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Numbercaste
Described as "Black Mirror meets the Circle meets 1984" by fans, Numbercaste is an award-winning debut that looks out into an all-too-possible future - a future that's being built even as you read this. When Patrick Udo is offered a job at NumberCorp, he packs his bags and goes to the Valley. After all, the 2030s are a difficult time, and jobs are rare. Little does he know that he's joining one of the most ambitious undertakings of his time or any other. NumberCorp, crunchingthrough vast amounts of social network data, is building a new society - one where everyone's social circles are examined, their activities quantified, and their importance distilled into the all-powerful Number. A society where everything from your home to your education to entry at the local nightclub depends on an app that states exactly how important you are. As NumberCorp rises in power and in influence, the questions start coming in. What would you do to build the perfect state? And how far is too far?
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
56 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
29 books235 followersYudhanjaya Wijeratne is a Nebula-nominated science fiction author and data scientist from Colombo, Sri Lanka. By day he is a senior researcher with the Data, Algorithms and Policy team at LIRNEasia, working at the intersection of technology and government policy.
He is the co-founder of Watchdog, a fact-checking organization that sprung up in the wake of the April 2019 bombings in Sri Lanka. He built and operates @osunpoet, an experimental Instagram poet using OpenAI technology to test a human+AI collaboration in art - a thesis currently being explored in an entirely separate trilogy of novels.
Yudhanjaya blogs at Yudhanjaya.com, and has written for Slate, Foreign Policy and more besides.
He is the co-founder of Watchdog, a fact-checking organization that sprung up in the wake of the April 2019 bombings in Sri Lanka. He built and operates @osunpoet, an experimental Instagram poet using OpenAI technology to test a human+AI collaboration in art - a thesis currently being explored in an entirely separate trilogy of novels.
Yudhanjaya blogs at Yudhanjaya.com, and has written for Slate, Foreign Policy and more besides.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
August 18, 2018
There really *IS* a growing number of social media dystopias out there. Enough to fill a rather large subgenre.
And why not? We can see where this kind of thing is going. Social ostracism on an ever-growing scale. Look at that great Black Mirror episode, or even that great Orville episode, or if you'd rather, then head on over to The Circle or TWO Claire North books, Sudden Appearance of Hope, and 84K. And Malka Older, too, of course.
There are a ton more out there, I'm sure, and a large handful out of those I've read that I haven't even mentioned. But that's my point.
We're in a time of warning. And this novel does a pretty fantastic job of exploring where the trends are headed without going into wild territory. Indeed, having a single score that incorporates EVERY LITTLE DETAIL in your life, including whether or not you relinquish your seat to an old person, is not that far off from where we are now. Every bit of our lives is a marketing campaign already. All we need to do next is rank how desirable you are for all those markets but have it under a single company and we've got actually accurate credit agencies and a whole new way to cast aside undesirables.
But be forewarned. The corporation a character. Probably a bigger and more impressive character than the PoV. :)
This definitely one of the best ones of this subgenre. It really goes in for the ideas and the full exploration of where we're headed rather than an overblown thriller or something with mystery aspects. I think it's just plain Fascinating. :)
And why not? We can see where this kind of thing is going. Social ostracism on an ever-growing scale. Look at that great Black Mirror episode, or even that great Orville episode, or if you'd rather, then head on over to The Circle or TWO Claire North books, Sudden Appearance of Hope, and 84K. And Malka Older, too, of course.
There are a ton more out there, I'm sure, and a large handful out of those I've read that I haven't even mentioned. But that's my point.
We're in a time of warning. And this novel does a pretty fantastic job of exploring where the trends are headed without going into wild territory. Indeed, having a single score that incorporates EVERY LITTLE DETAIL in your life, including whether or not you relinquish your seat to an old person, is not that far off from where we are now. Every bit of our lives is a marketing campaign already. All we need to do next is rank how desirable you are for all those markets but have it under a single company and we've got actually accurate credit agencies and a whole new way to cast aside undesirables.
But be forewarned. The corporation a character. Probably a bigger and more impressive character than the PoV. :)
This definitely one of the best ones of this subgenre. It really goes in for the ideas and the full exploration of where we're headed rather than an overblown thriller or something with mystery aspects. I think it's just plain Fascinating. :)
August 1, 2017
Ever since the 'Slow Sad Suicide of Rohan Wijeratne' , I was eagerly waiting for Yudhanjaya's 'Numbercaste'.
It was worth the wait. It exceeded my expectations. It made me happy in the knowledge that , Sri Lankans got what it takes to write Great Science Fiction.
The theme of the book makes it easy even for non Sci Fi readers to give it a go.
In the current context , where Google knows what you want to find through the search bar even before you start typing, people would have no difficulty in understanding this book.
This reminded me of work by Greg Egan , whose speculative fiction has the potential to make one wary about the future.
Yudhanjaya has the knack of balancing the hard science with a sprinkling of a human touch. In time he might be on par with the stuff that Ted Chiang writes. Who knows , he might surpass him too.
What I sincerely want is , someone to refer Yudhanjaya in a future book review , the same way I mentioned Chiang and Egan.
Numbercaste was a Brilly read. More power to the author and may his 'Number' grow !
It was worth the wait. It exceeded my expectations. It made me happy in the knowledge that , Sri Lankans got what it takes to write Great Science Fiction.
The theme of the book makes it easy even for non Sci Fi readers to give it a go.
In the current context , where Google knows what you want to find through the search bar even before you start typing, people would have no difficulty in understanding this book.
This reminded me of work by Greg Egan , whose speculative fiction has the potential to make one wary about the future.
Yudhanjaya has the knack of balancing the hard science with a sprinkling of a human touch. In time he might be on par with the stuff that Ted Chiang writes. Who knows , he might surpass him too.
What I sincerely want is , someone to refer Yudhanjaya in a future book review , the same way I mentioned Chiang and Egan.
Numbercaste was a Brilly read. More power to the author and may his 'Number' grow !
January 4, 2019
What's Your Number?
I enjoyed reading this book quite a bit. I have been a fan of the author's work for some time now, mostly because I followed his blog religiously for an year or so. I've had the good fortune of meeting him too, several times, albeit very briefly, but I digress.
I was in a bit of a tussle coming to terms with the ending of the book. I was expecting a a Big Finish (with a capital B, suggesting a mind-boggling and intense climax, not to be confused with a large Scandinavian gentleman), an imaginative twist, perhaps. Heck, I don't know what I was expecting, but I do remember feeling a little underwhelmed at first.
But then I thought things through for a bit (I should do that more often,) and I realized it didn't need anything of that sort.
Here we have Patrick Udo, the protagonist, simply passing on a story. He is trying to recall things exactly as they happened. He is trying to document things realistically without giving in to bursts of hyperbole. Patrick Udo is not writing a novel, so it's only fair that Yudhanjaya isn't trying to, either. I am in no way suggesting that the author is not making an effort. He is simply Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to Julius Common's Jesus.
Common himself is a man larger than life. Eccentric and a little mysterious in his ways, he is, and his reality distortion field is alluded to more than once. I can think of a few Silicon Valley billionaires who might have inspired this character. He is scarred, and holds a few secrets of his own. He is a man with a vision, and for him, the ends justify the means.
His creation, the Number, is a for him the foundation of a utopia. Simply put, it's a system that assigns a value to each human being based on a host of criteria such as their contributions to society, their social connections, their influence etc. Things that are grounds for discrimination in the world today - such as race, religion, wealth - are immaterial in Common's world. A Gay Black artist could command the same level of influence as a White American WallStreeter, for instance.
On the surface, it's easy to see this as an ideal society. People are rewarded for making the right connections, and doing good deeds. They're incentivized to lead better lives, in every way.
Bu, as they say, one man's Utopia is another's dystopia. For all its promise, what the Number simply does is strip away a whole lot of dysfunctional societal hierarchies, and install one all-encompassing hierarchy in its place. And like all such structures, the Number enables the emergence of haves, have-nots, and a whole lot of others in between. It is a sobering reminder that there will always be one yardstick or another which dictates the value of a human life, and however accurate it may be, that it always brings out the worst in us. The North-South divide is very much prevalent in a world dominated Common's number, the only difference is that the yardstick is no longer economic.
Patrick has a front raw seat as all this unravels, and he is very much a willing participant in this journey, although he has to assure himself ever so often that they (ie, NumberCorp) are the "good guys." He is unsure at times, of course, mostly in hindsight, which is when such gems like the following sentence materialize in his text: "It's remarkable what you can get used to doing for a living when you know the alternative is to starve."
Here's one thing that there me off. The book doesn't paint a clear picture of where technology stands in this world. Of course, we know from passing references that Facebook, Instagram, Google Maps and Android phones still exist. We also know that designer babies are a thing and mechanical body parts are common. But the overall infrastructure is still in a bit of a haze. I cam surely consider the possibility of the author deciding that extensive world building would have been a futile exercise, but I for one would have enjoyed a bit more detail.
But then again, it helped to see the world through Patrick's eyes. He is not telling this story to someone from the past, like you and I, but to a reader in the future. There's no reason for him to break down in substantial detail what the tech landscape looked like when these events took place. His audience would already know.
I loved the occasional Sri-Lankanisms being thrown in, like godayata magic, (which I didn't see coming at all. Well done, Yudhanjaya!) and the references to various places and events in Sri Lanka. It was a little disheartening to see that our politicians a decade away would still be as corrupt as they are now, but that's a minor concern.
I did have a bit of a chuckle when I happened upon the phrase, "hardened cybercriminals."
Numbercaste reads like a cautious look at a world that does not seem to be too far away from actually manifesting itself. Even today, we let algorithms choose our news for us. And contrary to that old adage, we don't choose our friends anymore. It's doesn't seem too distant that we'd let algorithms define everything imaginable, including our own worth or the lack of it, for us, for better or for worse.
I enjoyed reading this book quite a bit. I have been a fan of the author's work for some time now, mostly because I followed his blog religiously for an year or so. I've had the good fortune of meeting him too, several times, albeit very briefly, but I digress.
I was in a bit of a tussle coming to terms with the ending of the book. I was expecting a a Big Finish (with a capital B, suggesting a mind-boggling and intense climax, not to be confused with a large Scandinavian gentleman), an imaginative twist, perhaps. Heck, I don't know what I was expecting, but I do remember feeling a little underwhelmed at first.
But then I thought things through for a bit (I should do that more often,) and I realized it didn't need anything of that sort.
Here we have Patrick Udo, the protagonist, simply passing on a story. He is trying to recall things exactly as they happened. He is trying to document things realistically without giving in to bursts of hyperbole. Patrick Udo is not writing a novel, so it's only fair that Yudhanjaya isn't trying to, either. I am in no way suggesting that the author is not making an effort. He is simply Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to Julius Common's Jesus.
Common himself is a man larger than life. Eccentric and a little mysterious in his ways, he is, and his reality distortion field is alluded to more than once. I can think of a few Silicon Valley billionaires who might have inspired this character. He is scarred, and holds a few secrets of his own. He is a man with a vision, and for him, the ends justify the means.
His creation, the Number, is a for him the foundation of a utopia. Simply put, it's a system that assigns a value to each human being based on a host of criteria such as their contributions to society, their social connections, their influence etc. Things that are grounds for discrimination in the world today - such as race, religion, wealth - are immaterial in Common's world. A Gay Black artist could command the same level of influence as a White American WallStreeter, for instance.
On the surface, it's easy to see this as an ideal society. People are rewarded for making the right connections, and doing good deeds. They're incentivized to lead better lives, in every way.
Bu, as they say, one man's Utopia is another's dystopia. For all its promise, what the Number simply does is strip away a whole lot of dysfunctional societal hierarchies, and install one all-encompassing hierarchy in its place. And like all such structures, the Number enables the emergence of haves, have-nots, and a whole lot of others in between. It is a sobering reminder that there will always be one yardstick or another which dictates the value of a human life, and however accurate it may be, that it always brings out the worst in us. The North-South divide is very much prevalent in a world dominated Common's number, the only difference is that the yardstick is no longer economic.
Patrick has a front raw seat as all this unravels, and he is very much a willing participant in this journey, although he has to assure himself ever so often that they (ie, NumberCorp) are the "good guys." He is unsure at times, of course, mostly in hindsight, which is when such gems like the following sentence materialize in his text: "It's remarkable what you can get used to doing for a living when you know the alternative is to starve."
Here's one thing that there me off. The book doesn't paint a clear picture of where technology stands in this world. Of course, we know from passing references that Facebook, Instagram, Google Maps and Android phones still exist. We also know that designer babies are a thing and mechanical body parts are common. But the overall infrastructure is still in a bit of a haze. I cam surely consider the possibility of the author deciding that extensive world building would have been a futile exercise, but I for one would have enjoyed a bit more detail.
But then again, it helped to see the world through Patrick's eyes. He is not telling this story to someone from the past, like you and I, but to a reader in the future. There's no reason for him to break down in substantial detail what the tech landscape looked like when these events took place. His audience would already know.
I loved the occasional Sri-Lankanisms being thrown in, like godayata magic, (which I didn't see coming at all. Well done, Yudhanjaya!) and the references to various places and events in Sri Lanka. It was a little disheartening to see that our politicians a decade away would still be as corrupt as they are now, but that's a minor concern.
I did have a bit of a chuckle when I happened upon the phrase, "hardened cybercriminals."
