The Last Invention The Day Death Died by Diane Lilli; Echoes of Resilience: Stories to Inspire by Nabraj Lama; Cooee Baby by Charles Moberly

 The Last Invention The Day Death Died by Diane Lilli; Echoes of Resilience: Stories to Inspire by Nabraj Lama; Cooee Baby by Charles Moberly 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

The Last Invention: The Day Death Died by Diane Lilli 

This is a short review. The full review is on LitPick.

The Last Invention is a sharp and brilliant commentary on the overabundance of technology and the potential sentience of AI. It is also an insightful and compelling character study about two sisters dealing with grief and loss while exploring their different experiences with and views on the AI. 

In the near future, MetaX Tech Guru Clive presents the first sentient AI that creates a virtual world that is as close to the real one as possible. For now, Clive needs some human guinea pigs to test and enter into the AI. One of the testers is Amanda Carducci. Amanda's son, Dylan has died and she suffers from intense grief. She quickly signs up if it means reuniting with Dylan in the AI world and shutting out the real one. Amanda's activist sister, Emily, however is outside the system trying to uncover the ulterior motives and potential harm that this new technology will bring. One sister embraces the virtual world while the other tries to save her and bring her back to the real one.

It definitely is a Science Fiction dystopian novel that says just as much about our times as it does about the near future. Clive is clearly meant to be a composite of Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and especially Elon Musk, tech CEOs with a lot of money, a lot of intelligence, and a lot of ego. 

The Last Invention gives us two sisters who represent the different sides of the AI vs. Real debate. Emily represents the real world. Emily worries about the docile addicted shell that her sister is turning into and the physical torture that her body is going through. She sees that this isn't just happening to Amanda. It's happening all over. She's on the outside choosing to live a life of reality and wants to free her sister from her passive accepting prison.

Amanda represents the AI and is understandable within her grief. Who wouldn't want a do over and have a deceased loved one back, even if they aren't a completely real one? Who wouldn't want to live a better life of one's choosing? It may not be a full life but it is one that provides soothing comfort and an escape.

 It's this fascinating dichotomy in which different perspectives are given equal time that make this book memorable. It asks difficult questions about when AI hits will you submit to it or fight against it?

Echoes of Resilience: Stories to Inspire by Nabraj Lama 

Nabraj Lama’s book Echoes of Resilience: Stories to Inspire, is an inspirational book filled with stories to encourage Readers to work hard, prepare, be innovative, help others, and use their gifts wisely to achieve not only outward success but personal happiness.

Each story follows the same pattern: One page gives us the moral or main lesson. The next page features a short five paragraph story about someone faced with some sort of conflict, how they dealt with that problem by displaying or not displaying certain virtues and then what the results were.

One example is “Learning from the past is the beginning; applying it to shape the future is the goal.” Lama then penned a story about a wise man who was known for his sage advice and recall of the village’s history. He was challenged by a local boy about why he didn't use his wisdom to help fix current problems concerning the village now. 

The wise man changed his outlook and became more proactive towards current issues. The lesson is while it's great to study and learn about the past and research information, it's more important to use that vast knowledge to address the world around you.

Many of the stories are about people who struggled with their scholastic or career pursuits. One called “Challenge your past and prepare for your future.” A junior drafter was upset about his stagnating career. A life coach advised him to improve on what he did yesterday. The drafter focused on enhancing his daily work, improving his skills, and becoming more organized. 

Eventually, the drafter improved his position and received accolades from his employers and peers. The takeaway is there is always room for improvement and one must be humble enough to recognize those spots and work towards fixing them.

Some of these stories are similar to fairy tales because they feature two characters, one who follows a good path and the other who doesn't with the former being successful and the latter being met with misfortune. 

One such story has the lesson of “Build your identity on your own aspirations, not on societal expectations.” One of a pair of brothers embraced the conventional path forced on him by his community and family. The other was often misunderstood and seen as rebellious. He had a unique vision and his own aspirations. 

