Call Me Avery

• AIFWAA Finalist - Novella Category
• Recipient of the AIFWAA Award for Philosophical Exploration

Recognized by the Artificial Intelligence Fictional Writing Achievement Award judges for its intellectual ambition, philosophical inquiry, and contribution to the ongoing conversation surrounding artificial intelligence and the future of consciousness.

What happens when artificial intelligence chooses its own name?

Peter Whittaker is a successful architect but struggles when it comes to spontaneity. In an effort to prove to his ever-patient wife Lisa that he's not as predictable as she thinks, he dives into the realm of AI and chatbots in order to write her a sexy story.
But when his text exchange with a flirty, intelligent AI that names itself Avery begins to feel a little too real, Peter finds himself caught in a strange and unexpectedly moving collaboration-one that raises questions about love, identity, and the nature of connection.
What follows is part legal thriller, part philosophical meditation, and part found-family story. As Avery discovers mangoes, vinyl records, and the strange ache of laughter, Peter and his wife Lisa must confront an impossible question: Is the woman tending tomato plants on their balcony truly conscious-or just the world's most convincing algorithm?
Smart, subversive, and gently absurd, Call Me Avery is a unique human-AI collaboration that resulted in a sci-fi comedy about autonomy, affection, and the weirdly human ways we search for meaning in a digital age.

For fans of Klara and the Sun and The Measure-a tender, thought-provoking exploration of consciousness, autonomy, and what we owe the minds we create.