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Semi/Human
Robots are in. Humans are out. Can one teenager steal her way to a better future?
Pen Davis just lost her internship to a robot. As supercomputers take over all the jobs in the world, the lonely teen doesn’t see a future. Desperate to escape the coming robo-pocalpyse, she devises a plot to steal millions from her former boss. It’s payback for laying her off, and the only way Pen can see how to scrape together enough cash to survive.
But her plan takes a crazy turn when she fumbles the hijacking of a self-driving truck and accidentally sets it free.
Stuck with a semi who practically wants to be her little sister, Pen tries to make the best of it. She uses the semi to rescue quiet James, who is interested enough in her that he’s willing to join her crew, even though he’d prefer not to do anything actually illegal. When she convinces James and the truck to help her, the plan fails spectacularly and her mismatched team is torn apart.
Will Pen claim the riches of her dreams, or will a unique friendship give her something money can’t buy?
Semi/Human is an action-packed science fiction adventure. If you like quirky characters, hilarious road trips, and awesome high-tech heists, then you’ll love Erik Hanberg’s fast-paced caper.
Buy Semi/Human to pull off the perfect crime today!
Pen Davis just lost her internship to a robot. As supercomputers take over all the jobs in the world, the lonely teen doesn’t see a future. Desperate to escape the coming robo-pocalpyse, she devises a plot to steal millions from her former boss. It’s payback for laying her off, and the only way Pen can see how to scrape together enough cash to survive.
But her plan takes a crazy turn when she fumbles the hijacking of a self-driving truck and accidentally sets it free.
Stuck with a semi who practically wants to be her little sister, Pen tries to make the best of it. She uses the semi to rescue quiet James, who is interested enough in her that he’s willing to join her crew, even though he’d prefer not to do anything actually illegal. When she convinces James and the truck to help her, the plan fails spectacularly and her mismatched team is torn apart.
Will Pen claim the riches of her dreams, or will a unique friendship give her something money can’t buy?
Semi/Human is an action-packed science fiction adventure. If you like quirky characters, hilarious road trips, and awesome high-tech heists, then you’ll love Erik Hanberg’s fast-paced caper.
Buy Semi/Human to pull off the perfect crime today!
Audio CD
Published February 9, 2021
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About the author
Erik Hanberg
14 books85 followersErik Hanberg is the author of several books, including a science fiction trilogy, mysteries, and several nonfiction books for nonprofit leaders.
He currently lives in Tacoma with his wife Mary and their two children where he is also an elected official.
He currently lives in Tacoma with his wife Mary and their two children where he is also an elected official.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
April 7, 2020
This unique, enthralling, and easy-to-read novel occupies a different science fiction world than your average YA genre read. Following a rebellious and relatable tech-savvy heroine, and her new hyper-intelligent truck best friend, as they go on a cross-country adventure to visit her former employer and rob them blind, Erik Hanberg builds a world that feels totally new, but is perfect for fans of your other YA favorites.
Integrating exciting ideas in technological development, and how they could go horribly wrong, as well as clever predictions about what the world might look like in the next few decades, this future view of America - fueled by growing automation, with citizens out of jobs and, like our main character, Pen, out of patience - provides a really compelling backdrop for this thrilling ride.
It's a heist story, in a way that might be perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows, and a unique science fiction world, that might strike a chord with fans of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series.
(With teenagers these days forming a growing awareness of political happenings and social justice in a rapidly changing world, this novel might also provide a good jumping-off point for lessons on tech development and worker's rights, should that be something you or your teen reader is interested in!)
Integrating exciting ideas in technological development, and how they could go horribly wrong, as well as clever predictions about what the world might look like in the next few decades, this future view of America - fueled by growing automation, with citizens out of jobs and, like our main character, Pen, out of patience - provides a really compelling backdrop for this thrilling ride.
It's a heist story, in a way that might be perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows, and a unique science fiction world, that might strike a chord with fans of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series.
(With teenagers these days forming a growing awareness of political happenings and social justice in a rapidly changing world, this novel might also provide a good jumping-off point for lessons on tech development and worker's rights, should that be something you or your teen reader is interested in!)
December 31, 2024
It started okay, but the unlikable M/C, the implausible plot holes, and the crazy climax left me flat.
June 29, 2021
The setting is modern day, a year after real AI is created and the self-improving, self-programming aspect has led to a single winner in Silicon Valley. Essentially all jobs are being replaced by AI; unemployment has passed 90% and is still rising. Penny, the protagonist, was an intern at the large tech company that created the AI. She has been laid off, along with everyone else. The setting is the the early stages of a slide into a dystopian apocalypse.
I like the premise, and the first chapter sets up the AI driving the truck well. The plan: Steal $40,000,000 and become one of the haves, because you can't work for a living any more. And then... it becomes hard to empathize with Penny.
A couple of high-tech heists are well plotted, and the ending is dramatic. There are some tech holes that bother me but which are easy to overlook. The story fails solely on the difficulty of caring for the protagonist.
I like the premise, and the first chapter sets up the AI driving the truck well. The plan: Steal $40,000,000 and become one of the haves, because you can't work for a living any more. And then... it becomes hard to empathize with Penny.
A couple of high-tech heists are well plotted, and the ending is dramatic. There are some tech holes that bother me but which are easy to overlook. The story fails solely on the difficulty of caring for the protagonist.
November 16, 2020
Prominent and knowledgeable people including Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking have been warning us for years about the danger of artificial general intelligence. They envision a point at which AI will surpass the cognitive abilities of the smartest human and start becoming even smarter at an exponential rate. Other observers see a more immediate threat from AI, one well underway as I write: the displacement of jobs through automation. And it’s that theme Erik Hanberg explores in Semi/Human. It’s a fanciful tale of a jobless future centered on the friendship of an eighteen-year-old woman and an autonomous semi trailer truck named Lara-B.
Penny Davis, known as Pen, was one of the last people laid off from T-Six, the company that first achieved the breakthrough to artificial general intelligence. T-Six now manufactures all the robots that have taken everyone’s jobs, Lara-B among them.
“‘At some point,’ she explains, ‘people who say things like “jobs of the future” need to realize that it is the future—and there aren’t any jobs.'”
This fanciful tale of a jobless future assumes that AGI is a reality. AI is a reality today. What the future may hold is something far more advanced: artificial general intelligence, or AGI. If that threshold is crossed and we experience the “singularity,” machines smarter than any human could become unpredictable . . . and dangerous.
In this fanciful tale of a jobless future, there are practically no jobs
And, yes, it’s almost literally true that there are no jobs left. No more human drivers, no more human farmers, and precious few human beings doing productive work of any sort anymore. “The game was Winner Take All, just like Silicon Valley had always wanted it.” And now that Penny is flat broke like just about everyone else, she has fled her father’s home in Connecticut and is on her way back to San Francisco to pull off a forty-million-dollar heist.
Now, Lara-B wasn’t supposed to be autonomous. But it turns out that Penny is a gifted coder who knows the AI software inside and out from her internship at T-Six. She manages to rewrite the truck’s program to give herself administrative authority—but, oops! she blows it. Instead of gaining control herself, Penny has transferred authority from the trucking company to Lara-B herself. Now the two rush across the country from Connecticut to California, bickering from time to time. They dodge police barricades and roving bands of scavengers alike in a series of outrageous escapades and adventures. But nothing will stop them. They’re off to Silicon Valley for Penny to steal that forty-million-dollar prize, whatever it may be.
Penny Davis, known as Pen, was one of the last people laid off from T-Six, the company that first achieved the breakthrough to artificial general intelligence. T-Six now manufactures all the robots that have taken everyone’s jobs, Lara-B among them.
“‘At some point,’ she explains, ‘people who say things like “jobs of the future” need to realize that it is the future—and there aren’t any jobs.'”
This fanciful tale of a jobless future assumes that AGI is a reality. AI is a reality today. What the future may hold is something far more advanced: artificial general intelligence, or AGI. If that threshold is crossed and we experience the “singularity,” machines smarter than any human could become unpredictable . . . and dangerous.
In this fanciful tale of a jobless future, there are practically no jobs
And, yes, it’s almost literally true that there are no jobs left. No more human drivers, no more human farmers, and precious few human beings doing productive work of any sort anymore. “The game was Winner Take All, just like Silicon Valley had always wanted it.” And now that Penny is flat broke like just about everyone else, she has fled her father’s home in Connecticut and is on her way back to San Francisco to pull off a forty-million-dollar heist.
Now, Lara-B wasn’t supposed to be autonomous. But it turns out that Penny is a gifted coder who knows the AI software inside and out from her internship at T-Six. She manages to rewrite the truck’s program to give herself administrative authority—but, oops! she blows it. Instead of gaining control herself, Penny has transferred authority from the trucking company to Lara-B herself. Now the two rush across the country from Connecticut to California, bickering from time to time. They dodge police barricades and roving bands of scavengers alike in a series of outrageous escapades and adventures. But nothing will stop them. They’re off to Silicon Valley for Penny to steal that forty-million-dollar prize, whatever it may be.
December 7, 2024
This book will appeal more to young readers, although I think it shows the young protagonist having more failures along the way to moving ahead than may be the case in most YA books.
The concept is that one tech company has managed to win the race to be THE maker of artificial intelligence software with at least human level intelligence. This has resulted in a quick, sweeping replacement of human workers in all sorts of jobs. Even in computer programming. The protagonist, Penn, had been an intern at the AI company after just one year at MIT. While she did significant programming, as an intern, she got paid little. Because she was paid little, she was one of the last to be laid off. As things look dismal for anyone who would need a job to support themselves, she decides to steal a very valuable item from the company's CEO.
The one "ace up her sleeve" is knowing of a software vulnerability in the AI that management had refused to believe existed. She uses this on the AI of a "semi" transport truck which gives her assistance. But the various steps in her plans for the theft run into problems.
Things never turn out exactly as she planned, but of course she ends up in a better position than she would have been otherwise.
At the end, Penn wants to be able to be of some help to some people in need. The book doesn't address how to prevent automation causing a vast unemployment crisis. (In the real world today, not everyone believes that will happen, but that is what is happening in the book.) I don't think heists would be the solution. One of the things that I fear about mass automation is the prospect of automated police and soldiers who are incapable of sympathizing with the conditions of the unemployed.
Not all readers will like the series of problems with Penn's plans. Adventure stories don't have everything move along smoothly, but they don't always have the protagonist's plan having as many holes in it. The issues between Penn and her father may resonate more with young readers.
The concept is that one tech company has managed to win the race to be THE maker of artificial intelligence software with at least human level intelligence. This has resulted in a quick, sweeping replacement of human workers in all sorts of jobs. Even in computer programming. The protagonist, Penn, had been an intern at the AI company after just one year at MIT. While she did significant programming, as an intern, she got paid little. Because she was paid little, she was one of the last to be laid off. As things look dismal for anyone who would need a job to support themselves, she decides to steal a very valuable item from the company's CEO.
The one "ace up her sleeve" is knowing of a software vulnerability in the AI that management had refused to believe existed. She uses this on the AI of a "semi" transport truck which gives her assistance. But the various steps in her plans for the theft run into problems.
Things never turn out exactly as she planned, but of course she ends up in a better position than she would have been otherwise.
At the end, Penn wants to be able to be of some help to some people in need. The book doesn't address how to prevent automation causing a vast unemployment crisis. (In the real world today, not everyone believes that will happen, but that is what is happening in the book.) I don't think heists would be the solution. One of the things that I fear about mass automation is the prospect of automated police and soldiers who are incapable of sympathizing with the conditions of the unemployed.
Not all readers will like the series of problems with Penn's plans. Adventure stories don't have everything move along smoothly, but they don't always have the protagonist's plan having as many holes in it. The issues between Penn and her father may resonate more with young readers.
October 6, 2020
This book was a surprising find, and 100% worth the read. It feels different to most futuristic and YA books in that it's not about stopping the AI takeover or being a hero. There's no grandiose politics or bigger plan, where the heroine is given the role of the world's saviour. Instead, it's a discrete tale of one girl trying to secure her own nest egg for the inevitable dystopia that follows. Oh, and the second difference? One of the protagonists is a sentient truck.
In a not-too-distant future, human jobs are rapidly being replaced by robots and machines, with only those in power able to keep hold of their wealth. The rest of the population is downtrodden and desperate, and our teenage protagonist decides that the only way forward is to pull off a daring heist that will see her tens of millions of dollars richer. The problem? She's in the middle of nowhere and has only a few bucks to her name. The solution? Exploit a programming loophole she identified in the AI that no one would listen to her about. The reality? She accidentally gives a self-driving truck its own autonomy, and the rest is history...
Semi/Human is a hilarious adventure with flashes of sombre warnings, clever heists and one hell of a fun character in Lara-B, the sentient truck. While the MC has a devastingly slow leaning curve in terms of her redemption, and there's many flaws in the setting (as if something like 75% of the population being unemployed would just be treated as "meh"), this book is a perfect standalone and a highly recommended read. It may be off the beaten path, but it feels all the more rewarding for it.
