Draft:Mara Turing

Mara Turing is a series of fiction novels written by journalist and writer Javi Padilla. The plot follows the adventures of the young hacker Mara Turing and her friends Noa Wachowski and Daniel Karamanou as they battle against the cracker Falko McKinnon, creator of the artificial intelligence Hermes.

Synopsis

The story of Mara Turing begins when she receives a message from her uncle, Arnold Turing, who mysteriously disappeared when she was five years old.

This is the starting point of Mara and her friends' adventure to find her uncle. They will have to become true hackers and fight against the dangerous Falko McKinnon, leader of the "Dirtee Loopers" and creator of the artificial intelligence Hermes.

With Rise of the Hackers a new world opens up for teenagers. It is a story that aims to introduce young people to the real universe of hackers and the dangers of not using technology correctly.

Universe

The adventures of Mara Turing unfold in the present-day world, where technology has advanced significantly, giving rise to highly developed artificial intelligences

Chronology

The Mara Turing novels published so far unfold sequentially. The first novel, Mara Turing. Rise of the Hackers, takes place during the protagonists' summer vacation in the year 2013.

The second book, Mara Turing. Evil Reborn, begins in September 2014, with the start of a new school year, and covers nearly a year of the young characters' lives, ending in late summer 2014.

In the third adventure, Mara Turing. Falko's Missing Files, the current action begins where it left off in the second novel, in late summer 2014. Although in the third novel, events that occurred in the 1980s and 1990s of the 20th century are also narrated.

Novels

1. Mara Turing: Rise of the Hackers

In this first novel of the series, Mara Turing receives a mysterious message as she is about to start her summer vacation in New York: "I need your help."

The enigmatic call comes from her uncle —a member of the dangerous hacker group "Dirtee Loopers"— who disappeared without a trace when she was just five years old, leaving a great void in the young girl that has marked her childhood.

The journey to find her uncle, Arnold Turing, will lead Mara and her friends to learn programming in a garage in Queens (New York), to see the world with critical eyes, and to confront the diabolical duo formed by Hermes, a highly advanced artificial intelligence, and Falko McKinnon, the most dangerous hacker in history, who is serving time in Hidden Mountain, a high-security prison.

2. Mara Turing: Evil Reborn

The first book ended with Mara finding a piece of paper in her pocket that restores her hope of embracing her uncle Arnold.

In this second book, the protagonists begin a new school year.

The Lizard Gang has a new mission for this term: to make life impossible for the nerds at Saint Michael Institute and to publish more mischief on their internet video channel. The artificial intelligence Hermes determines that the members of the feared student gang could be useful for hunting down Mara, Noa, and Daniel and using them as bait to reach Arnold Turing.

Meanwhile, Falko McKinnon, unable to bear another minute in the Hidden Mountain, begins to devise a crazy escape plan with very few chances of success.

3. Mara Turing: Falko's Missing Files

This third book in Mara Turing's adventures features Mara Turing's central antagonist: Falko McKinnon. As the story of the most feared hacker unfolds, Hermes has identified the hiding place of Mara, Noa, and Daniel, who will embark on the search for Arnold Turing, kidnapped by Falko.

In this adventure, the members of the Lizard Band, Tom, Nick, and Lucy, also participate, and they must choose between good and evil.

Protagonists

• Mara Turing: She is the main protagonist and the one who gives the series its title. She is orphaned twice, first when her father dies, and second when her uncle disappears. This shapes Mara's character and fuels her desire to find her uncle. She is a very curious and intelligent girl with a knack for technology.
• Noa Wachowski: Mara's best friend. She is an intelligent, cultured, organized girl who enjoys learning and is very loyal to her friends. She always acts based on logic and rationality.
• Daniel Karamanou: The other best friend of Mara, forming the solid group of protagonist friends along with Noa. He is a scatterbrained boy who doesn't show much interest in studies but loves to play and eat. He is dreamy and enjoys socializing with others. He is also impulsive and often acts without thinking, following his heart.
• Sandra Hopper: Mara Turing's mother. At the beginning of the series, she tries her best to keep her daughter away from technology and the internet, knowing the dangers of misuse. As she gains confidence in her daughter's abilities and qualities, she begins to relax in this regard.
• Lucas Turing: Mara Turing's father. He passed away two months before Mara Turing's birth, leaving a void in his daughter's life that will only be filled when she learns the whole truth.
• Alex Marley: Mara Turing and her friends' first programming teacher, initially portrayed as a sinister and secondary character. He gradually becomes a confidant of the young hackers and a character who gains significance in the story.
• Hermenegilda Wright: A teacher at Saint Michael's Institute. She is a staunch advocate for handwriting and all analog teaching methods. She is completely digitally illiterate, a fact that begins to change in the second novel.

Antagonists

• Falko McKinnon: He is the most dangerous hacker in history. He was the leader of the Dirtee Loopers. He became a criminal by hacking into an airplane system and causing the death of dozens of people. He is locked up in the Hidden Mountain, a high-security prison from which no one has escaped yet. He is the creator of a powerful artificial intelligence, Hermes. Mara Turing will become one of his main targets.
• Hermes: It is the artificial intelligence created by Falko McKinnon. It is so advanced that it soon begins to think for itself. It is ruthless, but longs to have human feelings. Its main mission is to get Falko out of the Hidden Mountain.

Mission

The Mara Turing saga is, as the author himself has stated, an adventure novel with educational undertones. Among its objectives is to "attract young people and teenagers to the fascinating world of programming, computer science, and hacking".

Other information

References to Popular Culture

In this series of novels, the author has also aimed to pay homage to the popular culture of the 80s and 90s through references to movies, books, and video games from those decades.

Likewise, as a music lover, Javi Padilla has wanted to leave a mark of his passion for music in the titles of the chapters that make up his books. He thus references international artists like Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.