Numbercaste reads like a cautious look at a world that does not seem to be too far away from actually manifesting itself. Even today, we let algorithms choose our news for us. And contrary to that old adage, we don't choose our friends anymore. It's doesn't seem too distant that we'd let algorithms define everything imaginable, including our own worth or the lack of it, for us, for better or for worse.
March 28, 2018
Ever wondered what the world would be like if we gamified all forms of human interaction and built a self sustaining system that rewarded us for winning? NumberCaste is the story of how such a world could look. This book taps into the zeitgeist of our times, with all the controversy, paranoia, and outcry surrounding uncontrolled data sharing, compromised privacy, and surveillance. Sometimes, stories can help provide us with new perspectives on things, and NumberCaste attempts to look at all this through the lens of speculative fiction.
It’s the early 2030s and NumberCorp, and Patrick Udo, a journalist, has just landed a plum job. It’s at a startup powered by a blockchain ID encryption system that’s replaced passports and visas launches their algorithm - the Number - that claims to quantify human influence and value, making credit scoring easier for banks, and hiring easier for companies. What starts out as yet another revolutionary start-up by a maverick founder, the eccentric and brooding Julius Commons, grows more quickly than anyone could’ve imagined.
This story follows events as they spiral out of control (Udo’s, not Common’s), and the Number’s inexorable growth and consolidation as humanity’s primary means of determining the value of human life.
I’m of the opinion that stories that deal with social engineering have a singular quality to them that never fails to touch something deep inside all of us, something that shakes us to our very core. It’s what’s at the heart at any dystopian fiction staple. NumberCaste’s premise is solid and the gamification of trust it features is disturbing at times.
That said, the book’s prose itself is mostly lukewarm, and the characters, mostly unconvincing for over half of the book. Their dread fails to sufficiently draw you in, to sympathize with the chaos and terror in their lives. The minor characters and background players seem like an afterthought. Which is a pity, because it’s the combined weight of their stories that’d have made such a story truly immersive. Common, Udo, and some of the other NumberCorp employees are the only ones in the spotlight, and even then, they don’t feel completely 3D.
The quality of the writing, is all over the place. The first third of the book feature mostly plain writing, with the story forging ahead virtually unopposed. It’s only later that the book slows down and starts incorporating more uncertainty and mental dilemmas that give it some balance and tension. Inconsistencies and the mark of heavy handedness only further take away from the flow and impact of the story.
To its credit though, the book features some passages on the nature of data, privacy, and social engineering with interesting perspectives on and arguments around what are highly subjective aspects of society. Its take on the nature of trust and systems is quite fascinating too, all things no doubt shaped by the author's own background as a data scientist.
You can pick this book up for its strong, imaginative premise, but don’t expect the characters to suck you in or the writing to shine.
It’s the early 2030s and NumberCorp, and Patrick Udo, a journalist, has just landed a plum job. It’s at a startup powered by a blockchain ID encryption system that’s replaced passports and visas launches their algorithm - the Number - that claims to quantify human influence and value, making credit scoring easier for banks, and hiring easier for companies. What starts out as yet another revolutionary start-up by a maverick founder, the eccentric and brooding Julius Commons, grows more quickly than anyone could’ve imagined.
This story follows events as they spiral out of control (Udo’s, not Common’s), and the Number’s inexorable growth and consolidation as humanity’s primary means of determining the value of human life.
I’m of the opinion that stories that deal with social engineering have a singular quality to them that never fails to touch something deep inside all of us, something that shakes us to our very core. It’s what’s at the heart at any dystopian fiction staple. NumberCaste’s premise is solid and the gamification of trust it features is disturbing at times.
That said, the book’s prose itself is mostly lukewarm, and the characters, mostly unconvincing for over half of the book. Their dread fails to sufficiently draw you in, to sympathize with the chaos and terror in their lives. The minor characters and background players seem like an afterthought. Which is a pity, because it’s the combined weight of their stories that’d have made such a story truly immersive. Common, Udo, and some of the other NumberCorp employees are the only ones in the spotlight, and even then, they don’t feel completely 3D.
The quality of the writing, is all over the place. The first third of the book feature mostly plain writing, with the story forging ahead virtually unopposed. It’s only later that the book slows down and starts incorporating more uncertainty and mental dilemmas that give it some balance and tension. Inconsistencies and the mark of heavy handedness only further take away from the flow and impact of the story.
To its credit though, the book features some passages on the nature of data, privacy, and social engineering with interesting perspectives on and arguments around what are highly subjective aspects of society. Its take on the nature of trust and systems is quite fascinating too, all things no doubt shaped by the author's own background as a data scientist.
You can pick this book up for its strong, imaginative premise, but don’t expect the characters to suck you in or the writing to shine.
September 13, 2017
This had such great potential, but ultimately fell flat. The flow was disjointed and awkward. I thought that the novel had ended at the point where the biography began. I continued reading simply because I had already gotten that far, and was surprised that the story picked back up after the biography with an epilogue that should have been the actual final chapter. There was no discernible climax. The story arc just kind of fizzled out. The story is a great concept, but this felt like a third or fourth draft that needed an honest beta reader or editor before release. I'm assuming this was self-published. These services are well worth the price once you have a work developed to this stage.
June 12, 2018
So who would you pick to narrate the death of one world and the birth of another?
For Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, it's a journalist. Patrick Udo, a communications expert and the son of a famous 'old-school' journalist, is recruited into the heady mix of silicon valley certainties, vanities and vices. It's an interesting point of view, one that gives us both a cool, detached air that picks out only the most important events and sections of immediacy and intimacy that only a first-hand observer can muster.
Patrick's viewpoint sounds exactly like the real deal. He gives you a description of the people around him not merely in physical terms but also in details that highlight who these people are. It's not merely Liu Heng, the impressively tall Chinese man who built one half of the eponymous numbercorp. He's also treated like a rockstar at his university, he is reserved and speaks with great weight. We learn about people with the context of where and why we are meeting them, exactly as if the story were written for any major newspaper today.
This cool, detached point of view does leave the reader further from the events on many occasions, and we don't see the usual minutiae of the interactions between characters that allows us to get to know them fully. This leaves some actions more confusing than they should be, but it also gives a unique perspective to the events, twists and revelations that adds significantly to the story.
Patrick as a character isn't spotless, and when we see him engaged in wrongdoing it's always with a sense of his certainty that what he is doing is right for humanity and for the company. It's only afterwards that he starts to question what he has done and what is right, and this is handled in a pitch-perfect manner by the journalistic style.
As to the storyline itself, this part absolutely seethes with authenticity. This isn't some far-future dystopia. The timeline from 2018 to the 2030s integrates seamlessly, and the author's research and knowledge in this field is obvious. However, the book achieves this with barely a mention of the underlying technology, so it's not a dense and dry reading of how and why. Your average reader is left in no doubt that this is a book that explores what effect the system has rather than how it is built. It's a book that explores the people that make the algorithms that define our lives, in glorious and horrifying detail.
The formatting of the last coupe of chapters did disrupt the flow of the book, and after a divergence into background and exposition for a little while it actually picks up again in the epilogue. Here, the biggest bombshell of all is revealed right when it feels like the book will end on a subtle question rather than a bang. But it is certainly worth continuing to the last page.
Upon putting this book down, you will be left with the unsettling feeling that you've just read a history of the near future. You'll be left with a strong impression of just how many eggs need to be broken to make an omelette of this size and complexity, and you'll be questioning whether this vision of the future is a utopia or a dystopia.
I highly recommend anyone with an interest in tech, society and futurism to pick this book up and ask this question of themselves.
For Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, it's a journalist. Patrick Udo, a communications expert and the son of a famous 'old-school' journalist, is recruited into the heady mix of silicon valley certainties, vanities and vices. It's an interesting point of view, one that gives us both a cool, detached air that picks out only the most important events and sections of immediacy and intimacy that only a first-hand observer can muster.
Patrick's viewpoint sounds exactly like the real deal. He gives you a description of the people around him not merely in physical terms but also in details that highlight who these people are. It's not merely Liu Heng, the impressively tall Chinese man who built one half of the eponymous numbercorp. He's also treated like a rockstar at his university, he is reserved and speaks with great weight. We learn about people with the context of where and why we are meeting them, exactly as if the story were written for any major newspaper today.
This cool, detached point of view does leave the reader further from the events on many occasions, and we don't see the usual minutiae of the interactions between characters that allows us to get to know them fully. This leaves some actions more confusing than they should be, but it also gives a unique perspective to the events, twists and revelations that adds significantly to the story.
Patrick as a character isn't spotless, and when we see him engaged in wrongdoing it's always with a sense of his certainty that what he is doing is right for humanity and for the company. It's only afterwards that he starts to question what he has done and what is right, and this is handled in a pitch-perfect manner by the journalistic style.
As to the storyline itself, this part absolutely seethes with authenticity. This isn't some far-future dystopia. The timeline from 2018 to the 2030s integrates seamlessly, and the author's research and knowledge in this field is obvious. However, the book achieves this with barely a mention of the underlying technology, so it's not a dense and dry reading of how and why. Your average reader is left in no doubt that this is a book that explores what effect the system has rather than how it is built. It's a book that explores the people that make the algorithms that define our lives, in glorious and horrifying detail.
The formatting of the last coupe of chapters did disrupt the flow of the book, and after a divergence into background and exposition for a little while it actually picks up again in the epilogue. Here, the biggest bombshell of all is revealed right when it feels like the book will end on a subtle question rather than a bang. But it is certainly worth continuing to the last page.
Upon putting this book down, you will be left with the unsettling feeling that you've just read a history of the near future. You'll be left with a strong impression of just how many eggs need to be broken to make an omelette of this size and complexity, and you'll be questioning whether this vision of the future is a utopia or a dystopia.
I highly recommend anyone with an interest in tech, society and futurism to pick this book up and ask this question of themselves.
January 21, 2021
One of my favourite authors...
It's always nice to see Sri Lanka featured in an international novel...
Numbercaste is set in the near future where everyone has a Number depending on "how good a human being they are." The Number would advice you on who to interact with and how to make the most of your life.
There are so many references to social media that is already part of our lives ( Google and Facebook for example) and this is one of those books that will leave you with goosbumps and chills down your spine. Not because it is a horror but because the world it paints is so horrifyingly possible.
The dangers of technology is an old theme which has been visited in many novels. I think this is different because nothing much changes at the end and most people in the world accept the "new normal". Even the protagonist is living a very comfortable life at the end, and that makes you wonder how you would react if you were in that situation... would you fight against it? Or would you see it as bringing equality etc and be willing to use "The Number" to better your life? What is more important, free will to make your own crappy decisions or an ordered world?
It's always nice to see Sri Lanka featured in an international novel...
Numbercaste is set in the near future where everyone has a Number depending on "how good a human being they are." The Number would advice you on who to interact with and how to make the most of your life.
There are so many references to social media that is already part of our lives ( Google and Facebook for example) and this is one of those books that will leave you with goosbumps and chills down your spine. Not because it is a horror but because the world it paints is so horrifyingly possible.
The dangers of technology is an old theme which has been visited in many novels. I think this is different because nothing much changes at the end and most people in the world accept the "new normal". Even the protagonist is living a very comfortable life at the end, and that makes you wonder how you would react if you were in that situation... would you fight against it? Or would you see it as bringing equality etc and be willing to use "The Number" to better your life? What is more important, free will to make your own crappy decisions or an ordered world?
January 11, 2019
"What is Number?
The Number is the measure of your value as a human being."
Name- Numbercaste
Written by- Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
Published By- HarperCollins
Pages- 301
Review-
We the humans tend to think about our future more than the present. Maybe its the uncertainty of the future which attracts us more, a sense of the unknown that draws our attention.
Numbercaste talks about the not so distant future of ours. In this future we get to witness an uprising, an uprising in our already popular social media.
Its 2030, a new startup NUMBERCORP, emerges owned by Julius Common which slowly captivates all.
NUMBERCORP rates a human, it claims to evaluate the worth of a human being using their social media handles to evaluation of their daily activities. The more the number the richer one gets.
Patrick Udo, a journalist becomes a member of NUMBERCORP. He closely observes the nitty gritty of the company and its owner Common. Together with Wurth, NUMBERCORP's marketing whiz they handle every situation and helps the company to reach its goal.
The author mentions that he didn't want this book to be a moral lesson. I sort of agree with him. In today's world morality and reality seems to be far apart from each other than we all intended them to be.
The narration at the beginning of the book felt more captivating than the end, though I thoroughly enjoyed the climax.
One of the first ever published works by Wijeratne, Numbercaste definitely deserves limelight and a readers attention.
The Number is the measure of your value as a human being."
Name- Numbercaste
Written by- Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
Published By- HarperCollins
Pages- 301
Review-
We the humans tend to think about our future more than the present. Maybe its the uncertainty of the future which attracts us more, a sense of the unknown that draws our attention.
Numbercaste talks about the not so distant future of ours. In this future we get to witness an uprising, an uprising in our already popular social media.
Its 2030, a new startup NUMBERCORP, emerges owned by Julius Common which slowly captivates all.
NUMBERCORP rates a human, it claims to evaluate the worth of a human being using their social media handles to evaluation of their daily activities. The more the number the richer one gets.
Patrick Udo, a journalist becomes a member of NUMBERCORP. He closely observes the nitty gritty of the company and its owner Common. Together with Wurth, NUMBERCORP's marketing whiz they handle every situation and helps the company to reach its goal.
The author mentions that he didn't want this book to be a moral lesson. I sort of agree with him. In today's world morality and reality seems to be far apart from each other than we all intended them to be.
The narration at the beginning of the book felt more captivating than the end, though I thoroughly enjoyed the climax.
One of the first ever published works by Wijeratne, Numbercaste definitely deserves limelight and a readers attention.
March 2, 2019
What a fantastic read. I plowed through this in two days (weekdays, no less). It's not super long, but I liked the richness of the background, the plausibility of the future, and many of the little details that made this such a great read.
This book is creepy in the best possible sense. Having read a lot of futuristic works, some more routine and some very bizarre ones (Accelerando, for example), I liked what Wijeratne does here precisely because it's all feasible. I can see this future, which is what makes it creepy. At the same time, it's not gloomy or hopeless; it didn't leave me feeling a sense of despair or existential dread, as sometimes happens when reading this type of work.
My favorite aspect is all the allusions to works of sci-fi, fantasy, and literature. Some are more explicit (the tower Orthanc) while others are quite subtle and require familiarity with the source material. It might be a character's name, or a line they're quoting. I often found myself chuckling because I had made a connection I was meant to make. Very clever, but not too clever.
Aside from some typographical issues (no spelling, just a few missing words, some quotation mark issues, etc.) this was a fantastic read. I look forward to reading more of his work.
This book is creepy in the best possible sense. Having read a lot of futuristic works, some more routine and some very bizarre ones (Accelerando, for example), I liked what Wijeratne does here precisely because it's all feasible. I can see this future, which is what makes it creepy. At the same time, it's not gloomy or hopeless; it didn't leave me feeling a sense of despair or existential dread, as sometimes happens when reading this type of work.
My favorite aspect is all the allusions to works of sci-fi, fantasy, and literature. Some are more explicit (the tower Orthanc) while others are quite subtle and require familiarity with the source material. It might be a character's name, or a line they're quoting. I often found myself chuckling because I had made a connection I was meant to make. Very clever, but not too clever.
Aside from some typographical issues (no spelling, just a few missing words, some quotation mark issues, etc.) this was a fantastic read. I look forward to reading more of his work.
December 26, 2018
An ambitious attempt. It is heartening to see up-and-coming authors from newer shores taking the leap at writing tech-dystopia. It has been described as The Circle-meets-Black Mirror, and it manages to be better than the former and deals with a grander scale of things like the latter. The book feels well researched and while it is rough around the edges, it manages to shine in parts where the author lets his speculative imagination run wild while being rooted in the patterns of current reality. It slows down in the middle but the structured narrative, especially towards the end redeems it.
October 25, 2019
Numbercaste isn't a bad book.
Is it a good book? no.
Do I recommend it? no.
Do I regret reading it? maybe.
Should you buy it? Maybe- the book itself is very pretty and would look nice on your shelf. But don't read it.
Pros:
-The writing and story is much better and far more coherent than The Inhuman Race! The degradation in writing and effort between this and The Inhuman Race is very sad.
-The cover is very nice! Well done!
-For a self published debut novel, it's not bad. I've read worse.
-The biography about Julius Commons in the end of the book was very well written and the only part of the book I genuinely enjoyed.
-There were several sci-fi elements in the story which were really interesting. They all felt under explored or out of place but they were still interesting.
-Julius Common and Liu Heng were the best characters. I wish the story was solely about them.
Cons:
-The protagonist was annoying, boring, pretentious, condescending, and frankly kind of a twat.
-There was no real plot. It was mostly banal details about how NumberCorp was run and how it grew over time. It was mostly boring.
-The writing yo-yo-ed between being plain and boring to being melodramatic and annoying. I'm not sure which style I disliked more.
-The world building was bad and filled with dodgy at best logic.
-There were at least 7 references to 1984 or George Orwell for no real reason. There were too many pop culture and sci-fi references in this book.
-Reddit and Blogging was referenced several times. As a blogger, I don't think people actually care that much about either.
-Twitter doesn't exist in Numbercaste.
-A concept called 'Turing's Law" is mentioned several times. In the book "Turing's Law" is where if a human can do a job an AI cannot be used to replace them (only near AI machines are allowed). This seems silly since people are still being replaced with machines since most jobs are now being carried out by machines. The funny thing is, Turing's Law is a real, but it's not about AI.
Overall: It was mostly boring. But I'm probably going to read The Inhuman Peace (hopefully it will be under 200 pages like The Inhuman Race was)
Hopefully he'll get more beta readers before The Inhuman Peace is published. As someone who does beta reading I'm sad he didn't have honest beta readers or if he did, I'm sad he didn't listen to them.
I spent a few hours writing a longer more detailed review on my blog HERE about all my thoughts on the book.
There are some spoilers on my blog post so be aware!
Content Warnings: violence, death of a parent, drug use, mentions of domestic abuse, pedophilia/child prostitution joke (pg 52), reference to pedophilia (pg 171), references to ableism/ discrimination of people with prosthetic limbs, fatphobia, some sexism and racism which is lampshaded by the narrator
Is it a good book? no.
Do I recommend it? no.
Do I regret reading it? maybe.
Should you buy it? Maybe- the book itself is very pretty and would look nice on your shelf. But don't read it.
Pros:
-The writing and story is much better and far more coherent than The Inhuman Race! The degradation in writing and effort between this and The Inhuman Race is very sad.
-The cover is very nice! Well done!
-For a self published debut novel, it's not bad. I've read worse.
-The biography about Julius Commons in the end of the book was very well written and the only part of the book I genuinely enjoyed.
-There were several sci-fi elements in the story which were really interesting. They all felt under explored or out of place but they were still interesting.
-Julius Common and Liu Heng were the best characters. I wish the story was solely about them.
Cons:
-The protagonist was annoying, boring, pretentious, condescending, and frankly kind of a twat.
-There was no real plot. It was mostly banal details about how NumberCorp was run and how it grew over time. It was mostly boring.
-The writing yo-yo-ed between being plain and boring to being melodramatic and annoying. I'm not sure which style I disliked more.
-The world building was bad and filled with dodgy at best logic.
-There were at least 7 references to 1984 or George Orwell for no real reason. There were too many pop culture and sci-fi references in this book.
-Reddit and Blogging was referenced several times. As a blogger, I don't think people actually care that much about either.
-Twitter doesn't exist in Numbercaste.
-A concept called 'Turing's Law" is mentioned several times. In the book "Turing's Law" is where if a human can do a job an AI cannot be used to replace them (only near AI machines are allowed). This seems silly since people are still being replaced with machines since most jobs are now being carried out by machines. The funny thing is, Turing's Law is a real, but it's not about AI.
Overall: It was mostly boring. But I'm probably going to read The Inhuman Peace (hopefully it will be under 200 pages like The Inhuman Race was)
Hopefully he'll get more beta readers before The Inhuman Peace is published. As someone who does beta reading I'm sad he didn't have honest beta readers or if he did, I'm sad he didn't listen to them.
I spent a few hours writing a longer more detailed review on my blog HERE about all my thoughts on the book.
There are some spoilers on my blog post so be aware!
Content Warnings: violence, death of a parent, drug use, mentions of domestic abuse, pedophilia/child prostitution joke (pg 52), reference to pedophilia (pg 171), references to ableism/ discrimination of people with prosthetic limbs, fatphobia, some sexism and racism which is lampshaded by the narrator
August 16, 2017
Solid. Clever. Captivating. It had me hooked right from the beginning. However, I'd have liked a more intense climax; but that's just me.
December 26, 2018
Book Name: Numbercaste
Author: Yudhanjaya Wijerante
Genre: Sci-fi
Publisher: Harper collins
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Plot: When Patrick Udo is offered a job at NumberCorp, he packs his bags and goes to the Valley. After all, the 2030s are a difficult time, and jobs are rare. Little does he know that he's joining one of the most ambitious undertakings of his time or any other. NumberCorp, crunching vast amounts of social network data, is building a new society - one where everyone's social circles are examined, their activities quantified, and their importance distilled into the all-powerful Number. A society where everything depends on an app that states exactly how important you are.
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My Opinion: This is the debut novel of the author & I am so shocked by his writing style- how a debut novel can be so good? The book falls in the sci-fi category which probably is mine favourite, the book was very intriguing! The technical part of the book was my favourite! The book is set into 55 to 60 years in the future- which is an excellent concept. Things like inter-stellar travel will not be a fact of life in the next century. Also, around six decades gives the author an amazing background around how our current fascination with technology will come out. The author has well designed all the fictional & non - fictional characters like- Patrick, Audomir Udo & other real like millionaire characters! The cover is excellent & the storyline was amazing! I highly recommend it to everyone!
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Pros: First of all, the storyline was completely unique because I don't think it's that's easy to imagine, conclude & write about future! Numbercaste is more Black Mirror than it is Strange – capturing a story about a dystopian future that is anchored to things we are doing, or we would do in future is lot more a hard task! It was engaging read with a bit fictional drama! In 2018 the authr took me to 2030 & even more further! I think everyone would enjoy it!
Cons: There were alot of sprinkler hard words which may not be understood by beginners, also if you are not a sci-fi lover you may definitely get confused!
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Rating: 4.5🌟
Author: Yudhanjaya Wijerante
Genre: Sci-fi
Publisher: Harper collins
.
Plot: When Patrick Udo is offered a job at NumberCorp, he packs his bags and goes to the Valley. After all, the 2030s are a difficult time, and jobs are rare. Little does he know that he's joining one of the most ambitious undertakings of his time or any other. NumberCorp, crunching vast amounts of social network data, is building a new society - one where everyone's social circles are examined, their activities quantified, and their importance distilled into the all-powerful Number. A society where everything depends on an app that states exactly how important you are.
.
My Opinion: This is the debut novel of the author & I am so shocked by his writing style- how a debut novel can be so good? The book falls in the sci-fi category which probably is mine favourite, the book was very intriguing! The technical part of the book was my favourite! The book is set into 55 to 60 years in the future- which is an excellent concept. Things like inter-stellar travel will not be a fact of life in the next century. Also, around six decades gives the author an amazing background around how our current fascination with technology will come out. The author has well designed all the fictional & non - fictional characters like- Patrick, Audomir Udo & other real like millionaire characters! The cover is excellent & the storyline was amazing! I highly recommend it to everyone!
.
Pros: First of all, the storyline was completely unique because I don't think it's that's easy to imagine, conclude & write about future! Numbercaste is more Black Mirror than it is Strange – capturing a story about a dystopian future that is anchored to things we are doing, or we would do in future is lot more a hard task! It was engaging read with a bit fictional drama! In 2018 the authr took me to 2030 & even more further! I think everyone would enjoy it!
Cons: There were alot of sprinkler hard words which may not be understood by beginners, also if you are not a sci-fi lover you may definitely get confused!
.
Rating: 4.5🌟
February 18, 2019
This book felt more real than dystopian because we already live in an era of social media where everyone measures their happiness and life worth by social media fame. Number Caste captures this basic concept and turns it to a social system that rewards and downgrades people according to the data and behavior. The plot is very exciting and scary at the same time. I would not need another tech god to dictate humans on how to live their life which would become worse than the religions and current social cultures.
Number Caste makes you think about the impact of this technology for society and humans rather than the technology itself, unlike other sci-fi books. I was very curious to know more about the technology, but I ended up analyzing the social impact and how close we are, of this concept of ruling our lives by a mere number, to become a reality. Sometimes I agree with Patrick and Julius when I think about the current political and social systems. We need something fairer and a balanced system without any corruptions. But then, when we depend too much on any system it eventually becomes the death row for humanity.
“Real people”, I got struck by Corky’s words when I was reading through the last part of the book. This is not something that only relates to future or Number Caste. It has already come to an age that we cannot separate the real and the fake people in our virtual life, sometimes in real life as well. We all, always judge and score everyone on our network, based on what they share with us. When I think more and more about this concept, it seems to me that we have already begun laying the first brick for the numberCorp, and it’s just a matter of time for someone to rise as the founder of that organization.
I wish there were further editing to the writing before it was published, but the story managed to keep my focus and wash away other disturbances. This book is not just for Sci-fi fans, I believe that anyone can enjoy reading this book. Especially, if you are interested in tech, futurism, or society, you will definitely enjoy this.
So, what do you think your number would be?
Number Caste makes you think about the impact of this technology for society and humans rather than the technology itself, unlike other sci-fi books. I was very curious to know more about the technology, but I ended up analyzing the social impact and how close we are, of this concept of ruling our lives by a mere number, to become a reality. Sometimes I agree with Patrick and Julius when I think about the current political and social systems. We need something fairer and a balanced system without any corruptions. But then, when we depend too much on any system it eventually becomes the death row for humanity.
“Real people”, I got struck by Corky’s words when I was reading through the last part of the book. This is not something that only relates to future or Number Caste. It has already come to an age that we cannot separate the real and the fake people in our virtual life, sometimes in real life as well. We all, always judge and score everyone on our network, based on what they share with us. When I think more and more about this concept, it seems to me that we have already begun laying the first brick for the numberCorp, and it’s just a matter of time for someone to rise as the founder of that organization.
I wish there were further editing to the writing before it was published, but the story managed to keep my focus and wash away other disturbances. This book is not just for Sci-fi fans, I believe that anyone can enjoy reading this book. Especially, if you are interested in tech, futurism, or society, you will definitely enjoy this.
So, what do you think your number would be?
August 9, 2017
They say God is in the details. It seems like Yudhanjaya Wijeratne has built this God a shrine with Numbercaste. Intricately woven story with a close eye for details, all developed & raised properly, be they fictional or the logical progression of current patterns. Yudhanjaya Wijeratne has always written beautifully & this book is even more stunning because of the sheer effort he put into it.
The character development of both Udo & Common throughout the book is simply top notch. You will get invested & you will start identifying with them. The author has created grey characters that are mortal & fallible, but at the same time beyond mere mortals, in my opinion. The story came together beautifully & ended spectacularly.
I felt there are some secondary characters that deserved more development. It's not that they didn't have character development, but relative to what the main characters had, this was not enough for me. Russel Wurth could've used a bit more followed by the love interests of the narrator.
The ending was also a bit rushed for me, in the sense that it came too soon. Then again, I have had this same issue with 1984 & Fahrenheit 451.
If you forget the Sci-Fi theme of the book, suddenly you have a philosophical essay that sounds eerily like the destination we're currently set for. The only other author whose debut book (For all intents & purposes I consider this Yudhanjaya Wijeratne's first novel) I've enjoyed this much is Patrick Rothfuss.
Edit:
After reading this book, Amazon Kindle asked me if I want to follow Yudhanjaya. I said yes. After posting the review, I linked up this account to my Facebook. My mind is being blown.
"then I realized that that the history of the world is largely a history of sustainable systems. Every so often a system comes along that completely changes the world."
The character development of both Udo & Common throughout the book is simply top notch. You will get invested & you will start identifying with them. The author has created grey characters that are mortal & fallible, but at the same time beyond mere mortals, in my opinion. The story came together beautifully & ended spectacularly.
I felt there are some secondary characters that deserved more development. It's not that they didn't have character development, but relative to what the main characters had, this was not enough for me. Russel Wurth could've used a bit more followed by the love interests of the narrator.
The ending was also a bit rushed for me, in the sense that it came too soon. Then again, I have had this same issue with 1984 & Fahrenheit 451.
If you forget the Sci-Fi theme of the book, suddenly you have a philosophical essay that sounds eerily like the destination we're currently set for. The only other author whose debut book (For all intents & purposes I consider this Yudhanjaya Wijeratne's first novel) I've enjoyed this much is Patrick Rothfuss.
Edit:
After reading this book, Amazon Kindle asked me if I want to follow Yudhanjaya. I said yes. After posting the review, I linked up this account to my Facebook. My mind is being blown.
"then I realized that that the history of the world is largely a history of sustainable systems. Every so often a system comes along that completely changes the world."
October 12, 2017
I'm not a person who likes science fiction a whole lot. To be honest, I prefer Fantasy. So there have been very few sci fi books that have genuinely interested me. Numbercaste was one of them. It's a story about a man who became God and it is a brilliant and scary idea of what the world could be like in the very near future where someone is always watching you. I enjoyed reading the book because, for me, it was a bit like Ready Player One. Before you descend on me in fury claiming the books are nothing alike, let me explain what I mean. There were lots of little references to the things that Yudhajaya likes to read scattered all over the pages. Since I enjoy similar things, it was pretty thrilling whenever I stumbled across a reference that I recognized, and I think that was very cleverly done. Yudhanjaya writes like he speaks, and maybe it's just me, but I saw a lot of similarities between him and Julius. That being said, they are not really alike, but again, there were echoes. Finally, I felt the story was a brilliant idea but I was waiting for a 'bang' at the end, a big revelation of some sort, that didn't really come. The book went full circle, it ended where it started, and that was nice. But I really would have liked to know more about what happened to Julius. Perhaps I will find out in a sequel? :)
January 16, 2018
In Numbercaste, Wijeratne has written a strong sci-fi story that is disturbingly realistic. The overall story reminded me a lot of the 1980s movie Wall Street, whereby a relative innocent young man is seduced by the riches and lifestyle of the corporation he works for. But this story is much more than that. The basic premise is excellent (each individual has a number that changes depending upon how they act, who they are connected with etc. This number then gives the individual their relative worth in society) and one that lends itself well to this story. The main characters are good, with Patrick Udo, the protagonist, being very well fleshed out and the backdrop to the story has slight hints of some early William Gibson.
The two main issues I had, were the use of real world companies such as Google and Facebook and the use of real world characters such as Mark Zuckerburg and Elon Musk. They constantly appeared in the text and I found it quite distracting and jarring. I also found the ending to be a little abrupt and the history of the character Common and the epilogue to be not so relevant once the story had finished.
Overall I strongly recommend this book and will definitely be following up on this author’s future works.
The two main issues I had, were the use of real world companies such as Google and Facebook and the use of real world characters such as Mark Zuckerburg and Elon Musk. They constantly appeared in the text and I found it quite distracting and jarring. I also found the ending to be a little abrupt and the history of the character Common and the epilogue to be not so relevant once the story had finished.
Overall I strongly recommend this book and will definitely be following up on this author’s future works.
May 3, 2019
Numbercaste
Most often we fail to accomplish the true sense of happiness, let alone grasp the meaning of life. It happens mostly because we live in the concept of probability. The possibility of making a good future for us, our dear ones, our family - makes us devoid of living in present. We tend to achieve things for future, failing to grasp the hidden potential & true meaning of life - which lies in living your life fully in the present.
Keeping this fact in mind, this book talks about the not so distant future of ours. It's set into 55 to 60 years in the near future. The book falls in the sci-fi category. Things like inter-stellar travel which involves jumping from one star to another, one galaxy to another isn't a distant possibility anymore. The future holds more possibilities than ever before.
Cover is beautiful. It has been designed really well. Characterisation is good
Unique plot, aspects like the concept of photography, webseries to decode the mystery are worth commendable! Climax is good & justified. Language is good. Narration is really well balanced. However, the pace was really slow considering the considerable size of the book.
Most often we fail to accomplish the true sense of happiness, let alone grasp the meaning of life. It happens mostly because we live in the concept of probability. The possibility of making a good future for us, our dear ones, our family - makes us devoid of living in present. We tend to achieve things for future, failing to grasp the hidden potential & true meaning of life - which lies in living your life fully in the present.
Keeping this fact in mind, this book talks about the not so distant future of ours. It's set into 55 to 60 years in the near future. The book falls in the sci-fi category. Things like inter-stellar travel which involves jumping from one star to another, one galaxy to another isn't a distant possibility anymore. The future holds more possibilities than ever before.
Cover is beautiful. It has been designed really well. Characterisation is good
Unique plot, aspects like the concept of photography, webseries to decode the mystery are worth commendable! Climax is good & justified. Language is good. Narration is really well balanced. However, the pace was really slow considering the considerable size of the book.
February 13, 2021
Speculative fiction at its best. Also somewhat scary, with regard to where social engineering and social media and credit rating services could be heading. The English is a little odd in places, with some glaring mistakes (indicted, instead of inducted, for instance), but overall the writing is excellent. Sort of reminded me of Walden Two by B.F.Skinner, but more technology driven. Also reminded me somewhat of the latest season of Westworld, with regard to the omniscient database; in fact, since this book came out in 2017, and the 3rd season of Westworld was 2020, I'm wondering if Numbercaste was a bit of inspiration for that storyline in Westworld.
One minor nit: naming four of the background characters Holden, Nagata, Burton and Kamal, and having them appear together like that, while an interesting nod to the Expanse, really seemed out of place for this novel.
One minor nit: naming four of the background characters Holden, Nagata, Burton and Kamal, and having them appear together like that, while an interesting nod to the Expanse, really seemed out of place for this novel.
June 7, 2024
This book desperately needed an editor. Like many self-published books, it is full of typos and grammar mistakes, but it is also very, very repetitive. What is the Number? That question is asked and answered, in detail, again and again, each time as if it is new information to the reader.
Published in 2018, it is aging fast. Lots of the pop culture references are already going stale, or meant at the writing, the opposite of what they do now. Example: Elon Musk is held up as a paragon of genius philanthropy. Yeah, no.
I did like the idea behind the Number, and where it would eventually lead the world, but the plot is so poorly paced that you literally have to read to the last several pages of the book to get to the climax of the story.
As much as I have enjoyed the author’s other books, this one left me disappointed.
Published in 2018, it is aging fast. Lots of the pop culture references are already going stale, or meant at the writing, the opposite of what they do now. Example: Elon Musk is held up as a paragon of genius philanthropy. Yeah, no.
I did like the idea behind the Number, and where it would eventually lead the world, but the plot is so poorly paced that you literally have to read to the last several pages of the book to get to the climax of the story.
As much as I have enjoyed the author’s other books, this one left me disappointed.
March 22, 2019
From the very beginning, this was a tale of a social-media-driven dystopian future that kept me hooked; it is not the kind of thriller-induced suspense, but one that fuels the sheer curiosity of knowing how something is possible. This is science fiction grounded in reality that we experience in the present, and if the future is what Yudhanjaya thinks it would turn out to be, it's better to be prepared. Not necessarily for the worst, rather the unexpected twist of who would decide what's ethical and what's not. The story is a brilliant, thought-provoking read, but the adrenaline junkie in me would have preferred a more chaotic, action packed climax with less statistics. But then again, that's just me.
August 10, 2020
Everyone should read this to see the future or a possible one
An amazing achievement in speculating about the future. I live and work in technology and I’m fairly sure the author and I have read many of the same books, blogs and other media. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had been at some of the exact same conferences (I was at the F8 conference quoted about in this book I think). A really great global work of science fiction - extrapolating upon the current technology and thinking via showing what it may lead to in the future.
I’ve literally recommended this book to a business colleague, an entrepreneur I was advising, that he should read it as it more so than anything non-fiction explores the ideas he is considering for his startup around secure identity.
An amazing achievement in speculating about the future. I live and work in technology and I’m fairly sure the author and I have read many of the same books, blogs and other media. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had been at some of the exact same conferences (I was at the F8 conference quoted about in this book I think). A really great global work of science fiction - extrapolating upon the current technology and thinking via showing what it may lead to in the future.
I’ve literally recommended this book to a business colleague, an entrepreneur I was advising, that he should read it as it more so than anything non-fiction explores the ideas he is considering for his startup around secure identity.
April 5, 2020
Extra time and a lack of anything good to read these days slowly edged me towards picking up Yudhanjaya's debut, award winning book, Numbercaste. I have to admit I was skeptical as this was my very first foray into this genre but gladly was not disappointed. To the contrary was absolutely thrilled with it, and proud to be enjoying a fellow Sri lankans writing with such admiration. Cant wait to read the next. Yudhanjayas near-future world is scarily prophetical and disturbing, his characters surprisingly full of heart and the writing well paced and easy on the mind. So very happy to have finally picked it up. The accolades are well deserved! Now...what would my number be?!
September 27, 2021
I thought it tackled an interesting premise (Chinese social credit system but on steroids and ubiquitous throughout the world), but it lacked a substantial amount of depth. Maybe I've gotten too used to hard scifi, but I expected more elucidation on the technical aspects of how the system was architected.
Good exposition on the real pushback to such a system, but again, it was fairly abstract. I liked the heavy dosage of South Asian characters being represented (felt a bit forced at times)
Easy to read, medium length, finished in a couple of days.
Good exposition on the real pushback to such a system, but again, it was fairly abstract. I liked the heavy dosage of South Asian characters being represented (felt a bit forced at times)
Easy to read, medium length, finished in a couple of days.
August 14, 2017
This is quite a book that is full of suspense and fast paced action. We see in everyday life so much building around us with social media and the internet. When he talks of the NumberCorp it makes me think of a company that is here today. A fascinating look into the future. Well written with a captivating storyline. I received and advance copy and voluntarily chose to review this book. A fascinating look into the future.
January 28, 2019
It was a scary peek in to a future that is very much possible. I was expecting a better ending though, but what was presented to me was, in my honest opinion, a realistic ending. In some parts of the book, it felt like Yudhanjaya was trying too much to integrate the story with the current tech-sphere. But all in all, I can't complain, I enjoyed it! And I would recommend anyone to read Numbercaste.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2020
This is fine SF in the tradition of 1984. The storytelling is very good. The plot is eerily convincing. And I love the diversity of the characters. But the author really could have used an editor to catch the many, many typos, including several times that one of the important character's names is misspelled (Lui for Liu), and a fair sprinkling of misuesd prepositions (which could be dialect differences) and missing words. Fix the errors and this book could go really far.
May 22, 2021
Outstanding book. Think Facebook is scary ( you should) want til you read this fiction turning reality
crazy, scary and 100% our future.
Think about all of the data you give up to Facebook Instagram Google Microsoft and thousands of other companies. All of them using your data to typecast you, creating algorithms to manipulate you into do what they want. If you’re on Facebook you are an idiot.
crazy, scary and 100% our future.
Think about all of the data you give up to Facebook Instagram Google Microsoft and thousands of other companies. All of them using your data to typecast you, creating algorithms to manipulate you into do what they want. If you’re on Facebook you are an idiot.
September 4, 2017
Terrifying look at the world we may soon be living in
Extrapolates how corporations may use social media to engineer our behavior as they see fit. This is the price we will likely end up paying for becoming so comfortable with giving up so much of our privacy. An excellent read - left me torn between the pros and cons of such as system. Strongly recommended.
Extrapolates how corporations may use social media to engineer our behavior as they see fit. This is the price we will likely end up paying for becoming so comfortable with giving up so much of our privacy. An excellent read - left me torn between the pros and cons of such as system. Strongly recommended.
November 3, 2017
scary thought...possible i guess. people's worth being measured by points determined by social media. good writing. the ending wasn't quite what i had expected or should i say wanted. but definitely a good read and i look forward to more from this writer.
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