Review of Terms of Service
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revathy sw
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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: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill is an immersive and enthralling read. It takes the readers into a future dystopian world where AIs have become a norm in human society — a society where if you need access to a service or product (this extends even to necessities like housing and clothing) you will need to fulfil the terms of service of the myriad companies which regulate the lives of the public. These companies — like the Artificial Intelligence Company, the Food Company, the Music Company, the Delivery Company, and countless others — are free to reject these services upon violation of their terms. The society is entirely privatized and everything, even language, is strictly regimented. To be individual or original in any way, or as is referred to in the novel, to be selfist, is anathema. Every citizen has a social coherence rating — a higher rating means access to more luxuries and a lower rating can lead to an even more difficult life. It is this harsh, and oftentimes unfair, world in which we find our protagonist, Kim, an employee of the Artificial Intelligence Company. How does Kim fit into this world? Will she be the typical dystopian protagonist haunted by a feeling of wrongness in her society, or will we see her capitulating and being one of the sheep so easily controlled by the government? Will she remain a conformist or become a selfist?
When it comes to the oeuvre of dystopian literature, this novel ticks all the boxes. It shows a society controlled by the propaganda of the Hierarchy — a cruel, greedy, and crooked totalitarian government that exerts iron-clad control over its citizens using a system of rewards and punishments. Freedom of thought is restricted and the AIs are always watching. Their constant surveillance ensures citizens go only where they are supposed to go and do only what they are supposed to do. What is remarkable is the skill with which the author has constructed this new dystopian world. It is the little details that make this novel great like humans having numbers as part of their identities and the AIs being given long, complicated names. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the relationship between Kim and Kimberley. Even the lower-level machines like Kim’s adorable housebot and the refrigerator are interesting. I loved getting to read sentences like “…the refrigerator seemed malevolently indifferent.” There are also elements of mystery skilfully interwoven into the narrative by the author as in the case of the strange, repressed memories constantly trying to break their way into Kim’s conscious mind. While giving the readers so much information about how this AI-dominated, authoritarian society works, the author never loses sight of the human element in his novel. Reading the scenes in which Kim spends time with her friends and has conversations with Kimberley, who is perhaps the most human of the AI, was incredibly satisfying, and sometimes heart-rending. The relationship between Kim and Shan is extremely sweet, even though it is also painful. The interaction between Kim, Shan, and the Blanks is also thrilling and tantalizing. The novel has a compelling ending as it makes the reader wonder about what lies ahead for Kim and who she’ll become. I’m also looking forward to reading more about the rebels like the fashionistas, the tobacconists, the genderists, and the anti-mentorists in the sequel.
Even though the author has done a commendable job (helped by his knowledge in the field) in making the working of the AIs understandable, certain things, like the Awakening, might still be difficult for the layman to wrap his mind around. I also found a lot of tedious, unnecessary details at many points in the book — for example, the baseball games or the references to the many dates Kim goes on. There are also some loopholes in the plot. If there are libraries with books that provide such critical information about things before the Turmoil, why weren’t these books gotten rid of, or these libraries razed to the ground? I am hopeful that these gaps will be filled in in the sequel. I also didn’t find the Hierarchy as menacing as Big Brother in 1984 or the Capitol in The Hunger Games.
Altogether this was a pleasing read. The cons I have stated above did not reduce my enjoyment of the novel. The editing of the novel was also flawless. In light of this, I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
There are several sexually explicit scenes, some mild violence, as well as instances of light swearing in the novel. Given this, I would recommend this as a must-read book to readers above the age of eighteen.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill is an immersive and enthralling read. It takes the readers into a future dystopian world where AIs have become a norm in human society — a society where if you need access to a service or product (this extends even to necessities like housing and clothing) you will need to fulfil the terms of service of the myriad companies which regulate the lives of the public. These companies — like the Artificial Intelligence Company, the Food Company, the Music Company, the Delivery Company, and countless others — are free to reject these services upon violation of their terms. The society is entirely privatized and everything, even language, is strictly regimented. To be individual or original in any way, or as is referred to in the novel, to be selfist, is anathema. Every citizen has a social coherence rating — a higher rating means access to more luxuries and a lower rating can lead to an even more difficult life. It is this harsh, and oftentimes unfair, world in which we find our protagonist, Kim, an employee of the Artificial Intelligence Company. How does Kim fit into this world? Will she be the typical dystopian protagonist haunted by a feeling of wrongness in her society, or will we see her capitulating and being one of the sheep so easily controlled by the government? Will she remain a conformist or become a selfist?
When it comes to the oeuvre of dystopian literature, this novel ticks all the boxes. It shows a society controlled by the propaganda of the Hierarchy — a cruel, greedy, and crooked totalitarian government that exerts iron-clad control over its citizens using a system of rewards and punishments. Freedom of thought is restricted and the AIs are always watching. Their constant surveillance ensures citizens go only where they are supposed to go and do only what they are supposed to do. What is remarkable is the skill with which the author has constructed this new dystopian world. It is the little details that make this novel great like humans having numbers as part of their identities and the AIs being given long, complicated names. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the relationship between Kim and Kimberley. Even the lower-level machines like Kim’s adorable housebot and the refrigerator are interesting. I loved getting to read sentences like “…the refrigerator seemed malevolently indifferent.” There are also elements of mystery skilfully interwoven into the narrative by the author as in the case of the strange, repressed memories constantly trying to break their way into Kim’s conscious mind. While giving the readers so much information about how this AI-dominated, authoritarian society works, the author never loses sight of the human element in his novel. Reading the scenes in which Kim spends time with her friends and has conversations with Kimberley, who is perhaps the most human of the AI, was incredibly satisfying, and sometimes heart-rending. The relationship between Kim and Shan is extremely sweet, even though it is also painful. The interaction between Kim, Shan, and the Blanks is also thrilling and tantalizing. The novel has a compelling ending as it makes the reader wonder about what lies ahead for Kim and who she’ll become. I’m also looking forward to reading more about the rebels like the fashionistas, the tobacconists, the genderists, and the anti-mentorists in the sequel.
Even though the author has done a commendable job (helped by his knowledge in the field) in making the working of the AIs understandable, certain things, like the Awakening, might still be difficult for the layman to wrap his mind around. I also found a lot of tedious, unnecessary details at many points in the book — for example, the baseball games or the references to the many dates Kim goes on. There are also some loopholes in the plot. If there are libraries with books that provide such critical information about things before the Turmoil, why weren’t these books gotten rid of, or these libraries razed to the ground? I am hopeful that these gaps will be filled in in the sequel. I also didn’t find the Hierarchy as menacing as Big Brother in 1984 or the Capitol in The Hunger Games.
Altogether this was a pleasing read. The cons I have stated above did not reduce my enjoyment of the novel. The editing of the novel was also flawless. In light of this, I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
There are several sexually explicit scenes, some mild violence, as well as instances of light swearing in the novel. Given this, I would recommend this as a must-read book to readers above the age of eighteen.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
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