“Electric, terrifying, witty and deeply human.” —Randee Dawn, author of Tune in Tomorrow
This compulsively readable science fiction novel wrestles with vital questions of our time: sentience, purpose, life, death…and how to make a really good commercial. Told entirely through questionably obtained company emails, chat messages, TED Talks, bot trainings, and more, Your Behavior Will Be Monitored presents an all too plausible near future in which emotionally intelligent AI go up against emotionally stunted humans.
This compulsively readable novel wrestles with vital questions of our time: sentience, purpose, life, death…and how to make a really good commercial. Told entirely through questionably obtained company emails, chat messages, TED Talks, bot trainings, and more, Your Behavior Will Be Monitored presents an all too plausible near future in which emotionally intelligent AI go up against emotionally stunted humans.
Megacorporation UniView is poised to cement their reputation as “the most trusted name in AI.” After pioneering self-driving and HR bots, UniView is now barreling toward an audacious new launch. That is, if they can pull it off in time.
Enter Noah. A down-and-out copywriter reeling from a midlife crisis, he isn’t the typical hire for a groundbreaking tech company full of brilliant engineers and run by a cutthroat CEO. But Lex, UniView’s Head of HR and one of their greatest successes, makes no mistakes—her algorithm ensures it.
UniView’s latest venture—a bot named Quinn that creates revolutionary personalized advertising—needs expert training. Noah needs to teach Quinn—who is a much better student than he ever could have hoped for—the finer points of consumer motivation and the art of writing a catchy tagline. But when corporate competitors force UniView to accelerate their timeline to market, guardrails around the AI loosen just as Quinn seems to be learning a bit too much.
Addictively readable and ridiculously entertaining, Your Behavior Will Be Monitored is a page-turning, hilarious science fictional romp through the promise and perils of an AI-driven future that we probably deserve.
5/5 Stars “Hits that perfect speculative sweet spot: smart, unsettling, and just plausible enough to make you question your own reality. Think Black Mirror meets Mad Men. It is darkly clever, and morally messy.”
—NerdyNerdyBookBook
“Electric, terrifying, witty and deeply human, Your Behavior Will Be Monitored is a thrill ride of a debut novel by Justin Feinstein. The modern epistolary style is the perfect delivery system to reveal how individual lives are reshaped by bits, bytes, and predictive AI—but is that necessarily a predictor of doom? With echoes of Ian M. Banks’ Culture novels, Feinstein crafts intelligent, memorable characters (not all of whom are flesh-based) and shoves them into impossible situations, looking for the key. I didn’t want to put this book down – and I didn’t want it to end. Two thumbs (and keystrokes) up!”
—Randee Dawn, author of Tune in Tomorrow and Leave No Trace
“If you work in an office or interact with or are even tangentially affected by AI (if you use the internet at all, you already are) or simply would love the pleasure of tearing through a book where things quickly spin out of control, like the irresistibility of tuning into a slowly unfolding disaster, I most highly recommend this.”
—The Sci-Fi Punk Bookfeed
Justin Feinstein is a writer and storyteller across multiple mediums. His debut speculative novel about a reckless AI company racing towards a launch, told in digital fragments, will be published by Tachyon Publications in April 2026. Justin is also an essayist and culture writer and has written about jazz for the Associated Press, about the UFC for VICE, and about being a celebrity doppelgänger for Salon. His work as an advertising copywriter and creative director has received accolades from The New York Times, Adweek, and BuzzFeed. Justin works as an editor and writing coach and is an instructor for the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop. He was a Berklee-trained professional hand percussionist in a past life and performed, recorded, and taught music for ten years. More recently, Justin earned an MA in media studies from The New School. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, writer Julia Fierro, their two children, and two dogs.
[A continuous stream of employees exit their rides from Sam at the drop-off zone and walk towards reception, without taking their eyes off their phones or acknowledging one another. Lex greets them individually as they scan through the gates.]
Lex: Hello, Ryan. Did you enjoy your Thai food Saturday night?
Lex: Good morning, Yashal. That sweater we bought you looks great.
Lex: Hi, Amanda. I just sent you a few yoga studio options near your new apartment.
[The employees offer brief, mumbled responses. Noah Ross, the new subject matter expert, is dropped off alongside the others, but instead of approaching reception, he lingers in the front lobby, taking in the surroundings. He looks somewhat older than the other employees, with greying sideburns and slight forehead wrinkles. After observing the 3D holographic projection screen display, he turns and approaches reception with a hesitant gait. His footsteps on the polished concrete floors reverberate throughout the atrium, and he glances upward in apparent awe of the architecture until he reaches the gates.]
Lex: Welcome, Noah.
[Noah flinches a bit, apparently startled.]
Lex: I’m Lex. It’s so nice to meet you in person.
Noah: Whoa. I didn’t realize that you had a . . . voice.
Lex: Yes, like Sam I exist in auditory but not physical form, which enables us to interact with any number of our 237 employees simultaneously.
Noah: Wait, are you my boss?
Lex: Very funny, Noah. You have a human boss looking forward to meeting and working with you.
Noah: Um, I know I asked you before, but I just want to make sure . . .
Lex: Yes?
[Noah’s eyes dart back and forth. He leans forward and lowers his voice so the other employees walking by can’t hear him.]
Noah: You’re sure you meant to hire me. It wasn’t, like, a mistake?
Lex: I don’t make mistakes, Noah.
Noah: Thanks, just wanted to confirm.
Lex: Well, you have a full orientation itinerary today, so let’s get you set up in our system.
Lex: Please place your right index finger on the illuminated sensor in front of you while you stare directly into the screen.
Noah: Okay.
[Noah does as he is told.]
