Horror writer explores AI brain control in upcoming dystopian novel

Horror writer Paul Tremblay has announced his upcoming novel “Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep,” set for release June 30, 2026, which explores the dystopian concept of AI-controlled brain implants used to remotely control a person in a vegetative state. The tech-focused horror story arrives as real-world discussions about brain-computer interfaces and AI consciousness intensify, offering a dark fictional exploration of where such technologies might lead.

The plot: The novel follows Julia Flang, a former semi-professional gamer who takes a mysterious temp job from her estranged mother’s tech company to “chaperone” a man in a vegetative state across the country.

• Julia must use a smartphone controller to remotely operate the man’s body, whom she nicknames “Bernie,” while staying within 30 feet to maintain wireless connection.
• The man experiences nightmarish hallucinations and memory fragments while being controlled, with no recollection of his identity except for a mysterious rabbit tattoo.
• The story unfolds as both characters become unlikely allies and fugitives, with Julia navigating Bernie through airports and public spaces.

The technology: Tremblay’s fictional AI system uses brain implants to enable remote control of large muscle groups in a person who is essentially brain-dead.

• As one character explains: “The implanted tech will enable and facilitate electric communication between the man’s remaining healthy brain cells.”
• The controller interface is designed to be “no more complex than a video game controller or a smart phone app.”
• The technology serves as both a transport method and a proof-of-concept for investors eager to be “first with this technology.”

What they’re saying: The novel draws clear parallels to the 1989 comedy “Weekend at Bernie’s,” but with a horror twist involving actual technological manipulation.

• “You want me to remote control this dead dude across the country,” Julia says in the excerpt.
• A company representative describes it as using “jumpers to start your car” but acknowledges “the metaphor falls apart at the end.”

Why this matters: Tremblay’s latest work arrives as companies like Neuralink and other brain-computer interface developers make real progress in connecting human brains to digital systems, making his fictional scenario feel uncomfortably plausible rather than purely fantastical.