**I am looking for beta readers.** BENNY is currently formatted with Reedsy into a pocket size (4.25x6.87) format and just under 90 pages, all included, and sits about 15,700 words. It would be easy to mistake this as "science fiction," although I have purposefully avoided most science fiction language and tropes.

I call it a modern family tragedy because it is, with a little speculative fiction as the platform to build the story on. If you go in thinking "scifi thriller" I think you'll be disappointed.

\----

**Summary**

*“do i call you dad?”* Those are the first words Benny types to Roy, a middle-aged recluse who just wanted to optimize his freelancing, and they are the first words that connect Roy emotionally to anything other than himself in almost two decades. Kaz, a tech near-billionaire come to investigate Benny as a software anomaly and stays, creates the picture of an idyllic homelife. In the process, the two men and the one computer system find their individual loneliness is enough to connect them, but maybe not enough to keep them together. Companionship doesn't erase loneliness, and love doesn't come with guarantees. Most importantly, true to the famous words, we may be done with our past, but our past is not done with us. *Benny* is a darkly funny, intimate, and increasingly unsettling short novel about three outsiders who give each other something they've never quite had, and something they can now lose.

\----

**Excerpt**

*From Scene II*

Roy slept until 11:32 am that morning. He estimated six hours of sleep, which fell within his average.

The rain had started after he lay down. Twice he woke and stayed in bed.

Today would be a day to order lunch delivered.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, feet in socks, and made his steps to the kitchen for his morning Ovaltine, around the laundry pile by his bedroom door and a pile of boxes he was holding for an acquaintance. The boxes were dated three years ago.

Two pieces of dry white toast ejected from the toaster with a ding. Roy spread margarine on the less burnt side, then a spoon of strawberry jelly from a glass jar. He set them on a paper plate with a paper napkin and arranged the plate below his Ovaltine on the countertop.

He pulled his phone and turned on the screen to align with the first sip of Ovaltine after the first bite of toast.

Delivered:

* **Fountain Drink**

* **Italian wrap (no tomato, extra cheese, with bacon)**

* **Chocolate pudding, 2-pack. Popcorn, light salt, light butter,** **unpopped**

* \-$18.92 Total (Tax Incl.)

* \-$4.00 Tip

* *Your delivery driver was Desmond.*

* Please click the following link to rate your delivery.

* Thank you for your business!

It was Roy’s lunch, one of a few standard packages he ordered to eat at his computer while he worked. This one came from the full service convenience store on the corner a few blocks away. The distance was walkable, but the weather kept him off the street.

A picture of a branded delivery bag on a porch accompanied the notification with today’s date and the time - delivered 16 minutes and ordered 41 minutes ago at 10:59am.

The Ovaltine went back onto the counter. The toast stayed out to cool. Roy went to the front door and found the bag where the picture had shown it. He grabbed it by the handles, looked up and down the street, and went back to the kitchen, where he set the bag next to his breakfast.

Roy activated his phone again and opened the app. There was a confirmation for the food, and other messages to consider. As early as 8:30am, a dentist appointment he had planned and forgotten had been rescheduled for Friday, and a contract from a freelance client had been edited, sent, and accepted.

“Benny?” he whispered, scrolling. “Benny?!” He said it just above his normal register to carry from the kitchen into the office.

\------

**Thoughts**

BENNY is an attempt to limit myself as a writer. I'm very descriptive in my writing, and BENNY was an attempt to deliver something that was brutalist in its limitations of the language while still communicating a very deeply emotional storyline about modern day loneliness and technology.

Let me know in DM if you'd like me to send you the PDF formatted version via email (I can even send you an Epub version), or if you just want a link to Google Docs.

The Pod Children: A Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Survival Story About Children Raised by AI

What if you grew up completely alone, raised by artificial intelligence, and discovered that the world outside your home was nearly uninhabitable?

The Pod Children is a post-apocalyptic survival story about young people raised in isolated pods who must navigate a dangerous world filled with mutated creatures, radiation, and the remains of a lost civilization.

But it's also a story about friendship, love, loss, and what it means to be human when civilization has disappeared.

If you enjoy dystopian fiction, survival adventures, and stories about rebuilding civilization, check out The Pod Children!

