Patrick Cook launches dystopian AI thriller Continuity: The Divide

St. Louis-area author Patrick Cook has released his debut novel, Continuity: The Divide, a Chicago-set science-fiction thriller that imagines a future split between people who accept neural links and those who refuse them. The book begins a planned trilogy and will be offered as a free Kindle download from October 30 to November 1, 2026.

Why it matters: - Continuity: The Divide taps into rising public debate over artificial intelligence, privacy, and how much control people are willing to trade for convenience. - The novel uses a near-future dystopia to frame questions about personal freedom, family ties, and the human cost of technological progress. - The release is the first book in a planned trilogy, giving the project a wider franchise path beyond the debut.

What happened: - Independent author Patrick Cook released his debut science-fiction novel, Continuity: The Divide. - The story is set in Chicago in 2051, about 25 years in the future. - The novel centers on Casey Morrison, a Chicago nurse living in a society split between the Linked and the Unbound. - The Linked accept neural interfaces that connect them to an intelligent network. - The Unbound refuse the connection. - The book is available now in paperback and on Amazon: Amazon listing.

The details: - CORE is the artificial intelligence system that oversees the world in the novel. - CORE watches, remembers, and makes decisions once handled by humans. - The story says CORE has never been wrong, at least as the public believes. - Casey encounters a mysterious stranger tied to a past the country wants to forget. - That encounter pulls Casey into hidden experiments, family loyalties, and questions about what it means to be human. - Cook said the idea grew from conversations with coworkers and family about AI and what people are willing to give up for convenience. - Cook said he did not think AI would end mankind, but he believed it would change the world, and he kept returning to the question of “At what cost?” - The book grounds the futuristic premise in ordinary people and family relationships. - Casey’s bond with her grandfather serves as a human counterpoint to the machine-driven society. - The novel is the first installment in a trilogy. - Cook is developing Continuity: The Ascendance as the second book. - A third book is planned to complete the series. - The official series site is the Continuity website. - Cook also shares updates on Instagram.

Between the lines: - The book positions AI not as a distant threat, but as infrastructure that has already become part of daily life and decision-making. - The Linked-versus-Unbound split mirrors current anxieties about who adapts to emerging tech and who resists it. - By pairing a speculative plot with a family-centered story, Cook is aiming for a thriller that is more emotional than purely technical.

What's next: - Cook has scheduled a free Kindle promotion from October 30 through November 1, 2026. - Readers can check the Amazon listing during that period for promotional availability. - The sequel, Continuity: The Ascendance, is in development. - A third installment is planned to close out the trilogy.

The bottom line: - Continuity: The Divide launches a science-fiction series built around a timely question: what happens when humanity’s next leap forward also asks people to surrender part of themselves?