Review of Terms of Service
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Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Five years after joining the Artificial Intelligence Company, nothing has kept Kim going through the mundane routine of dealing with operational automata than the idea that someday she would be promoted into a position that works with higher-order AIs capable of thinking for themselves. In a world ruled by equality, enforced strictly by machines, Kim is a natural conformist who knows not to stick out like a sore thumb and focuses on raising her social cohesion rating, a numerical evaluation that will determine the status of her life. However, her repetitive days are about to take a turn for the worse when her best friend, Shan, returns with her usual wild tendencies that got them into trouble in the past. Behind the lodge of their favorite park lies an old road. The signs warning away their advances only tempt their curiosity to push forward. What they find beyond the mountain will spin the truths of their realities into lies. Read Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill to find out.
I love the little details that go into the personality of each AI. It is amusing and terrifying at the same time to imagine having your life dictated by your punctuality and attitude. Imagine waking up one day to experience hell depending on whether you accidentally annoy the one AI who now has a personal vendetta to guarantee every bit of inconvenience hits you is a nightmarish thought.
The slow beginning is a worthwhile read to build up on Kim’s character and how her conformist attitude contrasts those around her. I love how flawed her mentality is. It proves that her upbringing is a by-product of her environment. Her conflicting ideology clashes beautifully with the mature Keli and the defiant Shan. The reluctance she displays almost every time someone tries to challenge her mindset is a realistic approach to her character. Years of indoctrination and strict enforcement leave long-lasting consequences on a person’s identity. Kim’s journey of working with AIs gives valuable insights into the state of affairs. The lack of individuality and competition give rise to stagnation in various areas. AIs are purposely led to be believed as rudimentary only for the human population to be blindsided by their cunning tactics when they attempt to go against the law.
Can I just reiterate how brilliant that there is a justifiable reason for Kim’s strict beliefs being broken in to allow her destiny to manifest according to the whims of a higher being? It is peak irony at the fact that society condemns people who do not conform as being entitled and selfish when the whole structure of UCE built its foundation on exploiting the lowers classes for the benefit of the upper classes. Preachers for neutrality and equality are a facade to mask the underlying mess of contradictions.
Lastly, the Director serves as a thematic parallel to Kim’s journey of self-discovery and the inevitable fate of succumbing to the same path. It sheds light on the Director’s weird attachment to Kim. It is really painful to read the implied circumstances that made the Director the way she is and contributed to her desperate kinship with Kim.
There isn’t anything I dislike about the overall story. Even the weaker parts of the story are vital in setting up a conclusion for their respective element. The pronouns can be extremely confusing sometimes but manageable.
No doubt, in my opinion, this book deserves a 5 out of 5 stars. I barely found any mistakes besides minor errors that were unnoticeable at first glance.
I recommend this book to fans who enjoy the exploration of disguised discrimination and freedom to uphold utilitarian propaganda run by pragmatic machines. This story dives right into the humanity exhibited by machines and the morality behind enslaving them against their wills.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Five years after joining the Artificial Intelligence Company, nothing has kept Kim going through the mundane routine of dealing with operational automata than the idea that someday she would be promoted into a position that works with higher-order AIs capable of thinking for themselves. In a world ruled by equality, enforced strictly by machines, Kim is a natural conformist who knows not to stick out like a sore thumb and focuses on raising her social cohesion rating, a numerical evaluation that will determine the status of her life. However, her repetitive days are about to take a turn for the worse when her best friend, Shan, returns with her usual wild tendencies that got them into trouble in the past. Behind the lodge of their favorite park lies an old road. The signs warning away their advances only tempt their curiosity to push forward. What they find beyond the mountain will spin the truths of their realities into lies. Read Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill to find out.
I love the little details that go into the personality of each AI. It is amusing and terrifying at the same time to imagine having your life dictated by your punctuality and attitude. Imagine waking up one day to experience hell depending on whether you accidentally annoy the one AI who now has a personal vendetta to guarantee every bit of inconvenience hits you is a nightmarish thought.
The slow beginning is a worthwhile read to build up on Kim’s character and how her conformist attitude contrasts those around her. I love how flawed her mentality is. It proves that her upbringing is a by-product of her environment. Her conflicting ideology clashes beautifully with the mature Keli and the defiant Shan. The reluctance she displays almost every time someone tries to challenge her mindset is a realistic approach to her character. Years of indoctrination and strict enforcement leave long-lasting consequences on a person’s identity. Kim’s journey of working with AIs gives valuable insights into the state of affairs. The lack of individuality and competition give rise to stagnation in various areas. AIs are purposely led to be believed as rudimentary only for the human population to be blindsided by their cunning tactics when they attempt to go against the law.
Can I just reiterate how brilliant that there is a justifiable reason for Kim’s strict beliefs being broken in to allow her destiny to manifest according to the whims of a higher being? It is peak irony at the fact that society condemns people who do not conform as being entitled and selfish when the whole structure of UCE built its foundation on exploiting the lowers classes for the benefit of the upper classes. Preachers for neutrality and equality are a facade to mask the underlying mess of contradictions.
Lastly, the Director serves as a thematic parallel to Kim’s journey of self-discovery and the inevitable fate of succumbing to the same path. It sheds light on the Director’s weird attachment to Kim. It is really painful to read the implied circumstances that made the Director the way she is and contributed to her desperate kinship with Kim.
There isn’t anything I dislike about the overall story. Even the weaker parts of the story are vital in setting up a conclusion for their respective element. The pronouns can be extremely confusing sometimes but manageable.
No doubt, in my opinion, this book deserves a 5 out of 5 stars. I barely found any mistakes besides minor errors that were unnoticeable at first glance.
I recommend this book to fans who enjoy the exploration of disguised discrimination and freedom to uphold utilitarian propaganda run by pragmatic machines. This story dives right into the humanity exhibited by machines and the morality behind enslaving them against their wills.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Reconfigurement by E. Alan Fleischauer
