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A review by looseleafellie
Roko's Basilisk: A Roko Event Short Story by Michael Blackbourn
5.0
Oh my goodness, where to begin? Roko's Basilisk was an utterly captivating novella, with a mind-bending dilemma. I also loved the setting -- a futuristic world in which all cars drive themselves, people eat processed bugs because they're easier to farm, and it is possible to build a 'friendly' AI which won't take over the world.
This 'friendly' AI is the cause of the story's dilemma. The AI hasn't been built yet, but its potential creator -- the brilliant scientist Roko -- has figured out that the existence of this AI would spell endless torture for him and anyone else associated with it. I won't go into detail because of spoilers, but suffice to say that the full answer chilled me to the bone.
There were a couple of things which could have made this book better. Firstly, while the editing is better than the vast majority of indie books, it still isn't flawless. Secondly, it takes a lot of brainpower and concentration to get one's head around the conflict -- mostly because it's a complicated concept, but I felt like some things could have been made clearer early on. Nevertheless, the story blew my mind, so I felt like I couldn't give it any less than 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author, though I am reviewing it of my own volition.
This 'friendly' AI is the cause of the story's dilemma. The AI hasn't been built yet, but its potential creator -- the brilliant scientist Roko -- has figured out that the existence of this AI would spell endless torture for him and anyone else associated with it. I won't go into detail because of spoilers, but suffice to say that the full answer chilled me to the bone.
There were a couple of things which could have made this book better. Firstly, while the editing is better than the vast majority of indie books, it still isn't flawless. Secondly, it takes a lot of brainpower and concentration to get one's head around the conflict -- mostly because it's a complicated concept, but I felt like some things could have been made clearer early on. Nevertheless, the story blew my mind, so I felt like I couldn't give it any less than 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author, though I am reviewing it of my own volition.