Review of Terms of Service
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chloe bear
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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.]
With the world-building of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time and the thought-provoking premise of a Black Mirror episode, Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill explores a world dominated by AI and virtual reality through Kim's eyes. They control every detail of her life, including what she eats, the pale gender-neutral clothing she wears, and the companions she spends time with. Kim works at the prestigious Artificial Intelligence Company, hoping to rise to the ranks to train Order Four AIs. However, after she and her friend Shan explore the boundaries of their community, the supposed utopian world sows seeds of discontent in Kim, and she wants to break free from the mediocrity of her life.
Craig W. Stanfill took a subject as complicated as AI and technology and created an immersive experience for the reader. Kim bounced between reality and virtual worlds - each world being perceivable and recognizable. Even though this world and its characters were driven by uniformity and monotony, each character had a defined personality. Even Kim's AI version of herself, Kimberly, had a distinct personality, and I never confused the two characters. The author even put pronouns into consideration when building this world. Though confusing at first, these details and other scenes that I felt were unnecessary later revealed their purpose as the story developed.
The protagonist, Kim, is complicated and relatable, haunted by memories of her mother that are familiar yet foreign. Drug and alcohol use are her coping mechanisms for quieting the constant noise in her head, which ended up leading to an epiphany that changes the course of her life. These kinds of flaws made her realistic. Her drive to gain control of her life motivated me to root for her throughout the story.
That being said, the dialogue and choice of words felt awkward. The tone of the book reflects a young adult audience; however, there were intimate scenes that were more mature in nature. However, this did not deter me enough to put down the book.
Out of all the science fiction books I've read, this particular story stands out. The stereotype behind the science fiction genre is the constant frustration of being unable to understand difficult terms and confusing world-building. Terms of Service breaks the stereotype masterfully. For that reason, I rate Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill 5 out of 5 stars.
Fans of science fiction and dystopian novels are the target audience for this book. It left the reader thinking about the impact technology has on the world and its future implications. Though we may think we have control over something we created, it can easily become our master under the facade of a utopia. Gender identity and individuality are powerful themes that will resonate with every reader of this book. Every aspect of this story was detailed and deliberate, which was not left unnoticed.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
With the world-building of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time and the thought-provoking premise of a Black Mirror episode, Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill explores a world dominated by AI and virtual reality through Kim's eyes. They control every detail of her life, including what she eats, the pale gender-neutral clothing she wears, and the companions she spends time with. Kim works at the prestigious Artificial Intelligence Company, hoping to rise to the ranks to train Order Four AIs. However, after she and her friend Shan explore the boundaries of their community, the supposed utopian world sows seeds of discontent in Kim, and she wants to break free from the mediocrity of her life.
Craig W. Stanfill took a subject as complicated as AI and technology and created an immersive experience for the reader. Kim bounced between reality and virtual worlds - each world being perceivable and recognizable. Even though this world and its characters were driven by uniformity and monotony, each character had a defined personality. Even Kim's AI version of herself, Kimberly, had a distinct personality, and I never confused the two characters. The author even put pronouns into consideration when building this world. Though confusing at first, these details and other scenes that I felt were unnecessary later revealed their purpose as the story developed.
The protagonist, Kim, is complicated and relatable, haunted by memories of her mother that are familiar yet foreign. Drug and alcohol use are her coping mechanisms for quieting the constant noise in her head, which ended up leading to an epiphany that changes the course of her life. These kinds of flaws made her realistic. Her drive to gain control of her life motivated me to root for her throughout the story.
That being said, the dialogue and choice of words felt awkward. The tone of the book reflects a young adult audience; however, there were intimate scenes that were more mature in nature. However, this did not deter me enough to put down the book.
Out of all the science fiction books I've read, this particular story stands out. The stereotype behind the science fiction genre is the constant frustration of being unable to understand difficult terms and confusing world-building. Terms of Service breaks the stereotype masterfully. For that reason, I rate Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill 5 out of 5 stars.
Fans of science fiction and dystopian novels are the target audience for this book. It left the reader thinking about the impact technology has on the world and its future implications. Though we may think we have control over something we created, it can easily become our master under the facade of a utopia. Gender identity and individuality are powerful themes that will resonate with every reader of this book. Every aspect of this story was detailed and deliberate, which was not left unnoticed.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
