Review of Terms of Service
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Amanda Adoyi
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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 necessary read for Science Fiction lovers and even more specifically for lovers of dystopian fiction and works of art. The story takes place in a surreal, distant future quite different from our own and yet in ways similar, where Artificial Intelligence has been given far reaching authority and very few limits, allowed to monitor the affairs of man in an attempt to create and foster what The Hierarchy- a political body in a position of power- consider order through the means of a body simply known as the Company.
Those inhabiting this society must agree to something known as the the Terms of Service giving AIs the power to use information provided by the inhabitants, hence seldom giving them any privacy. This information given to the AIs is provided in exchange for seeming order as declared by their mantra of “Unity, Community, Equality” or UCE for short.
In such a setting, the author allows the reader the opportunity to narrow down on the populace, following closely the life of one of the inhabitants of this world simply known as “Kim” who works with AIs for the Company and who despite trying her best to be a simple, model citizen in spite of certain personal problems she has finds herself questioning the Terms of Service. This becomes even more troublesome for her when her friend and possible romantic interest known by the name of Shan comes into the picture, unwillingly and without much thought, pushing her beyond her boundaries of obedience to the AI and the Hierarchy. After getting into some significant trouble with the Hierarchy and the Company that proves life changing for her, she understands at an even deeper level what the Company and the Hierarchy are all about; there is no true freedom after all and all she has ever known has never been what they seemed.
The vivid description of the society and its relationship with Artificial Intelligence was such a good aspect of the book that stood out for me. I enjoyed seeing life through the eyes of Kim and appreciating the unnatural degree to which the AI infiltrated all aspects of the society, seldom leaving room for privacy. Giving a new perspective to AI was also massively intriguing. I was almost convinced that the programmed beings could ‘feel’ things; such would not have been possible without very convincing and vivid writing. In the end I found nothing negative to note about the book, except that I had unanswered questions especially regarding Kim’s future and Shan’s expectation but I was relieved on finding that the book had a sequel. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because of the aforementioned reasons.
This novel cuts deep into questions regarding man and his relationship with Artificial Intelligence that border on its limitations and utility with the view of man’s benefit. Would extensive use of Artificial Intelligence be for man’s benefit or would it pose a disadvantage instead? This thrilling novel gives a perspective on this issue and is a book I would recommend any day. Reading this made me consider it quite fictional and yet quite close to reality. No wonder then that in the words of the author, “It is happening today”.
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Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is a necessary read for Science Fiction lovers and even more specifically for lovers of dystopian fiction and works of art. The story takes place in a surreal, distant future quite different from our own and yet in ways similar, where Artificial Intelligence has been given far reaching authority and very few limits, allowed to monitor the affairs of man in an attempt to create and foster what The Hierarchy- a political body in a position of power- consider order through the means of a body simply known as the Company.
Those inhabiting this society must agree to something known as the the Terms of Service giving AIs the power to use information provided by the inhabitants, hence seldom giving them any privacy. This information given to the AIs is provided in exchange for seeming order as declared by their mantra of “Unity, Community, Equality” or UCE for short.
In such a setting, the author allows the reader the opportunity to narrow down on the populace, following closely the life of one of the inhabitants of this world simply known as “Kim” who works with AIs for the Company and who despite trying her best to be a simple, model citizen in spite of certain personal problems she has finds herself questioning the Terms of Service. This becomes even more troublesome for her when her friend and possible romantic interest known by the name of Shan comes into the picture, unwillingly and without much thought, pushing her beyond her boundaries of obedience to the AI and the Hierarchy. After getting into some significant trouble with the Hierarchy and the Company that proves life changing for her, she understands at an even deeper level what the Company and the Hierarchy are all about; there is no true freedom after all and all she has ever known has never been what they seemed.
The vivid description of the society and its relationship with Artificial Intelligence was such a good aspect of the book that stood out for me. I enjoyed seeing life through the eyes of Kim and appreciating the unnatural degree to which the AI infiltrated all aspects of the society, seldom leaving room for privacy. Giving a new perspective to AI was also massively intriguing. I was almost convinced that the programmed beings could ‘feel’ things; such would not have been possible without very convincing and vivid writing. In the end I found nothing negative to note about the book, except that I had unanswered questions especially regarding Kim’s future and Shan’s expectation but I was relieved on finding that the book had a sequel. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because of the aforementioned reasons.
This novel cuts deep into questions regarding man and his relationship with Artificial Intelligence that border on its limitations and utility with the view of man’s benefit. Would extensive use of Artificial Intelligence be for man’s benefit or would it pose a disadvantage instead? This thrilling novel gives a perspective on this issue and is a book I would recommend any day. Reading this made me consider it quite fictional and yet quite close to reality. No wonder then that in the words of the author, “It is happening today”.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
