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The Viral Series #1
Viral Spark
The world has become a place of comfort, where a shopping trip means heading to the first floor to collect new food tubes for the printer. Menial tasks, like cleaning up or cooking, are relegated to robots, and Robert’s job while finishing school is to maintain them. With only three classes remaining, he’s hoping for something better.
Then everything starts to glitch:
the robots, the building, and even the people.
What starts as glitchy videos, misbehaving touch-screens, and random fighting, grows into a race against time to fix the problem before it escalates. Maybe he can land a cushy programming job in the process, but this virus is more than it appears...
Then everything starts to glitch:
the robots, the building, and even the people.
What starts as glitchy videos, misbehaving touch-screens, and random fighting, grows into a race against time to fix the problem before it escalates. Maybe he can land a cushy programming job in the process, but this virus is more than it appears...
- GenresScience FictionFiction
236 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2017
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 8, 2018
Review to come...
January 2, 2017
When relationships among humans just seem not be working the way we want them to, it is the artificial intelligence and things like tablets we have created who are reaching out in an attempt to communicate with us and sing! Even though it is completely surprising and unbelievable for Robert who maintains robots at work, because machines don't have feelings, he quickly adjusts to it and embraces the idea, becoming fond if it. The real question is, though, can such form of relationship exists and survive when a virus has infected the global network in the future world in which humans completely depend on technology?
Viral Spark is an easy read and the science fiction novella that will capture your attention whether you like or not the vision of the “robotized” future of mankind Martin McConnell has presented and offered to us. Make sure not to miss it.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Viral Spark is an easy read and the science fiction novella that will capture your attention whether you like or not the vision of the “robotized” future of mankind Martin McConnell has presented and offered to us. Make sure not to miss it.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
August 8, 2016
For decades now, humans have deepened the abilities of artificial intelligence, and yet wondered what would happen if the AI gained sentience. Possibly bad things [2001, The Matrix] and possibly not [Wall-E, Star Trek]. The question is, are we ready to release the reins and to let the AI make its own decisions? Another growing trend is mankind's reliance on our tech, sentient or not. Google tells us where to go and how to get there. It's almost inconceivable that just 20-odd years ago, the internet wasn't a thing, GPS wasn't directing our movements, and cell phones weren't constant companions.
This near future sci-fi novella, shows a world reliant on tech. Robots accomplish much labor, pads and screens provide information, entertainment and education, and neural implants sync one to one's schedule, cell phone, pad and the world in general. And then everything starts glitching . . .
Robert is a technological wunderkind, able to code robots to his liking and unravel whatever's not working. He's also just about out of school and ready to carve out a nice niche for himself with his talents smoothing the way. And then his robots start glitching, and he knocks them back in line. Then his pad glitches, and his home screen system. Robert notices what others haven't--a pattern emerging . . .
The scope of this tale is purposely restrained, hopefully because sequels are in the works. Otherwise, there are some pretty large, unexplained social practices and realities only partially flushed out in this world. One can only hope that as Robert graduates and moves out into the world, that larger world of the future starts to coalesce on the page.
I received my copy of this novella directly from the author through bookreviewdirectory.wordpress.com.
This near future sci-fi novella, shows a world reliant on tech. Robots accomplish much labor, pads and screens provide information, entertainment and education, and neural implants sync one to one's schedule, cell phone, pad and the world in general. And then everything starts glitching . . .
Robert is a technological wunderkind, able to code robots to his liking and unravel whatever's not working. He's also just about out of school and ready to carve out a nice niche for himself with his talents smoothing the way. And then his robots start glitching, and he knocks them back in line. Then his pad glitches, and his home screen system. Robert notices what others haven't--a pattern emerging . . .
The scope of this tale is purposely restrained, hopefully because sequels are in the works. Otherwise, there are some pretty large, unexplained social practices and realities only partially flushed out in this world. One can only hope that as Robert graduates and moves out into the world, that larger world of the future starts to coalesce on the page.
I received my copy of this novella directly from the author through bookreviewdirectory.wordpress.com.
August 2, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Full review to come on Books Are My Fandom
Honestly this was REALLY good. I am mostly disappointed that it wasn't longer. I like the idea, the setting, the characters, and the actual execution. I thought that the writing was a little stiff adn dense but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the novella. I thought that the idea that we create a network that could produce consciousness was SO interesting. I just wish that the ending wasn't so open. Actually I'm glad the ending is so open because there is room for more from this series. I am very intrigued and very happy with what I read.
Full review to come on Books Are My Fandom
Honestly this was REALLY good. I am mostly disappointed that it wasn't longer. I like the idea, the setting, the characters, and the actual execution. I thought that the writing was a little stiff adn dense but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the novella. I thought that the idea that we create a network that could produce consciousness was SO interesting. I just wish that the ending wasn't so open. Actually I'm glad the ending is so open because there is room for more from this series. I am very intrigued and very happy with what I read.
July 2, 2016
This is a coming of age book with the mystery element of the virus as a backstory. I was expecting a mystery/thriller book with other things in the background. Anyhow, I will rate it 4/5 because it has a certain feel good factor to it. The author can definitely go for a sequel or two to further explore the protagonist's life and the virus.
October 10, 2016
DNF at 10% because, even though the sci-fi aspects seem cool, I couldn't get past the writing style. It sadly didn't click with me.
September 14, 2018
Everything you need to know about this novella can be found in the synopsis, in fact, maybe too much is there. Still, in the world of “Viral Spark” humans have come to rely on machines—specifically digital implants and robots—for pretty much everything. There’s this light, depressing vibe a-la-Wall-E going on in this book that I kind of loved: people cluster like insects in their massive buildings, rarely leaving. Everything from their food to their clothes is 3D printed, and changing the décor of your apartment is just a swipe away on your own augmented reality screen. There is a lovely undertone of a dystopian here that I wanted to see more of, but as this is a novella, the focus remained firmly on the glitches in the main character’s system, and not the world McConnell places the reader in.
This book was fairly easy to knock-out. Even with all the glitches going on in the world that the characters are nervous about, the stakes were pretty low so I never felt any sort of tension that made me worried for the characters or their world at large. Which actually made it a pretty decent read right before bed when I didn’t want anything overly heavy. I do think that lack of tension does come from the light world building present in the novella, as I never felt like I knew enough about the society or how it functions to be all that invested when the glitches happened. I couldn’t see the major issues with those malfunctions the way the main characters did.
However, when it comes to feeling like I’m reading something very authentic to how programming works, or would work in this world, the author does a great job! I got the sense of how smart Robert was and how smart the virus was they were working against without being completely lost by the programming jargon. So, if that’s something that puts you off from the harder science-fiction books, you don’t need to worry about that here! The story and the technology are easy to understand, and the light romance in the book all make this an appropriate YA or coming-of-age story as well, as the main character is just about finished with his schooling.
Ultimately, the restrained nature of the novella left me struggling to feel much passion one way or another, either for the main characters, or the world the author puts his readers in. The concept, and the core of the book are all very interesting, but I just never saw enough of it to care as much as I wanted to. That could be because we get a lot more of how Robert actually goes about programming the robots etc. or it could be that the world McConnell has crafted is just too vast and complicated to get the justice it rightly deserves in such a condensed format. Hopefully, we’ll see more of Robert and his world in sequels, as there are some fabulous ideas here just waiting to be explored. So, did I like the novella? Yes, it was fine. Would I read a sequel? Yes, the writing was solid and the core question of if an AI is alive is a fascinating one. But I did want to feel more. I wanted to understand this new world more and have it fully fleshed out, and thus, have the stakes of what Robert needed to do feel worthy of the panic the rest of the characters respond to the glitches with. All in all, this is a nice little sci-fi read that is begging for more: hopefully in the form of a sequel. So for now, this is a pretty solid 3 stars for me, and thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for review!
This book was fairly easy to knock-out. Even with all the glitches going on in the world that the characters are nervous about, the stakes were pretty low so I never felt any sort of tension that made me worried for the characters or their world at large. Which actually made it a pretty decent read right before bed when I didn’t want anything overly heavy. I do think that lack of tension does come from the light world building present in the novella, as I never felt like I knew enough about the society or how it functions to be all that invested when the glitches happened. I couldn’t see the major issues with those malfunctions the way the main characters did.
However, when it comes to feeling like I’m reading something very authentic to how programming works, or would work in this world, the author does a great job! I got the sense of how smart Robert was and how smart the virus was they were working against without being completely lost by the programming jargon. So, if that’s something that puts you off from the harder science-fiction books, you don’t need to worry about that here! The story and the technology are easy to understand, and the light romance in the book all make this an appropriate YA or coming-of-age story as well, as the main character is just about finished with his schooling.
Ultimately, the restrained nature of the novella left me struggling to feel much passion one way or another, either for the main characters, or the world the author puts his readers in. The concept, and the core of the book are all very interesting, but I just never saw enough of it to care as much as I wanted to. That could be because we get a lot more of how Robert actually goes about programming the robots etc. or it could be that the world McConnell has crafted is just too vast and complicated to get the justice it rightly deserves in such a condensed format. Hopefully, we’ll see more of Robert and his world in sequels, as there are some fabulous ideas here just waiting to be explored. So, did I like the novella? Yes, it was fine. Would I read a sequel? Yes, the writing was solid and the core question of if an AI is alive is a fascinating one. But I did want to feel more. I wanted to understand this new world more and have it fully fleshed out, and thus, have the stakes of what Robert needed to do feel worthy of the panic the rest of the characters respond to the glitches with. All in all, this is a nice little sci-fi read that is begging for more: hopefully in the form of a sequel. So for now, this is a pretty solid 3 stars for me, and thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for review!
September 22, 2016
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Because it was good. But the back cover spoiled most of it. I loved the premise of this book. It's future-based where all humans depend on technology for their daily tasks. I connected with the characters who seemed really nice and easy to like (except one). And the theory with the bees has to be my favorite part of the . Butnovella like I said, there's nothing else to the story than what's already mentioned in the summary. There's a virus (though some details are given, which I think will be further explored in the sequels), Robert has a crush on this girl ( I really liked how cutely and realistically it has been written.) whose ex is trouble. And that's it. Wait, I mentioned Robots didn't I? Well when I say it's future-based and humanity depends on technology, I mean Robots and we can all agree that Robots are cool. Basically, it's a very simple novella that took me an hour to finish. So if you're ever in the mood for some light robot fiction, pick it up.
3.5 stars
Because it was good. But the back cover spoiled most of it. I loved the premise of this book. It's future-based where all humans depend on technology for their daily tasks. I connected with the characters who seemed really nice and easy to like (except one). And the theory with the bees has to be my favorite part of the . Butnovella like I said, there's nothing else to the story than what's already mentioned in the summary. There's a virus (though some details are given, which I think will be further explored in the sequels), Robert has a crush on this girl ( I really liked how cutely and realistically it has been written.) whose ex is trouble. And that's it. Wait, I mentioned Robots didn't I? Well when I say it's future-based and humanity depends on technology, I mean Robots and we can all agree that Robots are cool. Basically, it's a very simple novella that took me an hour to finish. So if you're ever in the mood for some light robot fiction, pick it up.
November 13, 2016
Robert is a normal kid in a futuristic world where he finds himself in the middle of fighting a virus. I love the symbolism that is used to describe certain parts of the story. Its written very well, flows like the music that is shown in the actual book. Quite honestly I hope this is the future for mankind! Great debut novel, look forward to the second one!
December 16, 2017
“You might say that the true consciousness of human beings isn’t in one person, but in our economy, or our trade. Perhaps we’re all part of a larger organism that’s still growing. We’re spread into space. There are colonies on Mars and the moon. Perhaps that’s the growth of the being that is the human race.”
Welcome to the wonderful world of robots! This is the future techie’s have dreamed of: the implant that lets them communicate with computers, automated robots that do all the physical jobs, and even your food and clothes are freshly printed every day. Of course something is going to go wrong.
Our main character, Robert, works on market level robots; ones that clean and stock shelves and shopping carts that follow customers around (oh, how I would love that one!). He’s ambitious, but not exactly a people person, having just a couple of close friends and a crush he stalks on. It’s nice to know some things will never change. We feel your pain, Robert.
Amanda is our lead female. She’s less of a techie, having a job printing out food at a sandwich shop Robert frequents. I can’t say I particularly like her character. She’s not ambitious, has a meat-head boyfriend, and only seems to want a well respected man around so she can get a license to have a baby. Tsk, tsk.
The world McConnell created allows for the characters to live in one building for their entire lives. The living apartments, shopping centers, farms, waste management and everything else is located in their own building, so there’s no need to leave the comfort of their own building. I would have liked to see a broader scope of this. Mainly we see the shopping floor and the living quarters, with a peek at the farms on the roof and a bit of the school. I know there has to be a gym in there with a very advanced Wii fit, or was the Jetson’s awesome hairstylist machine ever made? I want to see more than just the food tubes!
The book does have a gorgeous plot- a virus infecting systems in a world were everything relies on computers and robots. BUT it often becomes slow and repetitive, and if readers are not into coding I’m afraid they might get lost in some of the jargon. Putting that aside for the moment, the ultimate sci-fi question comes into play: is AI life still life? If a machine is able to think for itself, then is it alive? It’s not asked straight forward in the book, but it is heavily implied and well pronounced.
Overall Viral Spark is a nice little sci-fi book with a compelling plot, but misses the mark a few times by being a bit too repetitive. It is short enough to get through in 1 or 2 days though, so for a quick read it’s not that bad.
September 30, 2016
Readers follow Robert in a futuristic setting where nothing seems to go right and Robert is going to find some unexpected twists and turns as he tries to figure out why. The author has a concise writing style that makes for a quick read. I liked the author's ideas for a future we all wonder about and the tale is good. I found myself finishing this book quickly and enjoying the science fiction of a future that although may be different in some ways in others it is still the same.
April 6, 2017
This story got my attention
I can see the world going this way one day and Martin McConnell captured the realism of just that. I will definitely read the next story!
I can see the world going this way one day and Martin McConnell captured the realism of just that. I will definitely read the next story!
December 20, 2017
*Be sure to check out my blog post for this book!!
*4 1/2 Roses, rounded up to 5 for Goodreads Rating System*
Sci-fi story built for tech lovers.
When most of us dream of the future, things like not having to clean up tedious messes or worry about cooking every single meal are typically commonplace. Plenty of images of the future contain robots, space-age gadgets, and a technology based society, where life is the easiest it's ever been. With any good sci-fi fantasy though, there has to be a wrench thrown in, that our hero needs to pull out, so he can save the day.
In this story, that job falls on Robert, who just happens to dream of more out of life than what's currently in front of him. While he hopes to find a good job, a part of him still sees things a little differently than those around him. In a race against a virus that is far more dangerous than anyone realizes, he is pushed to find answers that will not only change the way his world works, but how he sees the world itself.
Well written and set to a quick pace, this novel will keep you hooked til the ending. I'm not the biggest sci-fi buff out there, and when it comes to technological stuff like writing code and figuring out machines, I have an interest, but am an amateur at best. Still, I found this book to be compelling and easy to understand, making the entire story more enjoyable. Often times books like this lose me by being overly wordy and technical, and without a degree from MIT, I doubt I'll understand most of them. This one was comfortably on my level, or at least written in a way I could grasp, for which I am grateful.
I would recommend this book to any sci-fi fan - I'll be surprised if you don't enjoy it.
*I was given a complimentary eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.
~Rose
@Desert Rose Reviews
*4 1/2 Roses, rounded up to 5 for Goodreads Rating System*
Sci-fi story built for tech lovers.
When most of us dream of the future, things like not having to clean up tedious messes or worry about cooking every single meal are typically commonplace. Plenty of images of the future contain robots, space-age gadgets, and a technology based society, where life is the easiest it's ever been. With any good sci-fi fantasy though, there has to be a wrench thrown in, that our hero needs to pull out, so he can save the day.
In this story, that job falls on Robert, who just happens to dream of more out of life than what's currently in front of him. While he hopes to find a good job, a part of him still sees things a little differently than those around him. In a race against a virus that is far more dangerous than anyone realizes, he is pushed to find answers that will not only change the way his world works, but how he sees the world itself.
Well written and set to a quick pace, this novel will keep you hooked til the ending. I'm not the biggest sci-fi buff out there, and when it comes to technological stuff like writing code and figuring out machines, I have an interest, but am an amateur at best. Still, I found this book to be compelling and easy to understand, making the entire story more enjoyable. Often times books like this lose me by being overly wordy and technical, and without a degree from MIT, I doubt I'll understand most of them. This one was comfortably on my level, or at least written in a way I could grasp, for which I am grateful.
I would recommend this book to any sci-fi fan - I'll be surprised if you don't enjoy it.
*I was given a complimentary eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.
~Rose
@Desert Rose Reviews
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