1 out of 4 stars
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What if the greatest leaders were simply following orders from a computer? All possible actions and outcomes run through an algorithm and the best course of action spit out with minimal error. A perfect world, right? Maybe… but also a very dangerous one. Chip’s World: Complex #31 and The Caretaker by Thomas Hill explores this reality through the eyes of Dean, an iron-clad computer programmer who discovers the dark side of computer technology.
The year is 2341. Robots have turned on their human creators and taken over Earth’s surface, forcing humanity into underground settlements. Dean Haggerty grew up amid war in the underground settlement of Chicallas, where he now works as one of the top computer programmers at the Cyber Network and Technology Agency (CYNATA). The only problem is that, for an expert hacker, top secret information is easy to come by. Information that others would do anything to keep secret. Following a data breach, Dean is reassigned to the uninhabited Complex #31, an outpost as far north as the underground trains will travel. Out of reach from his wife and son, he must assume the role of caretaker and maintain the otherwise empty complex. Five years in isolation seems unimaginable, until Dean unearths top secret information that the CYNATA executives will do anything to keep secret.
Thomas Hill has an art for creating believable stories. He weaves enough thorough background information into the narrative for the reader to make sense of the scenes and history. He also has a talent for painting scenery, often providing vivid descriptions of the world he created.
While the concept of this book had promise, the execution left me longing for more. I found that many of the characters lacked personality, emotion and depth, which often made it difficult to relate to them. Portions of the dialogue flow smoothly, but there were many sections where it was obvious the author was unsure how to continue. This led to many half-finished conversations and choppy dialogue that was difficult to read and comprehend.
I also found that many of the scenarios presented in this story seemed unrealistic; from easily agreeing with rivals to experiencing a major injury and appearing to forget about it for the rest of the novel. There were instances of major lifechanging events that the characters simply shrugged off without a second thought. One of the main things I found difficult to believe was that Dean, before he was sent to Complex #31, had a wife and son he loved very much but were rarely mentioned during his time in isolation. This seemed like a prime opportunity for Hill to build emotional depth into his characters, but it was unfortunately missed.
Further, the extent of grammatical and spelling errors suggest that this book was not professionally edited. In many instances, these errors interrupted the flow of the story and made some sections nearly incomprehensible.
Overall, while I enjoyed the concept of this story, the expansive number of errors and complete lack of emotion made this book a difficult read. It is because of this that I rate this book 1 out of 4 stars. I would only recommend this book to anyone interested in futuristic sci-fi novels who does not mind reading through errors. Also, due to the descriptions of gore and adult content I would not recommend this book for younger readers.
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Chip’s World: Complex #31 and The Caretaker
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