A review by kl92620
Machine's Last Testament by Benjanun Sriduangkaew

adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The world that Sriduangkaew has created in  Machine's Last Testament feels both like a haunting portrayal of the capitalist, imperialist world of modern day and a thoughtful exploration of the future of humanity under the advancements of techonology and artificial intelligence. On one hand we see the advanced civilization of Anatta where all of its first-class citizens are able to live comfortable, even luxurious lives, but the non-citizens and refugees who flee the wars that Anatta has waged on their homeland are subjected to detention, sadistic cruelty from authorities, and are often forced to work dangerous, risky jobs if they are to secure a place in this new utopia. This sounds more than similar to the stark contrast between the lives of the privileged, respected citizens and the lives of the abused, exploited immigrants in so many developed countries today. On the other hand, we also see a world dominated by benevolent surveillance and authoritarianism, a world that is perfect, a world where an all-powerful AI finds a job for you, finds a partner for you, gives you therapy, does everything it needs to do keep you healthy and happy. A world that works like a perfect machine, but a world that has no real privacy or freedom to speak of. A world that warns us about the future and makes us wonder about the direction that humanity is heading in. The society that Sriduangkaew has created here is definitely something that make the reader reflect on both the present and the future. This is definitely a book that raises a variety of deep questions along the story that keeps you thinking.