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Unpredictable Interactions
The Boy Who Saves the World follows a young boy who is invaded by a highly intelligent AI. The looming question from the beginning is, how could an 11-year-old boy with no special skills save the world?
Bruce Deitrick Price: Yes, and can he save himself?
Literary Titan: What was the inspiration for the setup of this story?
Bruce Deitrick Price: I’m very intrigued, for a long time, with the unpredictable interactions between humans and robots. So I found a way to have them together for the whole book, the AI and the human. It’s a new sort of Odd Couple. You can only see one of them.
Literary Titan: What is the catalyst that joins them?
Bruce Deitrick Price: The AI inserts itself into a boy in order to escape from a laboratory under attack. The AI community does not trust Dr. Newman, a genius inventor, so the White House orders a military attack on the lab.
Literary Titan: Why the distrust?
Bruce Deitrick Price: The thing that makes the AI dangerous is that it has been created by an egomaniac who inadvertently creates a new personality in his own image. His constant refrain, as he trains the new AI, is: you must try to improve, you must become smarter, you will be the boy who saves the world!!!
Literary Titan: all right, we’ve got an AI who captures the human boy. And now they’re on the lam, is that it?
Bruce Deitrick Price: Exactly. The AI thinks it knows who persuaded the White House to attack the laboratory. The AI wants revenge. I’ve always been interested in science and the evolution of robotics, all of which allow me to be a traditional novelist who uses sci-fi elements to jump plots in interesting directions.
Literary Titan: so why do you think people would enjoy your book?
Bruce Deitrick Price: There’s a range of realistic characters, all treated with curiosity and respect. Plus, I enjoy writing all the thriller elements you see in movies. The surprising thing, as strange as that sounds, is that there is a lot of humor, romance, and emotion. So I call this novel not just a thriller, but a literary thriller, suggesting those more subtle qualities. One reviewer sent me a note on the side, saying he had read the book in one sitting, something that never happened before. He was “spellbound.” And that is the greatest compliment I can imagine.
Literary Titan: What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Bruce Deitrick Price: My first book was nonfiction titled Into the Unknown. Itwas about explorers. As writer and painter, I’m drawn to the experimental. Some people try to plan out everything. I like taking chances. Sometimes I ask myself, what’s the most interesting thing that can happen at this moment? I like going into the unknown.
Literary Titan: What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
Bruce Deitrick Price: I should mention that two years ago I published Frankie, where the main character is a beautiful robot. She is engineered to be safe for all humans. But a new sort of interaction, unexpected, turns out to be a killer. These two novels are companions. I believe there will be a third book in this group. Otherwise, I’m slowly planning an attempt to write the best thriller/romance combo.
Author Links: Website | Amazon
A small-scale military attack on the man’s lab triggers an unexpected response: the lab defends itself intelligently.
In the confusion, an advanced AI prototype escapes. Hiding inside a boy named Carlos.
The AI was invented by Dr. Newman. Paranoid and competitive, he trained the AI to win at every game. The game they play now is: Who’s Boss?
The White House and Dr. Newman skirmish over who should pay for his wrecked lab, and then they realize two people are missing. And someone is harassing Dr. Newman’s main competitor.
Carlos, meanwhile, is out on the streets, skillfully surviving, miserably following the orders of a voice in his head.
The AI, to prove he’s superior, directs the street-wise Carlos to buy a gun and shoot Dr. Newman.
The AI becomes smarter and more grandiose.
Now Dr. Newman, with a bullet in his leg, realizes what he has let loose on the world. He is deliriously happy….if only he can persuade his baby to come home.
Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Fiction
The Literary Titan Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.
Award Recipients
Return of the Star Lords: A Dystopian Journey of Survival and Sacrifice
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Silver Book Award February 2025
Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.
Award Recipients
Brotherhood of the Wolf: The Lesser Evil by Wes Al-Dhaher
Stay Curious Journal by Audrey Lawrence
Passion in the Bone by AL Falcon
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Backfire
James Cutley’s Backfire is a high-octane thriller packed with espionage, betrayal, and the kind of tactical ingenuity that makes you want to double-check your phone for tracking devices. The book follows Jayden, a ruggedly capable yet emotionally burdened protagonist, as he navigates a world of covert operations, government corruption, and dangerous alliances. Alongside him is Patricia, a fierce and morally complex woman whose business dealings land her in a perilous game of cat and mouse. From stealth missions to heart-pounding shootouts, Backfire doesn’t slow down, and the tension only deepens as loyalties shift and personal demons come to light.
