Review of Terms of Service

Rob Carr · Post by **Rob Carr** » 09 Mar 2023, 16:45

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

5 out of 5 stars

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Craig W. Stanfill's Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice is a dystopian novel set several hundred years in the future. Following wars that tore the planet apart, society has been rebuilt around a system combining Artificial Intelligence (AI) and strict control of everyday life. Unity, Community, and Equality are now the official principles by which life must be seen to be lived.

Throughout the book, you follow the life of Kim, a worker from The Transportation Company grappling with a world controlled by AI and the Hierarchy. The AIs control just about every aspect of Kim's life for her from making her eat kale and tofu, to making her wear "vibrant pale beige", right through to choosing her dates. What the AIs don't control, the Hierarchy does, seeking to make humanity one homogenous norm free of gender, sexuality, and individual expression. Kim learns what happens when you rebel against the system.

Stanfill does a great job of creating interesting and relatable characters. It is hard not to relate to Kim throughout the book and the other characters are also engaging. Even the robots have amusing personalities from the "feep" of the housebot to the fridge that gives you kale when you upset it.

The future Stanfill creates for us is believable because in many ways it is the next logical step (or a few steps in some cases) in trends we are already experiencing. Automated systems are increasingly taking control of how things are organised in our society and absent proper controls risk creating significant problems for society if they are misused. People are already replacing real-life interaction with the present-day version of Chit-Chat and VR you see in the book. In the early chapters of the book, a lot of time is spent on world-building which is important for the later advancement of the plot which then moves quite quickly.

The book is well-edited and easy to read. I didn't come across any significant errors reading it. It does depart from standard English in a few respects in keeping with it being set in another time but if you read the introductory pages this is all well explained at the start of the book.

The only real criticism I have of the book is that you get introduced to a few characters in detail who then don't really become a significant part of the plot like Quinn. This may be in part because there is a sequel to the book so there may be more to these characters yet to come in later books.

Overall, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The book was a thoroughly enjoyable read which I struggled to put down. I really couldn't find any major faults with it.

This book would suit anyone who is into science fiction. It would particularly suit those who enjoy reading a Brave New World or 1984-style dystopia.

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Terms of Service
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Bianca Morano · Post by **Bianca Morano** » 09 Apr 2023, 08:14

This is a nice review of Terms of Service. Definitely the second book is a must-read. However, this dystopian world is a very scary place to live in.

Rob Carr · Post by **Rob Carr** » 09 Apr 2023, 08:33

I just got the second book as a book of the day review yesterday. I am really enjoying it and am already most of the way through. The second book is definitely a faster-paced read than the first.

Post by **Smrithi Arun** » 09 Apr 2023, 08:50

Your review was very soothing to read, Rob. I am glad you enjoyed the book. It didn't go fast enough for me, unfortunately, and this monopolized world led by the AIs didn't suit me well. However, I now notice and appreciate the AIs' distinctive personalities after you mentioned "feep" and the fridge.