Review of Terms of Service
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Stephanie Currie
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Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Would you want to live in a society where every aspect of your life is controlled? It seems unimaginable but if that’s all you knew, it wouldn’t seem that bad. In this story, society is quite different from what we know it today. Take a trip into the near distant future in a society made up of virtual reality and run by artificial intelligence. In Terms Of Service by Craig Stanfill, citizens live by a set of rules called the Terms of Service. It’s like having instructions on how to live. Every aspect of life is controlled and subject to monitoring. All of the rules are stated clearly as per the Terms Of Service. Any form of individuality is strictly prohibited. Failure to comply will result in prompt punishment.
This story follows Kim, who works with artificial intelligence. Kim’s means are provided for by the Food Company, the Clothing company, etc. The world is neutral and the companies are nameless. The days of the week have been replaced with Oneday through Sevenday. Her daily commute is directed by instructions on a headset. A lot of her recreational outings are only virtual. Kim's bland, beige house is equipped with house robots to assist her and the appliances are also at her services. As the refrigerator prepares meals for Kim, she drinks herself into a daily sorrow. It’s almost that something is missing, such as the concept of free will.
The tone of this book is almost inhuman and makes you wonder if the protagonist is even a real person. However, Kim has always dreamed of working with a real AI since she was just a little girl. Her new job requires her to essentially birth and train an AI named Kimberly. The information on the project requires strict confidentiality and the training methods are selective. Only a small percentage of people are successfully admitted to the program. The Creators are also instructed how to terminate an AI if and when it goes mad or to rogue. Her new job comes with many costs and is not as good as she had envisioned.
The language that is spoken throughout is known as Panglobal but English is spoken at times. Saying the word I is considered rude behaviour and is not recommended. Children are only cared for by their mother until they are four years old. People don’t know their children or their parents. Words like mother and love have been phased out but still creep up from time to time.
The genders throughout the book are somewhat unclear, which I didn’t like because it made things confusing. I like the idea of making the genders equal. Imagine a world without race or gender. Although that might solve a lot of problems it suppresses originality. The term we is used throughout instead of the I pronoun and the word she is used when describing a male character. The characters can only engage in authorised matchmaking and any undocumented intimacy is considered a felony.
Kim and her best friend Shan have found themselves in trouble and will have to face serious consequences. Kim knew it was unwise to hang out with Shan, after all the trouble they had caused while they were at school, but that was so long ago. She hoped that maybe things had changed. In summary, we have the conflict of Kim trying to find happiness with herself and her career while trying to maintain her friendship turned relationship which happens to be forbidden.
I found this book really interesting and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read fictional books about the future. I really appreciated the author's style and imagination of this fictional world. This book was exceptionally well edited and had no errors. For these reasons I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. For anyone who enjoyed this book there is also a second book entitled The prophecy of the Heron.
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Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Would you want to live in a society where every aspect of your life is controlled? It seems unimaginable but if that’s all you knew, it wouldn’t seem that bad. In this story, society is quite different from what we know it today. Take a trip into the near distant future in a society made up of virtual reality and run by artificial intelligence. In Terms Of Service by Craig Stanfill, citizens live by a set of rules called the Terms of Service. It’s like having instructions on how to live. Every aspect of life is controlled and subject to monitoring. All of the rules are stated clearly as per the Terms Of Service. Any form of individuality is strictly prohibited. Failure to comply will result in prompt punishment.
This story follows Kim, who works with artificial intelligence. Kim’s means are provided for by the Food Company, the Clothing company, etc. The world is neutral and the companies are nameless. The days of the week have been replaced with Oneday through Sevenday. Her daily commute is directed by instructions on a headset. A lot of her recreational outings are only virtual. Kim's bland, beige house is equipped with house robots to assist her and the appliances are also at her services. As the refrigerator prepares meals for Kim, she drinks herself into a daily sorrow. It’s almost that something is missing, such as the concept of free will.
The tone of this book is almost inhuman and makes you wonder if the protagonist is even a real person. However, Kim has always dreamed of working with a real AI since she was just a little girl. Her new job requires her to essentially birth and train an AI named Kimberly. The information on the project requires strict confidentiality and the training methods are selective. Only a small percentage of people are successfully admitted to the program. The Creators are also instructed how to terminate an AI if and when it goes mad or to rogue. Her new job comes with many costs and is not as good as she had envisioned.
The language that is spoken throughout is known as Panglobal but English is spoken at times. Saying the word I is considered rude behaviour and is not recommended. Children are only cared for by their mother until they are four years old. People don’t know their children or their parents. Words like mother and love have been phased out but still creep up from time to time.
The genders throughout the book are somewhat unclear, which I didn’t like because it made things confusing. I like the idea of making the genders equal. Imagine a world without race or gender. Although that might solve a lot of problems it suppresses originality. The term we is used throughout instead of the I pronoun and the word she is used when describing a male character. The characters can only engage in authorised matchmaking and any undocumented intimacy is considered a felony.
Kim and her best friend Shan have found themselves in trouble and will have to face serious consequences. Kim knew it was unwise to hang out with Shan, after all the trouble they had caused while they were at school, but that was so long ago. She hoped that maybe things had changed. In summary, we have the conflict of Kim trying to find happiness with herself and her career while trying to maintain her friendship turned relationship which happens to be forbidden.
I found this book really interesting and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read fictional books about the future. I really appreciated the author's style and imagination of this fictional world. This book was exceptionally well edited and had no errors. For these reasons I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. For anyone who enjoyed this book there is also a second book entitled The prophecy of the Heron.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Stephanie Currie
Latest Review: A Killer Within by Rosemarie B. Smith
