Review by Emmacinderclaw -- Tulip by Raymond Reed Hardy

[Emmacinderclaw]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Tulip" by Raymond Reed Hardy.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The book Tulip, written by Raymond Reed Hardy, takes place in a technologically advanced future where cars can safely drive themselves and artificial intelligence is being improved to the point where computers can become self-aware. Readers follow the main characters Tulip, an AI created by a team of researchers, and Reed, an aging psychologist, as Tulip sets out on a mission to experience human emotions in order to save humanity from the dangers of both itself and other “waking” AI’s. Throughout the novel, readers are taken on a thought-provoking journey as they, alongside Tulip and Reed, question what it means to truly be human.

I found that I really enjoyed reading Tulip, as it offered a unique, refreshing change-of-pace to other novels. Instead of being written in a combination of narratives and dialogues, the book consists only of the characters talking to each other. This was really interesting, especially since Hardy managed to write in a way that the reader always knew the setting of a scene just by following along the dialogues. Conveying many different types of scenes through dialogue is a unique challenge, and I loved that Hardy was able to do so without leaving the reader wondering what was going on.

However, one thing to note about the novel is that it includes a lot of in-depth psychological thoughts, which can be difficult to follow along with at times, especially if one doesn’t have much knowledge about the subject. Fortunately for me, I had recently completed a psychology course and was familiar with most of the topics Hardy discussed. People less acquainted with psychology, on the other hand, might struggle to understand large portions of the book. Despite this, anyone willing to do some research and carefully follow the dialogues should still enjoy the novel. That being said, I enjoyed the psychological aspects to the book, as they really helped to shed light on subjects such as the development of emotions in humans.

Another aspect of the novel I enjoyed was Tulip herself. Throughout the novel, the reader really has the chance to witness Tulip grow from a strictly rational artificial intelligence into a witty, more emotional person. I found it especially interesting to consider which parts of Tulip had been written into her code and which parts she had created for herself, as throughout all of the ups and downs of the book, Tulip maintains one mission—to keep humanity safe from all dangers, including both other AI’s and humanity itself. While a part of this mission was certainly ingrained into her being, I thought that as the book progressed, she also wanted to save humanity simply for her love of it.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. At times it was funny, at times it was serious, but at all times it was thoroughly enjoyable. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with some knowledge of psychology and an interest in science fiction. However, I don’t think this book would be a good match for those not interested in the field of psychology.

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Tulip
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[AvidBibliophile]

Thank you so much for providing this detailed and helpful review! The psychologically-linked aspect of the tale is certainly intriguing, especially when added to the futuristic horizons of the intelligent forms presented within. I’ll have to check it out!

[David+Hubbell]

This sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for an excellent review.