Review of Extinction Event

[Zanne Crystle]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Extinction Event" by William Wittur.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Extinction Event by William J. Wittur is a novel that explores human history, the current state of humanity, and the potential dangers that threaten our existence. It delves heavily into themes of environmental awareness, morality, the abuse of power, and the disregard for basic human and animal rights. The story navigates between different periods, seamlessly connecting the history of humanity to futuristic technology. It explores the devastating impact of humanity's actions and inactions. 

The story is told through the perspectives of several characters, offering diverse viewpoints on the narrative. LP is the protagonist, whose passion for music leads him to discover a mysterious glitch in digital recordings. His friends Faith and Dion support him in his investigation to uncover its meaning. He also receives guidance from John Atman, his music instructor, whose expertise brings about the involvement of Eugene Case, an omnibioacoustics expert.

The Plutonian Council is a group of individuals with diverse forms of power and influence spanning industries such as pharmaceuticals, media, technology, fossil fuels, finance, and military forces. Each member of the council brings a distinct set of skills to the table, making them a formidable force to be reckoned with in the world.

Lastly, Sylvie is a programmer and creator of the AI platform called GAIA. This platform plays a crucial role in shaping significant events in the story and helps us understand the intricate nature of human innovation, technology's power, and its impact on society and the environment.

Throughout the story, we are confronted with the harsh realities of our world, where individuals are driven solely by motivations of power, wealth, and control. These people do anything to maintain their positions of authority at all costs. They prioritize profit over the well-being of others, manipulate information to avoid accountability, exploit noble endeavors to control resources, and thrive on aggression and chaos.

However, amid this bleak landscape, the author reminds us of our agency. Even if we cannot fight back directly, there is still value in asking questions and challenging the status quo. The questions we ask may inspire or influence those who have the power to bring about change, which can lead to our salvation.

I enjoyed the book's insightful commentary on social, political, technological, and environmental issues, which, in my opinion, is an accurate portrayal of humanity's nature and potential future trajectory. However, the author sometimes veers off into expository tangents that, while educational, significantly slow down the pacing of the story.

Another complaint I have about the book is the slow and overly detailed introduction to LP. The extensive explanations about his love for music, musical history, favorite bands, and songs or poems he wrote feel tedious and drag on, delaying the start of the actual story.

Structurally, the book has many short chapters, making it easy to follow and digest. The editing was well done; the few grammatical errors I noticed do not detract from the story.

Overall, Extinction Event is a great book. I recommend this book to anyone interested in environmental issues, social justice, and technology's impact on society, especially concerning artificial intelligence. I give it 4 out of 5 stars, subtracting a star for the slow start and excessive exposition.

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Extinction Event
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[Cristina-Ioana Toader]

Great review! Your insights into the character dynamics and the narrative's relevance to current global issues offer a comprehensive overview that positions the book as a significant read for those interested in environmental and social justice themes.

[NetMassimo]

A details description of a character can be interesting but I understand that it's the kind of exposition that can become boring quite easily. That aside, this novel seems to concern issues that are topical right now and will impact the future for a long time. Thank you for your great review!

[Julie Basil]

This sounds like an inspiring book. I can understand how the educational tangents could detract from the story. I appreciate your thorough and well-written review. Keep up the good work!

[Gerry Steen]

I was immediately attracted to this book when I read in your review that this novel examines history, our current state of humanity, and the future including the influence of AI. I like that the novel encourages critical thinking as a way of inspiring future leaders to counter the negative tendencies of very powerful people. Thank you for this great review.