Michael Grothaus

A damaged teenage tech prodigy meets an enigmatic waitress in a tiny Tokyo café, sparking an epic journey across Japan that will change everything, forever … a captivating, masterful novel with an extraordinary mystery at its heart… ‘Set against a tech heavy backdrop Beautiful Shining People blooms into an emotional and soulful tale that reckons with the isolation we can all feel as outsiders’ SciFi Now Book of the Month ‘That Beautiful Shining People isn’t just a slipstream novel with pretensions to being literature is in great part down to the deftness and tenderness with which Grothaus draws his central relationship … to let us explore a world of robots and deepfakes that’s just unfamiliar enough to be exotic’ SFX Magazine Book of the Month ‘A fascinating exploration of what it means to be human in a world where everything can be faked … wonderful, insightful and thoughtful’ James Oswald –––––––––––––This world is anything but ordinary, and it’s about to change forever… It’s our world, but decades into the future… An ordinary world, where cars drive themselves, drones glide across the sky, and robots work in burger shops. There are two superpowers and a digital Cold War, but all conflicts are safely oceans away. People get up, work, and have dinner. Everything is as it should be… Except for seventeen-year-old John, a tech prodigy from a damaged family, who hides a deeply personal secret. But everything starts to change for him when he enters a tiny café on a cold Tokyo night. A café run by a disgraced sumo wrestler, where a peculiar dog with a spherical head lives, alongside its owner, enigmatic waitress Neotnia… But Neotnia hides a secret of her own – a secret that will turn John’s unhappy life upside down. A secret that will take them from the neon streets of Tokyo to Hiroshima’s tragic past to the snowy mountains of Nagano. A secret that reveals that this world is anything ordinary – and it’s about to change forever… ––––––––––––– ‘Poetically written, every word of this adventure leaps off the page with passion. A wonderful and enlightening trip’ The Sun ‘Cyberpunk meets bildungsroman – a real joy’ Oscar de Muriel ‘Exquisite world-building, this book had me invested from the very first page. Vivid plot and irresistible characters and a real tug at the soul … you'll drown in it’ Lisa Bradley ‘A life-affirming, epic book about what it is to be human: to live, to dream, to hope, to love … at a time when we most need reminding of these things’ David F Ross ‘Totally engrossing from the start – the story, characters and settings will linger in your imagination long after you're finished … truly wonderful’ Jonathan Whitelaw ‘Masterful … truly breathtaking and achingly beautiful. It builds anticipation and suspense before coming together in a thrilling, captivating conclusion’ The Bookbag ‘Outstanding! Sci-fi showing how the past might impact on the future … a glimpse into a (very plausible) terrifying future’ Michael J Malone What readers are saying… ***** ‘A beautiful, emotional and thought-provoking read’ ‘A striking and strange novel – and a searing statement about the dangerously thin lines between utopia and dystopia’ ‘Just devastatingly beautiful’ ‘My book of the year … no question’ ‘Masterful storytelling’ ‘Grothaus has a bewitching ability to stop time in a moment, and then run seemlessly into action with unstoppable momentum’ ‘Succinctly captured the feeling of Japanese fiction. I was very much put in mind of Haruki Murakami or Toshikazu Kawaguchi’

Deepfake technology can create video evidence of just about anything: Hollywood superstar Margot Robbie in an orgy.Chinese president Xi Jinping declaring nuclear war.Basketball legend Michael Jordan winning the World Cup. The only limit is the imagination. In a time where fake news and disinformation is becoming harder and harder to identify, it is more essential than ever to understand the dark origins of deepfakes. Journalist Michael Grothaus goes down the rabbit hole as he interviews the often morally dubious, yet incredibly skilled creators of this content. It's a journey that opens a window into the communities transforming reality. Challenging, enlightening and terrifying, Trust No One asks the question other people are too scared to: what happens when you can no longer believe your own eyes?'An alarming look at deepfakes' Sunday Times'Michael Grothaus takes a hard look at the growth of deep fakes, examining cases that demonstrate the threats presented by morally dubious creators. From the personal to political, the impact of deep fakes is considered carefully by Grothaus, both on the victims and on society as a whole, creating an essential picture of a growing trend in disinformation' Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat

Deepfake technology can create video evidence of just about anything: Hollywood superstar Margot Robbie in an orgy.Chinese president Xi Jinping declaring nuclear war.Basketball legend Michael Jordan winning the World Cup. The only limit is the imagination. In a time where fake news and disinformation is becoming harder and harder to identify, it is more essential than ever to understand the dark origins of deepfakes. Journalist Michael Grothaus goes down the rabbit hole as he interviews the often morally dubious, yet incredibly skilled creators of this content. It's a journey that opens a window into the communities transforming reality. Challenging, enlightening and terrifying, Trust No One asks the question other people are too scared to: what happens when you can no longer believe your own eyes?'An alarming look at deepfakes' Sunday Times'Michael Grothaus takes a hard look at the growth of deep fakes, examining cases that demonstrate the threats presented by morally dubious creators. From the personal to political, the impact of deep fakes is considered carefully by Grothaus, both on the victims and on society as a whole, creating an essential picture of a growing trend in disinformation' Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat

Jerry has a traumatic past that leaves him subject to psychotic hallucinations and depressive episodes. When he stands accused of stealing a priceless Van Gogh painting, he goes underground, where he develops an unwilling relationship with a woman who believes that the voices she hears are from God.

Taking Your iPad to the Max, iOS 5 Edition is written so that anyone can quickly get up to speed on Apple’s latest hit. As bloggers at The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW.com), the authors have the happy privilege of working with Apple products every day, and they'll guide you through all of the perks of being an iPad owner with access to all the new and amazing features in iOS 5. This book takes you from selecting and buying an iPad, to connecting it to the Internet, to using the incredible power of the iPad and all its apps to enhance your life. Whether you’re using your iPad to surf the Internet, admire or edit family photos, listen to music, watch movies, create or edit movies, or read a book, this book will help guide you. Discover how your iPad can be a virtual shopping mall, opening the door to purchases of music, books, videos, and movies. This book will help you organize your daily life through the use of Calendar, Notes, and Contacts, communicate with friends and colleagues with Mail, and find your way with Maps. You'll also learn how get the most out of your iPad's two cameras, and you'll learn how iCloud keeps all of your documents and photos in sync across all your Apple devices. You'll also learn about great new iOS 5 features like Reminders, Notification Center, iMessage, Newsstand, and PC-Free updates. Taking Your iPad to the Max, iOS 5 Edition introduces the essentials of using your iPad for recreation, travel, and work—and includes the basics of Apple's iWork suite for iPad. Learn to create business or personal documents with Pages, make professional presentations with Keynote, and keep data and finances under control with Numbers. You'll also learn how to use iLife's suite of apps, including iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand on the iPad. No matter how you use your iPad, Taking Your iPad to the Max, iOS 5 Edition will show you how to make themost of it.

Unleash the power of your new iPhone 4S or other iOS 5-driven iPhone and take it to the limit using powerful tips and techniques from the Apple experts at TUAW, Erica Sadun, Steve Sande, and Michael Grothaus. Fast and fun to read, Taking Your iPhone 4S to the Max shows you how to get the most out of your iPhone using Apple’s new iOS 5. Whether you're using the new iPhone 4S or earlier iPhone that runs the new iOS 5, you’ll find all the best undocumented tricks, as well as the most efficient and enjoyable introduction to the iPhone available. Starting with an introduction to iPhone basics, you’ll quickly discover the iPhone’s hidden potential, like how to connect to a TV, use Voice Control using Siri, have video chats with FaceTime, and call friends overseas with low-cost VoIP. From the unified e-mail inbox and surfing the Web with Mobile Safari, exploring the world of social networking, using the multitasking capabilities of iOS 5, taking and editing photos, shopping for apps, media, and books, or just managing phone calls—you’ll find it all in this book. You’ll even learn tips on where to get the best iPhone accessories. Get ready to take your iPhone 4S and earlier running the new iOS 5 to the max!

Unleash your iPod touch and take it to the limit using secret tips and techniques. Fast and fun to read, Taking Your iPod touch 5 to the Max will help you get the most out of iOS 5 on your iPod touch. You’ll find all the best undocumented tricks, as well as the most efficient and enjoyable introduction to the iPod touch available. Starting with the basics, you’ll quickly move on to discover the iPod touch's hidden potential, like how to connect to a TV and get contract-free VoIP. From e-mail and surfing the Web, to using iTunes, iBooks, games, photos, ripping DVDs and getting free VoIP with Skype or FaceTime—whether you have a new iPod touch, or an older iPod touch with iOS 5, you'll find it all in this book. You’ll even learn tips on where to get the best and cheapest iPod touch accessories. Get ready to take iPod touch to the max!

