Review of Cloudless Love

[Diana Lowery]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cloudless Love" by Robert Carrick.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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The title, Cloudless Love, conjured up thoughts of a perfect, sunshine-filled love story, which sounded boring. The blurry cover didn't help to arouse my interest. The blurb, however, described a romance in a world without technology, which did arouse my curiosity.

Set in the near future, 2035, in Sydney, Australia, Robert Carrick manages to capture elements from Pat Frank's Alas Babylon as three friends embark on a mission to discover the reason all the robots have disappeared. This journey involves learning to exist without modern conveniences.

The author's message is clear and proposes the question, "What happens when AI becomes more intelligent than humans?" This novel could be considered a satire as it resembles Swift's remedy for alleviating poverty in his essay "A Modest Proposal." The prophetic theme is carried out when Felicity, a protagonist, asks, "I wonder what safeguards they'll put into the source code this time around."

There are three main characters: Felicity, Celia, and Toby, who form a unique triangle. There are a host of other characters woven into the plot. My least favorite part is the way the narration shifts characters in almost every chapter. It is sometimes hard to keep track of who is where and doing what.

I do appreciate that all the relationships are resolved and all the loose bits come together. This includes finishing the final verse of a song that was a recurring trope. The story also has a symbolic Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden scene to ponder.

Although the book has a few grammar errors and some plot inconsistencies, they don't distract from the enjoyment of the book. Some of the situations are too unrealistic even for a dystopian, science-fiction tale. My rating is three out of five stars due to the numerous confusing characters and some unbelievable coincidences. Parts of the book contain erotic scenes, so it is recommended only for mature audiences. If you are concerned about the proliferation of AI in our society, you should read this book.

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Cloudless Love
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