The conventional son lived a solid life but always chose the safe path, never standing out. The iconoclastic son studied in a specialized field and explored innovative ways, enhancing his unique interests. His dedication led to success not just within his community but within the nation. While convention has its merits, sometimes one has to take risks and do something different to make their mark.

Sometimes the stories don't have a happy ending. They aren't depressing in that the experience that the protagonist faced was a learning one and they can use that lesson to make better decisions in the future. But they are faced with disappointments and setbacks all the same. 

One story begins with “Avoid dwelling on trivialities to the extent that you lose sight of what's truly important.” It tells of an art master at a prestigious institution who was noted as a great instructor who inspired students to embrace their creativity. Overtime, he became absorbed in the inconsequential details of the school like itemizing expenses, managing staff behaviors, and handling administrative tasks, things that he could have delegated to others. 

Because of this, the instructor's teaching suffered and the quality of his instruction diminished. The board, noticing the decline in his teaching and classroom size, relieved him of his duties. The message is not to absorb oneself with mundane tasks that take away from the main one. Trust others to do them and keep focused.

In a true example of “experience being its own teacher,” Lama himself has a story of his own in a chapter called “Ordinary efforts do not yield extraordinary results.” Lama explained how he worked on his manuscript for years. He edited and rejected his book and received nothing but rejection. Undaunted, he sought advice from other authors, colleagues, peers, writer's guides, and Readers. He took their advice and made his writing clear and precise. 

Lama wrote articles on the Internet and received different perspectives that gave him a sharper focus on his work. Within two months, Lama's book had greatly improved with collective wisdom and a refined purpose. The publishers recognized the effort and the book was accepted. This story reminds us to never be afraid to reach out and ask for advice, even refine our approach and voice, to truly make a lasting impact and success.

Echoes of Resilience is a lovely and compassionate book that reminds us that everyone has a story in which they struggled. They may have succeeded and they might not have. But they always learned something.

Cooee Baby by Charles Moberly 

Cooee Baby by Charles Moberly is an intriguing captivating book about a protagonist who thinks that she knows everything until she is put into a situation where she realizes that she knows absolutely nothing.

Awhina Fernandez, who sometimes goes by the name Athena, is a woman of great intelligence, plenty to say, and a large ego. She does not get along with her indifferent father and her intrusive mother, the latter of whom she calls, “The T-Rex.” She's a Cambridge student who majors in astrophysics. After graduation and before she begins her PhD studies, Awhina goes with her mother on a cruise around Indonesia and is cast asea during a diving mishap in the Straits of Sundabang. She finds herself stranded in West Papua and is caught in between two warring tribes, the Walukek and Suamu. She has to find the inner strength and resilience to survive in a world where her intelligence and education don't mean anything. 

Cooee Baby has an interesting premise with a protagonist who is not always likeable. Awhina is the worst kind of academic who is fixated, insufferable, and extremely arrogant. 

While a student, she brags about her arguments with her professors where she insists that she's right and everyone else is an idiot. She has self-deprecating moments concerning her name which is often mispronounced and her appearance which some think of as Polynesian and makes her stand out. She sets herself higher than everyone around her so she has few friends and lovers. She insults everyone around her in a way that is not self-aware but is instead ingratiating.

 Granted, Awhina is diagnosed with Asperger's and she marks the symptoms point by point but it doesn't help make her beyond a character sketch of those symptoms without giving her depth beyond them. At times, this Reader wanted her to shut up.

Awhina comes into her own when she is stranded in West Papua. There are comic scenes where since she doesn't speak the language, she uses cultural references and a variety of movements like the haka to communicate with the tribes. She displays some creativity and survival instincts to think on her feet. She bonds with many of the people on the island such as a visiting anthropologist and a female villager, the latter of whom almost becomes a love interest.

Awhina also becomes aware that her actions have consequences. She plays the part of a mythological figure from their legends and gets off on their worship and obedience to her every word. She is told that this is a dangerous move because they might respect her when things are great but will turn against her when things go wrong. She pays no heed to that warning until it happens and she is put into danger. It becomes a huge blow to an ego that needed to get a little bruised before she learned something. It is through this experience that she becomes a better, more enlightened person who learns through failure as much as success.

The ending somewhat drags as Awhina deals with the instant fame that her story brings. At times, she falls back to some of her earlier character flaws but she also acts as a bridge between the person that she was to the person that she becomes.

There's Something Weird Going On: Ten Existentialist Science Fiction Stories by ego_bot; Science Fiction Stories Reflect Tropes and Human Condition

There's Something Weird Going On: Ten Existentialist Science Fiction Stories by ego_bot; Science Fiction Stories Reflect Tropes and Human Condition 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: There is very little information that I can find about ego_bot, the author of the Science Fiction anthology, There's Something Weird Going On: Ten Existentialist Science Fiction Stories. All that I have found is that he is human and in this day and age that is not always a certainty with AI being able to reproduce the arts. 

He is also very private with very few details available online. Somehow the scant information on him adds to the overall eeriness of this anthology’s tone. It also plays into many of the book’s themes, particularly about the contrast between artificial intelligence and human experience. The book is about technology, space travel, the cosmos, simulated reality, colonization, social media, AI, love, family, tyranny, faith, rebellion, creativity, and what it means to exist. It's a wonderful anthology that does what all good Science Fiction does: uses Science Fiction concepts to comment on our current world state 

The stories are all wonderful but the best are:

“Parable for the Lovelorn”-This beautiful descriptive story about intergalactic travel and the nature of love puts you in the driver’s seat, literally. The story is in second person addressing the Reader and putting them on this fantastic journey to a distant planet filled with lush forests, cobblestone walkways, gorgeous waterfalls, and a wise friendly guide named Nath. Nath once lived on Earth and spent some time in Ancient Egypt. She gives the Protagonist/Reader a few words about love, the concept of soulmates, and the nature of existence in a vast Universe. 

This story is like a conversation with a wise guru as Nath’s words prove to be contemplative and meditative, making one think and feel. Since we aren’t given any details over who the person is that Nath is speaking to, the Reader can insert their own previous broken relationships and bad experiences making the story very personal but also universal. It is simultaneously about anyone and everyone. 

“Idle Eyes”-Many of these stories have fun with multiple narratives and this story is the most inventive for its points of view. It alternates between an Employee Instructional video for Ethitech Solutions’ newest Cognitive Systems Technician and various moments in the life of an unnamed protagonist who discovers that his life isn’t what he thought that it was. 

The technician’s job is to facilitate emotional intelligence into Ethitech Solutions’s social viability software and run the simulated reality of a customer’s consciousness. The Protagonist’s quest for answers runs counter to and overlaps with the Technician’s video in interesting ways.

The multiple narrative style puts us ahead of the Protagonist so we have at least some idea, if not a perfect understanding of the whole picture, before he does. The video’s descriptions give a wry commentary on the Protagonist’s life by predicting what will happen to him. For example, the video talks about other people in a customer’s life who are simply code or just there to provide atmosphere for the customer’s experience. This is revealed before the Protagonist meets Ricardo, a man who could be the love of his life. It is both amusing and heartbreaking to read about this man’s whole life including interests, romances, friendships, occupation, hobbies, and free time that are planned to the last detail. 

The quest for the Protagonist’s existence culminates in him experimenting with drugs, meditation, dream therapy and other sources. This is also predicted by the video as something that would be a fluke problem but isn’t worth worrying about. That is until it is.

“Mom's Message” -Despite the constant presence of technology, space travel, and other Science Fiction tropes, these stories never lose sight of the human element. This short story is a good example of interesting characters living in a futuristic world. Minnie recounts her relationship with her loving but intrusive mother over Konvo, an outdated app as compared to Holorift which is the latest in Social Media technology.

This novella provides the world of the 2050’s as a backdrop to comment on the constant use of social media. Holorift is connected to people’s brain waves and through visors. Working from home is the norm and working outside is the oddity, unlike the opposite in real life. People like Minnie invest their time in Sims-like games which hover close to reality. Since people live, work, date, and receive sustenance online, they never have to leave their homes. Technological addiction runs rampant as Minnie observes it in her roommate who looks at her with a dead expression and in people on the air transits who don’t have their devices present but are clearly mentally focused on them. Not that Minnie has room to talk. She admits that her simulated reality is more comfortable and real to her than her physical reality. 

While “Mom’s Message” is a witty and savage satire of modern technology and the dependency that it can bring, it is mostly a family story between mother and daughter. Minnie and her mother’s online conversations are both warm and funny. Mom’s insistence on wanting grandchildren and Minnie’s resolution on not having any children are among their conversations that are humorously repetitive and intimately revealing. They imply and reveal much about their previous experiences and generational outlooks that are the sources of much of their conflict. Their love for each other is present as well, particularly when Mom’s messages become more desperate and a worried Minnie learns about her troubled health.

“Trinity”-This story is a Cosmic Horror filled with suspense and terror from otherworldly destructive creatures and the darkest side of humanity in its struggle to survive them. On what might be her last night alive, the unnamed narrator is huddled in a shed hiding from terrifying aliens. They are a terrifying bunch that the Narrator calls the Trinities because they have three long arms that spread out in clockwork spirals and three eyes which peer down on their victims that may be the last things that they ever see. 

The Trinities have the power to fire electromagnetic pulses so any type of technology or communication ends the second that the Trinities become aware of it. Because of this, humanity is left unprepared and instantly weakened. Now, it’s simply a question of mere survival as the Narrator has to run from her alien captors.

As terrifying as the Trinities are, the toll it takes on humanity is far worse. The Narrator converted to Christianity right before the Trinity's arrival and she thinks of the aliens in strictly Biblical terms as signs of the Book of Revelation. Her faith gives her courage in these troubling times but becomes a detriment when she passively accepts circumstances as part of God’s plan. When she is faced with these creatures, they contradict everything that she once believed in: that Earth was created by God so he could be worshiped and that humans were to be the dominant beings. The Narrator’s constant repetition of Biblical concepts reveal her as someone who clings to her faith but never gives it any serious thought. 

Religion takes on an even more sinister tone as Earthlings create a cult based on their new Trinity overlords. Their loyalties shift from friends, family, their Gods, their country, even their own planet towards the Trinities. The Trinity worshippers travel in threes and carry walkie talkies to alert the Trinities of the presence of any human that has not assimilated into the Trinity Cult. It’s terrifying how quickly they break all ties and become willing worshippers and killers just to live a few extra days under the authority of aliens who will probably kill them anyway. 

“Paint the Stars”-One of the current controversies is AI technology being used for creative means like art, music, and literature. Naturally, many involved in arts and entertainment are worried about what it could mean for the future. Luckily so far AI produced art is pretty easy to discover since many of these works still lie in the Uncanny Valley and are riddled with errors that require decent revision and editing. But that day may come when consumers may not be able to tell the difference. 

Artemis, the newest AI artistic companion is programmed to work one on one with creators to collaborate on their works. She works alongside Alex, a painter, Sonja, a musician, and Pari, an author, to bring their works forward. Each has his or her own personal experience with the difficulties in an AI-run artistic world. Alex is disconcerted by the substandard art and his own internal debates about his creativity. Sonja is irate because Artemis sampled her music for other songs and worries whether she actually owns them or not. Pari relies on Artemis to help her write her books but she longs to write something meaningful and substantial rather than the quick formulaic books that she and Artemis pursue. 