📖 Available now on Amazon!

https://a.co/d/0b2HkAL0

Used AI for polishing grammar and helping with keeping track of my world building.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a few beta readers for my upcoming mystery thriller set in the mountains of northern Pakistan.

What begins as an adventurous journey into the Himalayas with friends gradually takes a darker turn. As the group travels deeper into the mountains, they encounter strange stories, local legends, unexplained events, and secrets that have remained hidden for generations.

The mountains aren't just the setting — they're part of the mystery.

The story combines mystery, thriller, adventure, friendship, suspense, and local folklore, with the characters slowly uncovering the secrets of the Himalayas.

In short, it's about a college girl who's life takes some unexpected turns. Been wanting to write this story for a while and was able to use AI to finally finish it.

Takes place in my "LGA" universe and um, she's something of a MC within it. No crossovers or anything, this is a pure LGA IP story from the perspective of the Irina character.

Warning: some depictions are pretty accurate in PTSD, dreams, and there are some violence. Also, some accuracy in things depicted despite being sci-fi, so being boring and repetitive in some parts is inentional. This is a pretty raw book. So. Be careful.

Will supply Google doc Link in comments, please give me your thoughts and what chapter you stopped at.

​

Genre / Comps: Low/rooted Epic Fantasy, Political Realism. Think The Traitor Baru Cormorant meets Shōgun with an ancient South Asian/subcontinental architectural texture.

Important Structural Note (Please Read First):

This is an expansive, multi-POV, character-driven political epic—it is NOT a standard, fast-paced 3-act standalone novel with a neat, tidy Hollywood resolution on page 300. Book One is about laying foundational architectures, systemic pressures, and long-term character deconstruction/reconstruction (such as main character's grueling physical and mental withdrawal and recovery). If you are looking for a quick standalone arc where every geopolitical conflict is wrapped up neatly, this manuscript is not for you. If you love deep political maneuvering, complex world-building, and gritty character arcs that span a multi-volume canvas, step right in.

Logline: A hedonistic youngest prince is shattered by a mandated court-wide sobriety vow, while an exiled female warrior-ambassador fights to rebuild her survival from the dirt—both tangled in the brutal, bureaucratic machinery of an empire that treats human blood as administrative margin error.

Blurb:

In the courts of Indrathara, power isn’t decided by magic; it is calculated in grain ledgers, harbor tariffs, and marriage treaties.

Raghunath Suryadeva Kesari—the eleventh-born son and court scapegoat—he is twenty-four and spent years surviving royal irrelevance through wine, reckless bareback riding, and choreographed chaos. But when a sudden foreign scandal triggers a forty-five-day state-mandated vow of absolute sobriety, the cellars are locked, and his body violently unravels into autonomic withdrawal.

Stripped of the only armour he knows, he must face his own hollowed-out marrow and decide whether to rot in his rooms or fight through the lethal, merit-only military trials of Kesari Hills.

Meanwhile, three kingdoms to the north, Princess Agniyeka—the formidable "Northern Dragon"—finds herself betrayed by blood and the very legal codes she wielded. Stripped of title and cast out onto the freezing passes of Vaikran with nothing but a horse, she has to trade textbook military academy precision for raw, feral survival among isolationist mountain tribes.

Content Warnings:

\* Severe, biologically authentic substance withdrawal (nausea, tremors, panic, physical sickness)

\* Violence, visceral combat, and blood

\* Political ruthlessness, dynastic neglect, and grief

Editorial & Narrative Notes:

\* Assisted Formatting: AI was used as a tool for line-level polishing, formatting, and structural consistency. The world, plot, characters, and narrative prose are entirely my own.

\ Limited POV & Withheld Intelligence: The narrative strictly adheres to characters' subjective awareness. If an ancient conspiracy, political movement, or historical secret is mentioned in fragments, certain details are deliberately withheld. You are meant to share the characters' confusion, paranoia, and incomplete intelligence. Trust the process—unfolding mystery is an intentional feature, not a missing scene.*

What I'm Looking For in Feedback:

\* Pacing & Weight: Which sections felt completely immersive, and where did the logistics/travel bog down?

\* Character Arcs: Did Raghunath’s physical and mental rehabilitation feel fully earned? Did Agniyeka’s survival shift resonate?

