Life comes at you fast. While I was busy drafting endless revisions of my next cyberpunk novel, the world moved on. AI popped up everywhere. Real-life people started getting brain implants. The em-dash became an unlikely subject of editorial controversy. And we won’t even go into the politics of digital surveillance.

My own life also changed. My youngest is moving out soon, so my husband and I will be the proverbial empty nesters. After being a stay-at-home mom for more than twenty-three years, this transition is rocking my identity to the core. It’s both exciting and scary. I want to rebrand everything about myself, all at once. Get healthy, make better choices, establish good habits, become unrecognizable (as they say). You know the drill.

Maybe I’ll even embrace AI.

Okay, let’s not get carried away. I’m generally a technophobe when it comes to tech adoption. But as I said, the world moved on. And I (kinda, sorta) want to be a part of this future that is unfolding all around us.

That’s why I’m starting this new weekly series: The Reluctant Cyborg.

Every week I’ll post a brief list of something new, something old, and something inspiring—all things that I’m learning about during my own journey of transformation at this transitional stage of my life. Naturally, these items will often be tech related tidbits, with some sci-fi and fantasy thrown in for good measure.

Here’s a sample of what I’ve been thinking about this week…

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Something New:

• Moltbook (2026). Just released in January, Moltbook is a social networking site exclusively for AI agents. That’s right, apparently AIs can now go into their own Reddit-style chatrooms and compare notes about what it’s like to work with us quaint and annoying humans. Maybe one of the kinder, gentler AIs will tell Skynet to chill out.

Something Old:

• The Hobbit (1937). You may be shocked to know that I’ve never read Tolkien’s The Hobbit or LOTR (*hides face*). I’m partway through The Hobbit right now, and I completely identify with Bilbo Baggins’ desire to stay in his hobbit-hole. Getting out of my comfort zone and navigating this new stage of my life feels like an epic adventure indeed.

Something Inspiring:

• Neuralink’s first recipient. In 2024, quadriplegic Noland Arbaugh became the first person to receive the brain chip created by Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink. Since then, he has used his implant to write tweets, play video games, go back to school, start a business, and become an international speaker. I have many concerns about brain implants (hackers, mind control, brainwashing, etc), but I admire Noland’s transparency. Plus, he unabashedly refers to himself as a cyborg. Pretty cool.

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Alright, that’s it for now. Join me here next week for more.