Erik Harlandt is a German science fiction author who combines complex visions of the future with philosophical depth and narrative curiosity in his works. His novels often explore the intersections between humans and machines, consciousness and technology, social criticism and individual rebellion.
Harlandt’s characters are mostly not superheroes, but people with flaws, fractures and contradictory motivations who are searching for their place in strange worlds and extreme situations. They survive not thanks to superpowers, but through intelligence in everyday quantities, creativity and luck. Or they fail spectacularly.
I am involved with Climate Fiction Writers Europe because climate change plays a role in almost all of my novels to a greater or lesser extent. I will soon be publishing CF and solarpunk works specifically.
2084: Humanity lives in apparent harmony under a central government, with every citizen supported by a personal AI. When an asteroid hurtles towards Earth and emits a mysterious signal, synth trainer Falk and his AI Dag find themselves at the centre of a cosmic crisis.
The unlikely duo find themselves becoming beacons of hope overnight, as they are the only ones to respond to the signal. While the world swings between fantasies of salvation and hysteria, Falk and Dag embark on a risky mission to unravel the mystery of the asteroid. Is it the cradle of humanity or a cosmic killer? In a race against time, the boundaries between man and machine, reality and illusion become blurred. Falk and Dag must learn to trust each other and rise above themselves to prevent the unthinkable.
A gripping sci-fi thriller about technology, identity and the courage of unexpected heroes.
‘Hands off, that’s mine!’ is probably as old as humanity itself. But when a tactical AI says it, it takes on a whole new dimension. Agent Elmar Rauk has to find out what that means during his new assignment. But he has no idea how far the AI will go to achieve its goal. – That goal is him.
In 2055, the all-dominating superpower China may be on the verge of discovering extraterrestrial technology, which would further expand its supremacy. Europe therefore decides on a risky operation: Elmar Rauk, a specialist in neural extraction, allows himself to be reprogrammed – so that the Chinese will take him along as a crew member on their mission to Saturn. At his side: a mission AI perfectly tailored to him.
But the further the mission progresses, the clearer it becomes that she is more than just an assistance system – and that Elmar may mean more to her than he would like.
She would do anything for him.
Anything at all. – Whether he wants her to or not.