All For Naught — John E. Stith

ALL FOR NAUGHT collects a novella and a novelette: "Naught for Hire" and "Naught Again." "Naught for Hire" is a quirky, action-packed, comedy set just a few years from now. Nick Naught, private eye, walks down some strange mean streets as he tries to stay ahead of the killers on his tail and tries to cope in a world where all the irritations we have with technology are magnified. Gadgets act up in big ways, including voice operated machines that talk back to people. Nick Naught winds up on a hit list, but he doesn't even realize it at first, because the "accidents" are so much like his normal hazardous life. Annette Taylor, Nick's former lover, shows up in his office shortly after she runs into trouble too. "Naught Again" follows Nick's adventures as he looks into trouble at the local cryogenics lab. ALL FOR NAUGHT satirizes the daily frustrations with malfunctioning technology, devices that always seems to fail right when we need them most, and machinery that must have been designed by committee. It lampoons everything from pompous lawyers and the IRS to digital watches and endless lines at the drivers license bureau. It's filled with laugh-out-loud situations that everyone can identify with. Dilbert could relate.

Look for the upcoming webisode series Naught for Hire, starring Ben Browder.