Review of Terms of Service
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Stella Chavenetidou
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Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
The book Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is a science fiction book set in a world where humans' everyday lives are controlled by robots. Free will is not an option and everything is pre-decided for humans. The people have been programmed from early childhood to adhere to a set of strict rules and never question them. We get a glimpse of how strict these rules are when impulsive interaction between two strangers in the means of transport is punished. Our main character, Kim, is a young woman who lives her life following all these rules and never thinks of disobeying them. She is an abiding citizen working her way up to the top thanks to her diligence. The minute Shan, her best friend from her past and her only instance of misbehaving, comes back into her life, a series of bad judgements follows and she ends up nearly losing everything she has strived so hard to achieve.
What I found very interesting in the book is how the writer deals with the idea of freedom. Even though the citizens of this dystopic place have a lot of everyday issues resolved, for example, house managing, child bearing, dating, security, they still feel that something is missing. The lack of free will and not being able to decide on their own on what to eat, what clothes to put on, who to date, how to raise their children, take a toll on their inner peace and well-being. Kim resorts to drinking excessively as a way of soothing the turmoil in her soul for something that she can't remember, yet drinking helps her satisfy the need to keep it locked in a safe place. Additionally, drugs help everybody go along with the reality imposed on them.
There weren't many things I didn't like about the book. There were a lot of descriptions on Kim having sex with various partners, so it would not be appropriate for younger readers. I didn't mind the neutrality in gender as both men and women were addressed as "she". In the book having a sexual inclination towards one gender is frown upon.
It is a thought-provoking book. After finishing it, the issues raised make the reader think. Can this setting of living in a comfortable, war-free environment where life takes its course smoothly if somebody abides by the laws, be acceptable by the human inquiring mind? Can the free human spirit be tamed and act according to rules as do robots? And if people opt to diverge, what is the cost?
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because there were so many issues raised in it and they were dealt rather skillfully by the writer and I didn’t find any negative points. Additionally, it was exceptionally edited, as I found no mistakes in it. I would definitely recommend it.
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Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
The book Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is a science fiction book set in a world where humans' everyday lives are controlled by robots. Free will is not an option and everything is pre-decided for humans. The people have been programmed from early childhood to adhere to a set of strict rules and never question them. We get a glimpse of how strict these rules are when impulsive interaction between two strangers in the means of transport is punished. Our main character, Kim, is a young woman who lives her life following all these rules and never thinks of disobeying them. She is an abiding citizen working her way up to the top thanks to her diligence. The minute Shan, her best friend from her past and her only instance of misbehaving, comes back into her life, a series of bad judgements follows and she ends up nearly losing everything she has strived so hard to achieve.
What I found very interesting in the book is how the writer deals with the idea of freedom. Even though the citizens of this dystopic place have a lot of everyday issues resolved, for example, house managing, child bearing, dating, security, they still feel that something is missing. The lack of free will and not being able to decide on their own on what to eat, what clothes to put on, who to date, how to raise their children, take a toll on their inner peace and well-being. Kim resorts to drinking excessively as a way of soothing the turmoil in her soul for something that she can't remember, yet drinking helps her satisfy the need to keep it locked in a safe place. Additionally, drugs help everybody go along with the reality imposed on them.
There weren't many things I didn't like about the book. There were a lot of descriptions on Kim having sex with various partners, so it would not be appropriate for younger readers. I didn't mind the neutrality in gender as both men and women were addressed as "she". In the book having a sexual inclination towards one gender is frown upon.
It is a thought-provoking book. After finishing it, the issues raised make the reader think. Can this setting of living in a comfortable, war-free environment where life takes its course smoothly if somebody abides by the laws, be acceptable by the human inquiring mind? Can the free human spirit be tamed and act according to rules as do robots? And if people opt to diverge, what is the cost?
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because there were so many issues raised in it and they were dealt rather skillfully by the writer and I didn’t find any negative points. Additionally, it was exceptionally edited, as I found no mistakes in it. I would definitely recommend it.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Starboard Eight by Brian Casey
