Review of Terms of Service

[Agang Bongani Mkwananzi]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is a sci-fi novel about a world that has been fully integrated with artificial intelligence. Specifically, the book is about the life of an artificial intelligence enthusiast, Kim, who is not fulfilled with her life that is now based on a system and lacks a spontaneous touch. Her best friend, Shany, visits her after years of not seeing each other. Shany brings excitement back to Kim’s monotonous life, like helping her find love, which is something Kim has lost hope in. Kim's efforts land her in legal trouble because she is no longer a part of the artificial intelligence system. She eventually stumbles into the deeper roots of artificial intelligence's leadership of society.

I loved how the author described the world of Kim. He manages to bring alive the future that our world is heading toward as artificial intelligence technology is slowly becoming fully integrated into our daily lives. In a way, you can see the amount of passion and knowledge that the author has about technology. It's like a novel written by an expert on the subject, and it feels like no other author, even the best, could have written it better.

The neutrality of the world painted by the author was a brilliant touch. Companies did not have names, and days became numbers such as Oneday, Twoday, all the way up to seven day. Companies evolved into the food company, the transportation company, and so on. This aspect is very unusual in fictional writing, and it is a pleasure to see it. I also loved the sarcastic humor of the characters. It made an intense situation lighter and made the reading process spontaneously fun. More than everything, I love the moral of the story and the authenticity. The use of drugs and sexual behavior were excellent ways to imagine how humanity would cope with such a monotonous way of life governed by artificial intelligence.

However, the author could have done better with the ending of the story, unless he has a sequel coming up. The book was well edited, because I found no grammatical or spelling errors. I recommend the book to lovers of science fiction and technology enthusiasts. I discourage readers under the age of 18 from reading the book because of the graphic depiction of sex scenes and drug use. It is a thought-provoking read for mature audiences. I give the book a rating of 4 out of 5.

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Terms of Service
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