The Mac has come a long way, and OS X Lion is the best version yet of Apple's desktop and laptop operating system. Stable, powerful, and versatile, the Mac allows you to do everyday tasks with ease. Taking Your OS X Lion to the Max walks you through the awesome features and apps standard on the Mac and the new OS X 10.7 Lion to help you become a true power user. You'll discover keyboard shortcuts and gestures to help save time—whether you're on a iMac, Mac mini, Macbook Pro, Air, or other Mac computer. In terms of apps, you'll learn about iLife, iCal, Mail, Mac App Store, Safari, Address Book and more. You'll see how to use amazing built-in applications like Time Machine, Photo Booth, and Front Row. Also, you'll learn how connect to your other Apple devices like iPhone or iPad, Apple TV and more. You'll sync, work and play remotely, file and screen share, make your Mac secure, or even make your Mac a Windows PC. After reading this book, you will be able to fully leverage your Mac and the new OS X. And, have some fun, too!

iPad 2: It looks different. It acts different. It connects to the world, yet it is as personal as a well-worn book. And now it has two cameras! Taking Your iPad 2 to the Max is written so that anyone can quickly get up to speed on Apple’s latest hit. As bloggers at The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW.com), the authors have the happy privilege of working with Apple products every day, and they'll guide you through all of the perks of being an iPad 2 owner. This book takes you from selecting and buying an iPad, to connecting it to the Internet, to using the incredible power of the iPad and all its apps to enhance your life. Whether you’re using your iPad to surf the Internet, admire family photos, listen to music, watch movies, create or edit movies, or read a book, this book will help guide you. Discover how your iPad 2 can be a virtual shopping mall, opening the door to purchases of music, books, videos, and movies. This book will help you organize your daily life through the use of Calendar, Notes, and Contacts, communicate with friends and colleagues with Mail, and find your way with Maps. You'll also learn how get the most out of your iPad's two cameras. Taking Your iPad 2 to the Max introduces the essentials of using your iPad 2 for recreation, travel, and work—and includes the basics of Apple's iWork suite for iPad. Learn to create business or personal documents with Pages, make professional presentations with Keynote, and keep data and finances under control with Numbers.

Taking Your iPhoto '11 to the Max walks users through Apple's most popular software application in the iLife suite—iPhoto. This book helps readers use iPhoto to its fullest to organize and create digital memories and keepsakes. Learn all about Apple's newest version of iPhoto—iPhoto ‘11 Explore iPhoto, one menu button at a time Walk-through tutorials guide you step-by-step

Unleash your iPhone and take it to the limit using secret tips and techniques from gadget hacker Erica Sadun. Fast and fun to read, Taking Your iPod touch 4 to the Max is fully updated to show you how get the most out of Apple's OS 4. You'll find all the best undocumented tricks as well as the most efficient and enjoyable introduction to the iPhone available. Starting with an introduction to iPod touch 4 basics, you'll quickly move on to discover the iPod touch's hidden potential, like how to connect to a TV, get contract-free VOIP, and hack OS 4 so it will run apps on your iPod touch. From e-mail and surfing the Web, to using iTunes, iBooks, games, photos, ripping DVDs and getting free VOIP with Skype or Jajah—you'll find it all in this book. You'll even learn tips on where to get the best and cheapest iPod touch accessories. Get ready to take your iPod touch to the max!

It looks different. It acts different. There's no right way to hold it. It responds to the touch of your fingertips. It's the Internet in your lap. It connects to the world, yet it is as personal as a well-worn book. Taking Your iPad to the Max is written so that anyone, from a computer-savvy teenager to a 92-year-old great-grandmother, can quickly get up to speed on Apple's latest hit. As bloggers at The Unofficial Apple Weblog (tuaw.com), we have the happy privilege of working with Apple products every day. The iPad is so different from any computer you've ever used, and we realize many people could use a helping hand, to feel comfortable buying and using an iPad. We take you from selecting and buying an iPad, to connecting it to the Internet, and then demonstrate just how to use the incredible power of the iPad and all its apps to enhance your life. Whether you're using your iPad to surf the Internet, admire family photos, listen to music, watch movies, or read a book, we're here to guide you. We show you how your iPad can be a virtual shopping mall, opening the door to purchases of music, books, videos, and movies. We help you organize your daily life through the use of Calendar, Notes, and Contacts, communicate with friends and colleagues with Mail, and find your way with Maps. The iPad is more than the ultimate leisure device; it's also a work tool. Taking Your iPad to the Max guides you through the basics of Apple's iWork suite for iPad. Learn to create business or personal documents with Pages, make professional presentations with Keynote, and keep data and finances under control with Numbers.