Review of Terms of Service
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Henry Patrovic
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- Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
The science fiction novel “Terms of Service” by Craig W. Stanfill takes place in a dystopian future where every aspect of life is surveilled by artificial intelligence (AI) and controlled by companies. They decide how people are raised, what they are supposed to like, and who they have sex with. The story follows Kim, a worker at The Artificial Intelligence Company, who is tasked with training AIs. She does what she is told and doesn’t break the rules despite how unfair they seem. Her life isn’t bad but she also isn’t happy. Something is missing, something that she drowns out with alcohol and sex. But then, one small incident occurs and her whole life gets thrown into disarray. She is finally exposed to the cruel corruption of the system and discovers how AIs are used to suppress any opposition.
This book does many things right but the first aspect I want to mention is the world-building. It is fascinating. I have read a lot of dystopian stories but the portrayal of the world in this one blew me away. It delves into many parts of life and shows how they have been twisted by this corrupt system. The language immediately comes to mind. The use of the word “I” is strongly frowned upon. This is because it implies the uniqueness of the person using it, which is inherently selfish. But the wrongness does not stop there. Children are separated from their parents to stop an emotional connection from forming. Such a bond is considered selfish, as the parent claims ownership of the child, and becomes the most important person in their life. These are just a few examples touched upon in this book. We get a clear sense of how the society operates and what its ideology is. The attention to detail is impressive. Seeing how much thought and effort was put into the creation of this novel is heartwarming.
The characters are also a strength of the book. There are not too many important ones, with Kim being the main focus of the story. She represents an average citizen living in this dystopian society and lets us understand the day-to-day life. Her job is a great way to look behind the scenes. It shows how AIs operate and how they surveil everything that happens. Kim has a couple of friends that are used to show how the society treats different people. For example, Shan is curious and prone to misbehave. Those traits are not appreciated by the society which is why she is thrown from the academy and transferred to a minor position in a remote city.
This novel is an amazing read. That is why I give it five out of five stars. The world is phenomenally thought out and presented. It immersed me in the story and made me sympathize with the characters. I have not found any negatives about this book, not even grammatical errors.
If you enjoy dystopian fantasies then you will love this book. Action fans, on the other hand, will be disappointed. The novel focuses on the emotions of Kim and does not contain any fight scenes. It strongly reminds me of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.
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Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
The science fiction novel “Terms of Service” by Craig W. Stanfill takes place in a dystopian future where every aspect of life is surveilled by artificial intelligence (AI) and controlled by companies. They decide how people are raised, what they are supposed to like, and who they have sex with. The story follows Kim, a worker at The Artificial Intelligence Company, who is tasked with training AIs. She does what she is told and doesn’t break the rules despite how unfair they seem. Her life isn’t bad but she also isn’t happy. Something is missing, something that she drowns out with alcohol and sex. But then, one small incident occurs and her whole life gets thrown into disarray. She is finally exposed to the cruel corruption of the system and discovers how AIs are used to suppress any opposition.
This book does many things right but the first aspect I want to mention is the world-building. It is fascinating. I have read a lot of dystopian stories but the portrayal of the world in this one blew me away. It delves into many parts of life and shows how they have been twisted by this corrupt system. The language immediately comes to mind. The use of the word “I” is strongly frowned upon. This is because it implies the uniqueness of the person using it, which is inherently selfish. But the wrongness does not stop there. Children are separated from their parents to stop an emotional connection from forming. Such a bond is considered selfish, as the parent claims ownership of the child, and becomes the most important person in their life. These are just a few examples touched upon in this book. We get a clear sense of how the society operates and what its ideology is. The attention to detail is impressive. Seeing how much thought and effort was put into the creation of this novel is heartwarming.
The characters are also a strength of the book. There are not too many important ones, with Kim being the main focus of the story. She represents an average citizen living in this dystopian society and lets us understand the day-to-day life. Her job is a great way to look behind the scenes. It shows how AIs operate and how they surveil everything that happens. Kim has a couple of friends that are used to show how the society treats different people. For example, Shan is curious and prone to misbehave. Those traits are not appreciated by the society which is why she is thrown from the academy and transferred to a minor position in a remote city.
This novel is an amazing read. That is why I give it five out of five stars. The world is phenomenally thought out and presented. It immersed me in the story and made me sympathize with the characters. I have not found any negatives about this book, not even grammatical errors.
If you enjoy dystopian fantasies then you will love this book. Action fans, on the other hand, will be disappointed. The novel focuses on the emotions of Kim and does not contain any fight scenes. It strongly reminds me of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