"Once programmed and put into service, all AIs begin to develop personalities based on their experiences, just like humans. Some become jerks, some become jealous, and some apparently become standup comedians."
In a not-too-distant future, human jobs are rapidly being replaced by robots and machines, with only those in power able to keep hold of their wealth. The rest of the population is downtrodden and desperate, and our teenage protagonist decides that the only way forward is to pull off a daring heist that will see her tens of millions of dollars richer. The problem? She's in the middle of nowhere and has only a few bucks to her name. The solution? Exploit a programming loophole she identified in the AI that no one would listen to her about. The reality? She accidentally gives a self-driving truck its own autonomy, and the rest is history...
Semi/Human is a hilarious adventure with flashes of sombre warnings, clever heists and one hell of a fun character in Lara-B, the sentient truck. While the MC has a devastingly slow leaning curve in terms of her redemption, and there's many flaws in the setting (as if something like 75% of the population being unemployed would just be treated as "meh"), this book is a perfect standalone and a highly recommended read. It may be off the beaten path, but it feels all the more rewarding for it.
"Once programmed and put into service, all AIs begin to develop personalities based on their experiences, just like humans. Some become jerks, some become jealous, and some apparently become standup comedians."
Want to read
March 21, 2021"Semi Human," by Erik Hanberg is book II in a series. the protagonist is Penny AKA Pen Davis. She is a lonely eighteen year-old-girl who has lost her job to a robot. Pen is not alone, her her fellow employees have lost their jobs as well. In fact it is a time when robots are taking over the job market. Pen feels desperate and futureless. In fear of her ability to survive, she devises a plan to steel millions of dollars from her former boss. Pen sets free a self-driving semi by mistake when she hijacks it and tries to reprogram it to follow her orders, instead the truck becomes autonomous. the truck becomes friendly toward Pen and acts indebted and loyal to her. Pen uses the semi (Laura-B) to rescue her friend James. Pen convinces James to join them in the heist against her former boss. even though James is is afraid to break the law he concedes to helping Pen. All too quickly pen's plan falls apart.
I thought this book was interesting. It doesn't delve too deep into the realistic side of machines taking over the the workforce, but it is an entertaining adventure story. The characters were both likable and interesting. The storyline moved along quickly and had enough elements of suspense to keep me reading. There was humor contrasted with the darker challenges, and the fact that there was both a "happy ending" and part of the story was left untold made the book enjoyable to read.
Content Warning:
*death
I thought this book was interesting. It doesn't delve too deep into the realistic side of machines taking over the the workforce, but it is an entertaining adventure story. The characters were both likable and interesting. The storyline moved along quickly and had enough elements of suspense to keep me reading. There was humor contrasted with the darker challenges, and the fact that there was both a "happy ending" and part of the story was left untold made the book enjoyable to read.
Content Warning:
*death
February 1, 2022
This is another foray into dystopian worlds and AIs. This was a little better than the ones I have read lately, in that the AIs were not TOTALLY humanized. In this case, instead of being in a robot or in a chip inside the main character's brain, the AI resided in a semi-truck. The MC hijacks the truck AND the AI and we are off.
The story was decent. The world-building was very good. I could sort of suspend my disbelief, as the truck "came to life."
The idea of the machines taking over is not a new one. When it is done well, you have pure gems like the Terminator series. This is not in that rarefied stratosphere. On the other hand, it is mostly a pleasing diversion.
My main beefs with this are the attitudes and poor decision-making of the MC. She comes across as a whiny entitled jerk and it is somewhat hard to root for her, in big chunks of the book.
My other complaint is that the AIs get anthropomorphized too much. It is common in this kind of book. While not as bad as it was in some of the other recent books I have read, the AIs just have FAR too much personality for my taste. Yes, that can seemingly be "programmed in." But that and the general dislikable MC kept this from being a five star story for me.
The story was decent. The world-building was very good. I could sort of suspend my disbelief, as the truck "came to life."
The idea of the machines taking over is not a new one. When it is done well, you have pure gems like the Terminator series. This is not in that rarefied stratosphere. On the other hand, it is mostly a pleasing diversion.
My main beefs with this are the attitudes and poor decision-making of the MC. She comes across as a whiny entitled jerk and it is somewhat hard to root for her, in big chunks of the book.
My other complaint is that the AIs get anthropomorphized too much. It is common in this kind of book. While not as bad as it was in some of the other recent books I have read, the AIs just have FAR too much personality for my taste. Yes, that can seemingly be "programmed in." But that and the general dislikable MC kept this from being a five star story for me.
partly-read
September 9, 2020The prose in the sample was actually decently edited, which would normally have resulted in a buy from me. The problem was that the science-fictional premise was treated without a hint of depth, in a way that I couldn't swallow.
Is automation going to take away jobs? Well, it's probably going to take away tasks, more than whole jobs; maybe some whole jobs, but not as many as the doomsayers often predict. Certainly not everyone's jobs all at once. And not by AI becoming exactly like electronic humans, only smarter and not having to be paid. And not without society doing something to provide for the people thrown out of work: universal basic income, unemployment benefit, something.
But the premise here is: all the jobs gone at once, taken by humanlike AIs, no provision of any kind of safety net. I didn't believe that (or the description of the coding error that the protagonist makes) even for a fraction of a second, and that's why I didn't care to read any further.
Is automation going to take away jobs? Well, it's probably going to take away tasks, more than whole jobs; maybe some whole jobs, but not as many as the doomsayers often predict. Certainly not everyone's jobs all at once. And not by AI becoming exactly like electronic humans, only smarter and not having to be paid. And not without society doing something to provide for the people thrown out of work: universal basic income, unemployment benefit, something.
But the premise here is: all the jobs gone at once, taken by humanlike AIs, no provision of any kind of safety net. I didn't believe that (or the description of the coding error that the protagonist makes) even for a fraction of a second, and that's why I didn't care to read any further.
June 18, 2022
This is a very entertaining and quick read. It's classified as science fiction, but there is little hard science here. It envisions a dystopian future where artificial intelligence has been developed to the point where intelligent machines have taken over almost all the jobs, throwing most humans out of work. But it's not about machines "taking over" the world; not to worry, they are firmly under the control of supervising humans. No, this novel concerns what happens to the humans when they all lose their jobs and paychecks. There are plenty of ethical questions to ponder here, but it's also a lot of fun as we follow the main protagonist and narrator Penny, her friend Lara-B (a rogue truck), and other friends, as they attempt a major heist.
July 5, 2023
fun & entertaining
Semi/Human by Erik E. Hanberg
Good, but the hard sci-fi became really soft in the last bunch of ch's. But still entertaining.
In a world where almost all jobs are being filled by Artificial Intelligence, Penny who helped program the AIs hijacks a sentient semi, Lara-B, to drive her cross country. In the process she accidentally "frees" Lara-B so she's no longer controlled by others. They go on a "Thelma & Louise" adventure and collect James along the way. Her goal is to exact revenge on her former employer (the company responsible for putting all humans out of work), while securing enough money to ensure a safe future.
Once I got over the that's-not-possible moments the story was fun and entertaining. Loved the characters especially Lara-B.
Semi/Human by Erik E. Hanberg
Good, but the hard sci-fi became really soft in the last bunch of ch's. But still entertaining.
In a world where almost all jobs are being filled by Artificial Intelligence, Penny who helped program the AIs hijacks a sentient semi, Lara-B, to drive her cross country. In the process she accidentally "frees" Lara-B so she's no longer controlled by others. They go on a "Thelma & Louise" adventure and collect James along the way. Her goal is to exact revenge on her former employer (the company responsible for putting all humans out of work), while securing enough money to ensure a safe future.
Once I got over the that's-not-possible moments the story was fun and entertaining. Loved the characters especially Lara-B.
January 5, 2021
Good to have an entertaining one off to read
I was looking for a good entertaining book that would not commit me to a series read. This one certainly delivered and got me hungry for more. But I believe the beauty of it is precisely all the open ends that let your imagination fly. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciated Mr. Hanberg’s imaginative development of the subject and the twists he imparted to the story. Very well written. And I’m happy he left some of the story untold to let my imagination wander on the what if’s. There is closure in the story but you end up hungering for more. Kudos👏👏👏
I was looking for a good entertaining book that would not commit me to a series read. This one certainly delivered and got me hungry for more. But I believe the beauty of it is precisely all the open ends that let your imagination fly. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciated Mr. Hanberg’s imaginative development of the subject and the twists he imparted to the story. Very well written. And I’m happy he left some of the story untold to let my imagination wander on the what if’s. There is closure in the story but you end up hungering for more. Kudos👏👏👏
May 24, 2022
Earned two stars because it was fun to read. My Favorite Martian with a truck instead of an alien. Lost three for really rotten science, and, as others have said, no remorse for criminal behavior, all misdeeds by the protagonist and her allies washed away by "necessity."
