Review of Terms of Service
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AlexandraNeagu
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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 depicts a futuristic world that takes a turn after the so-called AI wars, also known as the Turmoil. Panglobal is now the official language, everything had been monopolized by several corporations known as The Company, Artificial Intelligence has been maintaining the order between humans and machines, and the Hierarchy makes sure that any sign of distinctive behavior is undoubtedly crushed. Controlled by a society where individualism doesn't belong, and where feelings are being robotized, Kim is fighting an internal battle of finding who she really is, while trying to avoid drawing any attention to her persona. The turning point that transforms the plot into a more dynamic one is represented by a decision taken under the mists of curiosity. With consequences masked as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Kim soon becomes part of the Cadre, a social group described as the leaders of the community. Her role is to develop, guide, and train a high-order AI based on Kim's appearance and intellect. Having achieved a long-longed-for dream, she turns a blind eye to the wrongdoings of the higher-ups and dives into a world full of opportunities. Or does she?
Craig W. Stanfill's work is a dystopian novel that shows that people's basic instincts and deep-rooted humanity cannot, and will not be extorted from one's DNA, no matter the evolution. The same goes for our protagonist, Kim, who follows the path of a model citizen and realizes that you can only fake perfection for so long. This is a world where everything follows a mechanical and computational structure, from the days of the week being called Oneday, Twoday, Threeday, etc., to the names of the people - their first name followed by a string of ten digits. Home appliances tending to your every need, and technology literally opening any door doesn't sound all that bad. At least not until your privacy becomes non-existent, and your preferences irrelevant and persecuted.
One thing I liked about the book is the gender-free concept. Not focusing on whether someone was either male or female directed the attention to the character's other attributes, including personality, fashion sense, and intellect. The reproductive system's only relevance was based on someone's decision whether or not to have children. Additionally, another aspect that made this lecture so enjoyable was the exceptional editing of the book. I couldn't find even one error, the paragraphs had always been ordered in a professional manner, and even capitalization had been properly used thoroughly. On top of that, the author's diverse vocabulary made for such delightful reading, with words vividly outlining the shape of his creation, helping the reader see and feel the reality that he envisioned.
Although the book barely contains any sexual content or profane language, it does display plenty of usage of alcohol and drugs. In the book, it is seen as an ordinary action, but it may be triggering for some readers, so please keep this in mind if you're planning to read this novel.
Not having found any mistakes due to the excellent editing, being constantly hooked by the plot, and the fact that I read it in just two sittings are the reasons why I give this book the perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The attention to detail of both the author and the editor made this book infinitely more entertaining.
I recommend this book to people who use reading as a form of escapism from their daily lives, to people who enjoy finding pleasure in new things even if it does not necessarily align with their beliefs, and to people who enjoy reading Sci-Fi in general. The novel does not contain very specific technical vocabulary, but some knowledge of basic AI terminology may turn out to be advantageous in terms of a better understanding of the text and its concepts.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Terms of Service depicts a futuristic world that takes a turn after the so-called AI wars, also known as the Turmoil. Panglobal is now the official language, everything had been monopolized by several corporations known as The Company, Artificial Intelligence has been maintaining the order between humans and machines, and the Hierarchy makes sure that any sign of distinctive behavior is undoubtedly crushed. Controlled by a society where individualism doesn't belong, and where feelings are being robotized, Kim is fighting an internal battle of finding who she really is, while trying to avoid drawing any attention to her persona. The turning point that transforms the plot into a more dynamic one is represented by a decision taken under the mists of curiosity. With consequences masked as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Kim soon becomes part of the Cadre, a social group described as the leaders of the community. Her role is to develop, guide, and train a high-order AI based on Kim's appearance and intellect. Having achieved a long-longed-for dream, she turns a blind eye to the wrongdoings of the higher-ups and dives into a world full of opportunities. Or does she?
Craig W. Stanfill's work is a dystopian novel that shows that people's basic instincts and deep-rooted humanity cannot, and will not be extorted from one's DNA, no matter the evolution. The same goes for our protagonist, Kim, who follows the path of a model citizen and realizes that you can only fake perfection for so long. This is a world where everything follows a mechanical and computational structure, from the days of the week being called Oneday, Twoday, Threeday, etc., to the names of the people - their first name followed by a string of ten digits. Home appliances tending to your every need, and technology literally opening any door doesn't sound all that bad. At least not until your privacy becomes non-existent, and your preferences irrelevant and persecuted.
One thing I liked about the book is the gender-free concept. Not focusing on whether someone was either male or female directed the attention to the character's other attributes, including personality, fashion sense, and intellect. The reproductive system's only relevance was based on someone's decision whether or not to have children. Additionally, another aspect that made this lecture so enjoyable was the exceptional editing of the book. I couldn't find even one error, the paragraphs had always been ordered in a professional manner, and even capitalization had been properly used thoroughly. On top of that, the author's diverse vocabulary made for such delightful reading, with words vividly outlining the shape of his creation, helping the reader see and feel the reality that he envisioned.
Although the book barely contains any sexual content or profane language, it does display plenty of usage of alcohol and drugs. In the book, it is seen as an ordinary action, but it may be triggering for some readers, so please keep this in mind if you're planning to read this novel.
Not having found any mistakes due to the excellent editing, being constantly hooked by the plot, and the fact that I read it in just two sittings are the reasons why I give this book the perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The attention to detail of both the author and the editor made this book infinitely more entertaining.
I recommend this book to people who use reading as a form of escapism from their daily lives, to people who enjoy finding pleasure in new things even if it does not necessarily align with their beliefs, and to people who enjoy reading Sci-Fi in general. The novel does not contain very specific technical vocabulary, but some knowledge of basic AI terminology may turn out to be advantageous in terms of a better understanding of the text and its concepts.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise by John K Danenbarger