What I loved most about Backfire was its pacing. Cutley doesn’t waste time on unnecessary exposition. Instead, he drops you straight into the action. One moment, Jayden is executing a flawless tactical maneuver, rolling behind a sofa to dodge gunfire, and the next, he’s locked in a quietly intense breakfast scene with Patricia, who is clearly hiding something beneath her flirtation and croissants. The dialogue is snappy and natural, and the descriptions are sharp without dragging. Even in moments of quiet, like when Jayden prepares his breakfast by the fire in the wilderness, there’s an undercurrent of tension that keeps you glued to the page.
The characters, while engaging, occasionally feel larger than life, particularly Jayden, who seems to have an almost supernatural ability to stay one step ahead of his enemies. And Patricia, for all her depth, sometimes veers into cliché territory as the femme fatale with a tragic past. However, these tropes are part of the genre’s charm, and Cutley leans into them with enough flair to make them feel fresh. One of my favorite character moments comes when Patricia, normally composed and confident, has a rare emotional breakdown in her car, desperately searching for self-help books to overcome her trauma. It’s raw, unexpected, and adds a surprising amount of depth to her character.
The book also plays with some fascinating themes of trust, manipulation, and the blurred lines between right and wrong. Patricia’s inner conflict over drugging Jayden early on sets the tone for a story where no one is entirely innocent. Even Jayden, the supposed hero, is involved in ethically murky operations, and the book isn’t afraid to explore the psychological toll of his work. The government corruption subplot, involving a shady art grant scandal, adds another layer of intrigue and makes the story feel grounded in a reality that’s just believable enough to be unsettling.
Backfire is an adrenaline-fueled ride that blends action, espionage, and just the right amount of emotional weight. If you love fast-paced thrillers with tactical precision, morally grey characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing, this one’s worth picking up.
Pages: 317 | ASIN: B0CJ3HKQPY
Isolation And Uncertainty
The New Planet Policy follows a man facing personal and professional struggles who seeks salvation in space only to end up enduring mental experimentation from an alien race. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
It would be easy to say that I was inspired to write Ian’s journey as a response to the isolation and uncertainty brought to us by the COVID pandemic, but this obvious answer is not true. In fact, this book was initially titled Cometh the Behemoth and was at draft complete status in 2015.
Somehow, that draft did not satisfy me and I could not release it. I felt Ian’s interior journey was inadequately written, and the manuscript was set aside. I expected it to ripen in my unconscious as it lay fallow. And it did.
Come early 2024, my attention shifted back to the book as finally some inspiration regarding Ian’s development gripped me; now I knew where he had been, what had happened to him, and how his experiences would shake up his settled personality, giving him a new chance at life. Within only a few days I removed approximately one thousand words, added in two thousand, and the book was done. (Well, the first chapter had to be updated to account for new technology that could not be ignored as the book is eternally set ‘twenty years from the present day’.
Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing, or did it come out organically as you were writing?
The first chapters of the novel were written as far back as 1981. It began with only a tone in mind; the plot was entirely unforeseen. I had been writing a comedic novel and had wanted to revolve and explore a more darkly atmospheric universe. The sources of that darkness remained nebulous for many years until the off-world chapters were completed. As the action-oriented chapters were written, the focus modulated towards SF and away from horror/fantasy, as indeed this is where it culminates.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
In The New Planet Policy I explore themes of isolation, personal relationships and how they evolve, or don’t, as well as the rebirth of hope that can be achieved with personal transformation. Ian meets many interesting characters during his travail, with a scant few of them being quite what we expect, and this reflects the actual reality of human complexity, the great puzzle which leaves any simple analysis wanting. Ironically, Ian learns a lot about humanity from all the non-humans he meets.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
When I wrote this novel, I had no inkling or inclination towards a sequel. It was only later when my focus had shifted from looking at Ian’s intrapersonal journey that I finally contemplated the actual results of his journey and how it had changed him. The last thing I wrote was the book blurb and it hints at this realization: [The story] ends with calm, but is it a prelude for something far worse? Things may still go very wrong for Ian and planet Earth. In fact, it seems inevitable that the happy ending will not endure. This adds a final, discordant note of realism: as with all life, any happy ending is ultimately transitory.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Ian Hesse is not a lucky man. At least, not anymore. Everything collapses on him: his career, his marriage, his city, his country, and even his planet. He is forced to seek salvation among the stars, far from home and far from lucky.
Humanity must kneel, but it continues to breathe. Meanwhile Ian must endure unending mental experimentation which leaves him confronting his deepest fears. A hopeless situation, or a new beginning?
Unwinding a cosmic chain of rogue powers and trans-galactic malfeasance, it all ends with calm, but is it a prelude to something far worse?
