Review of Terms of Service
-
Rosemary Wright
- Bookshelves Moderator
- Posts: 847
- Joined: 14 Nov 2017, 03:06
- Favorite Book: Spanky
- Currently Reading: Culture Man
- Bookshelf Size: 689
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rosemary-wright.html
- Latest Review: Gods Whisper Always Near by Sharon Williams
- Reading Device: Android
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 unique science fiction novel. Five years ago, Kim joined the Artificial Intelligence Company (Als) and was excited to be working for the Als after school. Kim lived in a society that was being governed by "the Hierarchy" that ensured that the populace did not violate their terms of service. The humans were being serviced by various companies with restrictions, such as the food company, transportation company, housing company, baseball company, music company and so on.
Kim had everything she wanted; she had friends, a good job, a decent apartment, and so forth, but she felt empty. Her life seemed meaningless and artificial. She used alcohol to help herself to sleep, but that aggravated her situation, conjuring up memories that she wished to forget. Her life took a new turn when she and her friend, Shan, went on a bike ride, and things went wrong. Afterwards, the Als gave her a difficult assignment that enabled her to discover herself and the truth about them.
Exploring chiefly the themes of control, adherence, genderism, and selfism, the book is interesting. I'm actually not a fan of sci-fi books because most of them are incomprehensible to me, but I love this one since it is one of the few that are written in simple language.
Furthermore, comprising humans, machines (robots), and virtual reality, the novel unveils a future civilization that suppresses all aspects of individuality, including race and gender, and that's why the author uses the pronouns, she, her, and hers throughout his book, even for obvious male characters.
In addition, the characters are relatable because the author gives enough physical and background information about them, especially through backstories. Kim, the protagonist, is a simple and adventurous young woman. I liked reading her arguments with her robotic refrigerator, particularly when it gave her what she didn't want to eat because the food company's nutritional experts dictated what she ate. Moreover, her discussions with her Al, her creation, are very intriguing.
There's nothing I don't like about Terms of Service, except that it includes the use of drug sometimes for a particular purpose. Hence, readers who don't like books that involve the taking of drugs may not enjoy it.
In conclusion, I rate Terms of Service 5 out of 5 stars. I couldn't rate it lower because it was a comprehensible and coherent book with interesting themes. Besides, it was exceptionally well edited; I didn't see any grammar errors or typos. It'll be a worthwhile read for fans of sci-fi novels that include robots and virtual reality.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Terms of Service, by Craig W. Stanfill, is a unique science fiction novel. Five years ago, Kim joined the Artificial Intelligence Company (Als) and was excited to be working for the Als after school. Kim lived in a society that was being governed by "the Hierarchy" that ensured that the populace did not violate their terms of service. The humans were being serviced by various companies with restrictions, such as the food company, transportation company, housing company, baseball company, music company and so on.
Kim had everything she wanted; she had friends, a good job, a decent apartment, and so forth, but she felt empty. Her life seemed meaningless and artificial. She used alcohol to help herself to sleep, but that aggravated her situation, conjuring up memories that she wished to forget. Her life took a new turn when she and her friend, Shan, went on a bike ride, and things went wrong. Afterwards, the Als gave her a difficult assignment that enabled her to discover herself and the truth about them.
Exploring chiefly the themes of control, adherence, genderism, and selfism, the book is interesting. I'm actually not a fan of sci-fi books because most of them are incomprehensible to me, but I love this one since it is one of the few that are written in simple language.
Furthermore, comprising humans, machines (robots), and virtual reality, the novel unveils a future civilization that suppresses all aspects of individuality, including race and gender, and that's why the author uses the pronouns, she, her, and hers throughout his book, even for obvious male characters.
In addition, the characters are relatable because the author gives enough physical and background information about them, especially through backstories. Kim, the protagonist, is a simple and adventurous young woman. I liked reading her arguments with her robotic refrigerator, particularly when it gave her what she didn't want to eat because the food company's nutritional experts dictated what she ate. Moreover, her discussions with her Al, her creation, are very intriguing.
There's nothing I don't like about Terms of Service, except that it includes the use of drug sometimes for a particular purpose. Hence, readers who don't like books that involve the taking of drugs may not enjoy it.
In conclusion, I rate Terms of Service 5 out of 5 stars. I couldn't rate it lower because it was a comprehensible and coherent book with interesting themes. Besides, it was exceptionally well edited; I didn't see any grammar errors or typos. It'll be a worthwhile read for fans of sci-fi novels that include robots and virtual reality.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Gods Whisper Always Near by Sharon Williams
