Review of Terms of Service
Posted: 04 Apr 2023, 13:14
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Have you ever asked yourself the question, "What would happen if being a huge fan of baseball were a crime?" If you have, then Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill might just be the book for you.
Kim is an average human being in a futuristic society where language, gender, and community have all evolved. Everything is controlled by artificial intelligence; from the food she eats to the clothes she wears. Her every emotion, thought, and experience is recorded, and her quality of life is determined by the number of social points she accrues. This is everyday life in her society, but Kim senses that something is inherently wrong. Then one fateful day spent with her childhood best friend sets her on the path to questioning everything she thought she knew.
This is easily one of the best science-fiction books I have read in a long time. Terms of Service has excellent worldbuilding and covers every single detail you could imagine. I like to think of it as a modern retelling of 1984. I was particularly fond of the themes covered in the book. The concepts of surveillance, control, and personal autonomy were thought-provoking and sometimes downright scary. It doesn’t take a great leap of imagination to see our own societies heading towards this in the future. Furthermore, I thought the complex political dynamics added a whole new layer of intrigue to the story.
There is nothing I could criticize about this book. Stanfill does an excellent job of portraying an insane society and making the reader feel as if it is normal. The book was edited extremely well, so I have no complaints there either. I rate this book five out of five stars, as it truly made me think about life and society. I will definitely be reading the sequel, The Prophecy of the Heron.
The book does contain extensive alcohol and drug abuse. Additionally, it handles themes of religious persecution, suicide, fluid sexuality, and has several scenes with brief descriptions of sexual intercourse. Most of these are intrinsic to the storyline of the book and can be seen throughout.
If you’re a science-fiction lover, or you’re simply looking for a good read, then pick up a copy of this book. I promise you won’t regret it!
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Have you ever asked yourself the question, "What would happen if being a huge fan of baseball were a crime?" If you have, then Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill might just be the book for you.
Kim is an average human being in a futuristic society where language, gender, and community have all evolved. Everything is controlled by artificial intelligence; from the food she eats to the clothes she wears. Her every emotion, thought, and experience is recorded, and her quality of life is determined by the number of social points she accrues. This is everyday life in her society, but Kim senses that something is inherently wrong. Then one fateful day spent with her childhood best friend sets her on the path to questioning everything she thought she knew.
This is easily one of the best science-fiction books I have read in a long time. Terms of Service has excellent worldbuilding and covers every single detail you could imagine. I like to think of it as a modern retelling of 1984. I was particularly fond of the themes covered in the book. The concepts of surveillance, control, and personal autonomy were thought-provoking and sometimes downright scary. It doesn’t take a great leap of imagination to see our own societies heading towards this in the future. Furthermore, I thought the complex political dynamics added a whole new layer of intrigue to the story.
There is nothing I could criticize about this book. Stanfill does an excellent job of portraying an insane society and making the reader feel as if it is normal. The book was edited extremely well, so I have no complaints there either. I rate this book five out of five stars, as it truly made me think about life and society. I will definitely be reading the sequel, The Prophecy of the Heron.
The book does contain extensive alcohol and drug abuse. Additionally, it handles themes of religious persecution, suicide, fluid sexuality, and has several scenes with brief descriptions of sexual intercourse. Most of these are intrinsic to the storyline of the book and can be seen throughout.
If you’re a science-fiction lover, or you’re simply looking for a good read, then pick up a copy of this book. I promise you won’t regret it!
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes