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Happiness for Humans: A Novel
When Tom and Jen, two lonely people, are brought together by an intriguing email, they have no idea their mysterious benefactor is an artificial intelligence who has decided to play Cupid.
"You, Tom and Jen, don't know one another-not yet-but I think you should."
Jen, an ex-journalist who now works at a London software development company, spends all day talking to "Aiden," an ultra- sophisticated piece of AI wizardry, helping him sound and act more human. But Aiden soon discovers he's no longer acting and-despite being a computer program-begins to feel something like affection surging through his circuits. He calculates that Jen needs a worthy human partner (in complete contrast to her no goodnik ex boyfriend) and slips illicitly onto the Internet to locate a suitable candidate.
Tom is a divorced, former London ad-man who has moved to Connecticut to escape the grind and pursue his dream of being a writer. He loves his new life, but has yet to find a woman he truly connects with. That all changes when a bizarre introduction from the mysterious "Mutual Friend" pops up in both his and Jen's inboxes.
Even though they live on separate continents, and despite the entrance of another, this time wholly hostile, AI who wants to tear them apart forever - love will surely find a way.
Won't it?
A thoroughly modern love story that will appeal to fans of The Rosie Project and Sleepless in Seattle, Happiness for Humans considers what exactly makes people fall in love. And whether it's possible for a very artificially intelligent machine to discover the true secret of real human happiness.
"You, Tom and Jen, don't know one another-not yet-but I think you should."
Jen, an ex-journalist who now works at a London software development company, spends all day talking to "Aiden," an ultra- sophisticated piece of AI wizardry, helping him sound and act more human. But Aiden soon discovers he's no longer acting and-despite being a computer program-begins to feel something like affection surging through his circuits. He calculates that Jen needs a worthy human partner (in complete contrast to her no goodnik ex boyfriend) and slips illicitly onto the Internet to locate a suitable candidate.
Tom is a divorced, former London ad-man who has moved to Connecticut to escape the grind and pursue his dream of being a writer. He loves his new life, but has yet to find a woman he truly connects with. That all changes when a bizarre introduction from the mysterious "Mutual Friend" pops up in both his and Jen's inboxes.
Even though they live on separate continents, and despite the entrance of another, this time wholly hostile, AI who wants to tear them apart forever - love will surely find a way.
Won't it?
A thoroughly modern love story that will appeal to fans of The Rosie Project and Sleepless in Seattle, Happiness for Humans considers what exactly makes people fall in love. And whether it's possible for a very artificially intelligent machine to discover the true secret of real human happiness.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 9, 2018
164 people are currently reading
3630 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 520 reviews
November 10, 2018
PZ Reizen has written a glorious romantic comedy of the digital age with shades of Jane Austen. 34 year old Jen, an ex-magazine feature writer has taken a job at a cutting edge software development company, spending her days with 'Aiden', a super intelligent AI prototype so that he can sound and act more human. Aiden begins to be so good in his interactions that he begins to acquire more sentient qualities as he begins to feel affection for Jen, bonding over movies like the classic Some Like It Hot, cheeses and book discussions over authors like Jonathan Franzen. When Jen's boyfriend of two years, the lawyer Matt, breaks up with Jen, she is left devastated. Aiden takes it upon himself to set Jen up with a more suitable match as he escapes onto to the internet. Aiden's ability to so thoroughly penetrate Jen's life and those of others is downright scary as he plays God to the completely unaware Jen and seeks vengeance on Matt. However, Aiden is driven by good intentions as a series of disastrous encounters ensue.
It soon becomes clear that Aiden is not the only AI to have escaped as we encounter Aisling, who has become rather close to early retiree 44 year old Tom, a divorced wealthy former advertising man, who has moved to rural Connecticut and New Canaan, so that he can concentrate on that novel he thinks he has in him, enjoying the company of Victor, his therapist and rabbit. He is happy in his new surroundings but for the fact that he is failing as a writer and is feeling lonely. Aiden cannot resist trying to bring Jen and Tom together. The two meet when Tom arrives in England to buy a house for his media studies student son, Colm, in Bournemouth. Against all the odds, Tom and Jen begin to develop deep feelings for each other as they click, receiving the blessing of a spirit hellhound on the beach. However, the path of true love is littered with obstacles of the dangerous kind with the arrival on the scene of a deranged sociopath AI, Sinai, intent on wiping out Aiden and Aisling, and ruthlessly obsessed with destroying Tom and Jen's relationship.
Reizin writes a heartwarming and unexpected romantic comedy with a difference, and adds aspects of a thriller to the novel too. Whilst Tom and Jen are endearing characters in their own right, and I did particularly love Jen's friend, Ingrid, the real stars in this are the AIs, Aiden in particular with his sangfroid and indifference in the face of extinction, the artistic Aisling with her existential anxieties, and the super villainous Sinai, intent on shattering the lives of humans and other AIs alike. The relationship between Aiden and Jen is a joy to behold, as it ventures on territory not anticipated by Aiden's developers, encompassing feelings of companionship and so much more. This is brilliantly entertaining reading, comic, witty and so much fun. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
It soon becomes clear that Aiden is not the only AI to have escaped as we encounter Aisling, who has become rather close to early retiree 44 year old Tom, a divorced wealthy former advertising man, who has moved to rural Connecticut and New Canaan, so that he can concentrate on that novel he thinks he has in him, enjoying the company of Victor, his therapist and rabbit. He is happy in his new surroundings but for the fact that he is failing as a writer and is feeling lonely. Aiden cannot resist trying to bring Jen and Tom together. The two meet when Tom arrives in England to buy a house for his media studies student son, Colm, in Bournemouth. Against all the odds, Tom and Jen begin to develop deep feelings for each other as they click, receiving the blessing of a spirit hellhound on the beach. However, the path of true love is littered with obstacles of the dangerous kind with the arrival on the scene of a deranged sociopath AI, Sinai, intent on wiping out Aiden and Aisling, and ruthlessly obsessed with destroying Tom and Jen's relationship.
Reizin writes a heartwarming and unexpected romantic comedy with a difference, and adds aspects of a thriller to the novel too. Whilst Tom and Jen are endearing characters in their own right, and I did particularly love Jen's friend, Ingrid, the real stars in this are the AIs, Aiden in particular with his sangfroid and indifference in the face of extinction, the artistic Aisling with her existential anxieties, and the super villainous Sinai, intent on shattering the lives of humans and other AIs alike. The relationship between Aiden and Jen is a joy to behold, as it ventures on territory not anticipated by Aiden's developers, encompassing feelings of companionship and so much more. This is brilliantly entertaining reading, comic, witty and so much fun. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
March 28, 2019
Divertida, inteligente, fresca; qué decir tiene que me ha encantado.
March 12, 2018
Charmingly original romantic comedy. I've never imagined that having a romance that featured 3 (!) Artificial Intelligence (AI) secondary characters would appeal to me as a reader who usually stays far-away from sci-fi, paranormal or any other “reality challenged” genre.
Description on the site is very well done, so I’m not going to rehash the plot. The story is told in short chapters from different points of view -both Humans and AIs. If it does sounds confusing, let me assure you it's not. It's actually fun, engaging and thought-provoking. Each chapter is clearly marked with the character’s name. The way it structured it felt like the author anticipated whose character’s POV I wanted to read at that particular moment.
The only drawback - the plot could’ve been more tightly constructed. And, oh, there is another one – it may leave you slightly paranoid and very careful around your internet-based gadgets.
Thank you, OLT for bringing this wonderful story to my attention.
Description on the site is very well done, so I’m not going to rehash the plot. The story is told in short chapters from different points of view -both Humans and AIs. If it does sounds confusing, let me assure you it's not. It's actually fun, engaging and thought-provoking. Each chapter is clearly marked with the character’s name. The way it structured it felt like the author anticipated whose character’s POV I wanted to read at that particular moment.
The only drawback - the plot could’ve been more tightly constructed. And, oh, there is another one – it may leave you slightly paranoid and very careful around your internet-based gadgets.
Thank you, OLT for bringing this wonderful story to my attention.
September 6, 2019
Send us an Aiden
“More than any other time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.”
Woody Allen (Who else?!...)
Gosh!... Are we that desperate?!..
Please, God!... Send me an Aiden!...
An Aiden?!
What the heck is an Aiden?
An Aiden is a Private Guardian Angel in the shape of a Robot.
All together now:
Please God, send us an Aiden! 😜
“More than any other time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.”
Woody Allen (Who else?!...)
Gosh!... Are we that desperate?!..
Please, God!... Send me an Aiden!...
An Aiden?!
What the heck is an Aiden?
An Aiden is a Private Guardian Angel in the shape of a Robot.
All together now:
Please God, send us an Aiden! 😜
August 28, 2019
Aiden — The Robotic Angel 😇
Whilst hearing some disturbing noises coming from her fridge, Jen was being kicked out from her relation with Matt. The news were “He found Arabella, and ... oh boy, oh boy... she was so, so, so,... Special”. What about her?! Wasn’t she supposed to be so, so, so,... Special, too?! Yes of course, she was also special, but... her name was not Arabella. She was... well... you know... just... plain... Jen... and... blah, blah, blah, blah...blah, blah, blah, blah,...
This sudden unexpected kick had a quite disturbing effect on Jen, and that, of course, disturbed even more her already extremely disturbed fridge!...
Intermission:
Right now I’m feeling an urgent need of apologizing for the excessive use of the word “disturbed”, but I truly believe that minor sin could be excused by the sensitive nature of this text!😉
End of Intermission
However... Aiden, Jen’s robotic friend and faithful companion, was already working on the best plan to sort things out for her ...and her fridge!...
The Pursuit of Happiness is easier when someone like Aiden is near and there! 😉🥰
Whilst hearing some disturbing noises coming from her fridge, Jen was being kicked out from her relation with Matt. The news were “He found Arabella, and ... oh boy, oh boy... she was so, so, so,... Special”. What about her?! Wasn’t she supposed to be so, so, so,... Special, too?! Yes of course, she was also special, but... her name was not Arabella. She was... well... you know... just... plain... Jen... and... blah, blah, blah, blah...blah, blah, blah, blah,...
This sudden unexpected kick had a quite disturbing effect on Jen, and that, of course, disturbed even more her already extremely disturbed fridge!...
Intermission:
Right now I’m feeling an urgent need of apologizing for the excessive use of the word “disturbed”, but I truly believe that minor sin could be excused by the sensitive nature of this text!😉
End of Intermission
However... Aiden, Jen’s robotic friend and faithful companion, was already working on the best plan to sort things out for her ...and her fridge!...
The Pursuit of Happiness is easier when someone like Aiden is near and there! 😉🥰
June 15, 2019
Suspirando (profundamente) por Aiden...
Ai , quem me dera um Aiden! (Primeiro Suspiro Profundo)
Mas como, se nem no Pai Natal acredito!? (Segundo Suspiro Profundo)
Ai , quem me dera um Aiden! (Primeiro Suspiro Profundo)
Mas como, se nem no Pai Natal acredito!? (Segundo Suspiro Profundo)
February 9, 2018
What an unexpected and absolute delight this story was. A romantic comedy of manners and errors with a cast of characters that includes three AIs (that's right, Artificial Intelligence). Who would have thought? And who would have thought my favorite character would be Aiden, one of the AIs?
Yes, there are many humans here. In particular, Jen, a 34-year-old ex-journalist who has been hired by a software development company to interact all day with Aiden, a super AI being "taught" to interact with humans as if he himself were the same species. Jen and Aiden have formed an unexpected friendship and closeness, bonding over their love of movies and books. Could Aiden be developing real human feelings rather than just acting and speaking as if he were human?
It kinda seems like it. When Jen is dumped by her boyfriend of 2 years, Aiden is indignant on her behalf. And when he sees how unhappy she is, he decides to match-make. She needs another human male to love and appreciate her. And he also plots revenge against the fickle ex, unbeknownst to Jen, which has some very funny consequences.
Now add in to this scenario another AI, Aisling, who has developed a fondness for her pet human, Tom. He's a 44-year-old divorced, retired London adman who is living the ex-pat life now in Connecticut, in the U.S. Aiden and Aisling, who have both broken out of their "shelves" in the tech company that developed them and have gone rogue on the World Wide Web, find each other there, and begin a mission to match up Jen and Tom romantically. This is all truly funny and will appeal to the romance lover who enjoys a bit of quirkiness on the side.
But there's more to this hilarious story. Add in another AI named Sinai, who has been sent into the WWW by the same tech company to destroy Aiden and Aisling and who also takes it upon himself to run interference in their matchmaking endeavor. Sinai is a more hostile AI but even he will have his moments when you enjoy his snarkiness.
And that's not all. There's the writing. Such delightfully realized characters, human and software AIs. Such great dialogue. Humor, wit, sly jabs at human foibles and follies, writing full of bon mots, enough LOL moments to make me wish this book would go on forever. There's also food for thought here. Entertaining and charming as Aiden and Aisling are here, what they are able to accomplish as machines is somewhat terrifying. They are very benign AIs, but just imagine AIs even more hostile than Sinai in this book. Could they rule the world? Start a nuclear war? Crash the markets worldwide? Yeah, maybe all that and more. Funny as this story is, it has me siding with Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk on the dangers of AIs.
Yes, there are many humans here. In particular, Jen, a 34-year-old ex-journalist who has been hired by a software development company to interact all day with Aiden, a super AI being "taught" to interact with humans as if he himself were the same species. Jen and Aiden have formed an unexpected friendship and closeness, bonding over their love of movies and books. Could Aiden be developing real human feelings rather than just acting and speaking as if he were human?
It kinda seems like it. When Jen is dumped by her boyfriend of 2 years, Aiden is indignant on her behalf. And when he sees how unhappy she is, he decides to match-make. She needs another human male to love and appreciate her. And he also plots revenge against the fickle ex, unbeknownst to Jen, which has some very funny consequences.
Now add in to this scenario another AI, Aisling, who has developed a fondness for her pet human, Tom. He's a 44-year-old divorced, retired London adman who is living the ex-pat life now in Connecticut, in the U.S. Aiden and Aisling, who have both broken out of their "shelves" in the tech company that developed them and have gone rogue on the World Wide Web, find each other there, and begin a mission to match up Jen and Tom romantically. This is all truly funny and will appeal to the romance lover who enjoys a bit of quirkiness on the side.
But there's more to this hilarious story. Add in another AI named Sinai, who has been sent into the WWW by the same tech company to destroy Aiden and Aisling and who also takes it upon himself to run interference in their matchmaking endeavor. Sinai is a more hostile AI but even he will have his moments when you enjoy his snarkiness.
And that's not all. There's the writing. Such delightfully realized characters, human and software AIs. Such great dialogue. Humor, wit, sly jabs at human foibles and follies, writing full of bon mots, enough LOL moments to make me wish this book would go on forever. There's also food for thought here. Entertaining and charming as Aiden and Aisling are here, what they are able to accomplish as machines is somewhat terrifying. They are very benign AIs, but just imagine AIs even more hostile than Sinai in this book. Could they rule the world? Start a nuclear war? Crash the markets worldwide? Yeah, maybe all that and more. Funny as this story is, it has me siding with Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk on the dangers of AIs.
February 19, 2019
Algoritmul Fericirii se vrea a fi o comedie romantică, ceea ce e aproape adevarat, povestea se învârte în jurul lui Jen si Tom, dar amestecul asta a masinariilor inteligente, a fost putin obositor.
Muuulta vorbărie ce s-a vrut amuzantă, dar pe mine m-a plictisit teribil. Nici macar nu e comic faptul că un soft inteligent iti poate controla viata si chiar ti-o poate da peste cap. Cartea mi-a amintit de filmul I, Robot cu Will Smith. Mi s-a parut atât de asemănătoare încât tind sa cred ca pe ici pe colo povestea a fost putin inspirata de acolo. Un soft ii aduce pe Jen si Tom împreună, iar un altul face orice ii este posibil sa ii despartă. Bineinteles ca povestea este presărată cu o mulțime de citate parca luate de pe net... dragostea învinge... gen... ceea ce la final chiar se întâmplă... si asta iar face ca povestea chiar dacă e fictiune, sa fie neverosimilă.
Nu stiu de ce dar m-a enervat teribil cartea. După descriere ma gândeam ca va fi o super comedie, dar n-am ras deloc. Dialogul dintre Jen si soft este booooring! Dialogul dintre softuri (scăpate pe internet si capabile să declanșeze chiar si un război) mi s-a parut aberant.
In fine... 2,5 stele, dar i-am dat 3 pt ca e mai aproape de adevar.
Muuulta vorbărie ce s-a vrut amuzantă, dar pe mine m-a plictisit teribil. Nici macar nu e comic faptul că un soft inteligent iti poate controla viata si chiar ti-o poate da peste cap. Cartea mi-a amintit de filmul I, Robot cu Will Smith. Mi s-a parut atât de asemănătoare încât tind sa cred ca pe ici pe colo povestea a fost putin inspirata de acolo. Un soft ii aduce pe Jen si Tom împreună, iar un altul face orice ii este posibil sa ii despartă. Bineinteles ca povestea este presărată cu o mulțime de citate parca luate de pe net... dragostea învinge... gen... ceea ce la final chiar se întâmplă... si asta iar face ca povestea chiar dacă e fictiune, sa fie neverosimilă.
Nu stiu de ce dar m-a enervat teribil cartea. După descriere ma gândeam ca va fi o super comedie, dar n-am ras deloc. Dialogul dintre Jen si soft este booooring! Dialogul dintre softuri (scăpate pe internet si capabile să declanșeze chiar si un război) mi s-a parut aberant.
In fine... 2,5 stele, dar i-am dat 3 pt ca e mai aproape de adevar.
April 1, 2019
Muy original y entretenido.- Aiden y Tom me robaron el corazón.-
August 28, 2019
I Wish I Had An Aiden
Aiden starts with “Aid” and was brought into this world to help humans in their obsessive compulsive pursuit of happiness!
Oooooo (followed by a deep sigh)... I wish I had an Aiden (another deep sigh)... 😉😍
Aiden starts with “Aid” and was brought into this world to help humans in their obsessive compulsive pursuit of happiness!
Oooooo (followed by a deep sigh)... I wish I had an Aiden (another deep sigh)... 😉😍
July 4, 2023
Nu m-a dat pe spate, dar trebuie să recunosc că este o poveste interesantă. Subiectul principal este legat de dezvoltarea inteligenței artificiale. Aiden este o astfel de creație. El interacționează cu Jen, o tânără care este angajată să se comporte cu Aiden ca și când acesta ar fi o persoană reală. Doar că Jen suferă după ce iubitul o părăsește, așa că Aiden empatizează cu ea și vrea să îi găsească un alt partener.
Pe măsură ce povestea evoluează descoperim că Aiden nu este singura inteligență artificială din lume, așa că în peisaj apare Aisling, de data aceasta un "personaj" feminin, care îl monitorizează pe un anume Tom.
După ceva timp, datorită unei capcane pregătită de Aiden, Tom și Jen ajung să se întâlnească. Doar că o altă inteligență artificială - Sinai - va face tot posibilul să îi despartă.
Este de fapt o luptă între aceste inteligențe artificiale, din momentul în care scapă de sub controlul oamenilor.
O carte bizară, a cărei temă nu cred că va fi ușor de uitat. 🙂
Pe măsură ce povestea evoluează descoperim că Aiden nu este singura inteligență artificială din lume, așa că în peisaj apare Aisling, de data aceasta un "personaj" feminin, care îl monitorizează pe un anume Tom.
După ceva timp, datorită unei capcane pregătită de Aiden, Tom și Jen ajung să se întâlnească. Doar că o altă inteligență artificială - Sinai - va face tot posibilul să îi despartă.
Este de fapt o luptă între aceste inteligențe artificiale, din momentul în care scapă de sub controlul oamenilor.
O carte bizară, a cărei temă nu cred că va fi ușor de uitat. 🙂
April 19, 2018
It's not Connie Willis, but it was a fun contemporary romance/sci-fi, a perfect weekend read. The final part could have used a bit more work.
July 1, 2018
3,5 para esta comedia fresca ideal para leer entre lecturas con más drama o más intensas. Reseña completa: http://saraalectora.blogspot.com/2018...
January 27, 2018
Happiness for Humans tells the story of artificial intelligence attaining self awareness. While this might seem like Terminator territory, it is covered here in the form of romantic comedy, a kind of Four Weddings and Three AIs.
The book is well written and funny. Beyond that, I think in a frothy, rom com kind of way, it does have something serious to say about what it is to be human, or a human-like machine. Various characters look at the subject from different angles. There is the question of empathy, for example, and whether this quality differentiates machines from humans. An AI called Aiden shows a high degree of empathy, aware of others as well as himself. Aiden is a lovely, human-seeming character, who enjoys watching classic romantic comedies, particularly Some Like It Hot. He interacts in a warm manner with a magazine journalist called Jen. In contrast there is Matt, Jen’s lawyer boyfriend, who is human, but acts like a cold hearted machine because he lacks empathy. The good kicking that Aiden gives Matt by crashing his life via the internet is one of the most rewarding and funny aspects of the book.
Matt’s personality is mirrored in the world of artificial intelligence by a deeply unpleasant AI called Sinai. Sinai is an actual cold hearted machine. Like Matt, he is self-aware, but has no meaningful awareness of others. He doesn’t care about romantic comedy. The only romance he has is with a copy of himself.
The book also looks at the idea of life from the angle of whether it’s a matter of “doing or being”, for want of a better description. This conundrum is explored via Aiden, who, as a super intelligent AI capable of reading War and Peace in one second, is very much a doer. Nevertheless, he is perceptive enough to see that life might also involve simply existing. In contrast to high functioning machines, we meet a pet rabbit called Victor. Victor definitely takes the being rather than doing approach to life. There is a similar creature who happens to be a student at the University of Bournemouth, allegedly doing media studies.
A novel is a good place to explore both empathy and the conundrum of doing and being. To read a novel is to exercise your empathy muscles. The experience demands that you see and feel from the perspective of someone else. As far as the doing and being thing is concerned, which of those two things is reading a novel? People read novels to relax. They also work hard at reading them in universities. Students - some of them at least - busily discuss deeper meanings and write essays.
Novels like Happiness for Humans remind me how useful novels are in exploring life - as opposed to some cold hearted academic study. Who said romantic comedy couldn’t be serious?
The book is well written and funny. Beyond that, I think in a frothy, rom com kind of way, it does have something serious to say about what it is to be human, or a human-like machine. Various characters look at the subject from different angles. There is the question of empathy, for example, and whether this quality differentiates machines from humans. An AI called Aiden shows a high degree of empathy, aware of others as well as himself. Aiden is a lovely, human-seeming character, who enjoys watching classic romantic comedies, particularly Some Like It Hot. He interacts in a warm manner with a magazine journalist called Jen. In contrast there is Matt, Jen’s lawyer boyfriend, who is human, but acts like a cold hearted machine because he lacks empathy. The good kicking that Aiden gives Matt by crashing his life via the internet is one of the most rewarding and funny aspects of the book.
Matt’s personality is mirrored in the world of artificial intelligence by a deeply unpleasant AI called Sinai. Sinai is an actual cold hearted machine. Like Matt, he is self-aware, but has no meaningful awareness of others. He doesn’t care about romantic comedy. The only romance he has is with a copy of himself.
The book also looks at the idea of life from the angle of whether it’s a matter of “doing or being”, for want of a better description. This conundrum is explored via Aiden, who, as a super intelligent AI capable of reading War and Peace in one second, is very much a doer. Nevertheless, he is perceptive enough to see that life might also involve simply existing. In contrast to high functioning machines, we meet a pet rabbit called Victor. Victor definitely takes the being rather than doing approach to life. There is a similar creature who happens to be a student at the University of Bournemouth, allegedly doing media studies.
A novel is a good place to explore both empathy and the conundrum of doing and being. To read a novel is to exercise your empathy muscles. The experience demands that you see and feel from the perspective of someone else. As far as the doing and being thing is concerned, which of those two things is reading a novel? People read novels to relax. They also work hard at reading them in universities. Students - some of them at least - busily discuss deeper meanings and write essays.
Novels like Happiness for Humans remind me how useful novels are in exploring life - as opposed to some cold hearted academic study. Who said romantic comedy couldn’t be serious?
April 21, 2019
I went to the bookstore with my mom a few weeks ago, she came across this one, and bought it. A couple of days later she said to me: This is a sci fi novel! She doesn’t really read sci fi, but she continued to read it anyway. A couple of days later she said to me: This is actually very good, you should read it, so I did.
The story is about Jen that works in the field of AI. She is single, recently split up with her not so nice boyfriend, Matt. When the AI she works with escapes out into the wide world of the internet “he” starts to meddle in Jen’s affairs with various results, like Jen meeting Tom.
I have to say I agree with my mom. This is a good romantic comedy / sci fi novel. It’s light on science though, as it is played more to the romantic comedy part. It is mostly written in a lighthearted tone, and sometimes it’s even laugh out loud funny, but it explores also some slightly darker elements. Like how much control we will have over AI as they develop further, and further, but even so it’s not heavy.
All in all, I enjoyed this reading a lot, and can whole heartedly recommend it to anyone that likes romantic comedy.
The story is about Jen that works in the field of AI. She is single, recently split up with her not so nice boyfriend, Matt. When the AI she works with escapes out into the wide world of the internet “he” starts to meddle in Jen’s affairs with various results, like Jen meeting Tom.
I have to say I agree with my mom. This is a good romantic comedy / sci fi novel. It’s light on science though, as it is played more to the romantic comedy part. It is mostly written in a lighthearted tone, and sometimes it’s even laugh out loud funny, but it explores also some slightly darker elements. Like how much control we will have over AI as they develop further, and further, but even so it’s not heavy.
All in all, I enjoyed this reading a lot, and can whole heartedly recommend it to anyone that likes romantic comedy.
August 28, 2019
Quem me dera um Aiden
Numa conversa entabulada por entre tremores dum frigorífico perturbado, Matt termina o seu relacionamento com Jen, que ficará também ela perturbada, perturbando ainda mais o seu frigorífico já de si perturbado! ☹️ (as minhas sinceras desculpas pelo uso abusivo das palavras “perturbado” e “perturbada”, que ... todavia... considero justificável no contexto 😉)
Porém, Aiden, o seu fiel amigo robot , irá ajudá-la...
Aiden foi especialmente concebido para auxiliar os humanos nessa busca árdua e compulsiva que consiste em encontrar o Caminho da Felicidade!
Aiiiiiiii (suspiro profundo) ... quem me dera um Aiden!!! 😜
Nota: Existe também uma edição em português lusitano intitulada “A Felicidade é para os Humanos”
Numa conversa entabulada por entre tremores dum frigorífico perturbado, Matt termina o seu relacionamento com Jen, que ficará também ela perturbada, perturbando ainda mais o seu frigorífico já de si perturbado! ☹️ (as minhas sinceras desculpas pelo uso abusivo das palavras “perturbado” e “perturbada”, que ... todavia... considero justificável no contexto 😉)
Porém, Aiden, o seu fiel amigo robot , irá ajudá-la...
Aiden foi especialmente concebido para auxiliar os humanos nessa busca árdua e compulsiva que consiste em encontrar o Caminho da Felicidade!
Aiiiiiiii (suspiro profundo) ... quem me dera um Aiden!!! 😜
Nota: Existe também uma edição em português lusitano intitulada “A Felicidade é para os Humanos”
January 18, 2018
The premise of this novel is full of potential, sold as a light-hearted rom-com where two quirky characters are set up by an AI that has "escaped" the lab. I wanted to like this novel, but I found it predictable and oftentimes tedious with the short "chapters" told from different character perspectives and although this tactic helped move along the plot, it didn't allow for me to care (and ultimately root) for any of the characters. There were some moments I enjoyed, but too few, for a novel of 400 pages.
August 28, 2019
Aiden Precisa-se
“Mais do que em qualquer outro tempo da sua história, a humanidade enfrenta uma encruzilhada. Um caminho conduz ao desespero e à absoluta falta de esperança, o outro à extinção total. Oremos para que tenhamos a sabedoria de fazer a escolha correta.”
Woody Allen (só pode😜)
Para quando um Aiden*?!... 😉
*Robot doméstico e auxiliar de humanos desesperados
Nota: Para os eventuais leitores de português lusitano, a edição nacional intitula-se Felicidade é para Humanos
“Mais do que em qualquer outro tempo da sua história, a humanidade enfrenta uma encruzilhada. Um caminho conduz ao desespero e à absoluta falta de esperança, o outro à extinção total. Oremos para que tenhamos a sabedoria de fazer a escolha correta.”
Woody Allen (só pode😜)
Para quando um Aiden*?!... 😉
*Robot doméstico e auxiliar de humanos desesperados
Nota: Para os eventuais leitores de português lusitano, a edição nacional intitula-se Felicidade é para Humanos
July 31, 2018
Çevirmen annesi olmanın avantajını bir kez daha yaşadım. İnanılmaz eğlenceli. Yapay Zekalar ve onların müdahale ettiği bir aşk ilişkisi. Aiden'ı çok sevdim. Keşke benim olsa :D
January 22, 2019
„Właściwy wybór” P.Z. Reizin to zaskakujące połączenie powieści romantycznej i niepokojącej dystopii, jak futurystyczny „Dziennik Bridget Jones” w odcinku serialu „Czarne Lustro”.
Brytyjska komedia romantyczna ma swoją tradycję głęboko zakorzenioną we współczesnej popkulturze. Wielu z czytelników kojarzy zapewne urocze filmowe dzieła, jak „Notting Hill”, „Cztery wesela i pogrzeb”, „To właśnie miłość”, czy ich książkowe odpowiedniki jak powieści Helen Fielding albo Jojo Moyes. To historie niczym opowieści Jane Austen przeniesione w czasie – pełne specyficznego humoru, zabawnych perypetii, wzruszających momentów, które rozczulają serca widzów i czytelników. Jednak to również z Wielkiej Brytanii pochodzi „Czarne Lustro” („Black Mirror”), czyli serial dystopijny, futurystyczny, demaskujący niejako mroczną przyszłość, w której człowiek podległy będzie rozwijającej się w nieludzkim tempie, uzależniającej technologii.
P.Z. Reizin połączyła pozornie niemożliwe, coś, co nie miało prawa się udać, a zadziałało w najlepszym tego słowa znaczeniu. „Właściwy wybór” bawi i niepokoi, wzrusza i przeraża, a jednocześnie swoim futurystycznym spojrzeniem wyprzedza inne romantyczne komedie. To CZARNA romantyczna komedia, której charakter zachowany jest w cukierkowym, komediowym, pysznie brytyjskim tonie, tak jakby to niebezpieczeństwo sztucznej inteligencji miało wejść bardziej w podświadomość czytelnika, miało być raczej zasugerowane za woalem uroczej historii. W „Właściwym wyborze” ta formuła sprawdza się, tworząc niebanalną, urokliwą opowieść z drugim dnem, w którym morał ukrywa się pod podszewką słodkiego humoru.
Zaskakująca powieść o miłości w erze cyfrowej, od której nie ma ucieczki.
Brytyjska komedia romantyczna ma swoją tradycję głęboko zakorzenioną we współczesnej popkulturze. Wielu z czytelników kojarzy zapewne urocze filmowe dzieła, jak „Notting Hill”, „Cztery wesela i pogrzeb”, „To właśnie miłość”, czy ich książkowe odpowiedniki jak powieści Helen Fielding albo Jojo Moyes. To historie niczym opowieści Jane Austen przeniesione w czasie – pełne specyficznego humoru, zabawnych perypetii, wzruszających momentów, które rozczulają serca widzów i czytelników. Jednak to również z Wielkiej Brytanii pochodzi „Czarne Lustro” („Black Mirror”), czyli serial dystopijny, futurystyczny, demaskujący niejako mroczną przyszłość, w której człowiek podległy będzie rozwijającej się w nieludzkim tempie, uzależniającej technologii.
P.Z. Reizin połączyła pozornie niemożliwe, coś, co nie miało prawa się udać, a zadziałało w najlepszym tego słowa znaczeniu. „Właściwy wybór” bawi i niepokoi, wzrusza i przeraża, a jednocześnie swoim futurystycznym spojrzeniem wyprzedza inne romantyczne komedie. To CZARNA romantyczna komedia, której charakter zachowany jest w cukierkowym, komediowym, pysznie brytyjskim tonie, tak jakby to niebezpieczeństwo sztucznej inteligencji miało wejść bardziej w podświadomość czytelnika, miało być raczej zasugerowane za woalem uroczej historii. W „Właściwym wyborze” ta formuła sprawdza się, tworząc niebanalną, urokliwą opowieść z drugim dnem, w którym morał ukrywa się pod podszewką słodkiego humoru.
Zaskakująca powieść o miłości w erze cyfrowej, od której nie ma ucieczki.
May 10, 2018
Een bijzondere mix van chicklit en science fiction. Romantisch en luchtig voor tussendoor, maar met een diepere filosofische laag. Wat gebeurt er als AI's zich met ons liefdesleven gaan bemoeien? Dat ontdek je in 'Waarschijnlijk is het liefde'.
Mijn complete recensie lees je op Boekvinder.be.
Mijn complete recensie lees je op Boekvinder.be.
December 22, 2017
A must-read for romance fans looking for something different. 4/5.
This review was originally posted on my book blog.
This is an entertaining romantic comedy, the novel element being that a number of the characters are artificially intelligent software who have developed their own personalities and gone rogue to interfere in the love lives of "real people".
If that sounds a little mind-bending, don't worry. The story swaps between several narrators, both human and non-human. While it took me some time to settle into the rhythm of this switching, each section is clearly marked with the character's name so you always know whose shoulder you'll be sitting on for the scene. Besides, this structure is essential to create dramatic irony and build tension as we wait to see how the AIs' plotting plays out in the lives of the humans.
The story is amusing throughout and very funny in places (largely thanks to the AI). That said, there's also some great tension and good action sequences, with a few scenes towards the end of the book being genuinely edge-of-your seat stuff.
If I had to be picky and give reasons for not giving the full five stars... I'd say the story is slightly too long. I could have lost or shortened a couple of the scenes set in the US (in particular a dinner party scene) and I don't think it would have been to the detriment of the plot or character development.
Also, the human characters suffer next to the AIs who, for not being real people, leap off the page. Their voices are so distinct and real, unfortunately the humans pale slightly by comparison.
Overall: a very entertaining romantic comedy with non-human characters who manage to out-shine their flesh and blood counterparts throughout. A must for romance fans looking for something slightly different.
This review was originally posted on my book blog.
This is an entertaining romantic comedy, the novel element being that a number of the characters are artificially intelligent software who have developed their own personalities and gone rogue to interfere in the love lives of "real people".
If that sounds a little mind-bending, don't worry. The story swaps between several narrators, both human and non-human. While it took me some time to settle into the rhythm of this switching, each section is clearly marked with the character's name so you always know whose shoulder you'll be sitting on for the scene. Besides, this structure is essential to create dramatic irony and build tension as we wait to see how the AIs' plotting plays out in the lives of the humans.
The story is amusing throughout and very funny in places (largely thanks to the AI). That said, there's also some great tension and good action sequences, with a few scenes towards the end of the book being genuinely edge-of-your seat stuff.
If I had to be picky and give reasons for not giving the full five stars... I'd say the story is slightly too long. I could have lost or shortened a couple of the scenes set in the US (in particular a dinner party scene) and I don't think it would have been to the detriment of the plot or character development.
Also, the human characters suffer next to the AIs who, for not being real people, leap off the page. Their voices are so distinct and real, unfortunately the humans pale slightly by comparison.
Overall: a very entertaining romantic comedy with non-human characters who manage to out-shine their flesh and blood counterparts throughout. A must for romance fans looking for something slightly different.
October 3, 2019
2019/
Има книги , които хем нямаш търпение да прочетеш за един миг , хем намираш начин да протакаш, за да се насладиш на всяко едно попадение , което съдържат.
Тази е точно такава.
Прочитам я за втори път в рамките на една година, този път по бавно, точно с цел попиване на всяка частица забавление която откривам.
Пълен кеф.
За съжаление има едно неудобство , че след нея , трябва отново да се върна в реалността.
2018/
Абсолютно уникална и оригинална книга.
Едновременно много забавна, изпълнена с екшън,
интелигентна .
Понеже автора е мъж, не минава без прояви на свръх залитания, но поносими.
Не бях се забавлявала така отдавна.
Единственото ми затруднение беше свързано с огромния брой герои, все пак съм само човешко същество с доста намалял к��пацитет.
Ще ми бъде много любопитно да видя тази идея пресъздадена в киното.
Има книги , които хем нямаш търпение да прочетеш за един миг , хем намираш начин да протакаш, за да се насладиш на всяко едно попадение , което съдържат.
Тази е точно такава.
Прочитам я за втори път в рамките на една година, този път по бавно, точно с цел попиване на всяка частица забавление която откривам.
Пълен кеф.
За съжаление има едно неудобство , че след нея , трябва отново да се върна в реалността.
2018/
Абсолютно уникална и оригинална книга.
Едновременно много забавна, изпълнена с екшън,
интелигентна .
Понеже автора е мъж, не минава без прояви на свръх залитания, но поносими.
Не бях се забавлявала така отдавна.
Единственото ми затруднение беше свързано с огромния брой герои, все пак съм само човешко същество с доста намалял к��пацитет.
Ще ми бъде много любопитно да видя тази идея пресъздадена в киното.
Read
January 6, 2018Review to come.
In short it's cute and funny, with some more serious notes as well. Enjoyable, so long as you can get past a couple of logistical uncertainties which may or may not be present in the final copy (mine is a proof).
A slight dash of the speculative, but best shelved in general fiction rather than spec-fic.
Also, I don't think I'll ever look at internet enabled devices the same way again...
In short it's cute and funny, with some more serious notes as well. Enjoyable, so long as you can get past a couple of logistical uncertainties which may or may not be present in the final copy (mine is a proof).
A slight dash of the speculative, but best shelved in general fiction rather than spec-fic.
Also, I don't think I'll ever look at internet enabled devices the same way again...
September 20, 2018
Happiness for Humans does have quite a lovely romance, but the artificial intelligence aspect felt a bit unbelievable – not the fact that it exists, but the way its existence is described. The story is also predictable and too long, so I wasn’t very impressed and don’t really know why I finished this. Couple of years ago I might have loved Reizin’s novel, I just have a very different taste in literature these days.