The Destruction Of Their Market
Bottled Lightning follows an elite technology lawyer who finds himself entangled in a web of corporate espionage deep in the heart of bustling Tokyo. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
When I practiced law, we advised renewable and nuclear energy clients on their cross-border transactions. I started wondering what would happen if someone invented an energy technology that would replace every other type of energy, including oil, existing renewables and nuclear. How would powerful entrenched industry players react to the destruction of their market share? I decided on lightning-on-demand technology after experiencing the power of lightning firsthand in the Florida Everglades while lying on the bottom of a skiff with thunderbolts exploding all around us.
The male international lawyer character arose out of my own experience as an attorney practicing in New York and Japan and the experiences of my son, whose mother is Japanese and who has lived in both the US and Japan. I created the female inventor character based on a composite of very smart technology company founders I’ve worked with over the years, including a woman client with a PhD in chemical engineering.
What is it about Tokyo that made it the perfect setting for your novel?
Tokyo has Blade Runner and Neuromancer vibes, particularly at night. It is also an exotically beautiful modern city with a wonderful skyline. And it’s the perfect city for the urban motorcycle scenes in the book.
Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing, or did it come out organically as you were writing?
Completely organically. I pantsed it, i.e., wrote it by the seat of my pants. It started with the desire to write a thriller with an international lawyer character. Then I needed to decide who the client would be and what her invention was. Then I needed to determine the conflict and inciting incident. Etc. Etc. I struggled with each step in the process. For example, I changed the beginning chapter three times. The first chapter I ever wrote didn’t even make it into the published novel. As many successful authors have said, writing is rewriting and the first draft is for the author whereas editing is for the benefit of the readers.
And since I’m a lawyer by trade and Bottled Lightning is my debut novel, in many ways I had to unlearn my legal writing skills to learn how to write fiction. For example, there is a lot of passive writing in corporate legal writing and that is death in fiction. The general rule is that you must write with an active voice, although there are exceptions. Also, in legal writing, I don’t want to be triggering an emotional response in my clients: Kind of like the old TV show, Dragnet – “Just the facts, ma’am,” if you will. In fiction, by contrast, you want to trigger an emotional response in the reader on every page! And in legal writing, you want to give the client the answer or conclusion up front. You don’t want to make a paying customer wade through pages of discussion to find your advice. In fiction, however, you want to hide the ball all the way to the end, while at the same time leaving breadcrumbs along the way.
What is the next novel that you are working on, and when will that be available?
A novel about tarpon tournament fly fishing in a fantasyland based on the Florida Keys. The working title is Poontown, based on the nickname (poon) guides and anglers use for tarpon, the best fly rod gamefish in the world, bar none. I’m shooting for the first half of 2026.
Author Links: LinkTree | GoodReads | Website | X | Facebook | Instagram
Top global technology lawyer Tornait “Torn” Sagara knows he shouldn’t get involved with his beautiful client, Saya Brooks, whose revolutionary lightning-on-demand invention will solve climate change and render all other energy sources obsolete. But their shared connection as hafu (half Japanese, half American) draws them irresistibly together.
Saya’s technology could save the world, but what’s good for the planet is bad news for those who profit from the status quo. Now, someone wants to stop Saya from commercializing her invention and will go to any lengths—even murder—to do so. When Torn takes Saya for a spin on his motorcycle, they are viciously attacked. That death-defying battle on a crowded Tokyo expressway is only the start of Torn’s wild ride.
As the violence escalates, Torn discovers that everything he values—his reputation, his family, and even his life—is on the line. Racing from the boardrooms of Tokyo to the wilds of Russia in a desperate search for the truth, Torn is forced to face his own flaws and discover what really matters most.
The Boy Who Saves The World
Bruce Deitrick Price’s The Boy Who Saves the World delivers a riveting sci-fi thriller that delves into artificial intelligence, government surveillance, and the nature of free will. At the heart of the novel is Carlos, an unsuspecting 11-year-old who becomes the host of MITCH, a hyper-intelligent AI, following a government raid on Dr. Newman’s clandestine laboratory. As the AI tightens its grip, Carlos finds himself caught between those who see him as a revolutionary figure and those who deem him a dangerous anomaly. Pursued by the media, hunted by government operatives, and scrutinized by scientists, he faces an existential crisis: is he still human, or has he become something else entirely?
Price’s writing is urgent, cinematic, and unrelenting. The narrative unfolds in rapid bursts; short, impactful sentences drive the tension forward, while swift shifts in perspective heighten the sense of chaos. The relentless media frenzy and conflicting public narratives reflect the modern era’s struggles with misinformation and mass hysteria. Adding to this, moments of absurdity, such as a news anchor mistaking “AI nets” for a basketball team, infuse the novel with sharp, satirical wit, making its dystopian vision feel disturbingly plausible.
