If you like suspenseful sci-fi which explores the faults of technology, then you won’t want to miss the fourth book in the Black Band Anthology series.
Title: Sentient Judgement
Author: Channing Whitaker
Genre: General Fiction, SciFi & Fantasy
Publisher: Books Go Social
Release Date: 28th April 2020
BLURB from Goodreads
In a
world where automation runs society, Marion Sato spends her days as a judgment
aid, tasked with making the manual choices deemed too difficult or complicated
for computer algorithms. It seems like a dream come true – until things go
horribly wrong.
When a freak accident
leaves a young child in mortal danger, Marion knows she has to act fast to save
his life. But the automated world surrounding her seems to stand in her way at
every turn.
As time begins to run
out and the weaknesses of a tech-reliant civilization become clear, will Marion
be able to overcome the endless hurdles of a rigid autonomous society? Or will
technology fail her as a child’s life hangs in the balance…
PURCHASE LINKS
REVIEW
Having read and really enjoying
another title by this author, I do my best to keep an eye out for new titles
being released. As soon as I saw the cover I was intrigued as to who the woman
was. If I saw this cover in a book store I would certainly pick it up from a
shelf to learn more about it. Upon reading the blurb I knew I really wanted to
read it as I find the futuristic, dystopian genre fascinating.
There is a smartly dressed mysterious
man, Carson, he is in a nostalgic mood, having taken his shoes off so he can
feel the grass on his feet and between his toes. Carson is sitting on a bench
looking around pondering how things have changed around him whilst enjoying
time watching his son playing in a nearby sandpit. Unfortunately, something
goes wrong with a nearby robotic lawnmower and a stone ends up hitting Carson
knocking him on conscious.
In the meantime, Marion is getting
out of bed and getting ready to begin working from home, like she does each day.
Marion literally gets out of bed and presses a few buttons which triggers the
bed to move and fold up into the wall. Then the kitchen module unfolds itself
so Marion can make her breakfast. Marion is soon sat in front in front of her
screen ready for work. Marion works for the Sentient Judgement Service, which
really simply means she makes decisions for the automated robotic features that
are now all over the world in everyday life. Marion literally “problem solves”
and is the “common sense” that a machine can never replace. It is a refuse
truck that asks Marion to make some judgements and she sees a baby in one of
the refuse boxes.
That is the basis of this short
story/novella. I found this book a bit of a slow burner, however I really wanted
to know where the story was going so stuck with it and when the pace picked up,
I did enjoy it more. It ended up being a rather thought-provoking book. There
is the question of whether this society is better now a lot of it is automatic
and computer led. Which on the face of it sounds like a good idea. The high
specification apartments where your kitchen or bedroom can be stored away seem
amazing and space saving which has to be a good thing, doesn’t it? Then you
have Marion having to deal with a computer that doesn’t understand her request,
so much so she has to physically go check on the problem incident she sees.
This book leaves you with so many
questions, is it something as natural as a birthmark Marion notices when she
changes Carson’s son’s nappy, but if that’s the case why does it look so
similar to the logo for Carson’s business empire? Also why is it so important
to Carson for Marion to sign a secrecy document? I know what I think but would
be interested if it’s the same as the Author intended the reader to think. I
would also be interested in knowing what other readers think too. It’s a shame
this is a short book as I would have loved to explore the world and society
living within it much more.
Summing up, definitely recommend
reading this one! I also recommend another of Channing’s short stories which I
read and loved called Existence Augmented.
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