Review of Terms of Service
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Anne__Maina
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Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
What will the world look like in the future? Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill attempts to expound on this question with a possible futuristic world where AI controls everything. The world is now run by AI down to the most minor, seemingly insignificant parts of life, like choosing a meal or making coffee. This sci-fi story takes place in a futuristic, dystopian society, and the reader gets to experience it through our main character, Kim. She is a hardworking young woman with a decent job and is able to live comfortably. She has a complicated relationship with AI, despite it being a significant part of her job description.
This society that Kim exists in is governed by something known as "Terms of Service," which everyone must follow regardless of gender, age, or any other differentiating factors. The Terms of Service are prevalent in every aspect of people’s lives, and failure to adhere to them leads to dire consequences. In one of the scenes, Kim tries to get something she desires from the refrigerator, but instead, it recommends a healthier option and refuses to give her what she wants in the first place. This brief scene is one of the indicators of what this world looks like and how much AI controls human beings. After Kim encounters something she can’t ignore and realizes just how evil the people who run society are, she decides whether to rebel against it or stay quiet and go back to her ordinary life.
I found it interesting how often the question "who controls who" came to mind when reading this book. The author does a good job demonstrating how technological advancements that seemed to be an advantage to human beings have now become a powerful tool against their freedom. I enjoyed how the author set the scene for this story. He takes his time building everything up to give the reader a clear picture of this new world so they can understand it better.
I also enjoyed the pacing of the book. It was neither too fast nor too slow for me, as I became immersed in the story right from the beginning. Another aspect of the book that I also enjoyed was that it did not have too much action. The action is just the right amount, not what you would expect from a typical sci-fi novel. The story was something I could see happening in the future. The characters were also well-developed. The author gives the main protagonist strengths and flaws, and one can easily see themselves in her. This is another aspect of the book I really enjoyed.
There are several moral dilemmas in the book. Questions about personal freedom, mass surveillance, and how much personal information the government should be privy to arise often when reading this book. I liked the challenge these questions presented. This was a good story, and I did not find anything I disliked about it. It is definitely a book I will read more than once.
I give this book five out of five stars because it challenged me. This rating is also because I did not find any grammatical errors, so the book seems to be exceptionally well-edited. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, thought-provoking sci-fi novel.
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Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
What will the world look like in the future? Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill attempts to expound on this question with a possible futuristic world where AI controls everything. The world is now run by AI down to the most minor, seemingly insignificant parts of life, like choosing a meal or making coffee. This sci-fi story takes place in a futuristic, dystopian society, and the reader gets to experience it through our main character, Kim. She is a hardworking young woman with a decent job and is able to live comfortably. She has a complicated relationship with AI, despite it being a significant part of her job description.
This society that Kim exists in is governed by something known as "Terms of Service," which everyone must follow regardless of gender, age, or any other differentiating factors. The Terms of Service are prevalent in every aspect of people’s lives, and failure to adhere to them leads to dire consequences. In one of the scenes, Kim tries to get something she desires from the refrigerator, but instead, it recommends a healthier option and refuses to give her what she wants in the first place. This brief scene is one of the indicators of what this world looks like and how much AI controls human beings. After Kim encounters something she can’t ignore and realizes just how evil the people who run society are, she decides whether to rebel against it or stay quiet and go back to her ordinary life.
I found it interesting how often the question "who controls who" came to mind when reading this book. The author does a good job demonstrating how technological advancements that seemed to be an advantage to human beings have now become a powerful tool against their freedom. I enjoyed how the author set the scene for this story. He takes his time building everything up to give the reader a clear picture of this new world so they can understand it better.
I also enjoyed the pacing of the book. It was neither too fast nor too slow for me, as I became immersed in the story right from the beginning. Another aspect of the book that I also enjoyed was that it did not have too much action. The action is just the right amount, not what you would expect from a typical sci-fi novel. The story was something I could see happening in the future. The characters were also well-developed. The author gives the main protagonist strengths and flaws, and one can easily see themselves in her. This is another aspect of the book I really enjoyed.
There are several moral dilemmas in the book. Questions about personal freedom, mass surveillance, and how much personal information the government should be privy to arise often when reading this book. I liked the challenge these questions presented. This was a good story, and I did not find anything I disliked about it. It is definitely a book I will read more than once.
I give this book five out of five stars because it challenged me. This rating is also because I did not find any grammatical errors, so the book seems to be exceptionally well-edited. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, thought-provoking sci-fi novel.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise by John K Danenbarger
