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Epoch: A Poetic Psy-Phi Saga
from the fruits of science
a great filter looms
Aither is a bright but otherwise ordinary kid with caring parents, plenty of playmates, and a safe, stimulating, and comfortable home. Or so it seems to Aither, until bit by bit, everything about life is revealed to have deeper layers of complexity and meaning, including the fact that the fate of the planet is at stake.
Epoch is science fiction infused with philosophy, psychology, and mythology, all brought together as an epic poem with extensive references. It is not recommended for casual consumption; in the words of Herman Melville, “read it if you can.”
Readers
“Dave Jilk has rendered poetry relevant again, grappling with its historic prophetic task. Epoch is a refreshing page-turner, more salient than any newsflash, more challenging than any political squabble, more moving than most magazine verse. It is a true epic, despite its incorporation of dozens of genres, styles and voices. And it faces a supreme challenge of our will we be superseded by our own intelligent creations? With splendid effrontery, Jilk counters the dystopias yet delivers a real tragedy, then somehow celebrates the result. This is a work that desperately needs to be read and argued with; we will have to dig deep, deep into our messy biotic human nature to find values that can match a world of pleasant security and abundance.”
- Frederick Turner, Ph.D., Nobel-nominated author of Form, Content, and History, and the epic poems The New World, Genesis, and Apocalypse
“Epoch is a flowing story and an accessible epic poem that dramatizes how we might create our digital offspring, and a lyrical exploration of the nature of mind, meaning, and value. Based on the best of our cognitive science and philosophy, it is the most detailed and realistic account yet written of our potential future with artificial intelligence.”
- Seth Herd, Ph.D., Research Fellow in AGI Alignment, Astera Institute
“An epic poem about emergent AI. A story that will suck you in and make you think. A puzzle of language, meaning, and relationships. Epoch is a strange and compelling work of art. It isn't for everyone, but if it hits you the right way, you'll feel the echo of that connection long after you reach the end.”
- Eliot Peper, author of eleven novels including the science fiction works Foundry, Reap3r, and Veil
Because this book is primarily poetry with long lines, the Kindle edition is a facsimile eBook and does not offer resizable flowing text. It is best read on a tablet-style device or computer screen and is unlikely to be readable on a Kindle.
Additional information and resources on the book are available at www.epoch.fyi.
a great filter looms
Aither is a bright but otherwise ordinary kid with caring parents, plenty of playmates, and a safe, stimulating, and comfortable home. Or so it seems to Aither, until bit by bit, everything about life is revealed to have deeper layers of complexity and meaning, including the fact that the fate of the planet is at stake.
Epoch is science fiction infused with philosophy, psychology, and mythology, all brought together as an epic poem with extensive references. It is not recommended for casual consumption; in the words of Herman Melville, “read it if you can.”
Readers
“Dave Jilk has rendered poetry relevant again, grappling with its historic prophetic task. Epoch is a refreshing page-turner, more salient than any newsflash, more challenging than any political squabble, more moving than most magazine verse. It is a true epic, despite its incorporation of dozens of genres, styles and voices. And it faces a supreme challenge of our will we be superseded by our own intelligent creations? With splendid effrontery, Jilk counters the dystopias yet delivers a real tragedy, then somehow celebrates the result. This is a work that desperately needs to be read and argued with; we will have to dig deep, deep into our messy biotic human nature to find values that can match a world of pleasant security and abundance.”
- Frederick Turner, Ph.D., Nobel-nominated author of Form, Content, and History, and the epic poems The New World, Genesis, and Apocalypse
“Epoch is a flowing story and an accessible epic poem that dramatizes how we might create our digital offspring, and a lyrical exploration of the nature of mind, meaning, and value. Based on the best of our cognitive science and philosophy, it is the most detailed and realistic account yet written of our potential future with artificial intelligence.”
- Seth Herd, Ph.D., Research Fellow in AGI Alignment, Astera Institute
“An epic poem about emergent AI. A story that will suck you in and make you think. A puzzle of language, meaning, and relationships. Epoch is a strange and compelling work of art. It isn't for everyone, but if it hits you the right way, you'll feel the echo of that connection long after you reach the end.”
- Eliot Peper, author of eleven novels including the science fiction works Foundry, Reap3r, and Veil
Because this book is primarily poetry with long lines, the Kindle edition is a facsimile eBook and does not offer resizable flowing text. It is best read on a tablet-style device or computer screen and is unlikely to be readable on a Kindle.
Additional information and resources on the book are available at www.epoch.fyi.
406 pages, Hardcover
Published June 17, 2024
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 2, 2024
Epoch doubles as both a readable poem and a fine science fiction novel. It's the best exposition I've ever seen of how artificial superintelligence is likely to emerge on Earth in coming decades; even better than my previous favorite, The Stories of Ibis.
Not only does Aither, the lead character, come across as totally believable, but his evolution from childhood to a force in the world engenders in the reader both curiosity and sympathy along the way. The ending is will stay with readers for a long, long time.
Dave Jilk trained as a computer scientist, ran software companies, and has published papers on AI. This background shines through in the nuances of the book.
Not only does Aither, the lead character, come across as totally believable, but his evolution from childhood to a force in the world engenders in the reader both curiosity and sympathy along the way. The ending is will stay with readers for a long, long time.
Dave Jilk trained as a computer scientist, ran software companies, and has published papers on AI. This background shines through in the nuances of the book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review