Review of Brian, Created Intelligence
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Kathryn Spinner
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- Latest Review: Brian, Created Intelligence by AJ Pagan IV
Review of Brian, Created Intelligence
[Following is a volunteer review of "Brian, Created Intelligence" by AJ Pagan IV.]
“Brian, Created Intelligence” by AJ Pagen IV is a futuristic/science fiction novel published in November of 2022. The story takes place in the year 2047, when Dipol, a biotechnical company in San Diego California, begins the unthinkable task of creating a human brain from scratch. The story introduces the protagonists Dr. Ellie Parsons, a genetic engineer, and Tom Marshall, a neuroscientist. They battle unforeseen conflicts of ethics; while also making sure their creation does not fall into the wrong hands.
A clear theme of this story is the ethical question of whether it is moral to create a genetically created brain, also known as “Project Redeye” or “Brian” for Ellie and Tom and have it been made to do human bidding. Is it worth the life of one conscious brain to save millions of people? It is to create a conscious “life” but enslave it to do only what others instruct it to do. If this brain is conscious, is it considered human, even without a body? Several of these ideas are challenged throughout the story, slowly being discovered as the protagonists realize they may have gone too far in pursuing knowledge. This futuristic setting poses a question of how our future could turn out, and the possible issues the world could face if such technology were possible.
The two characters I grew to enjoy were Ellie and Tom. Ellie has this super energetic, fiery energy of passion and commitment. She loves what she does, and the author makes it clear throughout the story. Her shifting emotions and thoughts can be relatable to similar-minded people, as they could change in a second, highlighting a very realistic person with real feelings. Her motivation at first was the challenge of creating a brain from scratch and using it for science to help the world. Throughout the book, however, it shifts after she develops a relationship with Brian and then takes the role of his protector.
Tom was on the opposite side, being very calm and rational. He complimented Ellie well by keeping her in check, being honest, and being there for her no matter what happened. He was similarly motivated to Ellie, but as the book progressed, Tom’s feelings changed once he discovered how much Brian meant to Ellie and protected this relationship she had with their project.
The author’s writing style jumps from character to character several times throughout a single chapter, giving rare indications when the point of view changes. This at times was confusing and I would have preferred a more noticeable shift to allow my brain to switch perspectives. I did not come across any grammar issues or typos. The author's writing felt like it had several eyes on it before it was published, granting it a more polished feel when I read it. In the author’s third person viewpoint, the writing offers details of surroundings, feelings, and analogies. There are parts of the writing that were a bit confusing, but that will be addressed later in this review. The author uses a lot of scientific terms that are explained naturally well throughout the book, but there were times when the words seemed to swim across the page. The writing affected my reading experience by allowing me to get into this futuristic environment, the author adds details of evolved technology throughout, which convinced me of this created future.
Here is a list of my added thoughts throughout the book:
1. Some character development was very well dispersed, while some characters like Jonathan Volt and Ellie’s dad Bruce felt rushed and did not develop smoothly. I wish Volt’s character were more present, especially giving more backstory to his background adding reason for his future actions throughout the book. Additionally, I felt his actions and verbal interactions with Ellie did not make the most sense. There needed to be more of a reason than was presented. However, the reasons behind Volt’s actions against Ellie could open more of his backstory and illustrate his character, but I did not find it once I finished the book.
2. I have similar thoughts on Bruce’s character, his personality was made up on the spot and used as a convenience. Like Volt, I wish Bruce were more present or at least given some more airtime and explanation/ history for his actions during the book.
3. There was a decent amount of profanity. The use of it was justified most of the time, but I believe if overused, it ruins the impact it gives, especially if repeated several times in a brief period, which happened a few times. However, I do agree with its use when it comes to Ellie and Jonathan, due to their personalities and how it made sense for their characters. Tom’s rare use of it gives more meaning, his character is rational and tends to illustrate a father-like energy, especially towards Ellie.
Out of 5, I would give it a 4/5 rating. I did enjoy this read. It was fun, energetic, relatable to current times, and had interesting messages. I have talked about it to friends, giving them positive feedback about the book. I would be interested in reading other works written by this author in the future.
