its latest recruit, Peter Gustafson.
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  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    164 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    February 3, 2020
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  8. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B084GHLYSX
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Twin Rivers Press; 2nd edition (February 3, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 3, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4488 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 164 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ B084QL16YT
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 61 ratings

About the author

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Kyle Benzle

Kyle Benzle

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Like many science fiction writers before him, Kyle Benzle was born and raised in the midwest, served in the US Navy, then spent 10+ years working as a research scientist in academia. In a failed attempt to fight burnout Kyle started writing science fiction before turning to it full time in 2019.

Kyle is deeply involved in the cypherpunk movement and writes for a variety of reviewers and blogs. He lives with his two young children in Columbus, Ohio.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
61 global ratings
Collectors edition
5 Stars
Collectors edition
I read the draft version of Blue Screen and it has only gotten better. FYI, my draft(aka "Crash Dump"), is for sale for $900---signed by Kyle Benzle--on EBAY
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Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Scarily close to today's AI. Great read
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
Blue Screen was a book I was excited to read ever since I heard about it eary this year. I didn’t know what to expect exactly and this was my first time reading Benzle, but I am happy to report he did not disappoint.

The world described is one of the most unique I think I’ve ever encountered in literature. It’s set in the future earth of 2984 in which homes, trees, EVERYTHING has been designed and built specifically for people to have the “optimal” life. The result is an eerie mix of comfort and dystopian technology.

Peter’s (the main character) voice is very strong. It almost reminded me of Ready Player One. I also enjoyed the other characters, Cassandra, the love interest and Hiya, a best friend type were especially good and relatable.

The plot moves at a breakneck speed. I found the book hard to put down and read it in just a long afternoon (200 pages but text is spread out). Its the fastest I’ve read a book in years! The plot twists and turns and propels Peter from one event to the next. From about the midway point on Peter’s situation feels totally up in the air. He cannot rest, the future is uncertain and he is surrounded by the unknown.
There is a scary parallel between today's changing world, a world turning to AI, just as it is in the book.
One person found this helpful
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Karin
4.0 out of 5 stars Thriller with a twist: Man vs. The Machine.
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
Disturbing thriller, with thought provoking twist. Can humanity out think the machine and survive. If you like the unique twist, this one is for you. Nicely done. Free copy received for review through Voracious Readers program.
One person found this helpful
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Evie
3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but too technical
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2020
I was allowed to read this book as a preview. I very much love is genre of novel, this one was a bit hard to read for me. While the story in itself is good, it got way too technical for me right from the start. Most people don't have the kind of computer software knowledge to understand dimebifvehst has been written.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprising and Mind Blowing
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a neat book to read for a good 2 hours or so. I was shocked at the twists and turns the novella provided and the novella as a whole left me in shock. I also appreciate the many tech references this books throws out every once in a while, and after reading this book, you'll question the morality and ethics of AI. Great book for a good time.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2021
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I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like machine intelligence and its' consequences.
One person found this helpful
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Scogle
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun fast read
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
Pretty easy book to read. Read it on a plane ride home in one sitting. I’d recommend it any day.
2 people found this helpful
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Kizseu!ndle Customerzz,
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read... entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2020
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A good interesting read with good characters, if a bit one dimensional. An interesting plot twist makes this hard to put down.
One person found this helpful
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John
5.0 out of 5 stars Great science fiction
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
If you like space adventures, hard science fiction, AI "aliens" or futuristic stories then you are going to love Blue Screen.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Baz 8755
3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable near future tale
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2022
Verified Purchase
This was an enjoyable near future story that started extremely well. I particularly enjoyed all the technical and coding references.
Unfortunately the last half of the book felt rushed and ended in what seems to be becoming an all too familiar way for books of this genre.
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