Review of Terms of Service
Posted: 23 Jan 2023, 15:51
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Kim has learned to follow the rules, keep her head down, and draw no attention to herself over the years of working at the AI Company. She hopes to increase her social cohesion rating and be able to finally work with AIs of higher Orders, just like she has always wanted. Her perfect plan and world come crashing down after her long-time adventurous best friend comes back to town. Her life takes a dramatic turn, and she finds herself struggling to reclaim her identity and freedom.
Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill is an interesting work of science fiction set in a dystopian world imagined to exist sometime in the future. A world radically different from anything humanity has ever known. A world lorded over by The Hierarchy, Companies and Corporations. Each has their own terms of service, which must not be violated. Individuality, uniqueness, and gender are considered selfist notions that must be utterly erased. It is a world where order, control, suppression, and docility thrive.
There are several positive aspects to this book. Craig was able to successfully create a fantastic fictional world. He perfectly creates a world from scratch with its own culture, values, language, and government. He addresses the issues of governance, legitimacy, fairness, equality, free will, social justice, and freedom. Obedience is prioritized over morality. Absolute control over everything, including a person’s romantic life, is considered effective. Human nature, their needs, and their wants are not taken into perspective while trying to build this seemingly perfect world. The book provokes thoughts about these social concepts and tactics in a reader’s mind. Does equality in society truly exist? What is the best form of government for a society? The concept of equality seems unattainable. The Companies preach unity, community, and equality as the basis of their society. Yet, people are treated differently based on their social cohesion rating. The biggest lesson for me was that a perfect society can never truly exist.
The author also broached one of the most recurring themes in sci-fi: machine versus man. Can machines ever be a substitute for man? Are AIs superior? There is no clear-cut victor in this war of AIs and humans. The author showcases the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. He deviated from the usual when he portrayed AIs as having human names, understanding human emotions, and having the right to use the pronoun "I." The book was exceptionally well edited, as I could find zero errors. The author also endeavored to use simple yet professional diction. Most especially in writing about The Awakening. I am looking forward to reading the sequel and continuing to follow Kim’s story.
I could not discover any negative aspects of this book. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars because it was well written and very intriguing. I recommend this book to fans of science fiction and books about machines, particularly AIs.
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Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Kim has learned to follow the rules, keep her head down, and draw no attention to herself over the years of working at the AI Company. She hopes to increase her social cohesion rating and be able to finally work with AIs of higher Orders, just like she has always wanted. Her perfect plan and world come crashing down after her long-time adventurous best friend comes back to town. Her life takes a dramatic turn, and she finds herself struggling to reclaim her identity and freedom.
Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill is an interesting work of science fiction set in a dystopian world imagined to exist sometime in the future. A world radically different from anything humanity has ever known. A world lorded over by The Hierarchy, Companies and Corporations. Each has their own terms of service, which must not be violated. Individuality, uniqueness, and gender are considered selfist notions that must be utterly erased. It is a world where order, control, suppression, and docility thrive.
There are several positive aspects to this book. Craig was able to successfully create a fantastic fictional world. He perfectly creates a world from scratch with its own culture, values, language, and government. He addresses the issues of governance, legitimacy, fairness, equality, free will, social justice, and freedom. Obedience is prioritized over morality. Absolute control over everything, including a person’s romantic life, is considered effective. Human nature, their needs, and their wants are not taken into perspective while trying to build this seemingly perfect world. The book provokes thoughts about these social concepts and tactics in a reader’s mind. Does equality in society truly exist? What is the best form of government for a society? The concept of equality seems unattainable. The Companies preach unity, community, and equality as the basis of their society. Yet, people are treated differently based on their social cohesion rating. The biggest lesson for me was that a perfect society can never truly exist.
The author also broached one of the most recurring themes in sci-fi: machine versus man. Can machines ever be a substitute for man? Are AIs superior? There is no clear-cut victor in this war of AIs and humans. The author showcases the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. He deviated from the usual when he portrayed AIs as having human names, understanding human emotions, and having the right to use the pronoun "I." The book was exceptionally well edited, as I could find zero errors. The author also endeavored to use simple yet professional diction. Most especially in writing about The Awakening. I am looking forward to reading the sequel and continuing to follow Kim’s story.
I could not discover any negative aspects of this book. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars because it was well written and very intriguing. I recommend this book to fans of science fiction and books about machines, particularly AIs.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes