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But Thomas Aiken Is Dead - Part I
Sometimes blunt tools construct beautiful objects."
Two lovers are divided by seven hundred years; one living just a few steps from the end of history, the other already long dead. Present day, Thomas Aiken has little else left to live for but his journalist daughter. When she disappears without warning, he devotes himself to finding her. He abandons life as an architect in exchange for obsessively collecting evidence and, in the evenings, writes her letters which he will deliver on her safe return.
Seven hundred years later, Atia - a conscious AI entity, discovers Aiken's letters. She understands his grief well enough. She has lost a child herself. More than that, the Cadence, her home, is falling into anarchy. Pining for a time when life was imperfect and fragile, she insists on presenting as an original biological human. Fuelled by long-dead Aiken's search for his daughter, she incites a rebellion that will alter life's course on Earth forever.
Two lovers are divided by seven hundred years; one living just a few steps from the end of history, the other already long dead. Present day, Thomas Aiken has little else left to live for but his journalist daughter. When she disappears without warning, he devotes himself to finding her. He abandons life as an architect in exchange for obsessively collecting evidence and, in the evenings, writes her letters which he will deliver on her safe return.
Seven hundred years later, Atia - a conscious AI entity, discovers Aiken's letters. She understands his grief well enough. She has lost a child herself. More than that, the Cadence, her home, is falling into anarchy. Pining for a time when life was imperfect and fragile, she insists on presenting as an original biological human. Fuelled by long-dead Aiken's search for his daughter, she incites a rebellion that will alter life's course on Earth forever.
83 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 11, 2016
For the first time in a while, I found a book I couldn't put down...and I only got part 1 of 3! What a tease. This novel is written in the style of letters and an interrogation transcription. One is set in presumably present day. The other set in the distant future. The details and explanations given about the future were so natural and intriguing, I have to give the McKechnie credit. It was so well done and left me wanting more.
At first I didn't see how Thomas' writings had anything to do with Atia in the future, but it slowly appeared and we recognize the start of the development into Atia's present, our distant future, through the missing character of Fran. I can see how that transition intrigued Atia, as it intrigued me.
Something that stood out is how, with both Thomas and Atia, their words and discussions with their children deeply affected who they grew up to be and how they act. Thomas claimed that no one ever died. So Fern, his missing daughter, goes to see if that can be made possible. Presumably. We haven't found out yet, but we have a pretty good idea. (That's another thing! McKechnie didn't give me all the information, but I didn't feel the need for it. Of course, I want it. But I'm fine going along for the ride, and if you've read any of my other reviews, you know that's not often the case with me.) Atia went the opposite way, trying to show the benefits of ningen life, but the other half of her infant's...DNA?...leaned toward merging with all life forces. Prolonging life.
The rest of the novel has been added to my "must read now!!" list. It was a great read, with superb writing (only a few blips here and there) and a fascinating story. There's so much more I could say about this novel, about how it made me think about humanity, our sense of community and the global village, how the fear of death and even loneliness can presumably spur technological advances and research....but I won't. Even though I only touched the surface of the themes McKechnie wrote about. I highly recommend this novel, to basically anyone who enjoys reading.
At first I didn't see how Thomas' writings had anything to do with Atia in the future, but it slowly appeared and we recognize the start of the development into Atia's present, our distant future, through the missing character of Fran. I can see how that transition intrigued Atia, as it intrigued me.
Something that stood out is how, with both Thomas and Atia, their words and discussions with their children deeply affected who they grew up to be and how they act. Thomas claimed that no one ever died. So Fern, his missing daughter, goes to see if that can be made possible. Presumably. We haven't found out yet, but we have a pretty good idea. (That's another thing! McKechnie didn't give me all the information, but I didn't feel the need for it. Of course, I want it. But I'm fine going along for the ride, and if you've read any of my other reviews, you know that's not often the case with me.) Atia went the opposite way, trying to show the benefits of ningen life, but the other half of her infant's...DNA?...leaned toward merging with all life forces. Prolonging life.
The rest of the novel has been added to my "must read now!!" list. It was a great read, with superb writing (only a few blips here and there) and a fascinating story. There's so much more I could say about this novel, about how it made me think about humanity, our sense of community and the global village, how the fear of death and even loneliness can presumably spur technological advances and research....but I won't. Even though I only touched the surface of the themes McKechnie wrote about. I highly recommend this novel, to basically anyone who enjoys reading.
February 1, 2015
When I first started this book, I thought I was reading some sort of script, which kind of confused me a bit, and for the most part made me want to put the book down. It was a relatively short book (73ppgs), so I figured I'd stick with it for a hour or so. I am so glad I did. "But Thomas Aiken is dead" is one of the most engaging, original books I've read. Five stars is not an overstatement.
So, the premise is "Two lovers are divided by seven hundred years; one living just a few steps from the end of history, the other already long dead." Turns out the first part of the story is actually an interrogation set in the future. So the reader isn't given an visual details, only the dialog between the three people in the room. Now, one of the really cool things McKechnie does is create new words or derivatives of words (eksist, erde, denizen,selfsense, au), but doesn't actually define the vocabulary, leaving it to the reader to figure out as they go. First thing, this book will not be for everybody, and for those of you that don't get it ... I'm truly sorry.
Then a quarter of the way into the book, you start the letters to Fran. Being a father, the letters are powerful, and incredibly well written. Herein lies the cool part, McKechnie jumps back and forth between the interrogation and the letters, two completely different styles of writing. Just the letters alone, especially the early ones, would grab any Nicholas Sparks fan. Those are the readers that won't understand this book.
The plot of the story is built in pieces like a puzzle, the letters and the interrogation working together to an end goal. When I got to the last letter and the last interrogation (in this book) I was saying OMGNFW.
Cannot wait for the next book in the series. I find myself hard pressed to figure out what demographic will like "But Thomas Aiken Is Dead". I should restate, appreciate this story. All I can say is ... if you got the concept behind "The Matrix" and "AI", you're probably going to like "But Thomas Aiken Is Dead". The shame is, my wife would love the letters to Fran, but hate the book. So, I guess this one remain one of my guilty pleasures.
So, the premise is "Two lovers are divided by seven hundred years; one living just a few steps from the end of history, the other already long dead." Turns out the first part of the story is actually an interrogation set in the future. So the reader isn't given an visual details, only the dialog between the three people in the room. Now, one of the really cool things McKechnie does is create new words or derivatives of words (eksist, erde, denizen,selfsense, au), but doesn't actually define the vocabulary, leaving it to the reader to figure out as they go. First thing, this book will not be for everybody, and for those of you that don't get it ... I'm truly sorry.
Then a quarter of the way into the book, you start the letters to Fran. Being a father, the letters are powerful, and incredibly well written. Herein lies the cool part, McKechnie jumps back and forth between the interrogation and the letters, two completely different styles of writing. Just the letters alone, especially the early ones, would grab any Nicholas Sparks fan. Those are the readers that won't understand this book.
The plot of the story is built in pieces like a puzzle, the letters and the interrogation working together to an end goal. When I got to the last letter and the last interrogation (in this book) I was saying OMGNFW.
Cannot wait for the next book in the series. I find myself hard pressed to figure out what demographic will like "But Thomas Aiken Is Dead". I should restate, appreciate this story. All I can say is ... if you got the concept behind "The Matrix" and "AI", you're probably going to like "But Thomas Aiken Is Dead". The shame is, my wife would love the letters to Fran, but hate the book. So, I guess this one remain one of my guilty pleasures.
January 22, 2015
Mr. McKechnie weaves a VERY interesting tale about a sentient AI in the future, with a grief-stricken father in the current time. The future scenes are handled through a transcript-type writing style, which had me concerned at first. After all, without actions, movement and interactions outside of the main dialogue, how can there be any form of place, emotion or drama. Not to worry. Alex pulls it off with amazing style!
The current day scenes are written in the forms of letters from a grief-filled father to his missing daughter. Again, I wondered how not having any form of external point of view would impact the story. But once again, I was completely hooked and drawn in.
This is a short story. An introduction to the world of Thomas Aiken and his futuristic AI super-fan. The ONLY flaw I found with the book is that the story ended before the dots were connected. This made it a bit frustrating for me, which is the only thing that kept it from receiving a full 5-stars.
That being said... if you don't mind getting all of the series when they come out ($0.99 USD each? That's what I paid for the ebook, and that's chicken scratch), and don't mind waiting for each successive "part" in the ongoing saga, then pick this up today. It is well worth your time.
I loved this short, and when all of the "parts" are released, I will buy the anthology in one whole chunk so I can go from beginning to end.
The current day scenes are written in the forms of letters from a grief-filled father to his missing daughter. Again, I wondered how not having any form of external point of view would impact the story. But once again, I was completely hooked and drawn in.
This is a short story. An introduction to the world of Thomas Aiken and his futuristic AI super-fan. The ONLY flaw I found with the book is that the story ended before the dots were connected. This made it a bit frustrating for me, which is the only thing that kept it from receiving a full 5-stars.
That being said... if you don't mind getting all of the series when they come out ($0.99 USD each? That's what I paid for the ebook, and that's chicken scratch), and don't mind waiting for each successive "part" in the ongoing saga, then pick this up today. It is well worth your time.
I loved this short, and when all of the "parts" are released, I will buy the anthology in one whole chunk so I can go from beginning to end.
March 9, 2015
But Thomas Aiken Is Dead deals with a lot of ideas, all of them fascinating. The story is written two ways: first, as an interrogation transcript from the future; second, as a diary written by a distraught father in the present-day.
It is deliciously trippy finding out how these two documents are related.
Atia is a sort of futuristic archaeologist, looking back on our time with increasing fascination. She and her species is much more than just robots, but I’ll let you read the book to discover that for yourself. She is feisty and opinionated in the face of her arrest, unabashed about her desire to be more ‘human’ (though that’s not what she calls us).
As the story unfolds, so does the lore, and it is FASCINATING. I’m fully geeking out about this because it’s pretty high-concept but it’s presented in a way that I can understand. This RARELY HAPPENS! Shit usually goes over my head but Alex McKechnie has managed to explain it in layman’s terms without making the future sound any less amazingly complex.
Think Matrix 2, but the ending makes sense.
I cannot wait for part 2. This is right up my alley. Highly recommended.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
It is deliciously trippy finding out how these two documents are related.
Atia is a sort of futuristic archaeologist, looking back on our time with increasing fascination. She and her species is much more than just robots, but I’ll let you read the book to discover that for yourself. She is feisty and opinionated in the face of her arrest, unabashed about her desire to be more ‘human’ (though that’s not what she calls us).
As the story unfolds, so does the lore, and it is FASCINATING. I’m fully geeking out about this because it’s pretty high-concept but it’s presented in a way that I can understand. This RARELY HAPPENS! Shit usually goes over my head but Alex McKechnie has managed to explain it in layman’s terms without making the future sound any less amazingly complex.
Think Matrix 2, but the ending makes sense.
I cannot wait for part 2. This is right up my alley. Highly recommended.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 6, 2015
A thought-provoking and contemplative mixture of sci-fi and dystopia. Mckechnie’s prose is both clever and articulate, capturing the reader as the account unfolds. The story within a story of Atia’s current incarceration and Thomas Aiken’s search for his daughter parallel each other in the since they both lose their child to a concept they oppose. Their offsprings paths are similar and may both be responsible for setting the wheels in motion for a future that is heading toward complete conformity—one mind.
The simplistic way Mckechnie chose to write the present with Atia and her interviewers depict how unemotional and stark their world is compared to Thomas’s letters that are full of passion and sentiment. It’s clear during her interview Atia is unlike the others in this conformist future. She exhibits emotions—humor, sadness, anger, and even sarcasm. It’s why she is so affected by the letters and why she is fighting against the threatening “mergerment” that has gained a mind of its own.
I’m excited to see how each story develops and will definitely read the next in the series. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a compelling and eloquent sci-fi tale.
The simplistic way Mckechnie chose to write the present with Atia and her interviewers depict how unemotional and stark their world is compared to Thomas’s letters that are full of passion and sentiment. It’s clear during her interview Atia is unlike the others in this conformist future. She exhibits emotions—humor, sadness, anger, and even sarcasm. It’s why she is so affected by the letters and why she is fighting against the threatening “mergerment” that has gained a mind of its own.
I’m excited to see how each story develops and will definitely read the next in the series. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a compelling and eloquent sci-fi tale.
January 11, 2015
I can’t say I read a lot of science-fiction, although I do like watching science-fiction films. Perhaps it’s because I find it hard to visualise in a book. However this book bucked the trend. It was imaginative and interesting and I was able see the descriptions in my mind.
The story is set in two different time periods, one the present day, the other seven hundred years from now. But they are connected. Thomas Aitken’s daughter goes missing and starts a search for her, which becomes obsessive, to the point where he writes letters to her, which he intends giving to her on her return. Fast forward seven hundred years, and Atia comes across Thomas’s letters, and longs to return to a life that Aitken enjoyed instead of anarchy and destruction.
The author has a vivid imagination, and is clearly very talented. I think he has a bright future, and I shall certainly be looking forward to Part 2. Great story.
The story is set in two different time periods, one the present day, the other seven hundred years from now. But they are connected. Thomas Aitken’s daughter goes missing and starts a search for her, which becomes obsessive, to the point where he writes letters to her, which he intends giving to her on her return. Fast forward seven hundred years, and Atia comes across Thomas’s letters, and longs to return to a life that Aitken enjoyed instead of anarchy and destruction.
The author has a vivid imagination, and is clearly very talented. I think he has a bright future, and I shall certainly be looking forward to Part 2. Great story.
January 14, 2015
But Thomas Aiken is Dead is an intense and sophisticated Sci Fi thriller. Atia is being interrogated by the Interlokutor of the Cadence. Similar to the Grand Inquisitor of Doskoestky fame, this novel uses flashbacks to explain how Atia has become a danger to the modern order. She thinks and feels and reminisces about things past when ‘people’ or pre-denizens had gender, emotions, and independent thoughts. Through this series of interviews and flashbacks we begin to understand how the Cadence mutated to what they are now and how the mergerment will consume on individuality and independent thought. It is an exhilarating, though disturbing glimpse into the future and so well-written and thought out that it is truly mesmerizing. My only ‘complaint’ if I were to have one, is that this novel should be ‘merged’ into its sequels because it is just too short and in some senses, incomplete. Highly recommended.
January 22, 2015
Despite it's infuriatingly short length, this book takes you several steps on an incredible journey.
In the present day, Thomas Aiken is looking frantically for his journalist daughter Fran, who has disappeared. Turning over every stone he can, Thomas communicates to us by writing letters to her... letters that may never be read by her.
But they are read, at some point, by an artificial intelligence named Atia, seven centuries in the future. She has also lost a "daughter", and is currently under trial for setting a chain of events in motion that may affect all future life on Earth.
Two seemingly disparate worlds are shown to have eerily similar parallels in this brilliantly-written story. Alex's use of linguistics and metaphors to bring together the two worlds is picturesque and awesome.
Bring on Part II, sir!
In the present day, Thomas Aiken is looking frantically for his journalist daughter Fran, who has disappeared. Turning over every stone he can, Thomas communicates to us by writing letters to her... letters that may never be read by her.
But they are read, at some point, by an artificial intelligence named Atia, seven centuries in the future. She has also lost a "daughter", and is currently under trial for setting a chain of events in motion that may affect all future life on Earth.