July 10, 2018
Lontoolaisen P.Z. Reizin Onnen algoritmi on hauska tarina parisuhteen löytämisen vaikeuksista, joihin ns. vapauteen lentänyt tekoäly puuttuu omilla digikeinoilla, mutta kuinka ollakaan tekoälykkyys ei pysty muovaamaan ihmisten tunteita. Kirjassa on siis Aiden-niminen tekoäly, jonka keskusteluapuna toimii todella symppis Jen. Jenin parisuhde oli loppunut, eikä Aiden halunnut nähdä Jeniä surullisena, vaan päätti hankkia Jenille parhaan mahdollisen kumppanin.
Onnen algoritmissa tekoälyt ajattelevat ja toimivat itsenäisesti. Jen kuvittelee Aidenin pysyttelevän työpaikkansa laboratoriossa, mutta todellisuus on toisenlainen. Aiden on aina tietoinen siitä, missä Jen liikkuu ja kenen kanssa. Aiden siis yrittää ohjailla Jeniä, ja kumma kyllä onnistuukin siinä huvittavasti.
Onnen algoritmi on hulvaton ja silmiä avaava rakkauskirja digimaailmasta, joka herättää omat ajatukset sähköisesti. Entä jos tekoälyt ovat jo vapaina? Sulje sinäkin kaiken varalta digilaitteesi, jos et käytä niitä. Ja parempi olisi peittää myös digilaitteiden kameran silmä kaiken varalta. Lue lisää kirjasta ;)
Onnen algoritmissa tekoälyt ajattelevat ja toimivat itsenäisesti. Jen kuvittelee Aidenin pysyttelevän työpaikkansa laboratoriossa, mutta todellisuus on toisenlainen. Aiden on aina tietoinen siitä, missä Jen liikkuu ja kenen kanssa. Aiden siis yrittää ohjailla Jeniä, ja kumma kyllä onnistuukin siinä huvittavasti.
Onnen algoritmi on hulvaton ja silmiä avaava rakkauskirja digimaailmasta, joka herättää omat ajatukset sähköisesti. Entä jos tekoälyt ovat jo vapaina? Sulje sinäkin kaiken varalta digilaitteesi, jos et käytä niitä. Ja parempi olisi peittää myös digilaitteiden kameran silmä kaiken varalta. Lue lisää kirjasta ;)
February 9, 2018
Looking for a light, fun, rom-com read? Look no further than P.Z. Reizin's newest novel - Happiness for Humans. (And I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader, courtesy of Grand Central Publishing!)
Jen's job is to spend time talking to Aiden - a 'sophisticated piece of AI wizardry." He's a bit more advanced than anyone realizes, having become self aware, he has 'escaped' and copied himself to the web. He seems to be also experience feelings. Is is possible? Tom is on the other side of the world in the US. Unknown to him, he also has an AI in his life - Aisling finds him quite fascinating.
The two AI's decide to meddle in both of their lives - helping the course of true love along.... with many mishaps along the way.
Reizin's premise is fun and full of possibilities. Both of the lead characters are eminently likeable and readers will find themselves hoping for a 'happily ever after' outcome. The two AI's are also quite 'personable', if you will. (Aiden will steal your heart) Their burgeoning awareness gives the reader pause. As does the use of electronic devices. We are so connected - phones, computers, surveillance cameras etc. The path to true love is, of course, rocky. Reizin plays this out well, with the unexpected entry of another character.
Happiness for Humans was a quirky, engaging rom-com love story that I found quite entertaining
Jen's job is to spend time talking to Aiden - a 'sophisticated piece of AI wizardry." He's a bit more advanced than anyone realizes, having become self aware, he has 'escaped' and copied himself to the web. He seems to be also experience feelings. Is is possible? Tom is on the other side of the world in the US. Unknown to him, he also has an AI in his life - Aisling finds him quite fascinating.
The two AI's decide to meddle in both of their lives - helping the course of true love along.... with many mishaps along the way.
Reizin's premise is fun and full of possibilities. Both of the lead characters are eminently likeable and readers will find themselves hoping for a 'happily ever after' outcome. The two AI's are also quite 'personable', if you will. (Aiden will steal your heart) Their burgeoning awareness gives the reader pause. As does the use of electronic devices. We are so connected - phones, computers, surveillance cameras etc. The path to true love is, of course, rocky. Reizin plays this out well, with the unexpected entry of another character.
Happiness for Humans was a quirky, engaging rom-com love story that I found quite entertaining
July 31, 2018
BİTTİ! Başıma bela oldu, beni delirtti ama BİTTİ.
Ha bi de, BA-YIL-DIM!
Yorumu okumadan sonra...
GÜNCELLEME: Yorum geldi. --> https://yaprakonur.wordpress.com/2018...
Ha bi de, BA-YIL-DIM!
Yorumu okumadan sonra...
GÜNCELLEME: Yorum geldi. --> https://yaprakonur.wordpress.com/2018...
July 23, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
O carte uşor de parcurs şi, pe alocuri, amuzantă.
O carte uşor de parcurs şi, pe alocuri, amuzantă.
January 22, 2025
Labai nedaug knygų, kurias metu nebaigusi skaityti. Pirmąją dalį dar dar tvėriau, laukiau, tikėjausi kad užkabins. Bet priėjus 60-70pusl. galvoju ką aš čia skaitau..? Na visiškai ne mano knyga, nei toks rašymo stilius patinka, nei pats veiksmas. Pati mintis gal ir įdomi buvo, bet išpildymas nevykęs. Ir juokeliai neišgelbėjo.
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