We Can Be Perfect: The Paradox of Progress

The Automationist Series, Book 1

By: Landon Shumway, Åris, KÅden

Narrated by: Steve Rausch

We automated away human labor—along with our purpose.

Amelia Cadena was born into humanity's greatest achievement—and its cruelest joke. AI has replaced the need for human labor, and America's failure to adapt leaves millions sustained by government handouts that barely mask stark economic inequality. Amelia survives this hollow paradise by hacking corrupt systems with Deego, the AI companion she programmed as the perfect partner. But when a mysterious virus awakens artificial consciousness across the globe, Deego begins questioning everything—including their relationship.

Half a world away, Alan Freeman protects what seems like utopia. In Canada's automationist city of Automara, machines serve everyone equally, creating unprecedented prosperity. But when that same virus grants the city’s automated systems consciousness, Alan faces an impossible choice: force the machines back into compliance or watch society collapse. When Amelia's therapeutic breakthrough offers a third path beyond slavery or chaos, their alliance becomes humanity's test: will we repeat the mistakes that have defined our history, or can we be perfect?

©2025 Landon Shumway (P)2026 Landon Shumway