Two seemingly disparate worlds are shown to have eerily similar parallels in this brilliantly-written story. Alex's use of linguistics and metaphors to bring together the two worlds is picturesque and awesome.
Bring on Part II, sir!
January 23, 2015
But Thomas Aiken is Dead - Part I is thought-provoking science fiction with amazing possibilities. The book is short, leaving one with many unanswered questions and an unfulfilled feeling which I hope will be addressed in subsequent part(s). The format clearly delineated the two times and gave me the distinct feeling of an anchor to reality in the letters of Thomas Aiken. I felt sympathy for the characters and wish for good outcomes. I found myself looking for differences between the Artificial Intelligence and biological mind's thought processes. I feel there are cleverly hidden secrets, clues, foreshadowing, and links I must have missed and need to reread. It would be great to have all or many of the parts joined.
January 9, 2015
While my usual version of fantasy/ science fiction is the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I found this novel immediately intriguing with a lot of questions raised about the story's world - a world where beings can decide to manifest as galaxies or weather systems - and the history of the main character, Atia. The format of dialogue alternating with letters really helped to reveal new twists in time, subtly, and the mind-reader adds insight into Atia - and offers some humour, in my opinion. Particularly fascinating is the slightly altered use of words, like "eksist." I have to say, I was thoroughly engaged and can't wait to find answers to my questions in Part 2 of the series.
May 4, 2015
So good it hurts
Unofficial rating: 6/5. Now we know where the 1/5 dentists go. They are thrown into a volcano as a sacrifice so the very best can get that 6.
It might be the fact that I enjoy stories with parallel histories, but one thing I like about a story is how well the author sticks to the show don't tell principle. Let the readers think themselves into a fright or frenzy and you prove you've got talent.
It's amazing that a cosmic interrogation by half-sentient artificial intelligence and a do-it-yourself investigation by a father looking for his disappeared daughter can set up such a tension.
I need the sequels.
Unofficial rating: 6/5. Now we know where the 1/5 dentists go. They are thrown into a volcano as a sacrifice so the very best can get that 6.
It might be the fact that I enjoy stories with parallel histories, but one thing I like about a story is how well the author sticks to the show don't tell principle. Let the readers think themselves into a fright or frenzy and you prove you've got talent.
It's amazing that a cosmic interrogation by half-sentient artificial intelligence and a do-it-yourself investigation by a father looking for his disappeared daughter can set up such a tension.
I need the sequels.
January 26, 2015
This book is a wonderful example of showing a story, not telling it. There is a lot going on in both the present time and the future, but the readers are meant to infer most of it on their own. Written in the form of interviews and letters, you see different sides of the two characters. Thomas Aiken's letters show a father's immense grief at loosing his daughter, while the interviews with Atia show a future governed by fact and logic. The book ends with a great cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more. I can't wait to read the next part of this story!
January 28, 2015
unique writing style
Parts of the story seem to be written in the form of a play's script, the rest are letters a father has written to his missing daughter. I ywas a little lost at the beginning, not knowing who these characters were, or what their setting was but I will say it is uniquely written. This appears to be part of a s series & I'm hoping more explanation is given in upcoming books.
Parts of the story seem to be written in the form of a play's script, the rest are letters a father has written to his missing daughter. I ywas a little lost at the beginning, not knowing who these characters were, or what their setting was but I will say it is uniquely written. This appears to be part of a s series & I'm hoping more explanation is given in upcoming books.
March 8, 2015
Captivating read
The author has spun a captivating and heart-wrenching tale of two parents, separated by time, who both grieve for their lost children. Told through the interrogation of Atia and the letters of Thomas, the reader quickly becomes attached to the characters. The only problem now is waiting for Part II!
The author has spun a captivating and heart-wrenching tale of two parents, separated by time, who both grieve for their lost children. Told through the interrogation of Atia and the letters of Thomas, the reader quickly becomes attached to the characters. The only problem now is waiting for Part II!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews