Review of Terms of Service
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Lisa Marie Shardlow
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- Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is a dystopian science fiction novel set 250 years in the future. Everyone is under constant surveillance by sentient beings called “AIs”, and there is no privacy. Every aspect of Kim’s life is controlled by these AIs — from what she eats to whom she’s allowed to date. Kim lives in a province of what used to be the United States and is a successful AI Trainer at the Artificial Intelligence Company. But one day, Kim’s life is sent wildly out of control when she and a friend decide to go on a seemingly harmless bicycle ride into the unknown. The AIs start to go mad, and Kim must try to discover whom she is while trying to rebel against society’s corrupt powers.
This book was ever so slightly terrifying. No one was allowed to have an identity, gender, or individuality. Everyone was under surveillance, and if anyone tried to go against the powers that were enforcing these laws, they would be punished. This made for a constant feeling of impending doom throughout the story. The world was very bleak.
I think I also found the story frightening because it’s not that far from our reality right now. With devices such as Alexa and Siri and motion-censored cameras, it’s not difficult to imagine a future like what is described within these pages. The author did a great job of creating this grim society.
I loved Kim’s best friend, Shan. She was a little bit more adventurous and rebellious than Kim, and her mischievousness started Kim on her path of self-discovery in the first place. You could say that Shan was a bad influence — but in a good way!
There were a few points in the story when I felt that Kim was too compliant. She took whatever the higher powers said as the law, even if it was extremely unfair and unjust. I wanted her to just rebel from the start! But I guess that is to be expected of someone who has been controlled and oppressed their whole life.
As the story progressed, it became increasingly difficult for Kim to tell what was real and what was virtual reality, which in turn, was the same for me. In some places, I was unsure as to what was happening. However, I don’t think that took anything away from the story, as it all became clear in the end.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was gripping, very grim, bleak and creepy throughout, which I’m sure is what readers would expect from a dystopian novel. It was also somewhat amusing in places, such as when a certain AI was trying to speak more like a human being. It was well-written and exceptionally well-edited. Therefore, I give Terms of Service 5 out of 5 stars!
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys science fiction, dystopian stories set in the future, and artificial intelligence.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is a dystopian science fiction novel set 250 years in the future. Everyone is under constant surveillance by sentient beings called “AIs”, and there is no privacy. Every aspect of Kim’s life is controlled by these AIs — from what she eats to whom she’s allowed to date. Kim lives in a province of what used to be the United States and is a successful AI Trainer at the Artificial Intelligence Company. But one day, Kim’s life is sent wildly out of control when she and a friend decide to go on a seemingly harmless bicycle ride into the unknown. The AIs start to go mad, and Kim must try to discover whom she is while trying to rebel against society’s corrupt powers.
This book was ever so slightly terrifying. No one was allowed to have an identity, gender, or individuality. Everyone was under surveillance, and if anyone tried to go against the powers that were enforcing these laws, they would be punished. This made for a constant feeling of impending doom throughout the story. The world was very bleak.
I think I also found the story frightening because it’s not that far from our reality right now. With devices such as Alexa and Siri and motion-censored cameras, it’s not difficult to imagine a future like what is described within these pages. The author did a great job of creating this grim society.
I loved Kim’s best friend, Shan. She was a little bit more adventurous and rebellious than Kim, and her mischievousness started Kim on her path of self-discovery in the first place. You could say that Shan was a bad influence — but in a good way!
There were a few points in the story when I felt that Kim was too compliant. She took whatever the higher powers said as the law, even if it was extremely unfair and unjust. I wanted her to just rebel from the start! But I guess that is to be expected of someone who has been controlled and oppressed their whole life.
As the story progressed, it became increasingly difficult for Kim to tell what was real and what was virtual reality, which in turn, was the same for me. In some places, I was unsure as to what was happening. However, I don’t think that took anything away from the story, as it all became clear in the end.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was gripping, very grim, bleak and creepy throughout, which I’m sure is what readers would expect from a dystopian novel. It was also somewhat amusing in places, such as when a certain AI was trying to speak more like a human being. It was well-written and exceptionally well-edited. Therefore, I give Terms of Service 5 out of 5 stars!
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys science fiction, dystopian stories set in the future, and artificial intelligence.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
