Fantastic Premise
I was intrigued by the premise.
Can you imagine knowing the day you will die? That would be strange enough, but imagine you know the date but not the year? How would you live your life? In addition to that premise, the author warns, it’s not the end of the world, it’s just the end of humanity. That’s reassuring.
Usually, I am drawn to historical fiction rather than fiction set in the future. So, this book might look a little strange on my reading list!
The Warm Machine opens in Manchester, England, in the year 2038. Twenty years ago, the fax machine seemed like a miracle. Now flip phones conjure up a chuckle. In the future, holo-screens, self-driving cars, drones, and e-cigarettes seem like tired old technologies. What’s the limit for artificial intelligence, or AI? Is it possible to accurately forecast the date of death for every human being with algorithms, like Amazon can predict when I’ll need to order new socks? Is life worth living if our future is predestined? Do our choices have consequences? This book makes you ponder many such philosophical questions while you follow its hero, Scott Beck, through the richly portrayed futuristic cityscapes of Manchester, Birmingham, and London.
Our protagonist is Scott Beck. The tattoo on his hand carries the date 2204. That is his expiration date. Scott drinks a lot of whisky. Can you blame him? For some reason, I found myself wondering whether he had a brand preference―he doesn’t seem to. I didn’t realize whiskey was spelled differently in England, by the way, but I have gone off on a tangent. I wonder if Scott would be a more likable character if he wasn’t one of the select few to have to endure knowing the date of his death. Whether I liked him or not, I was drawn to wish for his success. You’ll see why! He can’t help being the way he is because the future is dark, and weird, and scary. Watchers are lurking everywhere, and they’re kind of creepy.
So, It’s a little scary. I should put April 22nd in my calendar and designate a recurrence. Just in case. Maybe that’s when Book Two comes out. Sign me up!
I highly recommend The Warm Machine. I will follow the author, Seth Rain, and return for future installments in the Humanity Series. I’m a fan.