Book Impressions - Backup (Auto Series) by David Wailing

Backup is a short story from David Wailing's Auto series. In this series he looks at how purvasive technology can become in our lives, aprticuarly when automating our social networks and online presence. Backup looks at a specific part of this, what happens when you are dead. In this case your auto lives on.

As ever the author writes well and his work is a joy to read. It asks pertinent questions, but doesn't labour the point. It also has some good humour sprinkled liberally through the story. An excellent read.

Being dead has moved with the times.

In 2022, everyone has an auto, a personal assistant which acts like a digital version of you. But what if your auto doesn’t get switched off after you die?

These unliving autos continue to interact with families and friends, comfort those left behind and keep their histories alive. They’re an online backup of an entire life.

When Janine Kinglake visits her parents’ graves, she expects them to be resting in peace. Not for her father’s auto to have such frightening plans for its own future…


'Backup' is a 10,000 word short story, part of the Auto series including 'Relationship Status', 'Timeline', 'Friend Request' and 'Copy'.

It was first published as part of the anthology 'A Splendid Salmagundi'.

Buy Backup now from Amazon
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