4 ms·

I want to hate on ChatGPT-written books... But then there's this. My Prompt (I have endless random ideas like this as I walk the dogs and listen to audio books

by jmull 4y ago

I want to hate on ChatGPT-written books... But then there's this. My Prompt (I have endless random ideas like this as I walk the dogs and listen to audio books): Suggest the plot for a military science fiction book. The galaxy is divided into factions based on their fundamental properties: organic vs. artificial, living vs. dead, good vs. evil, plant vs. animal vs. mineral. ChatGPT: Title: "Galactic Rift: The War Between Factions" In a faraway galaxy, a vast and complex network of planets is divided into factions based on their fundamental properties. The organic and living species have formed an alliance, while the artificial and dead ones have joined forces to control the galaxy. The plant, animal, and mineral factions are split amongst the two alliances, leading to a tense political climate. Amidst this divide, a brilliant military strategist, General Alara, commands a flagship of the organic alliance, the Stellar Phoenix. She is tasked with leading her crew through dangerous space battles against the ruthless and technologically advanced artificial faction. The stakes are high, as the victor will control the galaxy and its resources. As General Alara and her team engage in war, they encounter unexpected allies and enemies. They discover that not everything is as it seems, and that the factions are more complex than their fundamental properties suggest. The lines between good and evil are blurred, and each side is driven by their own motivations. As the war intensifies, General Alara must make difficult decisions that challenge her beliefs and loyalties. She is forced to confront the dark side of her alliance and question whether the organic faction truly represents the good side of the war. Her personal journey is intertwined with the fate of the galaxy, as the war reaches its climactic conclusion. In "Galactic Rift: The War Between Factions," the reader is taken on a journey through a galaxy filled with political intrigue, space battles, and philosophical questions. The plot explores themes of identity, morality, and the consequences of war. The novel offers a unique take on military science fiction, breaking free from the traditional tropes and challenging the reader's assumptions about good and evil. Not bad. I'd read that book.

SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
I'm not sure that "writing" is just taking an idea that you were handed and it making it wordier. Let's see how well the AI actually explores those themes.
- jmull 4y ago
  I asked it to write the first chapter... It came back with 550 words, all perfectly OK and pretty much cogent, but it would suck as a chapter of an actual book. Generally, it had at least two fatal flaws: (1) it was all cliche. I don't really mind cliche stuff for my walking-the-dogs audiobooks, but it can't be all cliche. There needs to be something in there. (2) it didn't delve into any details. E.g. there was an important planet, unexpectedly under attack, and a space battle for it. But nothing about why it was important and the space battle was over in a sentence or so. I prompted for more detail on these and got some, but again, it was purely cliche and contained no interesting details. Also, there was literally nothing following from the dynamic the premise suggests. With a bunch of prompting I think I could get it to write the book, but I think it would be purely cliche and bland, except possibly where I did some heavy lifting.
  - SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
    >(1) it was all cliche. Ha, well, considering how it works, I would be interested if it wasn't. I think things like "Write me a song about a dumper baby's birthday in the styles of Shakespeare and Tupac" work well not because they are terribly deep into any aspect, but two cliche takes wrapped up into something mediumly unique instantly.
mattferderer 4y ago
I've had fun doing bedtime stories by having ChatGPT create a book about a subject & a character names we agree upon. It's a great way to get into reading. In a way, it's similar to choose your own adventure style books. We haven't brought SD into it yet but that would be a fun addition to create images that go with the book. I've also used ChatGPT to poke fun of family members in a Dr Seuss style short story. Great laugh for the whole family as the short stories have been really good. And people love hearing their names in stories. I think this gives more people tools to easily create books. Hopefully it improves literature. Much of the books I've read that have been produced in the past few decades have a lot of fluff. Same with video series on Netflix, etc... Plenty of stories created that don't add to character development or the story. Plenty of pages written that don't add to a non-fiction book's value but are meant to add pages to meet a publisher's criteria & come off worse than a college kid increasing font & line spacing. It'll be interesting to see how these stories compete & which stories get the most recommendations & "authentic likes".
- mariushn 4y ago
  Could you please share a prompt which resulted in a good Dr Seuss style story? Including the (changed) character names. Thanks!
WXLCKNO 4y ago
I spent a solid hour with chat GPT writing a story about a guy who meets a talking cat that leads him to a magical word within our world (sort of like the wizarding world being hidden in plain sight in Harry Potter) and it was tons of fun. It felt like the best "story where you are the hero" ever.
ssnistfajen 4y ago
A book is more than 5 short paragraphs of synopsis, especially good books that are worth re-reading. Ideas are cheap and sketching a framework is the easiest part in building something. Fleshing out the details is a task that currently available LLMs aren't yet capable of doing. Dune can be summarized in similar lengths too, but that's not what made the series a popular sci-fi universe.

by jmull 4y ago

SV_BubbleTime 4y ago

I'm not sure that "writing" is just taking an idea that you were handed and it making it wordier. Let's see how well the AI actually explores those themes.

jmull 4y ago
I asked it to write the first chapter... It came back with 550 words, all perfectly OK and pretty much cogent, but it would suck as a chapter of an actual book. Generally, it had at least two fatal flaws: (1) it was all cliche. I don't really mind cliche stuff for my walking-the-dogs audiobooks, but it can't be all cliche. There needs to be something in there. (2) it didn't delve into any details. E.g. there was an important planet, unexpectedly under attack, and a space battle for it. But nothing about why it was important and the space battle was over in a sentence or so. I prompted for more detail on these and got some, but again, it was purely cliche and contained no interesting details. Also, there was literally nothing following from the dynamic the premise suggests. With a bunch of prompting I think I could get it to write the book, but I think it would be purely cliche and bland, except possibly where I did some heavy lifting.
- SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
  >(1) it was all cliche. Ha, well, considering how it works, I would be interested if it wasn't. I think things like "Write me a song about a dumper baby's birthday in the styles of Shakespeare and Tupac" work well not because they are terribly deep into any aspect, but two cliche takes wrapped up into something mediumly unique instantly.

mattferderer 4y ago

I've had fun doing bedtime stories by having ChatGPT create a book about a subject & a character names we agree upon. It's a great way to get into reading. In a way, it's similar to choose your own adventure style books. We haven't brought SD into it yet but that would be a fun addition to create images that go with the book. I've also used ChatGPT to poke fun of family members in a Dr Seuss style short story. Great laugh for the whole family as the short stories have been really good. And people love hearing their names in stories. I think this gives more people tools to easily create books. Hopefully it improves literature. Much of the books I've read that have been produced in the past few decades have a lot of fluff. Same with video series on Netflix, etc... Plenty of stories created that don't add to character development or the story. Plenty of pages written that don't add to a non-fiction book's value but are meant to add pages to meet a publisher's criteria & come off worse than a college kid increasing font & line spacing. It'll be interesting to see how these stories compete & which stories get the most recommendations & "authentic likes".

mariushn 4y ago
Could you please share a prompt which resulted in a good Dr Seuss style story? Including the (changed) character names. Thanks!

WXLCKNO 4y ago

I spent a solid hour with chat GPT writing a story about a guy who meets a talking cat that leads him to a magical word within our world (sort of like the wizarding world being hidden in plain sight in Harry Potter) and it was tons of fun. It felt like the best "story where you are the hero" ever.

ssnistfajen 4y ago

A book is more than 5 short paragraphs of synopsis, especially good books that are worth re-reading. Ideas are cheap and sketching a framework is the easiest part in building something. Fleshing out the details is a task that currently available LLMs aren't yet capable of doing. Dune can be summarized in similar lengths too, but that's not what made the series a popular sci-fi universe.