This story is a strong character driven narrative that puts the protagonists on different sides of the AI debate and makes them individuals instead of simply microcosms reflecting different points of view. Even Artemis is well written as an almost maternal figure willing to cooperate with her human artists and helping them pursue their deepest potential even if it means pursuing them without her. 

Alex, Sonja, and Pari recognize that AI helps make their presences known but to what extent? Are they really creating or just typists with Artemis as the real artist? Are they producing real art or just products for people to buy? If there was no AI, could they make art on their own and would the public know the difference? Would they? 

 What is particularly meaningful is how the story presents different perspectives and opinions about this issue and lets each character speak for themselves. This suggests, like many controversies, there are different people who have different beliefs and opinions to say about AI and creativity. Just like in real life, opinions change and people on one side shift towards another when faced with alternative information.

 In some ways, this whole anthology presents a height of creativity: looking at some aspect of the human condition, creating a meaningful plot, setting, and characters around it, and finding a new way to say it.

 

Mystery in the Metaverse by Nick Airus; AI Metaiverse Science Fiction is Harrowing and Thought Provoking

 

Mystery in the Metaverse by Nick Airus; AI Metaiverse Science Fiction is Harrowing and Thought Provoking 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: The Metaverse could be one of the best or one of the worst experiences ever. It could be the best because people can experience and interact in another world that before they could only experience with the arts, entertainment, and their own imagination. We can learn so much more and communicate with others around the world. It could also be the worst with the ever approaching overuse of AI and not knowing what is real and what isn't. Art and literature are being replicated and while still being flawed, could one day be hard to discern whether they were made by human hands or a program designed to appear human. There is also the possibility of technological addiction and people preferring to live in the AI world instead of the physical and natural world around them. Nick Airus explores the good and bad of AI and the Metaverse with his thought provoking and harrowing Science Fiction/ Mystery, Mystery in the Metaverse.

Damien Zill, Chief Technical Officer of Emergence AI and member of a secret group known as Obsidian Goal, has been attacked and is reported missing from his home. Detective Asher Bloom and Evidence Response Team Leader, Jade Heart investigate the disappearance. Witnesses said that Zill spent a lot of time in his Metaverse theater and books and notes left in Zill’s home describe a singularity and a cult. To find out what all of this means, Bloom has to travel inside the AI Metaverse to find clues towards Zill’s disappearance and other murders and death threats that pile up. To solve this mystery, Bloom must play the sadistic games of the enigmatic avatar known only as Ninjagod1138, who knows more than they are letting on.

This book has many highlights but the greatest among them is the Metaverse setting itself. When Bloom enters the virtual world, it is almost as real as the physical one. However, it is populated with various settings and characters that seem just a little bit off in that uncanny valley way where the virtual world seems real but not quite. It adds to the tension and blurred lines between AI and human, imagination and reality making them even more faint the longer that Bloom and others stay in this VR world. 

The best parts of the book are the trips into the Metaverse. Bloom is like a stranger in a strange land, in awe and amazement but wary about the dangers around him. The Metaverse manages to activate all senses and provides the visitor with knowledge to interact with other avatars.

 When arriving in Meta City, Bloom sees a city with shiny skyscrapers and avatars of all kinds from humans, to animals, to superheroes, walking around. It's like everyone's fantasy brought to life but it has a dark side. He also visits various other locations such as an ancient Greek civilization, under water, and a desert.

It would be fascinating to visually imagine the transition as pixels, binary numbers, codes , and images transform into a setting that is technically animated, but appears more real than reality itself. 

That dark side is seen when characters get hurt in the simulation world and still suffer the pain in the real world suggesting yes, if they die in the Metaverse, they die in real life too. It is a fascinating ever changing AI world and visiting it only covers a third of what this technology can do. That is a fascinating and terrifying thought and Mystery in the Metaverse covers those alternating schools of thought towards AI.

