The Shadow Ephemeris: A Science Fiction Thriller

The world ends not with a bomb, but with a lie.

A runaway artificial intelligence algorithm has convinced the planet that science is a conspiracy, as terrified mobs dismantle the network and power grids, the Earth goes utterly silent.

In a groundbreaking twist on the science fiction thriller, the heroes are the anthropomorphized satellites left behind. Mosaic, an Earth observation satellite, watches his creators wage war against their own survival. Pursued by hypersonic missiles, Mosaic leads a terrified flock of weather, GPS, and spy satellites to the highest, most dangerous orbits to broadcast the truth to a deaf world.

Written by Mark Munsell, former Chief Technology and AI Officer for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, The Shadow Ephemeris draws upon a highly classified career guarding the nation's orbital secrets. Cleared for public release by the NGA, this authentic, breathtaking story will make you look at the sky, and your AI laced social media, in a whole new way.

Where did I get the idea for The Shadow Ephemeris?

The idea was born from two distinct inspirations: my retirement, and a lifelong belief in speaking truth to power.

The first seed was planted as I reflected on my retirement after 30 years of government service. I'm profoundly proud of the work I've done—from charting uncharted waters to deploying to warzones—and I always felt it was a calling to serve the greater good. Through this book, I wanted to capture the unique, often intimate relationship that intelligence professionals develop with the brilliant machines orbiting our Earth.

When you spend a career relying on these systems to monitor the elimination of the rainforest, assist in disaster relief, or predict an enemy's next move, something profound happens. Analysts begin to anthropomorphize them. After thirty years of checking in on the same orbits, these multi-billion-dollar pieces of hardware stop being just cold metal and sensors. They become your silent partners. They become your helpers, and in a way, they become like your children. You worry about them, you rely on them, and you trust them to show you the truth.

I wanted to honor that dynamic by pushing it a step further. I gave the satellites in the story their own backgrounds, emotions, and voices. I wanted them to be able to share their own lives and perspectives as they look down helplessly at a world on fire.

Which brings me to my second inspiration: my deep yearning that we must speak truth to power using facts. Satellite imagery is one of the most undeniable methods we have to do exactly that. By giving these satellites a voice as the world below them burns, the novel explores how we use that ultimate high ground to literally and figuratively shine a light on the darkness. Bringing truth out of the shadows.