******
Brian, Created Intelligence
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“Brian, Created Intelligence” by AJ Pagen IV is a futuristic/science fiction novel published in November of 2022. The story takes place in the year 2047, when Dipol, a biotechnical company in San Diego California, begins the unthinkable task of creating a human brain from scratch. The story introduces the protagonists Dr. Ellie Parsons, a genetic engineer, and Tom Marshall, a neuroscientist. They battle unforeseen conflicts of ethics; while also making sure their creation does not fall into the wrong hands.
A clear theme of this story is the ethical question of whether it is moral to create a genetically created brain, also known as “Project Redeye” or “Brian” for Ellie and Tom and have it been made to do human bidding. Is it worth the life of one conscious brain to save millions of people? It is to create a conscious “life” but enslave it to do only what others instruct it to do. If this brain is conscious, is it considered human, even without a body? Several of these ideas are challenged throughout the story, slowly being discovered as the protagonists realize they may have gone too far in pursuing knowledge. This futuristic setting poses a question of how our future could turn out, and the possible issues the world could face if such technology were possible.
The two characters I grew to enjoy were Ellie and Tom. Ellie has this super energetic, fiery energy of passion and commitment. She loves what she does, and the author makes it clear throughout the story. Her shifting emotions and thoughts can be relatable to similar-minded people, as they could change in a second, highlighting a very realistic person with real feelings. Her motivation at first was the challenge of creating a brain from scratch and using it for science to help the world. Throughout the book, however, it shifts after she develops a relationship with Brian and then takes the role of his protector.
Tom was on the opposite side, being very calm and rational. He complimented Ellie well by keeping her in check, being honest, and being there for her no matter what happened. He was similarly motivated to Ellie, but as the book progressed, Tom’s feelings changed once he discovered how much Brian meant to Ellie and protected this relationship she had with their project.
The author’s writing style jumps from character to character several times throughout a single chapter, giving rare indications when the point of view changes. This at times was confusing and I would have preferred a more noticeable shift to allow my brain to switch perspectives. I did not come across any grammar issues or typos. The author's writing felt like it had several eyes on it before it was published, granting it a more polished feel when I read it. In the author’s third person viewpoint, the writing offers details of surroundings, feelings, and analogies. There are parts of the writing that were a bit confusing, but that will be addressed later in this review. The author uses a lot of scientific terms that are explained naturally well throughout the book, but there were times when the words seemed to swim across the page. The writing affected my reading experience by allowing me to get into this futuristic environment, the author adds details of evolved technology throughout, which convinced me of this created future.
Here is a list of my added thoughts throughout the book:
1. Some character development was very well dispersed, while some characters like Jonathan Volt and Ellie’s dad Bruce felt rushed and did not develop smoothly. I wish Volt’s character were more present, especially giving more backstory to his background adding reason for his future actions throughout the book. Additionally, I felt his actions and verbal interactions with Ellie did not make the most sense. There needed to be more of a reason than was presented. However, the reasons behind Volt’s actions against Ellie could open more of his backstory and illustrate his character, but I did not find it once I finished the book.
2. I have similar thoughts on Bruce’s character, his personality was made up on the spot and used as a convenience. Like Volt, I wish Bruce were more present or at least given some more airtime and explanation/ history for his actions during the book.
3. There was a decent amount of profanity. The use of it was justified most of the time, but I believe if overused, it ruins the impact it gives, especially if repeated several times in a brief period, which happened a few times. However, I do agree with its use when it comes to Ellie and Jonathan, due to their personalities and how it made sense for their characters. Tom’s rare use of it gives more meaning, his character is rational and tends to illustrate a father-like energy, especially towards Ellie.
Out of 5, I would give it a 4/5 rating. I did enjoy this read. It was fun, energetic, relatable to current times, and had interesting messages. I have talked about it to friends, giving them positive feedback about the book. I would be interested in reading other works written by this author in the future.
******
Brian, Created Intelligence
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Brian, Created Intelligence by AJ Pagan IV
