Where a Sci-fi Novelist Surfs for Story Ideas

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When Eliot Peper isn’t busy writing science fiction or leading narrative projects for tech companies, he’s usually surfing. For the head of story at Portola, where he helped create AI alien creatures Tolans, it’s like writing: Just as an author can feel paralyzed by a narrative’s vast possibilities, surfers have to consider variations in wind, tides, swell, and depth. For Peper, the thrill lies in finding the most graceful solution. The cleanest line.

In yesterday’s Thesis essay, Peper argued that LLMs don’t just help us produce better movies, marketing, or apps—they unlock whole new ways to tell stories. We asked him about the tools, books, and rituals that drive his work.