How I Wrote & Produced a Football Sci-Fi Audibook

Frank Gullo is a UB Alum, the Chief Technology Officer for Aleron, and the author of several nonfiction articles and short stories. His writing has been featured in Business Insider, Computerworld, The Good Men Project, Information Outlook, Reworked, and elsewhere. Frank is also an accomplished speaker, having presented at business and technology conferences around the United States. He lives in Buffalo, New York.

What is your educational background (both academic and activities) and how did it influence your career path in both technology and writing fiction?

Growing up in the late 70s and early 80s, there was so much fun science fiction to read and watch. I devoured the science fiction stories and novels of Asimov, Heinlein, and Clarke and many others, and watched Star Wars, Blade Runner, The Terminator, Alien and just about any movie that advertised itself as science fiction. Similarly, my interest with technology started with early arcade games, and then an Atari home gaming system before moving on to my own PC. When I attended UB as an undergraduate in the early 1990s, I was still just as focused on science fiction and writing, and eventually majored in English.

So what is Only Human about and how did you come up with the idea?

Only Human is a book about the sport of football and one of the last human quarterbacks in a future football league dominated by robots. For the new audio version, I hired a voice artist to narrate the story and he did a really good job bringing the futuristic sports story to life.

I began writing as a teen but it wasn’t until the early days of the Internet and web when I really focused on stories and writing fiction. A few of my friends and I even got together and conceived of this shared science fiction universe in which we would all write stories and collaborate with one another. A very early portion of Only Human was conceived during these years but the original idea for the story dates back even further, from my days at Putt-Putt Golf & Games when my friends and I would play Cyberball  at the local arcade. Cyberball was a 7-player football game with robot players of different speeds, sizes, and skills. The corner blitzes were tough!

What do you do in your current role as a Chief Technology Officer at Aleron?

I’m really fortunate in my role at Aleron that I get to work in so many areas of technology. Since we provide a full range of workplace solutions, my focus includes enterprise software, data and analytics, ERP (SAP), HR tech, infrastructure, and security. But it’s really leading and working with the IT teams there. We have so many smart and talented technology professionals.

You seem to have at least 2 distinct careers, one in Tech, the other in creative writing. How are the 2 related?

I’ve always felt that technology and writing are the defining instruments and tools of the modern age. Both have allowed me to build, create, express, and communicate. Both require time to learn and master. With malicious intent, both can be used for harm as well as good. And both fields are overlapping as AI looks to disrupt the entire experience of writing with AI-driven tech.

What are the biggest challenges that you typically face in your career?

When you work in tech, there’s always a new release, a popular app, and a new security threat to watch. The challenge is that it’s a never ending challenge, and to accept and embrace the circle of tech.

What advice do you have for anyone that would want to pursue a career in technology or creative writing?

Follow your interest and seek out others who write or work in tech that interests you. Volunteer to get experience. Join university and alumni groups. Be mindful that AI will automate or eliminate some jobs while creating entirely new careers. As best you can try to “skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been”.

If a UB student wanted to talk with you, what is the best way to reach you?

I am on Connect-a-Bull, UB’s new alumni-student networking platform and on LinkedIn.

“If you’re interested in meeting Frank in person, he will be joining Reconnecter and the band Grosh for the next Buffalodown event on September 26 at The Cave in Buffalo, NY. Led by musical guest Grosh and inspired by my audiobook Only Human, Buffalodown: Only Human will include social connection, conversations, and a Grosh-show like no other, featuring originals, special guests, and select covers. Subscribe to Frank’s free newsletter at https://frankgullo.substack.com/ and and the Reconnecter Roundup for the latest updates about the event.”

NOTE: if you are a UB student or alumnus who would like to connect with others to give or get career insights you can join Connect-a-Bull. Interested in sharing your career story with UB students by answering questions like Frank?  Email Ed Brodka, UB Career Design Consultant, at brodka@buffalo.edu.

By Ed Brodka
Ed Brodka Career Design Consultant