Why AI Coding Needs Anti-Patterns
Something shifted in software over the last couple of years, and most teams felt it before they found the language for it.
Read excerpt →
Volume 1 · Start here
The Slop Codex · Book 1 of 3
Classes, Monsters, and Anti-Patterns in AI Coding
Start here. Volume I gives the failure modes of AI-assisted coding a name and a face: four developer classes, the archetypes around them, six monsters, spells, artifacts, and the interventions that hold the line against AI-generated slop.
- The four classes — Fighter, Wizard, Rogue, Cleric — and what AI amplifies in each
- Six monsters including the Scope Creep Kraken and the Congealing Slop
- Twelve archetypes you'll recognize from your own standups
- Review prompts and checklists you can use on your next AI-touched PR
Paperback • Kindle • EPUB + PDF bundle
Also available from the store: card decks and the EPUB + PDF bundle.
From the bestiary of Volume 1
Every volume adds its own cast to the field guide. Meet a few of them — the full entries live in the bestiary.
character
The Cleric
The process will save us.
character
The Fighter
Charge first, ask questions never.
character
The Rogue
Rules are for people who get caught.
character
The Wizard
When all you have is a prompt, everything looks like a spell.
archetype
Bulldozer of AI Confidence
Charge first, ask questions never
archetype
Daredevil of AI Disaster
Every model launch is a migration plan
Read a sample
Start with an excerpt before you pick a format.
Meet the Scope Creep Kraken
If you've spent any time around AI-assisted software work, you already know the moment when the Scope Creep Kraken first puts a tentacle on the boat.
Read excerpt →The Phantom Intern Is Already on Your Team
Code appears in your repository with no clear author, no review trail, and no institutional memory. It was generated, pasted, and committed. Now it's your problem.
Read excerpt →Elsewhere in the series
Each volume stands alone, and the vocabulary compounds across the series.