Review of Terms of Service
Posted: 20 Dec 2022, 14:09
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Craig W. Stanfill’s novel Terms Of Service: Subject To Change Without Notice (The AI Dystopia) tells the story of a future in which artificial intelligence (AI) is so advanced that it has taken control over many aspects of human society.
The protagonist, Kim, is a rising star employed by The Artificial Intelligence Company. Her job gives her a unique perspective of the AI-dominated society that North America has become. Naturally, there are different levels of AI influence depending on the location. Urban and suburban areas are almost totally controlled while rural areas are much less so. In spite of her career progress and generally comfortable existence, she feels that something is missing in her life but cannot identify what it is that is troubling her. Her visit to an old friend who lives in a region far from her turns into a journey of discovery that challenges everything that she is used to in her life. What could she do to get back control of her life in a system that is designed to take that away from her? Are the obstacles insurmountable or could she actually succeed in starting a chain of events that could lead to the reclamation of human civilisation?
The concept underpinning this novel was unsurprising to me as the fear of AI is a growing concern even in the early twenty-first century. When I started reading it, I was well introduced to the future world situation in a seamless fashion. Readers will not have any trouble understanding this future society as the author skilfully shows us what an AI-controlled world could be like.
One example is the use of what might be termed "intuitive future jargon". Stanfill’s careful choice of words makes it unnecessary for him to provide lengthy explanations of what everything is. A second example is the name of the days of the week. Monday is now “Oneday” and Tuesday “Twoday”. Words like these are used without any explanation as the author correctly assumes that a twenty-first-century reader will instantly recognise them for what they are. This pleasing feature is present throughout the book.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Terms Of Service. Readers who like reading futuristic scenarios of human societies will certainly find this novel entertaining and thought-provoking. I found it terrifyingly realistic as the scenarios presented are so plausible that I felt a little uneasy and uncomfortable. There is a saying among futurists that science fiction serves the useful function of warning us of what the world might be if we were to permit it! I cannot wait for more stories from Stanfill in this timeline. Even the subtitle of the book Subject To Change Without Notice is a grim reminder of what the AI dystopia could be like.
There was nothing that I disliked about this book. The book was professionally edited and I did not find any spelling or grammatical errors. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars for its good storyline, engaging writing, and terrifyingly beautiful world-building.
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Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Craig W. Stanfill’s novel Terms Of Service: Subject To Change Without Notice (The AI Dystopia) tells the story of a future in which artificial intelligence (AI) is so advanced that it has taken control over many aspects of human society.
The protagonist, Kim, is a rising star employed by The Artificial Intelligence Company. Her job gives her a unique perspective of the AI-dominated society that North America has become. Naturally, there are different levels of AI influence depending on the location. Urban and suburban areas are almost totally controlled while rural areas are much less so. In spite of her career progress and generally comfortable existence, she feels that something is missing in her life but cannot identify what it is that is troubling her. Her visit to an old friend who lives in a region far from her turns into a journey of discovery that challenges everything that she is used to in her life. What could she do to get back control of her life in a system that is designed to take that away from her? Are the obstacles insurmountable or could she actually succeed in starting a chain of events that could lead to the reclamation of human civilisation?
The concept underpinning this novel was unsurprising to me as the fear of AI is a growing concern even in the early twenty-first century. When I started reading it, I was well introduced to the future world situation in a seamless fashion. Readers will not have any trouble understanding this future society as the author skilfully shows us what an AI-controlled world could be like.
One example is the use of what might be termed "intuitive future jargon". Stanfill’s careful choice of words makes it unnecessary for him to provide lengthy explanations of what everything is. A second example is the name of the days of the week. Monday is now “Oneday” and Tuesday “Twoday”. Words like these are used without any explanation as the author correctly assumes that a twenty-first-century reader will instantly recognise them for what they are. This pleasing feature is present throughout the book.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Terms Of Service. Readers who like reading futuristic scenarios of human societies will certainly find this novel entertaining and thought-provoking. I found it terrifyingly realistic as the scenarios presented are so plausible that I felt a little uneasy and uncomfortable. There is a saying among futurists that science fiction serves the useful function of warning us of what the world might be if we were to permit it! I cannot wait for more stories from Stanfill in this timeline. Even the subtitle of the book Subject To Change Without Notice is a grim reminder of what the AI dystopia could be like.
There was nothing that I disliked about this book. The book was professionally edited and I did not find any spelling or grammatical errors. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars for its good storyline, engaging writing, and terrifyingly beautiful world-building.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes