Review of Terms of Service

[Draggnow]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Kim has always had to follow the rules and abide by the terms of service of the UCE and its partner agencies. Failure to comply is met with harsh punishments, varying in duration but with the express purpose of discouraging disobedience. Kim feels deep down in her heart that the system may not be perfect but she cannot explain why. Then there are the recurring nightmares she is plagued with frequently. If only she can understand what it all means. A seemingly innocent bicycle ride through forbidden territory is about to set Kim on a path of no return. She will be forced to make choices, and decide if free will is really worth fighting for.

Terms Of Service strikes me as a science fiction novel with a mix of The Matrix and George Orwell's 1984. Kim's constant questioning of herself and the decision patterns she makes sets the tone for what will eventually become a sub-plot in the book. The process by which Kim educates Kimberly and the responses she gives to Kimberly's questions will make you wonder if there is actually such a thing as free-will. It is quite an intriguing piece of work.

I like that Craig W. Stanfill is nice enough to give readers a background to the AI concept within the book. This goes some way in assisting a reader understand how the machines interact with the humans as well as the sometimes puzzling aspect of the individual characters referring to themselves as "we" instead of using the singular term as one would expect. Without this initial clarification I would neither have appreciated nor understood the complex storyline. Kim's habit of contemplating the cause and affects of the different events that happen to her made it easy for me to identify with her moral dilemma, especially when she clashed with the Director.

There were extensive sections of the story where the author spent what I would consider as too much effort going into technical details. This may help those readers who are of a more technical leaning but would only end up confusing people who are reading for pleasure, such as myself. Because of this, there were times I felt I was reading through the information manual on a new product instead of a novel. I did not like this at all. Another aspect of the book I did not like was the lack of information regarding the AI wars. It would have created a better understanding of the overall storyline.

Science fiction genre readers will not be disappointed with the storyline of the book. With robots that dictate every single aspect of your daily affairs, the creation of artificial intelligence life-forms and societal laws which defy logic, these are guaranteed to keep them interested in the book.

If you are looking for some recreational science fiction reading, Terms Of Service fits the bill, The story is intriguing and the principal character's actions are thought-provoking. The editing is professional and practically devoid of errors but the author's extensive use of technical language took some of the fun out of reading the book. Despite this, I still rate this book a well deserved 4 out of 4 stars. I hear there is a sequel in the works. Based on what I have read in this book I am certain that should be worth looking forward to.

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Terms of Service
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[readingswithsoso]

Another aspect of the book I did not like was the lack of information regarding the AI wars. It would have created a better understanding of the overall storyline.

I felt exactly the same. They do say more toward the end that the humans didn't know it either. But at least knowing this earlier would have helped.

[Amy Luman]

I agree about the technical details and about the preceding wars. Maybe a prequel could answer some of the questions. I still like AI very much and it’s sad for me to realize this technology can be used in such a way.