Review of Terms of Service
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- Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
There have been countless speculations about the future of humankind. The extinction of our species, our evolution into another species, or an invasion by extraterrestrial beings are only a few. Craig W. Stanfill’s Terms of Service allows us readers to envision a future with control over humankind in the hands of artificial intelligence.
The novel focuses on the protagonist, Kim, an average human. She goes to her average job, returns to her average home, and goes on an average number of dates—nothing special. All happen as they should, when they should, without disruption. After all, disruption is imperfection and, as such is deemed illicit activity, it is carefully scrutinized and punished by AIs. However, Kim falls prey to humans’ fatal flaw—the inability to enjoy such an average, bland, imperfectly sublime world. She yearns for a little excitement—one that she was once familiar with. With a little excitement comes danger, and with a little danger, disruption, and then comes a choice: dire consequences or a chance to atone. Nevertheless, no one said atonement would be a walk in the park. Both a blessing and curse for Kim, atonement comes the truth flooding from all directions. Craig W. Stanfill’s Terms of Service tells Kim’s story and how she finds herself with a help of a trusty AI. It also raises questions concerning what the perfect humans and the perfect society are and whether or not rules meant to keep people in order can go too far.
The most dominant positive would be the author’s skilful use of imagery to enable the reader to visualize such a peculiar world. The author made it easier to envision the city, its people, and their attire. This was seen throughout the book. It wasn’t only used to paint a picture of the setting, the author also explicitly describes the norms of the book before the book began and throughout the entirety of the book. This was another positive aspect as it prevented me from being thrown into confusion by the numerous norms. In some parts, there wasn’t always an explanation per se, but this gave an unpredictable element to the book which I enjoyed. Therefore, this is a novel for those who like to remain informed and those who don’t. Moreover, another detail that was carried throughout the novel was the flawless character development of the character. It wasn’t a simple, quick change, but a slow process that made the characters more relatable and realistic. Finally, there was an effortless flow in the book as there were no errors throughout. It’s safe to say that it was professionally well-edited.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there was a negative that dulled the novel's positives. It took a while for it to take a turn and focus more on the main character than on other aspects of the book. Because of this, the novel felt slightly tedious. It also dragged out the plot and took patience to get to the climax. Other than this, I would say that the book was outstanding.
It was a pleasure to read because it was quite entertaining to delve into Kim’s world. I would recommend this book to science fiction and fantasy lovers specifically, but it also offers a bit to everyone with its underlying lessons and warnings, such as not losing oneself to the norms of society. For this reason, I rate Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill 5 out of 5 stars.
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Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
There have been countless speculations about the future of humankind. The extinction of our species, our evolution into another species, or an invasion by extraterrestrial beings are only a few. Craig W. Stanfill’s Terms of Service allows us readers to envision a future with control over humankind in the hands of artificial intelligence.
The novel focuses on the protagonist, Kim, an average human. She goes to her average job, returns to her average home, and goes on an average number of dates—nothing special. All happen as they should, when they should, without disruption. After all, disruption is imperfection and, as such is deemed illicit activity, it is carefully scrutinized and punished by AIs. However, Kim falls prey to humans’ fatal flaw—the inability to enjoy such an average, bland, imperfectly sublime world. She yearns for a little excitement—one that she was once familiar with. With a little excitement comes danger, and with a little danger, disruption, and then comes a choice: dire consequences or a chance to atone. Nevertheless, no one said atonement would be a walk in the park. Both a blessing and curse for Kim, atonement comes the truth flooding from all directions. Craig W. Stanfill’s Terms of Service tells Kim’s story and how she finds herself with a help of a trusty AI. It also raises questions concerning what the perfect humans and the perfect society are and whether or not rules meant to keep people in order can go too far.
The most dominant positive would be the author’s skilful use of imagery to enable the reader to visualize such a peculiar world. The author made it easier to envision the city, its people, and their attire. This was seen throughout the book. It wasn’t only used to paint a picture of the setting, the author also explicitly describes the norms of the book before the book began and throughout the entirety of the book. This was another positive aspect as it prevented me from being thrown into confusion by the numerous norms. In some parts, there wasn’t always an explanation per se, but this gave an unpredictable element to the book which I enjoyed. Therefore, this is a novel for those who like to remain informed and those who don’t. Moreover, another detail that was carried throughout the novel was the flawless character development of the character. It wasn’t a simple, quick change, but a slow process that made the characters more relatable and realistic. Finally, there was an effortless flow in the book as there were no errors throughout. It’s safe to say that it was professionally well-edited.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there was a negative that dulled the novel's positives. It took a while for it to take a turn and focus more on the main character than on other aspects of the book. Because of this, the novel felt slightly tedious. It also dragged out the plot and took patience to get to the climax. Other than this, I would say that the book was outstanding.
It was a pleasure to read because it was quite entertaining to delve into Kim’s world. I would recommend this book to science fiction and fantasy lovers specifically, but it also offers a bit to everyone with its underlying lessons and warnings, such as not losing oneself to the norms of society. For this reason, I rate Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill 5 out of 5 stars.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
