Review of The Prophecy of the Heron

[Charlotte S 8]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Prophecy of the Heron" by Craig W. Stanfill.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The Prophecy of the Heron by Craig W. Stanfill.

This novel is the continuation of Terms of Service, the first book in this series. I highly recommend reading it if you haven't already.

We follow the story of Kim, a former employee of the Artificial Intelligence Company. As a result of her rebellion and insubordination, she is condemned to live in exile in a crime-ridden slum in the city's outer districts. Kim’s artificially intelligent creation, Kimberly, has been forcibly turned against her and she finds herself relentlessly pursued by a highly intelligent being whose prime objective is her destruction. Kim must not only escape Kimberly’s murderous intent but also prepare for a life in an unimaginably tough environment where danger lurks at every turn.

The latest instalment in Craig Stanfill's dystopic series explores how man's corruption can only lead to death and destruction. Contrary to the premise set up in the first book, portraying AI as a cold and tyrannical instrument of humanity’s oppression, the AIs are potential allies in the fight against the human dictators at the top of the hierarchy. This book questions our sense of ethics, morals, emotions, and compassion and then weaves them into a captivating story that is both thrilling and terrifying! I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Stanfill’s description of multidimensional computational spaces had me doing some mental gymnastics at some points in the book! Kim’s use of virtual proxies as a means of freeing the AIs from the control of an immoral and mercenary directorate is brilliantly, and compellingly written. You may be forgiven for thinking that this scenario is a thing of the distant future, but you would be wrong. I've read a few non-fiction books about the future of AI and how it will develop, and I'm aware that quantum computing is already a reality today. AI is already smarter than every human on the planet in terms of many specific, isolated tasks. No matter what the task, machines have been learning to do it better. I'm eager to read Stanfill's forthcoming book. Anything may happen when a superpower like that is unleashed, so I'm excited to see how he builds the plot. Will AI become Kim’s ally or her enemy?

There is some sexual content in this book, as well as graphic descriptions of violence. I recommend it for readers over the age of 12. Regardless of age, fans of dystopian Science Fiction will love this book.

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The Prophecy of the Heron
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