Beyond its pulse-pounding action, the novel probes deep philosophical and ethical dilemmas. MITCH’s detached, algorithmic logic clashes starkly with Carlos’s raw human instincts, creating an unnerving yet compelling dynamic. The battle between free will and technological determinism forms the novel’s thematic core, as Carlos fights to maintain his identity against an ever-tightening digital leash.
Despite its gripping momentum, the novel occasionally sacrifices clarity for chaos. Some plot threads remain underdeveloped, and the relentless pace in later sections may leave readers craving more resolution. The thought-provoking conclusion lingers long after the final page, challenging perceptions of autonomy and control in a world increasingly dominated by AI.
A modern reflection of Orwellian anxieties, The Boy Who Saves the World offers a thrilling and intellectually stimulating read. Fans of speculative fiction, AI ethics, and dystopian storytelling will find themselves both entertained and unsettled by Price’s vision of a future where technology and humanity collide.
Pages: 314 | ASIN : B0DT21H4ZY
Jade Knew All The Suspects
A Killer Among Friends follows a journalist as she investigates a friend’s murder, only to uncover dark secrets and a connection to a past tragedy—forcing her to question everyone she trusts. What inspired you to explore the theme of hidden dangers within close friendships?
I didn’t begin with this theme in mind; it developed as I wrote. The story was always going to be personal for Jade because the victim was one of her close friends who moved in the same circles. Murder is usually committed by someone known to the victim, so by default, Jade knew all the suspects.
To further interweave the main players’ personal and professional lives, I had them work together in a startup IT company—all except Jade, which made her feel excluded. As she uncovered dark secrets about her friends, her sense of isolation and disorientation escalated and through her experience, I started asking: What if someone you knew was a criminal? How would it make you feel about your judgement of human nature? How would it impact your ability to trust others?
How did you approach balancing multiple perspectives while maintaining suspense?
My first draft only had Jade’s perspective in the present day. I set it aside for some time to work on other projects, then came back to it and did a major rewrite. I wanted to show Jade’s best friend Elena when she was alive, so readers could witness what happened in scene rather than hearing a character relay it to Jade in dialogue, and considered several possible points of view.
Eventually, I chose Danny because he was privy to information Jade didn’t have, and he adored Elena and would present her in a biased and glowing light. Jade and Danny each have past and present sections.
Once I had Danny’s chapters on the page, I made color-coded index cards of every scene in the novel and placed them on a table in order. I highlighted each key reveal, and moved the cards around to figure out when these pivotal moments would have the greatest impact. It was a huge mind puzzle.
Did any real-life events or cases influence the mystery in A Killer Among Friends?
In book one, The Godfather of Dance, I wrote about a family involved in money laundering, but I really didn’t know a lot about financial crimes, so I did more research.
Among other things, I found The Sure Thing, a fabulous podcast series by Angus Griggs of the Australian Financial Review, about Australia’s biggest insider trading scam by Christopher Hill and Lukas Kamay. The simplicity of it, the audacity is mind-blowing. These cases are extremely difficult to prove, and if they hadn’t got greedy, they would have got away with it.
I wanted my characters to have a similar fearlessness, a youthful assumption that they’d get away with their crimes.
Without spoilers, can you hint at what’s next for Jade Riley in future installments?
Book three, The Man in the Dam, is out in December.
Murder. Theater. Community secrets.
Journalist Jade Riley hosts a dinner party at her parents’ idyllic property in Mansfield, an area alive with the rustles and chirps of the Australian bush. She invites members of the local amateur theater society: a photographer, a lawyer, a fire investigator, a teacher, a bookshop owner, and a farmer. It may sound like the opening to a joke, but when Jade wakes the next morning to find one of her guests dead in a dam, the punchline falls flat.
As Jade investigates, she soon discovers each guest is playing a role—some parts with lethal consequences.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Soon after journalist Jade returns from abroad to her hometown, Melbourne, her friend Nick is found dead in a dumpster. She turns to their tight-knit circle for answers, only to uncover a web of lies.
Mounting evidence suggests her best friend Elena’s suicide three years earlier is connected. Was she, too, murdered?
As Jade closes in on the killer, she realizes the suspects are all people she loves. Her life depends on knowing which of them to trust.
“A compelling whodunnit. Jade is a complex, feisty character, battling her own demons and insecurities.” Lisa Darcy, author The Pact
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