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geekwayne's review against another edition
5.0
In 'A Calculated Life' the question about what it takes to be human gets asked in an interesting way.
In a not too distant future, corporations hire humans engineered as supercomputers to calculate probabilities and other high mathematical functions. They work a shorter work day, but use their brains constantly to work on projects. They live in their own housing and eat at their own cafeteria.
Jayna is a newer model working at predictive agency Mayhew McCline. When news of a co-workers death hits the office, Jayna is thrown out of her routine. She becomes curious about the world that the humans around her inhabit: their children, living quarters, food, etc. This leads her to circumvent the rules and live dangerously. This could lead to a recall by her creator and factor, but Jayna can't help herself. Is this a defect?
This is not quite a dystopian future, but things are trending towards not so great. Outside the part of the city where Jayna lives, people live in run down apartments and trade for used books and clothing. There is a noticeable downturn in food quality for these people. There is not much violence in this society thanks to genetic engineering, and Jayna doesn't experience much prejudice, but she is treated differently.
I really enjoyed this book and the questions it puts in the reader's mind. The closest equivalent to this book I can think of is Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go.' The stories aren't that similar, but the mood of the book is. And since that book is one of my favorites, I call that high praise indeed.
I received a review copy of this ebook from
Amazon Publishing, 47North, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this wonderful ebook.
In a not too distant future, corporations hire humans engineered as supercomputers to calculate probabilities and other high mathematical functions. They work a shorter work day, but use their brains constantly to work on projects. They live in their own housing and eat at their own cafeteria.
Jayna is a newer model working at predictive agency Mayhew McCline. When news of a co-workers death hits the office, Jayna is thrown out of her routine. She becomes curious about the world that the humans around her inhabit: their children, living quarters, food, etc. This leads her to circumvent the rules and live dangerously. This could lead to a recall by her creator and factor, but Jayna can't help herself. Is this a defect?
This is not quite a dystopian future, but things are trending towards not so great. Outside the part of the city where Jayna lives, people live in run down apartments and trade for used books and clothing. There is a noticeable downturn in food quality for these people. There is not much violence in this society thanks to genetic engineering, and Jayna doesn't experience much prejudice, but she is treated differently.
I really enjoyed this book and the questions it puts in the reader's mind. The closest equivalent to this book I can think of is Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go.' The stories aren't that similar, but the mood of the book is. And since that book is one of my favorites, I call that high praise indeed.
I received a review copy of this ebook from
Amazon Publishing, 47North, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this wonderful ebook.
hivequeen's review against another edition
3.0
This book was quite good, but it isn't the best thing I have ever read. It really reminds me of something that [a:Philip K. Dick|4764|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1264613853p2/4764.jpg](PKD) would write. The plot was very confusing in some spots, just like something PKD would write. Also, I never really connected emotionally to Jayna, the main character. I understand that she had some implant or something that inhibited her emotions, but the whole story just felt very distant. Generally by the end of a story, you are attached to the main character and want them to be happy and to succeed, and I just wasn't sure how I felt about Jayna by the end of the book. This is also very reminiscent of PKD's writing style. Just as with his books, I am just not completely sure if I liked or disliked this book. But it was an interesting read, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of PKD's work.
beccajdb's review
Things were “espied” and people went home to their “residences”. A bright idea lost under a clunky trying-too-hard-to-be-writerly style.
tonyriver's review against another edition
4.0
This is an intriguing, well written book. A future that is similar to now in a 1984 way. Jayna is a member of a sub class that gets and expects no special treatment as they are creations of a company that hires them out for their amazing minds.
As she gets life experience she also develops in ways that her owners would not like. A believable dystopia is created with likable characters, human and created.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its premise. It is imaginative, thought provoking and entertaining. Thoroughly recommended.
As she gets life experience she also develops in ways that her owners would not like. A believable dystopia is created with likable characters, human and created.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its premise. It is imaginative, thought provoking and entertaining. Thoroughly recommended.
ablotial's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably 4.5 stars rather than 5. It wasn't *perfect*. But it was damn good. But I liked it a lot so I'll round up.
Jayna is a data scientist -- a "mathematical modeler" according to the blurb -- who thinks logically and excels over he coworkers but doesn't always succeed at acting "normal". Then she uses data to try to become more normal. The idea of this fascinated me. It turns out there are reasons why she is so different (and yet, not) that weren't mentioned in the blurb. I won't discuss them here, but ... for me it made the book a lot better in some ways, but slightly worse in that it made it less relatable to my own life. But I won't lie -- even after I knew the spoiler I still found myself relating to Jayna quite a bit. I even commented to a friend on mine about it. But I think that was the point. They're not so different after all.
Anyway. I loved watching Jayna grow as a person, and her relationships with Dave and Benjamin and then the others at her Rest Station. I loved trying to imagine how the world would be different if I had no childhood memories to fall back on. Better? But also worse. I was really rooting for her.
The ending... both satisfying and not. There seems to be a lot of that in this book. I recommend it -- especially if you are an analytical type.
Maybe this is our future (but I don't think so).
Jayna is a data scientist -- a "mathematical modeler" according to the blurb -- who thinks logically and excels over he coworkers but doesn't always succeed at acting "normal". Then she uses data to try to become more normal. The idea of this fascinated me. It turns out there are reasons why she is so different (and yet, not) that weren't mentioned in the blurb. I won't discuss them here, but ... for me it made the book a lot better in some ways, but slightly worse in that it made it less relatable to my own life. But I won't lie -- even after I knew the spoiler I still found myself relating to Jayna quite a bit. I even commented to a friend on mine about it. But I think that was the point. They're not so different after all.
Anyway. I loved watching Jayna grow as a person, and her relationships with Dave and Benjamin and then the others at her Rest Station. I loved trying to imagine how the world would be different if I had no childhood memories to fall back on. Better? But also worse. I was really rooting for her.
The ending... both satisfying and not. There seems to be a lot of that in this book. I recommend it -- especially if you are an analytical type.
Maybe this is our future (but I don't think so).
ssung's review against another edition
4.0
wow! this is a pretty impressive debut about a human (ok, simulant) wired to process big data. did not quite expect the ending but all in all, quite engrossing.
although to be fair here: 1) i wish i had that kind of data all the time at my fingertips; 2) i spent approximately five minutes trying to work out where i'd place mayhew mccline as a company (more of a bcg/oliverwyman/nera thing, is what i concluded); and 3) blah, taleb!
although to be fair here: 1) i wish i had that kind of data all the time at my fingertips; 2) i spent approximately five minutes trying to work out where i'd place mayhew mccline as a company (more of a bcg/oliverwyman/nera thing, is what i concluded); and 3) blah, taleb!
paulataua's review against another edition
3.0
I’m never quite sure why some books get nominated for awards, and I say that in a curious rather than a negative way. ‘A Calculated Life’ deals with the potentially fascinating area of what it means to be human, and is actually a fairly interesting read, but it doesn’t really follow through on its early promise and seems to run out of steam just at the point where you think it is going to pick up speed. I found the first epilogue a real disappointment, and although the second epilogue does something to recover the mystery, it is never really enough for me. There is, however, something in the story, something subtle that I can’t put my finger on, that makes me feel I will read this author again in the future, and, you never know, I may even read this book again.
dotvicky's review against another edition
4.0
Doesn't start well as the protagonist is poorly introduced but it improves and builds to a good page turner with some interesting questions about humanity and autonomy at least asked if not answered.
xeniafoe's review against another edition
4.0
I made a video about this available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cvm1hwY-sU
Mainly I really enjoyed being sucked into a story through beautiful writing and intellectual character study rather than strong emotion. There is a sense of detachment when reading this book, and yet the more I think about it, the more that seems appropriate. To be read with a cup of tea, early in the morning or late at night, on a rooftop or in a public space, while taking frequent breaks to quietly muse our own existence.
Mainly I really enjoyed being sucked into a story through beautiful writing and intellectual character study rather than strong emotion. There is a sense of detachment when reading this book, and yet the more I think about it, the more that seems appropriate. To be read with a cup of tea, early in the morning or late at night, on a rooftop or in a public space, while taking frequent breaks to quietly muse our own existence.