Review of The dice of heretics
- Jason Axel
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- Latest Review: The dice of heretics by Andrew Jeong
Review of The dice of heretics
“I would rather the monarch oppress me than the legislators I elected mistreat and despise me.” Strong words from The Dice of Heretics by Andrew Jeong, a very different and complicated book, I must say. This is a book that really digs deep into a futuristic world with the domineering rise of advanced artificial intelligence called ASI (Artificial Superintelligence)—a world where machines replaced humans in almost everything: jobs, marriages (husbos and wibos). Somehow, this same world—Osmania, to be precise—is controlled by the powerful, wealthy elite, like the “Golden Hand” and the “Midas Club,” all under the influence of the mighty Ludovico brothers, who are the major reason for the suffering of the Osamnian people for years, especially in the Lazaro Reservoir. In Osmania's Village of Grace (similar to Cyber Kaan's District 4), the elites stay and enjoy all the benefits of the growing economy at the expense of the poor.
The narrative is complicated as it starts with Samdick, an engineer who accidentally changes a robot's circuit programming, giving it emotions. The effects ripple across ASI networks, and this is exactly what these robots were never meant to learn—emotions. This fundamentally alters their perception of humans. Then comes a strange scene where an ASI robot communicates with a queen ant, opening a scenario where the ASI views humans’ evolutionary journey as a misguided sense of superiority over nature. It decides to honor the queen ant by attempting to wipe out humans through waves that disrupt reproductive cells and cause humans to lose much of their emotions.
We then get to see Sebastian’s story, a disillusioned worker at a telecom company in Osmania and a former rising political figure in Blantos. After experiencing firsthand a Metalian brutally harming a fellow human, he forms a union—more like a rebellion—together with Layton, Akibos, Sergey, and Pariento. Their goal is to get rid of the hardships in Osmania, diminish the rise of ASI research and intelligence, and take down the wealthy elites like the Ludovico brothers, who are the root cause of Osmania’s corruption. This seems like an impossible task for ordinary folks residing in the Lazaro Reservoir. What will come out of their efforts? To find out, you’ll have to read this book.
I liked this book for its unique themes, such as the ASI robots, the Metapols, and the Metalians, who serve as wives and husbands to humans. That scary air, too, where they listen to all your information and pass it on to the government, really makes you feel the lack of safety and freedom in this world. Nobody is safe, and freedom of speech or the right to fight for justice is non-existent. The book also does a great job portraying a society with a huge wealth divide, where the poor suffer while the elite benefit at their expense. It was so bad that the poor districts, especially the Lazaro Reservoir, whose residents were willing to return to a monarchy—which they once fought against—rather than endure the harsh treatment of their elected representatives. I felt really touched by this aspect, as it reflects the reality of nations today that subject their citizens to poverty for the benefit of the elite. I liked Sebastian as a character and appreciated the effort the author put into creating a complex world.
However, there were significant issues. I had many dislikes about the book. The characters, besides Sebastian, failed to live up to their potential and didn’t feel realistic. Despite how feared and powerful the Ludovico brothers were portrayed to be, I never felt that fear while reading their scenes. The book is also stuffed with too much information at every corner, making it hard to follow and dragging the pace. It took me a long time to finish because of this. I understand the author’s aim to write a detailed story, but overloading it with information made it more boring and confusing. Characters were sometimes introduced in a way that left me disoriented. The ASI robots' narrative was another disappointment. I expected more from that plotline, but it felt like humans were still pulling the strings behind them, missing an opportunity for a more interesting story. And the ending? Homo Massa had so much potential, but it wasn’t developed properly.
Regarding professional editing, I noticed many errors in the book. While they didn’t significantly affect the flow of reading, they were still noticeable. Based on this, I would say the book was not professionally edited.
Overall, this book has strong themes and some interesting elements that readers will enjoy. However, its shortcomings in characterization and plot development hold it back. I would rate it 2 out of 4 stars, with my mentioned dislikes and editing issues being the reasons for deducting two stars. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories about the evils of bad governance and the devastating effects of poverty and inequality. It also offers some interesting ideas for those curious about a futuristic world dominated by advanced artificial intelligence.
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The dice of heretics
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