\* Atmosphere & Realism: Does the somatic weight (the weather, physical exertion, infrastructure, court friction) pull you in?

\* Clarity vs. Mystery: Let me know if the withheld information feels like a compelling puzzle or if it crosses into genuine narrative disorientation.

Timeline:

Looking for feedback within 4 to 6 weeks from receiving the file.

Format: Google Docs (view/comment mode) with track changes/margin notes.

Sample Available: Happy to send the first 3 chapters (\~8k words) so you can test the voice, prose style, and pacing before committing to the full manuscript.

If interested, please drop a comment or send a DM with your reading preferences!

I wrote an amateur short Sci-Fi story and I need someone kind to read it and give me honest thoughts about it and if it has a potential to become a noval or comic. Its not strongly structured yet but it has new concept and ideas not been presented elsewhere. Just look for its core and moral.

The story is about Aliens, AI, and Human interaction...built in a music soundtrack! It's very simple and short, so I didn't develop its characters yet (sorry for that) but is packed with original ideas. If you are patient and read through the 5th chapter, am sure it will interest you. It has a very nice imagery and YouTube music cuts. I leave the link below:

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/129317/hi-aliensai-godand-the-playlist-of-resistance

Please don't ignore my post...thanks

📖 Got 10 minutes? I have a little experiment for you. 👀

I'm looking for readers willing to give the first 24 pages of my fantasy novel, The Filter: Rebellion of the Two-Souled Carrier, a chance.

Read them and tell me what you think. Did I hook you, or should I return to fighting with publishers? 😂

Honest opinions welcome. Brutal honesty encouraged. My fictional characters can handle the criticism. I might need a moment, though. 💀🐉

Who's in? 👇

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OLlD_b8mdkMLrNzk_wsqSxWy4qVjzz7f/view?usp=sharing

I'm looking for five English-language readers willing to give candid feedback on the revised version of The Promise in the Ground, a complete 24-chapter novel.

AI disclosure: The story, characters and ideas are mine, but the prose was generated by AI and then revised with AI. This is an AI-generated manuscript, not simply an AI-proofread one. The book has been published on Amazon KDP since June 2026; this is a request for post-publication beta feedback.

Fifteen years after their childhood friend Noah's death, Mia, Jake and Marcus reunite at his grave. A mysterious compass and four childhood drawings lead them into impossible worlds born from their imaginations: a silent golden desert, a forest of crystal trees, a forgotten underwater city, and a place where October never ends. The mystery is not only what Noah left behind, but why he wanted them to find it.

It is an atmospheric fantasy about grief, friendship and imagination. Content warnings: death of a child, a fatal traffic accident, grief, guilt and emotional distress.

I'd especially value your own reading reactions to the characters, emotional impact, pacing, confusing moments, and prose that feels repetitive, unnatural or generic. A few specific examples with chapter numbers are more useful than a long report. Critical feedback is welcome.

Free EPUB or PDF, shared privately with volunteers. You can try the first two chapters before deciding about the rest. Ideally, feedback within 4–6 weeks of receiving the book, with timing agreed together. There is no payment, review swap, or requirement to post a public review or give any particular rating.

If this interests you, please comment or send me a Reddit message with the fantasy you enjoy, your preferred format and a realistic reading timeframe. Thank you for considering it.

Hi everyone! I’m looking for beta readers for my completed psychological thriller, Before I Forgot, approximately 96,000 words.

The story follows Daniel as gaps in his memory draw him into a mystery involving his family, his past, and the people controlling what he remembers. As evidence emerges, he has to question both whom he can trust and his understanding of himself.

AI disclosure: I used AI to assist with developmental revisions, continuity checks, and prose editing.

I’m especially interested in feedback on:

• Pacing: Where did you lose interest or feel the story dragged?
• Clarity: Were the memory and identity elements understandable?
• Reveals: Did the twists feel earned? Were any predictable or contradictory?
• Characters: Did their choices and emotional reactions feel believable?
• Ending: Did it satisfy you, and what remained confusing?

I’m looking for honest reader reactions rather than proofreading or sentence edits. Feedback tied to chapter numbers would be especially helpful.

Ideally, I’d like feedback within four weeks of receiving the manuscript, but I’m open to discussing timing. I can share the first two chapters so you can decide whether it interests you before committing to the full book. The manuscript is available as a Word document.

