Review of Terms of Service
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maycherono91
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Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is a gripping, dystopian, and futuristic tale. The setting is a couple of centuries from the present day. It is during the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), that took over humans politically, socially, and economically since the days of the "Turmoil" as has been referenced by the narrator.
The protagonist of the story is called Kim. She is a young lady who has been working at the AI company for five years. She lives in the "middle districts", a term that loosely translates to a middle-class kind of living. From her lifestyle, the reader can get a good grasp on how people lived during this era as the story revolves around her. Living a rather quiet life, she was less social than the average human, with a rather uneventful life. This changes when her dynamite best friend from high school relocates to Kim's town and her life is turned upside down. A single innocent bike ride becomes the start of events that makes Kim (and ultimately the reader) realize how powerful the AI reign is.
This is one of the books that as you read, you get goosebumps because you put yourself in the protagonist's shoes. The author has done an impeccable job in making sure that the reader feels with and feels for the character. Most astoundingly, the author has managed to effectively world-build the dystopian society in which the story is set in. Simply, through Kim's life, the author depicted how life is in this particular era: the immense use of technology in every aspect of life and control of every aspect of the citizens' lives. For instance, Kim's house was full of sentient appliances. She had a 'housebot' which was a household, but a sentient robot, which did her domestic chores. She talked to her refrigerator and microwave, which gave her meals predetermined by the 'Food Company' based on her economic status and social points.
The writer has a beautiful style of writing and one of them is symbolism. He writes that Kim used to have nightmares about being caught up in a spider web. This was symbolic of how her real life was.
Horrifyingly, people were required to walk around with headsets so that their movements as well as conversations would be monitored. And naturally, all people had chips installed in their bodies from a very young age. Consequently, the book is full of AI jargon. While it might seem a turn-off for people not well versed with technology, it did set the ambiance of the tale. Virtual reality was as common as breathing, as it was the major method of socializing. This is inclusive of attending sporting events, attending concerts, to walking on the beach with your friends. It only took one to invite another person via a notification, and it would feel like they are in the same place despite their geographical distance.
The book touches on some uncomfortable themes all revolving around the main theme - control. The invasion of privacy for control is mind-baffling. Case in point, undocumented intimacy was a crime punishable with penalties involving several years in prison. Dates were chosen for a person by the 'Matchmaker', and there was no concept of gender or sexual preference. This was frowned upon and termed being 'selfist', which was a punishable crime too. Another horrid aspect of control was the implantation of false memories in a person's mind. This was aimed at predestining a person's character. Children were raised by the state, meaning after their birth they stayed with their birth mothers for a while before they were taken by the state in a process called 'Parting'.
I would confidently state that this is one of the best dystopian novels I have read. I can't wait to read the sequel. The book has zero errors - it was professionally edited. There is no aspect of the book I disliked. Reading it was pure bliss to me. I, therefore, rate the book 4 out of 4 stars and consequently 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend the book to those who enjoy dystopian tales and stories involving AI. Those who enjoy stories about a strong female characters will find this book to be a gem.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is a gripping, dystopian, and futuristic tale. The setting is a couple of centuries from the present day. It is during the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), that took over humans politically, socially, and economically since the days of the "Turmoil" as has been referenced by the narrator.
The protagonist of the story is called Kim. She is a young lady who has been working at the AI company for five years. She lives in the "middle districts", a term that loosely translates to a middle-class kind of living. From her lifestyle, the reader can get a good grasp on how people lived during this era as the story revolves around her. Living a rather quiet life, she was less social than the average human, with a rather uneventful life. This changes when her dynamite best friend from high school relocates to Kim's town and her life is turned upside down. A single innocent bike ride becomes the start of events that makes Kim (and ultimately the reader) realize how powerful the AI reign is.
This is one of the books that as you read, you get goosebumps because you put yourself in the protagonist's shoes. The author has done an impeccable job in making sure that the reader feels with and feels for the character. Most astoundingly, the author has managed to effectively world-build the dystopian society in which the story is set in. Simply, through Kim's life, the author depicted how life is in this particular era: the immense use of technology in every aspect of life and control of every aspect of the citizens' lives. For instance, Kim's house was full of sentient appliances. She had a 'housebot' which was a household, but a sentient robot, which did her domestic chores. She talked to her refrigerator and microwave, which gave her meals predetermined by the 'Food Company' based on her economic status and social points.
The writer has a beautiful style of writing and one of them is symbolism. He writes that Kim used to have nightmares about being caught up in a spider web. This was symbolic of how her real life was.
Horrifyingly, people were required to walk around with headsets so that their movements as well as conversations would be monitored. And naturally, all people had chips installed in their bodies from a very young age. Consequently, the book is full of AI jargon. While it might seem a turn-off for people not well versed with technology, it did set the ambiance of the tale. Virtual reality was as common as breathing, as it was the major method of socializing. This is inclusive of attending sporting events, attending concerts, to walking on the beach with your friends. It only took one to invite another person via a notification, and it would feel like they are in the same place despite their geographical distance.
The book touches on some uncomfortable themes all revolving around the main theme - control. The invasion of privacy for control is mind-baffling. Case in point, undocumented intimacy was a crime punishable with penalties involving several years in prison. Dates were chosen for a person by the 'Matchmaker', and there was no concept of gender or sexual preference. This was frowned upon and termed being 'selfist', which was a punishable crime too. Another horrid aspect of control was the implantation of false memories in a person's mind. This was aimed at predestining a person's character. Children were raised by the state, meaning after their birth they stayed with their birth mothers for a while before they were taken by the state in a process called 'Parting'.
I would confidently state that this is one of the best dystopian novels I have read. I can't wait to read the sequel. The book has zero errors - it was professionally edited. There is no aspect of the book I disliked. Reading it was pure bliss to me. I, therefore, rate the book 4 out of 4 stars and consequently 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend the book to those who enjoy dystopian tales and stories involving AI. Those who enjoy stories about a strong female characters will find this book to be a gem.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: We Love You, Madam President by Alvin Berger
