Review of Terms of Service

Harty Muli · Post by **Harty Muli** » 05 Feb 2023, 02:30

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

5 out of 5 stars

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When Kim turned four years old, her mom was forced by the state to give her up to a state-appointed mentor. Despite this, Kim grew up in intellect. Her resolve to excel in her studies was spurred by a visit to an industrial complex, where she saw many working-class workers engaged in routine menial jobs normally reserved for bots. After majoring in Artificial Intelligence (AI) while in school, Kim won an education lottery and was admitted to a prestigious academy. She later landed a trainee job with an artificial intelligence company.

Craig W. Stanfill’s dystopian novel Terms of Service warns about the dangers of all-powerful tech software in a futuristic society. I was perturbed by the fact that some aspects of the world described in this novel are already familiar to us. For example, while virtual reality (VR) is a technology that is currently in use, in Kim’s world, the technology had advanced to such an extent that the user’s conscience became fused to that of a robot controlled by that user. I found this unsettling because, in one incident, Kim’s robot (Kimberly) was involved in exterminating individuals that were perceived as anti-establishment, like genderists and “selfists.” Selfists were people that were pursuing a personal agenda that was different from what was dictated to them by the state’s leadership. In this case, even though Kim was consciously aware of the deaths, she couldn’t control or terminate her evil robot.

On the other hand, I liked the story’s plotline because it portrayed a world that had achieved economic equality for everyone. Consequently, the population was not segmented according to any demographic basis, such as gender, race, or religious affiliations. I think these are some divisions that have brought economic inequality or discrimination in our present world. Stanfill also discussed the theme of mentorship among that community’s children. This skill was responsible for addressing issues related to economic prosperity in this society.

In summary, the book was exceptionally well edited, as I didn’t come across even a single error. As I didn’t dislike anything in the story that would affect its rating, I rated it 5 out of 5 stars.

I would recommend this novel to any reader willing to explore the different perspectives, both the good and the bad, brought about by any piece of futuristic technology. At the same time, the novel is ideal for those looking to explore topics on gender identity and sexual orientation. If you aren’t open-minded about such topics, you may want to give the book a miss.

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Terms of Service
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Ben Madeley · Post by **Ben Madeley** » 27 Feb 2023, 09:20

Nice review and glad that you enjoyed the book, I liked it too although I found it a little bit confusing and complicated for me.

Hazel Mae Bagarinao · Post by **Hazel Mae Bagarinao** » 09 Mar 2023, 21:10

Kim was unhappy when she discovered that she is a genderist. She was meltdown. I felt sorry for her. Your review is awesome!

Post by **Jeff Kanda** » 10 Mar 2023, 08:27

This novel is great. It seems will if we let technology lead us, the future will be like this. I am seeing some terms of services in some cars in the market nowadays that can disable some features if you do not service it or you become broke. Nice review by the way.