Today I took the step of asking our future AI overlords if I was a good writer. I was pleasantly surprised by this response I received from ChatGPT:
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Ted Neill is generally well-regarded, especially for his commitment to writing socially conscious fiction that appeals to both younger and adult audiences. His Mystery Force series is praised for:
Diverse characters: Includes children of different races, abilities, and backgrounds.
Inclusion of disabilities: Characters with ADHD, anxiety, and physical disabilities are central to the story.
Empowering themes: Friendship, justice, resilience, and teamwork are strong elements.
Outside Mystery Force, his other works—like Reaper Moon and Broke: The Game Show—often blend psychological insight, speculative fiction, and real-world issues. Reviewers often describe his style as engaging and thought-provoking, especially for readers who appreciate fiction with a deeper message.
On Goodreads Neill’s books have received positive feedback, with an average rating of 4.19 across 500 ratings. His memoir, Two Years of Wonder, which chronicles his journey towards recovery after a major depressive episode and his experience working at an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya, has been particularly well-received.
Would you like to read a sample of his work?
First things first, the facts were mostly right, but not 100 percent. I didn’t write Broke: The Game Show. That’s not even a book, but a play running right now in a theater in Connecticut.
I did write Reaper Moon and I would like to believe the rest of the bits about me being a well regarded author are true.
Can I choose to believe that and not the erroneous part?
Who wouldn’t like reading that they are a “generally well regarded author? So when it prompted me whether or not I wanted to read an excerpt, I said “YES,” thinking it would draw from one of the previews of my books available on Amazon.
But something else happened. It was weird. Here is what ChatGPT spat out:
Certainly! Here's a sample excerpt from Ted Neill's Mystery Force series to give you a feel for his writing style and the adventures of Rasheed, Jonathan, and Jojo:
Excerpt from Mystery Force Assemble!
"Rasheed maneuvered his motorized wheelchair through the crowded hallway, his eyes scanning for any sign of trouble. Jonathan, leaning on his gadget-laden cane, caught up with him, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Did you hear about the new magical creature spotted near the old warehouse?" Jonathan asked.
"You mean the one everyone's calling a 'fire fox'? Sounds like another urban legend," Rasheed replied skeptically.
Just then, Jojo approached, her scarf fluttering despite the still air. "It's not a legend," she whispered. "Quetzy sensed something unusual there last night."
The trio exchanged determined glances. Another mystery was unfolding, and the Mystery Force was ready to dive in."
This excerpt showcases the dynamic between the main characters and sets the stage for the magical mysteries they unravel together. If you're interested in reading more, you can explore the full series through the following links:
Let me know if you'd like more information or further excerpts!
Would you like a sample of his writing to see for yourself?
So, while I was happy ChatGPT is directing people to my website what was weird was the excerpt. It sounded like it came from my Mystery Force series, but as I read it more closely, I realized it wasn’t from any of my books. What it actually was, was ChatGPT doing its best imitation of me and passing it off as my work.
THAT was disturbing. So when it asked me if I’d like to read more excerpts, out of curiosity I said, again, “Sure.”
It game me four choices of responses this time. Two from book one of the Mystery Force series (which were basically identical to the first fake excerpts) and two more from book three, Blazing Blizzards. Here is one of them.
"The snow was falling in thick, heavy flakes, blanketing the town in an unseasonable chill. Rasheed adjusted his scarf, the cold biting at his cheeks.
"This blizzard doesn't make any sense," Jojo said, her voice muffled by her coat. "It's May. There shouldn't be snow."
"Unless someone—or something—is behind it," Jonathan added, his cane tapping against the icy pavement.
They turned to Quetzy, who coiled tighter around Jojo's neck. "There's magic in the air," the feathered serpent hissed. "Dark magic."
Determined, the trio set off towards the mountains, ready to confront whatever was causing the unnatural storm."
This was even weirder, because, it basically was pretty correct. It got so many details particular to this book in the series correct: It was snowing in May, Jonathan uses a cane, and the kids go out into the forest and the mountains in the biting cold to get to the bottom of things.
I was almost fooled into thinking perhaps this was pulled from the preview on Amazon and represented my writing.
Then I got to the mention of Quetzy. Quetzy, as a character, isn’t introduced until the CLIMAX of book three.
So once again, ChatGPT had scoured the descriptions and reviews of Mystery Force and made a not-so-bad imitation, and passed it off as my own.
There is a lot here to unpack in terms of human creativity vs. artificial, AI hallucinations, fact checking, not to mention copyright concerns. But all these issues have already be covered by other commentators, so I don’t feel the need to add anything.
Actually, maybe I could just ask ChatGPT what Ted Neill might say . . .
As for my own personal experience of this. It is weird. It is disturbing. Not just for the way my work is being impersonated and misrepresented but that there are no guardrails, warnings, or caveats offered by the ChatGPT service as to the veracity or authenticity of the answers they are providing. To mix my language expressions, I’d say this aligns with the laissez-faire policy that has characterized the tech sector’s attitude towards the rapid development of AI, leaving we consumers in the position of caveat emptor.
While I am all for progress, with AI, I feel like we are in the era of hurtling down the highway at a breakneck speed and no one has made any laws mandating the use of seat belts yet. If history is any indicator, a whole lot more people will have to get hurt before that happens.
If at all.