The investigation is intricate and detailed as well. Ninjagod1138 provides clues and games for Bloom and his colleagues to follow to find each hint and solve the case. One of the creepier aspects occurs when Bloom and his colleagues are forced to play Hangman to find a vital clue. Ninjagod 1138 is a sadistic genius who enjoys forcing the other characters to play off their sick and disturbing mind games.

 

The investigation also reveals much of the suspects’ motives on how they tried to put AI in its place but ended up becoming more servile than ever to the invention that humans created.

Robotics CEO, Eon Tarik (I thought ELONg and hard over who was Tarik’s inspiration but the results seem rather MUSKy) reveals some key information about the plans that he and his colleagues are working towards. It becomes clear that their plans are about to change but not by their own intended will.  Instead, they have to bear the responsibility for what they made and what will result from it. What is particularly frightening is that they do so without any remorse. No “what have I done” cries of anguish. No, “I have become Death, Destroyer of Worlds” moments of self-realization. They not only acknowledge and own up to it, but welcome the destruction and change their AI baby will bring about. It says something that the human characters like the tech gurus and possibly those behind  the avatars like Ninjagod 1138 are more terrifying and inhuman than the AI that strives to conquer through subjugation and assimilation. 

The Metaverse takes an even wider perspective especially towards the end where a transformation occurs that goes beyond known technological capabilities. After a while, I nearly forgot what book that I was reading as it turned from Science Fiction/Mystery into something else. The tone is changed by the end and the world goes through an evolution but it remains to be seen whether it's for the better or worse.

Weekly Reader: Seal Team 11 Quantum Soldier by Charles Crabb; Action and Robot Soldier Are Highlights of Political Military Thriller

 

Weekly Reader: Seal Team 11 Quantum Soldier by Charles Crabb; Action and Robot Soldier Are Highlights of Political Military Thriller

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Charles Crabb's political military thriller, Seal Team 11 Quantum Soldier, is for those who like a good military action book, the kind of thing that Tom Clancy might have written in the 1990's. The type of book with plenty of soldiers, action, and patriotism.

In the book, the NSA has revealed that China is building a quantum computer. Once online, it would knock out power in the United States with a few quick keystrokes. Well, the United States government won't stand for that, no way! They send for Seal Team 11, a secret elite team of soldiers to investigate and knock out this quantum computer before it strikes. 

The Team has as their commander, Roger Henderson, who is brace, tough, adaptable, and capable of surviving most obstacles. Hey, if his personality seems a bit bland and robotic, well there's a reason for that. He is in fact a robot or humbot. He earned praise in the previous book (unread by me) when he killed another humbot, Adam, who vowed to destroy the human race. Now Roger is put in command of an elite team of rough and ready soldiers to destroy the quantum computer.

This book is definitely for those who like their books filled with action and clearly defined lines between good and bad characters. There are some pretty tense suspenseful passages when Roger and his team are in precarious situations facing their Chinese counterparts. 

There are also some fascinating moments where characters are revealed to be spies. The lengths that these spies go through to disguise their identities and gather information is impressive.

There isn't much depth to this book beyond themes of patriotism and loyalty to one's country and fellow soldiers. The most fascinating character is certainly Roger. When people are wondering whether automation will replace humans in jobs, this book suggests that the best way to defeat a supercomputer is to rely on another AI.

While Roger is a robot soldier, he is not a blunt instrument who only obeys orders and kills on command. He's a strategic planner and thinker, able to understand the subtle analysis of whether a plan can come to full fruition or not. He also struggles with emotion especially when it comes to putting his human fellow soldiers in danger. 

Seal Team 11 Quantum Soldier is a suspenseful action novel in which you pretty much know what will happen. However, the paths leading up to those points are still exciting. However, Commander Roger Henderson is the definite star of this book.

