Review of Terms of Service
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Stephanie Poyer
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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.]
The gender wars are over and individualism is non-existent in Terms of Service, by Craig W. Stanfill. Kim lives in a community where employment, meals, and even commute times are decreed by artificial intelligence, based on a person’s social credit. She is content with her life, if not thrilled with the food options offered by her refrigerator. Society has not, however, entirely stripped its citizens of their humanity, and Kim and her best friend egg each other on past boundaries, both real and figurative. This is the catalyst that unravels Kim’s compliant existence.
Gender has ostensibly been erased from society in the novel. The pronouns she and her are used for every person and the use of the first-person – for a real person – is a serious breach of etiquette, if not a political crime. The AIs, though, do use first-person language, and the AIs are everywhere, running the community. Both gender and artificial intelligence are topics currently debated in our culture. The world portrayed is on an extreme end of the spectrum of how we might view gender, but it is a thought-provoking scenario. Similarly, we are beginning to wrestle with what artificial intelligence can do for us and where the line should be drawn. Kim’s world is, again, on the radical side, allowing artificial intelligence profound control over society. This provides the reader with more food for thought.
This novel is an easy and compelling read. The author does a fantastic job of immersing the reader in Kim’s society. The powers-that-be control everyone’s use of language and the novel’s adherence to these linguistic restrictions thrusts the reader into Kim’s world.
I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars. I have nothing negative to say about Terms of Service. There were no typos or editing errors to detract from the story; it was exceptionally well-edited. The main themes are timely. While some may not enjoy the subject matter, the novel itself is accessible. The author spends several chapters building Kim’s world and setting the scene before the action begins. The world-building is enjoyable, and, once the scene is set, the action does not let up.
I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy science fiction or dystopian fiction. I would classify this as a young adult novel, but that should not dissuade adults from reading it. There is some light profanity sprinkled throughout the novel. Given the theme of gender, there are vague references to bodies, but no explicit scenes. The sequel to Terms of Service has been published and I am eager to continue Kim’s journey.
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Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
The gender wars are over and individualism is non-existent in Terms of Service, by Craig W. Stanfill. Kim lives in a community where employment, meals, and even commute times are decreed by artificial intelligence, based on a person’s social credit. She is content with her life, if not thrilled with the food options offered by her refrigerator. Society has not, however, entirely stripped its citizens of their humanity, and Kim and her best friend egg each other on past boundaries, both real and figurative. This is the catalyst that unravels Kim’s compliant existence.
Gender has ostensibly been erased from society in the novel. The pronouns she and her are used for every person and the use of the first-person – for a real person – is a serious breach of etiquette, if not a political crime. The AIs, though, do use first-person language, and the AIs are everywhere, running the community. Both gender and artificial intelligence are topics currently debated in our culture. The world portrayed is on an extreme end of the spectrum of how we might view gender, but it is a thought-provoking scenario. Similarly, we are beginning to wrestle with what artificial intelligence can do for us and where the line should be drawn. Kim’s world is, again, on the radical side, allowing artificial intelligence profound control over society. This provides the reader with more food for thought.
This novel is an easy and compelling read. The author does a fantastic job of immersing the reader in Kim’s society. The powers-that-be control everyone’s use of language and the novel’s adherence to these linguistic restrictions thrusts the reader into Kim’s world.
I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars. I have nothing negative to say about Terms of Service. There were no typos or editing errors to detract from the story; it was exceptionally well-edited. The main themes are timely. While some may not enjoy the subject matter, the novel itself is accessible. The author spends several chapters building Kim’s world and setting the scene before the action begins. The world-building is enjoyable, and, once the scene is set, the action does not let up.
I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy science fiction or dystopian fiction. I would classify this as a young adult novel, but that should not dissuade adults from reading it. There is some light profanity sprinkled throughout the novel. Given the theme of gender, there are vague references to bodies, but no explicit scenes. The sequel to Terms of Service has been published and I am eager to continue Kim’s journey.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
