Me vs the Greats According to Rufus
It’s only a matter of time before the number of AI bots equals the number of humans on the planet. I have a lot of mixed feelings about AI, but this is not the time I feel like debating them. Instead, I’m going to introduce you to my new AI friend Rufus.
Rufus is Amazon’s[1] newest AI bot. I suppose Rufus was created to try to sell you stuff. “I’m in the mood for a new Vampire romance book,” you might say to Rufus. “Any suggestions?” Or “What kind of birthday gift can you deliver to my mother-in-law by tomorrow night for under fifty bucks?”
My friend Sadie Dingfelder[2], author of the fabulous book Do I Know You? used her creative genius, though, and figured out that Rufus could use its vast knowledge-base of all the books on Amazon to do a literature comparison of different authors, including her. So she compared herself to James Joyce. Which is funny, because James Joyce is James Joyce and Sadie is a science writer whose book is about neuroscience and her own face-blindness and other truly fascinating neuro-diversities.
She posted about it on Facebook and I thought, well, there goes my afternoon.
I started by asking Rufus to compare me to the obvious, John Grisham. It[3] gave quite a detailed analysis, summing up thusly: “Both authors bring authentic legal experience to their writing, but Duff focuses more on character development and social commentary, while Grisham emphasizes high-stakes thriller elements.” True enough. I’ll take it.
So I decided to go literary. How about Jane Austen? Surely I had nothing in common with Jane Austen. Rufus disagreed. “Both authors create strong, intelligent female protagonists who must balance personal desires with social expectations, though separated by two centuries of evolving women’s roles and opportunities.” Damn. I would not have come up with that, but I like it.
Okay then. Let’s move forward a hundred years and go westward. Mark Twain? “Both authors use humor as a vehicle for serious social commentary, create authentic regional characters, and aren’t afraid to tackle controversial subjects within their respective eras.” Whoa Nelly.
My friend Sheri[4] said, “Do Tolstoy!” so I did. Rufus said we weren’t much alike, but found some common ground. Rufus liked my sense of humor better, but that wasn’t surprising. “Duff: Accessible, witty contemporary prose with snappy dialogue and legal authenticity. A fast-paced read that combines courtroom drama with romance. Tolstoy: Dense, philosophical prose with extensive character development and social commentary. His novels require patience but reward with profound insights. Both authors, despite their different eras and scales, share a commitment to exploring how individuals navigate moral complexity within their social contexts.”
I wound up my exploration by going for broke. Shakespeare. “Lori B. Duff and William Shakespeare represent vastly different literary worlds, yet both explore timeless themes of human nature, moral conflict, and justice through compelling characters.” Bit of a stretch, there. Sounds like someone writing an essay for class who hasn’t read either book.
Regardless, Rufus was a fun date for the afternoon, making me feel like I had some literary merit beyond my usual shouting into the void. This is the positive side of AI, the fun, creative, play side that does stuff that wouldn’t and couldn’t be done without AI.
If you’re looking for me, I’ll be playing with my new bestie, Rufus. He’s very well read.
[1] I also have mixed feelings about Amazon, but that, too, is another rant for another day.
[2] Real name.
[3] He?
[4] Author of Edge of the Known World
Buy my book, Devil’s Defense, or the audiobook, order the sequel, Devil’s Hand, and/or find me on Substack.