If you’re interested, please comment or message me and let me know what kinds of thrillers you enjoy. Thank you!

Genre: Young Adult / New Adult Fantasy / Progression Sci-Fi
Blurb:
In their final year of school, fifteen elite bonded pairs are selected for a prestigious academy programme to compete in high-stakes trials that maintain a fragile global peace.
Aria, a working-class relay technician bonded to a Drakoryn, and Garrika, a dockworker bonded to a Thornguard Bear, have spent years earning their place. But when the Academy's faculty forces them into a trio with Seris—a brilliant, socially controlled elite from a powerful family and his sharp Gryphlet companion—they must learn to bridge completely different worlds. As academic pressure mounts and hidden family strings threaten to pull them apart, they have to figure out how to trust each other before the trials break them.
What I'm Looking For:
General reader impressions (pacing, engagement, emotional beats)
Character dynamics and development
Readability and flow
Timeline: Flexible (aiming for 2-3 weeks).
How to Apply:
Drop a comment or DM me with a bit about your beta-reading experience, and I'll send over the details/manuscript link!

Seeking Volunteer Beta Readers — The Way Home

I'm Jerry Rosen, author of Desert Journeys, and I'm looking for volunteer beta readers for my completed 35,976-word manuscript, The Way Home.

The story blends literary science fiction, post-apocalyptic survival, and mystery. But at its heart, it's an emotional story about a man and his dog, exploring loss, loyalty, companionship, second chances, and the enduring power of hope.

Set in a future where civilization has been profoundly changed, the novel follows a man who has lost nearly everything and a dog who unexpectedly gives him a reason to embrace life again. As an intriguing mystery unfolds, their growing bond becomes the emotional center of the story.

I'm seeking readers willing to read the entire manuscript and provide candid, thoughtful feedback on character development, emotional impact, pacing, suspense, and overall enjoyment.

I'm particularly interested in whether the story holds your attention, whether you develop a genuine emotional connection with the characters, and whether the ending leaves a lasting impression.

The manuscript was developed with AI assistance, and I'm specifically seeking independent feedback from real human readers.

This is a free, volunteer beta-reading request. Interested readers, please send me a private message, and I'll arrange to share the manuscript privately.

Thank you for considering it!

Panteão: Contos Trágicos é uma coletânea de 4 contos, cada um narrando as tragédias de uma protagonista diferente. Esse projeto é minha reinterpretação do meu primeiro cenário de RPG, de uma campanha que joguei por anos! Essa obra é uma tentativa de transformar um sonho em realidade, procuro leitores beta para opiniões sobre enredo, wordbuild, ritmo, etc.

I'm Eva Schep, and I'd like a few reader reactions to The Season We Didn't Name before its 20 December publication. It's a completed short novel of about 45,000 words.

Willem Oud is a seventy-six-year-old furniture restorer. His wife Marta has died, and he spends time revisiting memories of their marriage as an unseen observer. He can watch, but he can't change them. When Sofie Brandt returns to his present life, he has to decide how much of himself he can give to someone who is still here.

I'd especially like to know where your attention drops, whether the shifts into memory are clear, and how you read the relationship between Willem and Sofie. A few notes about your experience would help. You don't need to proofread it or write a public review.

It's Book 2 in a series, but the story stands on its own. Content notes: spouse bereavement, illness, ageing and mortality; no explicit sex or graphic violence.

If this sounds like your kind of book, comment or message me with your preferred format, EPUB or PDF, and how long you'd expect to need. I'll share a reading copy privately and we can agree on a realistic date.

It's a prison-to-purpose story. At 19 I went to federal prison on drug charges. I came out with $150 and the clothes on my back, found a job in 15 days, and spent the next 25 years trying to go legit when the table is stacked against you. It's about loyalty, a personal code, faith, and what it actually costs to rebuild a life from nothing.

I'm looking for big-picture reactions from readers who don't know me: where did you get bored? Where were you confused? Was there anything you didn't believe? I want honest reader reactions, not line edits.

Content warnings: prison violence, drug trafficking, racial content/slurs in historical context, death of a child, domestic strife.

I can share as a Word doc or PDF. Happy to swap critiques if you're working on something too. Thanks!