Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
A script supervisor for an AI media conglomerate is caught between her intense need for an orderly life and her deeper, darker queer desires. From the creator of the Outside trilogy, a heartfelt interplanetary epic of identity, longing, and a space pirate who smuggles inappropriate stories. Kelli Reynolds loves creating stories more than anything in the world. But on Callisto, a generative AI company called Inspiration owns everything, including all the media, and only Inspiration determines which stories can be told. Kelli has a rare and coveted job where her autism is to her advantage: She precisely edits AI output into "appropriate" stories for Inspiration's massive TV audience. Her proudest creation is the pirate Orlando--a dashing do-gooder based on stories she used to tell friends. Reenter Kelli's ex-boyfriend Rowan, the person Kelli based Orlando on. Back when they were teenagers, their relationship was a secret. Kelli had thought that Rowan, a trans man, was her schoolmate Am, a girl. Rowan is tangled up in the black market after he needed to get money for gender reassignment surgery. He needs Kelli's help with something . . . illegal. So, now Kelli has to decide: Will she risk the safe, tidy story of her life now for the world she once wished for? What would Orlando do? Passionate, dangerous, and tender, Ignore All Previous Instructions is a sweeping, poignant novel about censorship, forbidden love, and growing up.
Tags
Ignore All Previous Instructions: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
This adult sci-fi novel contains queer relationships, moderate sexual content, exploration of gender identity including gender reassignment surgery, illegal activities including black market dealings, and themes of censorship and corporate control.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, moderate sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include censorship, forbidden relationship, and gender dysphoria (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Adult readers will appreciate the nuanced exploration of queer identity, neurodivergence, and choosing between safety and authenticity in a corporate-controlled future.