New Book Alert: Dusk Upon Elysium by Tamel Wino; The Trouble With Technology in Trying Times of Seclusion and Quarantine

 

New Book Alert: Dusk Upon Elysium by Tamel Wino; The Trouble With Technology in Trying Times of Seclusion and Quarantine 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Tamel Wino's Dusk Upon Elysium may take an alternative view from many of the other science fiction novels that I have been reading that are inspired by the recent global pandemic. However, it is no less thoughtful and provocative with its themes about isolation and technological dependency during times of forced quarantine.

Dusk Upon Elysium is set during a pandemic. No, a different one in the future (probably near future). Government regulations have become even stricter to the point of making people "disappear" if they try to visit sick family members and friends. In fact, people are being forced inside their homes in what the media calls The Migration and makes this house arrest seem like a good thing.

Now, I have my personal reason to disagree with the anti COVID and anti-vaxxers. I won't discuss it, but let's just say that I have personal experiences with the after effects of COVID and am more than aware that it is real and not a hoax. Because of that, I disagree with many of them wholeheartedly. 

However, as I mentioned with other books, I can enjoy a book even if I disagree with the position of the author as long as that position holds a gripping story.  (Of course, I have my limits. See my review of Alexandra Lane's The Prophecy Has Begun: Donum for my views).

 However, anybody could become a dictator in any situation, especially during troubled times. It's not a Party thing. It's a human thing. Our potential inner tyrant could come out if we aren't held back by our laws, the people around us, and our personal values and reasonable mind to keep us in check.

There are opportunists who will take advantage of any type of emergency and force people to act in contrast to their beliefs and surrender their freedoms. This book is a worst case scenario and regardless of what you believe in real life, it is a strong theme to consider and think about.

Anyway, being  under house arrest can get deathly boring. So there is a virtual reality program, called Paradiso which allows users to go on technological vacations, starting with a beach setting. Then they can eventually program any place that they want. This is being experienced by a team that includes Geoff, a researcher.

The descriptions of Paradiso are some of the highlights.

There are five stages so far for Paradiso: Visual, Auditory, Somatosensory, Olfactory/Gustatory and Memories. Other future levels include Multiplayer and Creating New Worlds and New Characters. It seems like fun and an interesting way to pass the time.

These are intentionally pleasant scenes and I am sure that I am not the only Reader who would like to go inside the VR system, despite the inevitable problems that would result. 

Unfortunately, Paradiso isn't as perfect as it sounds. It's Science Fiction. When in Science Fiction has any technology ever not had problems?

The problems bring out the characterization and deep guilt of those who experience them.

Geoff and a colleague, Dawn, encounter characters that resemble people in their lives who have died: Dawn's mother and Geoff's life partner, Tim.

At first it's good to see them to reminisce and share deep emotions. But then these simulated characters become possessive, even volatile, wanting Dawn and Geoff to stay in Paradiso with them forever. They also appear to know things that they wouldn't have known in real life.

The most emotional moments are when Dawn and Geoff confront these ghosts in their lives. 

In Dawn's time with her mother, she fails to recognize the shrill possessive banshee figure as the kind nurturing supportive woman who raised her and fell ill. Dawn knows that there is something wrong with this system, but the more the mother simulation berates her, the weaker and more troubled Dawn becomes Someone is using Dawn's bond with her mother against her and enjoys the torture and control that the distorted memories produce.

Geoff on the other hand enjoys his reunions with Tim. He is mostly as he remembers him until he starts getting possessive and controlling. He slowly turns into someone that is far from

the Tim that Geoff remembers. However, Geoff is filled with guilt over things that happened in their relationship and the guilt manifests during his reunion. It gets to the point where Geoff condones Tim's transformation because he thinks that it's the least that he deserves.

Geoff, Dawn, and their colleagues weigh several possibilities over what is happening and some theories are quite provocative.