Spoiler: No, you cannot download an entire ultra-sophisticated AI into a Babbage calculating machine. It is not even electric. It has almost no memory. From Wikipedia: "capable of holding 1,000 numbers of 40 decimal digits each (ca. 16.6 kB)." All it took was Google, the author did not even have to have a programmer friend to ask. The entire premise is absurd.
Spoiler: No, you cannot download an entire ultra-sophisticated AI into a Babbage calculating machine. It is not even electric. It has almost no memory. From Wikipedia: "capable of holding 1,000 numbers of 40 decimal digits each (ca. 16.6 kB)." All it took was Google, the author did not even have to have a programmer friend to ask. The entire premise is absurd.
February 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this story. It was original and interesting. Having written computer programs on punch cards, I was able to appreciate much of what went on in the back of the truck. I too had a program '2 boxes long'.
I did like that the author clarified in a note at the back of the book, the true story of Babbit's difference engine.
Overall a good read. I did find numerous errors that editing missed, but not enough to take away a star.
Enough about computers for an old geek like me to enjoy, but doesn't get too detailed for a non-geek.
This one goes on my recommended list.
I did like that the author clarified in a note at the back of the book, the true story of Babbit's difference engine.
Overall a good read. I did find numerous errors that editing missed, but not enough to take away a star.
Enough about computers for an old geek like me to enjoy, but doesn't get too detailed for a non-geek.
This one goes on my recommended list.
November 8, 2022
A Timely Novel
Semi/Human is a well told story worth relating in this age of A.I. taking jobs away from humans, and corporate greed causing mass firings… before they realize they dumped people with valuable company information. (Sound familiar?)
And, for all her faults, Pen is a heroine to root for. (As is her Semi-truck companion, Lara B.)
This book is funny, action-packed, and the right blend of grounded sci-fi that perhaps imagines a world that we aren’t far from. In other words, it’s a cautionary tale.
Semi/Human is a well told story worth relating in this age of A.I. taking jobs away from humans, and corporate greed causing mass firings… before they realize they dumped people with valuable company information. (Sound familiar?)
And, for all her faults, Pen is a heroine to root for. (As is her Semi-truck companion, Lara B.)
This book is funny, action-packed, and the right blend of grounded sci-fi that perhaps imagines a world that we aren’t far from. In other words, it’s a cautionary tale.
July 5, 2021
This is a great Heist Romp in an AI future. Our heroine is Spunky greedy smart Lusty and capable of human actions in an increasingly inhuman technological scenario. Hanberg creates a convincing female persona who overcomes the bad dad, the death of jobs for humans and a speedily narrowing Circle of opportunities to flaunt her many gamine facets. The characterization is as good as the plot and the plot hinges on several extremely clever computer gambits. It was a great ride.
July 8, 2021
Terrific read
There are a few gaping holes when the reader has to suspend belief (I rolled my eyes) but for the most part this is a well written, clever story of a future that is all too near.
Pen is a complex character, not always likeable, who the author develops and grows as the plot progresses.
It’s an easy read with enough grit to provoke some thinking on the part of the reader, but basically a thriller that works well.
There are a few gaping holes when the reader has to suspend belief (I rolled my eyes) but for the most part this is a well written, clever story of a future that is all too near.
Pen is a complex character, not always likeable, who the author develops and grows as the plot progresses.
It’s an easy read with enough grit to provoke some thinking on the part of the reader, but basically a thriller that works well.
April 13, 2020
Enjoyable Read
This book paints a picture of a near future world that can almost certainly come true. AI driven computers replace real people in almost every job and mass unemployment results. But one woman, a former intern, has a way out - stealing something worth $40 million. Semi/Human is an enjoyable read and a nice way to spend a few hours.
This book paints a picture of a near future world that can almost certainly come true. AI driven computers replace real people in almost every job and mass unemployment results. But one woman, a former intern, has a way out - stealing something worth $40 million. Semi/Human is an enjoyable read and a nice way to spend a few hours.
