A review by adamskiboy528491
A Strange and Brilliant Light by Eli Lee

3.0

”Reasons for anti-robot rioting certainly existed. Men who found themselves faced with the prospect of the desperate minimum involved in declassification, after half a lifetime of effort, could not decide cold-bloodedly that individual robots were not to blame. Individual robots could at least be struck at. One could not strike at something called “governmental policy” or at a slogan like “Higher production with robot labor.” - The Caves Of Steel.

A Strange and Brilliant Light by Eli Lee is a truly fascinating read. It's an intriguing and absorbing novel set in an alternate version of our world and dealing with important philosophical and political questions through a beautiful, character-led storyline.

The novel begins at a time in history when automation is increasingly taking over jobs. Artificial intelligence - known as 'auts' - appears in every industry, and workers are being laid off. The story focuses on three women whose lives are affected by this revolution. Rose loses her job in a coffee shop and becomes an anti-automation activist. Lal, her best friend, ends up working for the corporation that makes the 'auts'. Lal's sister, Janetta, is an academic trying to train artificial intelligence to understand emotions.

This book is a character-driven novel as compared to the likes of Margaret Atwood. The future of A.I. is an exciting/terrifying one, from any perspective. This book captures those most affected by the possibilities and shows a nuanced look at its creators and developers. Even though the plot is about the development of artificial intelligence, my favourite thing about this novel is the way that we get to experience that development through three very different but interconnected perspectives: a true believer in the commercial application of A.I., a scientist trying to make A.I. more empathetic, and a labour rights activist trying to destroy the system.