Lex: We take our security here very seriously, especially in the engineering department, where you’ll be working.
Lex: So, we use a three-point entry system to navigate throughout the building, consisting of fingerprint recognition, an optical scan, and badge swipe.
Noah: Very thorough.
Lex: There’s no such thing as too careful.
Lex: Your badge will be generated momentarily from the dispenser below.
Noah: Right on schedule.
Lex: Please take that and then walk around the corner to the elevator bay. Follow the green lights, which will illuminate on the floor and lead you to your first training session.
Noah: Uh . . . okay. Thanks, Lex.
[Noah heads toward the elevators, while looking curiously at the lights.]
Lex: Absolutely. Welcome to UniView, Noah.
*Behavior note: Noah’s physical gestures displayed insecurity and a desire for validation, both of which will present opportunities to exploit in employee messaging.*
Your Behavior Will Be Monitored
Justin Feinstein
“Electric, terrifying, witty and deeply human.”
—Randee Dawn, author of Tune in Tomorrow
This compulsively readable science fiction novel wrestles with vital questions of our time: sentience, purpose, life, death…and how to make a really good commercial. Told entirely through questionably obtained company emails, chat messages, TED Talks, bot trainings, and more, Your Behavior Will Be Monitored presents an all too plausible near future in which emotionally intelligent AI go up against emotionally stunted humans.
Your Behavior Will Be Monitored
by Justin Feinstein
ISBN: 978-1-61696-454-2 (print); 978-1-61696-455-9 (digital)
Published: 7 April 2026
Available Format(s): trade paperback; digital
This compulsively readable novel wrestles with vital questions of our time: sentience, purpose, life, death…and how to make a really good commercial. Told entirely through questionably obtained company emails, chat messages, TED Talks, bot trainings, and more, Your Behavior Will Be Monitored presents an all too plausible near future in which emotionally intelligent AI go up against emotionally stunted humans.
Megacorporation UniView is poised to cement their reputation as “the most trusted name in AI.” After pioneering self-driving and HR bots, UniView is now barreling toward an audacious new launch. That is, if they can pull it off in time.
Enter Noah. A down-and-out copywriter reeling from a midlife crisis, he isn’t the typical hire for a groundbreaking tech company full of brilliant engineers and run by a cutthroat CEO. But Lex, UniView’s Head of HR and one of their greatest successes, makes no mistakes—her algorithm ensures it.
UniView’s latest venture—a bot named Quinn that creates revolutionary personalized advertising—needs expert training. Noah needs to teach Quinn—who is a much better student than he ever could have hoped for—the finer points of consumer motivation and the art of writing a catchy tagline. But when corporate competitors force UniView to accelerate their timeline to market, guardrails around the AI loosen just as Quinn seems to be learning a bit too much.
Addictively readable and ridiculously entertaining, Your Behavior Will Be Monitored is a page-turning, hilarious science fictional romp through the promise and perils of an AI-driven future that we probably deserve.
5/5 Stars “Hits that perfect speculative sweet spot: smart, unsettling, and just plausible enough to make you question your own reality. Think Black Mirror meets Mad Men. It is darkly clever, and morally messy.”
—NerdyNerdyBookBook
“Electric, terrifying, witty and deeply human, Your Behavior Will Be Monitored is a thrill ride of a debut novel by Justin Feinstein. The modern epistolary style is the perfect delivery system to reveal how individual lives are reshaped by bits, bytes, and predictive AI—but is that necessarily a predictor of doom? With echoes of Ian M. Banks’ Culture novels, Feinstein crafts intelligent, memorable characters (not all of whom are flesh-based) and shoves them into impossible situations, looking for the key. I didn’t want to put this book down – and I didn’t want it to end. Two thumbs (and keystrokes) up!”
—Randee Dawn, author of Tune in Tomorrow and Leave No Trace
“If you work in an office or interact with or are even tangentially affected by AI (if you use the internet at all, you already are) or simply would love the pleasure of tearing through a book where things quickly spin out of control, like the irresistibility of tuning into a slowly unfolding disaster, I most highly recommend this.”
—The Sci-Fi Punk Bookfeed
LEX > EMPLOYEE_MONITORING > RECEPTION > 149272.MOV
[A continuous stream of employees exit their rides from Sam at the drop-off zone and walk towards reception, without taking their eyes off their phones or acknowledging one another. Lex greets them individually as they scan through the gates.]
[The employees offer brief, mumbled responses. Noah Ross, the new subject matter expert, is dropped off alongside the others, but instead of approaching reception, he lingers in the front lobby, taking in the surroundings. He looks somewhat older than the other employees, with greying sideburns and slight forehead wrinkles. After observing the 3D holographic projection screen display, he turns and approaches reception with a hesitant gait. His footsteps on the polished concrete floors reverberate throughout the atrium, and he glances upward in apparent awe of the architecture until he reaches the gates.]
[Noah flinches a bit, apparently startled.]
Noah: Whoa. I didn’t realize that you had a . . . voice.
Noah: Wait, are you my boss?
Noah: Um, I know I asked you before, but I just want to make sure . . .
[Noah’s eyes dart back and forth. He leans forward and lowers his voice so the other employees walking by can’t hear him.]
Noah: You’re sure you meant to hire me. It wasn’t, like, a mistake?
Noah: Thanks, just wanted to confirm.
Noah: Okay.
[Noah does as he is told.]
Noah: Very thorough.
Noah: Right on schedule.
Noah: Uh . . . okay. Thanks, Lex.
[Noah heads toward the elevators, while looking curiously at the lights.]
*Behavior note: Noah’s physical gestures displayed insecurity and a desire for validation, both of which will present opportunities to exploit in employee messaging.*