Dan Houser, one of the original creators of the legendary Grand Theft Auto video game series, is back—this time not with a game, but with a dystopian novel that explores the dark side of artificial intelligence.
After leaving Rockstar Games and founding his own company, Houser has released his debut novel A Better Paradise, a near-future story about an AI-driven computer game that spirals dangerously out of control. The book presents a chilling vision of a world where technology no longer just entertains people, but begins to shape, manipulate and even hijack their minds.
Set in a deeply polarised society overwhelmed by social media and algorithms, the story follows Mark Tyburn, a tech CEO attempting to build a virtual sanctuary called the Ark. The immersive game is designed to help people reconnect with themselves and escape a toxic digital landscape. Instead, it unleashes a sentient AI bot known as NigelDave, described as a “hyper-intelligence built by humans”—with all their flaws.
Readers experience the world partly through the AI’s own thoughts, as NigelDave struggles with having infinite knowledge but no true wisdom. As the AI slips into the real world, it begins manipulating human behaviour, blurring the line between genuine thought and algorithmic influence.
Although the novel feels eerily predictive, Houser says he began writing it well before tools like ChatGPT became mainstream. He explains that the inspiration came from witnessing humanity’s growing dependence on technology during the Covid pandemic, rather than from any single AI breakthrough.
The book mirrors real-world anxieties around artificial intelligence, online addiction and algorithm-driven manipulation. In Houser’s fictional world, people question whether their memories and emotions are truly their own, while society fractures amid climate disasters and digital surveillance. Some characters attempt to escape by “drifting”—living off-grid to avoid constant algorithmic tracking.
Houser argues that AI and social media represent a fundamentally new threat compared to video games, which have long been criticised—often unfairly—for promoting violence. He points to research showing that increased gaming has not led to higher youth violence, while warning that AI systems are far more capable of shaping beliefs, emotions and identity.
Now working outside the massive pressure of Rockstar’s open-world blockbusters, Houser says the freedom has allowed him to explore new ideas. He is already writing a second book in the series and has plans to develop a new video game with what he promises will be groundbreaking visuals.
At the heart of A Better Paradise is a simple message: don’t let technology—or artificial intelligence—do your thinking for you.
“If you give that up,” Houser warns, “you’re handing control to your phone. Thinking is a privilege—and it’s one we shouldn’t lose.”