Take a photo of a barcode or cover
snowcrash 's review for:
The Sudden Appearance of Hope
by Claire North
I rather enjoyed _The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August_, so when looking for something fictional after reading depressing history, I found it at the library. This is a true first person narrative, with many instances where it is simply stream of consciousness. But I really dug the premise.
It is actually quite simple, though never fully explained. Hope disappears from people’s minds. Except for dogs and the crazy. This makes her an exceptional thief, but lonely. It is that concept drives everything. Think Memento, but reversed.
Perfection is a mutant Facebook. It is an example of when people trust their apps more than actual humans. What happens to a person when all they do is follow an algorithm? Are they still a person, or more a robot being lead from one marketing campaign to the next. Gamification of your life, with the elusive goal of being perfect.
I enjoyed the world view through Hope’s eyes. It isn’t always pleasent, but I could understand her actions. Living by algorithm is already here, just a bit more subtle. I, for one, will not be forgetting Hope any time soon.
It is actually quite simple, though never fully explained. Hope disappears from people’s minds. Except for dogs and the crazy. This makes her an exceptional thief, but lonely. It is that concept drives everything. Think Memento, but reversed.
Perfection is a mutant Facebook. It is an example of when people trust their apps more than actual humans. What happens to a person when all they do is follow an algorithm? Are they still a person, or more a robot being lead from one marketing campaign to the next. Gamification of your life, with the elusive goal of being perfect.
I enjoyed the world view through Hope’s eyes. It isn’t always pleasent, but I could understand her actions. Living by algorithm is already here, just a bit more subtle. I, for one, will not be forgetting Hope any time soon.