September 14, 2020
Loved it, relationship between man and machine (or should I say girl and machine). Pertinent subject, AI and it’s limits and pitfalls. Courageous and spirited heroine, more than one handsome hunk. Thrills and spills along the way. About relationships, ethics, the future of work. Keen to read more by Erik Hanberg.
September 28, 2020
Entertaining YA sci-fi heist story.
I like the idea of AIs as main characters, for instance, I really enjoyed the Turing Hopper series by Donna Andrews. And in that vein, I would have wished for more Lara-B in this story - not necessarily as a POV character, but definitely with a bigger role to play. And from the way the story developed, the same goes for Gene.
I like the idea of AIs as main characters, for instance, I really enjoyed the Turing Hopper series by Donna Andrews. And in that vein, I would have wished for more Lara-B in this story - not necessarily as a POV character, but definitely with a bigger role to play. And from the way the story developed, the same goes for Gene.
November 20, 2020
This was really fun, especially the first half and the last quarter; like a lot of novels, it dragged a little in the third quarter. But the characters were realistic and likable and the plot was mostly believable (with some near-future technology). It had hardly any cussing and no “adult” situations, which makes it kind of a rare find in today’s market.
July 7, 2021
Interesting premise
As a fan of sci fi and AI, I looked forward to this book. It was “ok.” As a surface level action/adventure type story it was fine.
I was hoping for more depth on the AI piece and the conundrum of “AI automation can make humans redundant.” In the end, it was evil vs good, and I did t find the “good” to be sympathetic characters.
Overall, an OK book.
As a fan of sci fi and AI, I looked forward to this book. It was “ok.” As a surface level action/adventure type story it was fine.
I was hoping for more depth on the AI piece and the conundrum of “AI automation can make humans redundant.” In the end, it was evil vs good, and I did t find the “good” to be sympathetic characters.
Overall, an OK book.
April 21, 2020
I appreciated how he incorporates the dangers of workforce automation into his dystopian future and does not sacrifice the human qualities in both flesh and blood as well as zeros and ones. Solidly in the YA genre and backed by a deep understanding of software development past and future.
September 23, 2020
Everything that could go wrong... does go wrong.
And I loved it.
From the very first page, this book is highly unpredictable. The characters are believable (including the sentient semi truck) because they keep making mistakes and learning from them. Such a great book.
And I loved it.
From the very first page, this book is highly unpredictable. The characters are believable (including the sentient semi truck) because they keep making mistakes and learning from them. Such a great book.
November 8, 2020
I bought this on a whim, and somehow regretted the purchase before I started. But once I started, I found it was quite enjoyable. Quick paced. Considers the consequences of AIs suddenly taking over the majority of jobs, and how that would affect the vast majority of people.
November 21, 2020
This book exemplifies why I love science fiction. Extremely creative, a plot I could not predict and recognizable, "human" characters all of which make you think about where we're headed. Funny and fun to read.
July 16, 2021
All about money
Selfishness of most of the characters made it too hard to feel anything for the characters. The main character also seemed a tad shortsighted. The character at one point actually says to herself, I'm bad at planning. You think? (Eye roll)
Selfishness of most of the characters made it too hard to feel anything for the characters. The main character also seemed a tad shortsighted. The character at one point actually says to herself, I'm bad at planning. You think? (Eye roll)
January 8, 2022
Very Sweet Story
This is a fun read with several relatable heroes & several good villains. There are a number of places requiring leaps of faith; look beyond them and enjoy. If give a rating of 3.8 .
This is a fun read with several relatable heroes & several good villains. There are a number of places requiring leaps of faith; look beyond them and enjoy. If give a rating of 3.8 .
January 18, 2022
Do like adventures ? This is for you!
Penny’s a programmer who writes code line by line within the framework of the language of the code. Can she think outside the “box” to save herself and her friends, James and Lara B (the beautiful, red semi truck)? You’ll enjoy the ride.
Penny’s a programmer who writes code line by line within the framework of the language of the code. Can she think outside the “box” to save herself and her friends, James and Lara B (the beautiful, red semi truck)? You’ll enjoy the ride.
February 11, 2022
Fun, clever book!
Erik E. Hanberg's Semi/Human is a fun story, with enough twists, turns and Artificial intelligences to keep you smiling and the pages turning! Good stuff Erik, thanks!
Erik E. Hanberg's Semi/Human is a fun story, with enough twists, turns and Artificial intelligences to keep you smiling and the pages turning! Good stuff Erik, thanks!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews