Review of Terms of Service
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Jackie Kook
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Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Kim, an intuitive trainer of automatons in a world orchestrated by AI, feels lonely and disenchanted with her existence, yearning for something more without understanding what or why. After the sudden return of a childhood friend, Shan, Kim's life takes an unexpected turn that sets in motion a chain of events leading to Kim's ultimate purpose as identified by the powerful forces at work in this dystopian world. Every decision Kim makes pushes her further and further into conflict with the mysterious Directors and Hierarchy until an unscripted sexual liaison forces a confrontation that will change her life forever.
In Terms of Service, Craig W. Stanfill has presented a masterful work of Orwellian foreboding about the potential future of humanity. Although many aspects of the novel's plot will feel familiar to readers of dystopian science fiction, evoking not only 1984 but also Brave New World and even film's The Fifth Element, there is enough originality to make this an engaging read. I appreciated that there were avenues left unexplored and a clear set up for a potential series, with a core set of characters whose individual story lines could also be further expounded on. In particular, the impending birth of Keli and Jo's second child as well as Shan's next steps would be excellent fodder for a next installation.
Despite being well-written, fast-paced, and easy to follow, there were some aspects of the book that seemed forced, where a character acted out of place with their initial character arc. Additionally, Stanfill stated that the beginning of the book could feel a little slow, with a great deal of exposition required to set up the plot line, and in some cases it was repetitive. However, I believe that served to really set off the later activities and highlight the differences between various levels of social status that became important at many points throughout the book. It could also be difficult to follow the conventions used to distinguish Panglobal and English languages as well as the pronouns used to identify oneself and others.
Extremely well edited and light on the profanity, this book did feature a great deal of sexual content, although it used with which most readers will not be instantly familiar and was not graphic in nature. The earliest few chapters of the book address the non-gendered Panglobal language, but there is still a distinction between the binary sexes, and so-called "genderism", the book's term for same-sex preferences, plays a large role. Alcohol and drug use were also prevalent, and for these reasons this book is best suited for mature readers. Terms of Service sits squarely in the middle of the science fiction genre and is recommended for any fans of futuristic, dystopian, science fiction, or even self-actualization stories.
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars. It was unusual enough and with enough conventions distinct to the story's world to require focus while reading while also being recognizable enough to enjoy reading. The main characters were relatable, the structure of the society was unique but with layers of familiarity, and the plot feels frighteningly real yet comfortably-enough distanced from the reader to serve as a warning, much like many beloved dystopian science fiction stories. This is absolutely a novel I would read again.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Kim, an intuitive trainer of automatons in a world orchestrated by AI, feels lonely and disenchanted with her existence, yearning for something more without understanding what or why. After the sudden return of a childhood friend, Shan, Kim's life takes an unexpected turn that sets in motion a chain of events leading to Kim's ultimate purpose as identified by the powerful forces at work in this dystopian world. Every decision Kim makes pushes her further and further into conflict with the mysterious Directors and Hierarchy until an unscripted sexual liaison forces a confrontation that will change her life forever.
In Terms of Service, Craig W. Stanfill has presented a masterful work of Orwellian foreboding about the potential future of humanity. Although many aspects of the novel's plot will feel familiar to readers of dystopian science fiction, evoking not only 1984 but also Brave New World and even film's The Fifth Element, there is enough originality to make this an engaging read. I appreciated that there were avenues left unexplored and a clear set up for a potential series, with a core set of characters whose individual story lines could also be further expounded on. In particular, the impending birth of Keli and Jo's second child as well as Shan's next steps would be excellent fodder for a next installation.
Despite being well-written, fast-paced, and easy to follow, there were some aspects of the book that seemed forced, where a character acted out of place with their initial character arc. Additionally, Stanfill stated that the beginning of the book could feel a little slow, with a great deal of exposition required to set up the plot line, and in some cases it was repetitive. However, I believe that served to really set off the later activities and highlight the differences between various levels of social status that became important at many points throughout the book. It could also be difficult to follow the conventions used to distinguish Panglobal and English languages as well as the pronouns used to identify oneself and others.
Extremely well edited and light on the profanity, this book did feature a great deal of sexual content, although it used with which most readers will not be instantly familiar and was not graphic in nature. The earliest few chapters of the book address the non-gendered Panglobal language, but there is still a distinction between the binary sexes, and so-called "genderism", the book's term for same-sex preferences, plays a large role. Alcohol and drug use were also prevalent, and for these reasons this book is best suited for mature readers. Terms of Service sits squarely in the middle of the science fiction genre and is recommended for any fans of futuristic, dystopian, science fiction, or even self-actualization stories.
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars. It was unusual enough and with enough conventions distinct to the story's world to require focus while reading while also being recognizable enough to enjoy reading. The main characters were relatable, the structure of the society was unique but with layers of familiarity, and the plot feels frighteningly real yet comfortably-enough distanced from the reader to serve as a warning, much like many beloved dystopian science fiction stories. This is absolutely a novel I would read again.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Souljourner by Paul Steven Stone
