Sometimes, you get an absolutely perfect gift. My brother has always been especially adept at giving me gifts that are thoughtful and special.

One year it was a set of books about the works of one of my favorite modern artists, painter Norman Rockwell. Another year it was a chess set where the pieces were made of lava rock from Mexico (where he honeymooned) because I enjoy playing the game.

This year it was a book…about ME! Or, more accurately, about Cindy, Bella and I and what happens when our RV suddenly becomes a spaceship and the adventures we have across the galaxy. The book is titled, “Jeff Escapes Gravity – Interstellar RV Odyssey” with me on the cover in a spacesuit standing in front of a spaceship view screen and control panel against the blue/black star field of outer space.

I know that when I unwrapped it that my eyes MUST have been round with surprise. Then, as I read the first paragraph aloud to Cindy and began laughing uncontrollably, they filled with tears from laughing so hard. That hardly ever happens to me, but I was literally laughing so hard I was crying.

“The stars outside the RV window were moving like startled fish. Jeff sat very still. His coffee cup hovered three inches above the table. Bella barked once and then barked again in slow motion. Cindy slept through a passing comet and snored like a small engine. The steering wheel hummed with a song that sounded suspiciously like a lounge singer. Jeff s hands trembled in a way that made the manual slide open. The manual landed on his lap as if it had bodyguards. The RV smelled faintly of burnt toast and distant rain. A road sign floated by the window, offering directions to Orion. The sight made Jeff laugh in a short, shocked burst. He felt like a tourist who took a wrong exit into space. Bella nosed a drifting kibble and performed an elegant midair pirouette. Cindy shifted, still dreaming, and her hair made an orbit. The ceiling light drifted toward the microwave and then stopped.”

What my brother and saintly sister-in-law had gifted me with was a book that was created (I hesitate to say “written”) by Authortales.com about what happens when our RV becomes a spaceship.

What Is Authortales.com?

Authortales.com is a platform that allows users to create personalized storybooks quickly. It utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform user-generated stories into hilarious custom fiction books. The service includes professional covers and engaging content, making it suitable for various audiences. No NSFW passages in here.

Someone, (like my brother and saintly sister-in-law), gives Authortales.com a few key characters (like me, Cindy and Bella), a couple of important settings (like our RV and outer space) and then Authortales.com uses AI to create a personalized story, custom cover art (using a headshot that’s also provided by the givers), and incredible moments with the main characters…all in one amazing hardback book of approximately 200 pages. Then they print the book and ship it to the givers or the giftee.

There’s even a summary and fake review(s) on the back cover, just like any book you would find in a bookstore.

Now, to be sure, the writing is obviously AI and probably primitive AI at that. The writing is (and I’m saying this charitably) BAD, lol! As you could clearly see from that first paragraph above. But none of that matters because the story is about you and possibly your loved ones and you cannot help but read the entire 200 pages, painfully bad writing and all, to see what happens.

My brother and saintly sister-in-law even included a dedication page at the front of the book.

To be honest, I’m not sure how my brother and his wife will ever top this year’s gift in the future. They may well have hit the pinnacle with this one.

Thanks, as always, to the Bestest Brother and his Bestest Wife for such a wonderful and unique gift.