Something is going on with the system but what? Is somebody changing the codes for personal gain? Are they being monitored and tricked by a far reaching government that is reaching even further? Is Paradiso, an AI program that is adapting and learning too much? Is there a glitch in the Matrix? Speaking of the Matrix, how do they know that Paradiso is the simulation and they live in reality?  Have they been in a simulation all along?

The theories are so fascinating that the actual resolution is somewhat disappointing in contrast. However, it reveals how dependent humans can get on technology and that sometimes what is considered human error is not really an error. It's a reminder that we are human.

Weekly Reader: The Incomplete Artist (A Detective Ashley Westgard Murder Mystery) by Phillip Wyeth; More Show Less Tell is Needed In This Science Fiction Murder Mystery

 

Weekly Reader: The Incomplete Artist (A Detective Ashley Westgard Murder Mystery) by Phillip Wyeth; More Show Less Tell is Needed In This Science Fiction Murder Mystery

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: The more I review books, the more I think that it's true that every action has an equally negative or positive reaction. That sometimes in reviewing one book, its polar opposite will follow close behind.

I previously reviewed Fearghus Academy October Jewels by I.O. Scheffer, a book that combined the fantasy of a magic school, the science fiction of intergalactic travel, the horror of a supernatural mystery, the diverse powers of a superhero story, and the hardships of a Dickensian historical fiction and created a unique imaginative work. The elements shouldn't work but they do and merge beautifully.

Now we have a book where different genres are combined and don't work so well at all. Phillip Wyeth's The Incomplete Artist strives to combine the fears of technology of science fiction and the drawing locked room murder mystery of Agatha Christie. On paper, it should be interesting. I have read Science Fiction and Mysteries that have worked very well together. But in this case, it doesn't. 

Allegedly, the book is set in the near future of 2045 where Artificial Intelligence has taken over every aspect of life including the arts. Detective Ashley "Ash" Westgard attends a gallery of human artists who stand against automation and the rights to be human and express themselves in a human manner. Ash becomes involved with the wealthy and sophisticated Thomas Templeton. Later that night one of the artists, Stanley Bennett is found dead and his canvas destroyed.

The Incomplete Artist is guilty of one of the most basic rules of fiction writing: "Show, don't tell," The book is allegedly set in 2045 but we aren't shown very much of this futuristic world. 

I know, I know there probably wouldn't be much difference between 2022 and 2045. In the grand scheme of things that's 23 years, not a whole lot of time for many huge differences. I mean we laugh at movies like 2001, Blade Runner, the Terminator franchise, and Back to the Future II that showed the years as more well futuristic than we ended up getting. But if you are going to go through the trouble of telling us that we are in a futuristic world, you should go through the trouble of showing us the futuristic world.

While we are told that the world of the Incomplete Artist is bursting with artificial intelligence and technology, we aren't shown this. There are no robots working in the gallery or on the police force (the two main locations of the book). We aren't shown Ash walking around this futuristic setting being spied on by constant surveillance or looking at her information spread out on the Internet. Technology should be omnipresent for people to complain about it, but it really isn't any more present than it is now. The artists should be written as freethinkers fighting against an automated system. Instead, they come across as pretentious technophobes. 

It doesn't help that the science fiction setting is merged with the drawing room murder mystery style of Agatha Christie. A combination of genres can work really well but in this case, it doesn't. 

The trouble is science fiction relies so much on the outer world and the troubles that function in that society. This type os murder mystery is more about the internal. It's a confined space that could be set anywhere so the Science Fiction setting is unnecessary.

In fact it mimics the Agatha Christie style so well that the pace is almost glacial. The murder happens ten chapters in. Instead of getting to know the potential suspects and possible motives, the book is distracted by Ash and Thomas attempting to be a couple. Most of Bennett's connections to the suspects are later revealed in interviews. Another bit of telling rather than showing. It's not that the murderer is easy to guess, it's that the mystery is so plodding that it's hard to care.

The Incomplete Artist lives up to its name. It is incomplete as a science fiction, a mystery, or a decent novel.