The Smart Gun

A Science Fiction Thriller

By: Gary Naiman

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

It is 2033 and the crusade against gun rights has finally reached the breaking point. Senator Byron Makely has launched a vindictive campaign against his hated enemy, Franklin Chandler, CEO of the nation’s largest gun manufacturer. With the Democratic Party in control of the nation's government, Makely and his anti-gun lobby are determined to bring down Chandler, his company, his industry, and even the Second Amendment. As skirmishes break out across the country between 120,000,000 gun owners and the progressive left, a stranger emerges in the growing civil war. Antonine Pierce steps from the shadows with his creation, a Smart Gun, and so begins a science fiction thriller like none before.

This is Gary Naiman's eighteenth novel. One of his books, P.P.M., is being considered for a motion picture.

First Reviews:
"This thriller dives into big questions about technology and control without losing momentum. The pacing stays tight, and the AI angle feels unsettlingly plausible. I appreciated how it balances action with ethical tension. It’s the kind of story that entertains while also leaving you thinking long after you finish." (Dr. Marwan Larsen 3/1/2026)

“I first picked this book up thinking it would be about gun control, but instead it was a smart well paced thriller about the evolution of AI and how it can play into all areas of society. I was pleasantly surprised and you will be too.” (D. Preston 1/29/26)

Mr. Naiman spins a tale of characters who believe they have the best intentions for the public in general, while at the same time pursuing their own selfish interests. The smart gun has been kind of a holy grail of gun safety advocates for as long as I can remember, and has always fallen short of reality, mainly because no gun is smart enough to compensate for human weaknesses. I found myself eager to read the next page with a mix of emotions. Sometimes sad, angry, and disappointed that people will not change for the better. Can a piece of technology overcome those emotions? This book is grounded in the real emotions that people have in wanting to be safe. The science fiction part is that our tools can prevent us from harming ourselves. No matter your opinion, this book will make you think and look inside yourself to face unpleasant truths. (7/15/25 Gerald Dunn)