---
title: "Neon Tan"
author: "Michael Ferrara"
cover_image: "https://downloads.michaelferrara.org/neon-tan/neon_tan_cover.jpg"
description: "An AI's trademark silver-blue suit isn't exactly beach-town vibes, but he's determined to land his song a spot on the weekly top 40 countdown anyway. After a string of failed attempts to get noticed by the countdown's enigmatic curator DJ, he and his wisecracking seagull sidekick stumble into an open mic night just as a malware glitch hits, forcing him to trade analysis for improvisation, rallying tourists into one spontaneous singalong to discover connection was never something you could calculate."

# Optional italic line under the title, for handling an objection up front.
hero_subhead: "A free short story, plus occasional emails when something new comes out."

# Label on the signup form's submit button.
cta_text: "Send me the story"

# Code of the bookshop ARC campaign this form redeems (see
# reground-tools/arc-campaign.sh) — shop.michaelferrara.org/arc/<arc_code>.
arc_code: "neon-tan"
---
The world is stranger than it looks and more meaningful than it lets on.

You know this.

Sign up to my mailing list and I'll send you a story about an AI, a wisecracking seagull, and a song that needs to be heard.