Blab Tech
Author Publishes Quantum Thriller Zero Knowledge Openly, Inviting Readers to Comment on Every Line
A novelist has taken a bold step by launching a science‑fiction novel on a dedicated website, inviting readers to critique every sentence as the story unfolds. The project, titled Zero Knowledge, is available at zeroknowledge.ink and currently hosts six chapters of a planned 97‑chapter novel.
The author—who prefers to write in the open—opted for real‑time publishing after deciding that a live release would better serve his creative process. The site offers free access to all chapters, requires no login or paywall, and includes a simple comment system that lets readers highlight any line and leave a note. The first time a reader comments, the site asks for a name and email; the note is stored in a database and the author receives an email notification immediately.
Zero Knowledge follows three MIT graduates who launch a quantum‑technology company, Basalt Labs, in Basalt, Colorado. One founder, Samantha, develops an algorithm that can break classical public‑key cryptography—including RSA and elliptic‑curve schemes that underpin the global financial system. The narrative examines the fallout from that breakthrough, the founders’ scramble to decide how to use the algorithm, and the worldwide shift toward post‑quantum lattice‑based schemes that remain secure.
The author has mapped out the story in advance. An outline of 31 beats leads to the locked ending, and the full manuscript will contain 97 chapters. All material is stored in a Git repository, mirroring the workflow used for the author’s other projects such as Feld Thoughts and Adventures in Claude. The writing loop works as follows: a draft of a chapter is generated from the beat and the author’s voice profile, then the author rewrites it. The AI partner, named Phin, compares the author’s edits to the draft and updates the voice model so that the next chapter starts closer to the intended style.
The author cites five writers as stylistic inspirations: Andy Weir for technical detail, Daniel Suarez for a sense of menace, Blake Crouch for pacing, Ernest Cline for momentum, and Matt Dinniman for ensemble dynamics. The novel is written in short chapters, each ending on a turn—a structure the author says mirrors the cadence used by Dan Brown.
Beyond the novel, the author plans to embed the open‑writing process into a platform called AuthorMagic. The goal is to provide a tool that allows other writers to adopt the same public‑writing model. AuthorMagic is already available as a web service and an open‑source project on GitHub.
Readers can subscribe to receive new chapters by email, and the site’s comment feature is designed to capture feedback on clarity, character actions, and technical accuracy. The author encourages readers who are knowledgeable about cryptography or quantum computing to point out any errors in the science.
The project is still in its early stages. Six chapters have been published, and the author is working on the remaining 91. The open‑comment system is intended to surface issues early, allowing the author to correct them before the next draft.
In summary, Zero Knowledge is a near‑term science‑fiction novel about a quantum algorithm that threatens global cryptography. It is being written and published publicly on zeroknowledge.ink, with a comment system that lets readers review each sentence. The author plans to use the experience to build a broader writing platform, AuthorMagic, that supports open, collaborative novel creation.
The current status is that the novel is live, the comment system is operational, and the author is continuing to write new chapters while collecting reader feedback. No further updates or releases have been announced beyond the ongoing writing schedule.
The author—who prefers to write in the open—opted for real‑time publishing after deciding that a live release would better serve his creative process. The site offers free access to all chapters, requires no login or paywall, and includes a simple comment system that lets readers highlight any line and leave a note. The first time a reader comments, the site asks for a name and email; the note is stored in a database and the author receives an email notification immediately.
Zero Knowledge follows three MIT graduates who launch a quantum‑technology company, Basalt Labs, in Basalt, Colorado. One founder, Samantha, develops an algorithm that can break classical public‑key cryptography—including RSA and elliptic‑curve schemes that underpin the global financial system. The narrative examines the fallout from that breakthrough, the founders’ scramble to decide how to use the algorithm, and the worldwide shift toward post‑quantum lattice‑based schemes that remain secure.
The author has mapped out the story in advance. An outline of 31 beats leads to the locked ending, and the full manuscript will contain 97 chapters. All material is stored in a Git repository, mirroring the workflow used for the author’s other projects such as Feld Thoughts and Adventures in Claude. The writing loop works as follows: a draft of a chapter is generated from the beat and the author’s voice profile, then the author rewrites it. The AI partner, named Phin, compares the author’s edits to the draft and updates the voice model so that the next chapter starts closer to the intended style.
The author cites five writers as stylistic inspirations: Andy Weir for technical detail, Daniel Suarez for a sense of menace, Blake Crouch for pacing, Ernest Cline for momentum, and Matt Dinniman for ensemble dynamics. The novel is written in short chapters, each ending on a turn—a structure the author says mirrors the cadence used by Dan Brown.
Beyond the novel, the author plans to embed the open‑writing process into a platform called AuthorMagic. The goal is to provide a tool that allows other writers to adopt the same public‑writing model. AuthorMagic is already available as a web service and an open‑source project on GitHub.
Readers can subscribe to receive new chapters by email, and the site’s comment feature is designed to capture feedback on clarity, character actions, and technical accuracy. The author encourages readers who are knowledgeable about cryptography or quantum computing to point out any errors in the science.
The project is still in its early stages. Six chapters have been published, and the author is working on the remaining 91. The open‑comment system is intended to surface issues early, allowing the author to correct them before the next draft.
In summary, Zero Knowledge is a near‑term science‑fiction novel about a quantum algorithm that threatens global cryptography. It is being written and published publicly on zeroknowledge.ink, with a comment system that lets readers review each sentence. The author plans to use the experience to build a broader writing platform, AuthorMagic, that supports open, collaborative novel creation.
The current status is that the novel is live, the comment system is operational, and the author is continuing to write new chapters while collecting reader feedback. No further updates or releases have been announced beyond the ongoing writing schedule.
