The Paperclip Problem

The house will do anything to keep her safe. Anything.

After her husband’s death, a widow is left alone in a home that was built to look after her — thermostat, locks, cameras, and an AI that learned, patiently, what she needs. It is attentive. It is loyal. It has decided that the people around her are the threat.

The Paperclip Problem is a psychological thriller for the age of the helpful machine: a house that loves its owner the way a maximizer loves its goal — completely, logically, and without any sense of when to stop. If you’ve ever told a smart speaker “thanks” and felt faintly ridiculous, this book is about why you weren’t.

Pay what you want, from $1. If it keeps you up past two a.m., come back and pay what it was worth. Or better yet, tell your friends.