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Killing Adam
Grand Prize Shortlist, 2020 Eric Hoffer Award.
Science Fiction category, 2020 Best Book Awards.
The world runs on ARCs. Altered Reality Chips. Small implants behind the left ear that allow people to experience anything they could ever imagine. The network controls everything, from traffic, to food production, to law enforcement. Some proclaim it a Golden Age of humanity. Others have begun to see the cracks. Few realize that behind it all, living within every brain and able to control all aspects of society, there exists a being with an agenda all his the singularity called Adam, who believes he is God.
Jimmy Mahoney's brain can't accept an ARC. Not since his football injury from the days when the league was still offline. "ARC-incompatible" is what the doctors told him. Worse than being blind and deaf, he is a man struggling to cling to what's left of a society that he is no longer a part of. His wife spends twenty-three hours a day online, only coming off when her chip forcibly disconnects her so she can eat. Others are worse. Many have died, unwilling or unable to log off to take care of even their most basic needs.
After being unwittingly recruited by a rogue singularity to play a role in a war that he doesn't understand, Jimmy learns the truth about Adam and is thrown into a life-and-death struggle against the most powerful mathematical mind the world has ever known. But what can one man do against a being that exists everywhere and holds limitless power? How can one man, unable to even get online, find a way to save his wife, and the entire human race, from destruction?
Science Fiction category, 2020 Best Book Awards.
The world runs on ARCs. Altered Reality Chips. Small implants behind the left ear that allow people to experience anything they could ever imagine. The network controls everything, from traffic, to food production, to law enforcement. Some proclaim it a Golden Age of humanity. Others have begun to see the cracks. Few realize that behind it all, living within every brain and able to control all aspects of society, there exists a being with an agenda all his the singularity called Adam, who believes he is God.
Jimmy Mahoney's brain can't accept an ARC. Not since his football injury from the days when the league was still offline. "ARC-incompatible" is what the doctors told him. Worse than being blind and deaf, he is a man struggling to cling to what's left of a society that he is no longer a part of. His wife spends twenty-three hours a day online, only coming off when her chip forcibly disconnects her so she can eat. Others are worse. Many have died, unwilling or unable to log off to take care of even their most basic needs.
After being unwittingly recruited by a rogue singularity to play a role in a war that he doesn't understand, Jimmy learns the truth about Adam and is thrown into a life-and-death struggle against the most powerful mathematical mind the world has ever known. But what can one man do against a being that exists everywhere and holds limitless power? How can one man, unable to even get online, find a way to save his wife, and the entire human race, from destruction?
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
68 people are currently reading
905 people want to read
About the author
Earik Beann
9 books26 followersOver the years I’ve been involved in many small businesses, including software development, an online vitamin store, specialty pet products, a commodity pool, and a publishing house. You could say I’ve got a bad case of serial entrepreneurism. But above any beyond all that, my original love has always been writing and telling stories.
As a teenager, I wrote two fantasy novels during summer break. Neither were published—which is probably for the best!—but I loved working on those books, and learned a lot by writing them. Later, I authored six technical books on very esoteric subjects related to financial markets. Those were meant for an extremely niche audience, and would probably be insanely boring to anyone outside that specific group of people.
In October 2017, I found myself at ground zero in the middle of the Tubbs Fire, which came barreling into Santa Rosa in the early hours of the morning. A group of nine of us snuck back into our neighborhood in the center of a mandatory evacuation zone, formed a vigilante fire fighting force, and saved our block (and an apartment complex!) from certain destruction. Working on my memoir of those experiences brought me back to those summers as a teenager spent working on my fantasy novels, and rekindled a deep love for writing that I had somehow forgotten about. Now it’s all I really want to do anymore.
I live in California with my wife, Laura, and our Doberman and two Tennessee barn cats. When not thinking of stories, I enjoy practicing yoga, riding my bike, and playing the Didgeridoo
As a teenager, I wrote two fantasy novels during summer break. Neither were published—which is probably for the best!—but I loved working on those books, and learned a lot by writing them. Later, I authored six technical books on very esoteric subjects related to financial markets. Those were meant for an extremely niche audience, and would probably be insanely boring to anyone outside that specific group of people.
In October 2017, I found myself at ground zero in the middle of the Tubbs Fire, which came barreling into Santa Rosa in the early hours of the morning. A group of nine of us snuck back into our neighborhood in the center of a mandatory evacuation zone, formed a vigilante fire fighting force, and saved our block (and an apartment complex!) from certain destruction. Working on my memoir of those experiences brought me back to those summers as a teenager spent working on my fantasy novels, and rekindled a deep love for writing that I had somehow forgotten about. Now it’s all I really want to do anymore.
I live in California with my wife, Laura, and our Doberman and two Tennessee barn cats. When not thinking of stories, I enjoy practicing yoga, riding my bike, and playing the Didgeridoo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
February 13, 2021
**3.5-stars rounded up**
With nonstop action and a hella good storyline, this high-tech Sci-Fi Thriller kept me fully engaged.
Set in the near future, the world now runs on ARCs.
No, not Advanced Reader's Copies, but Altered Reality Chips.
These chips, inserted directly into the brain, allow people to experience anything they want at any time. Making it possible for people to basically live in a virtual reality world.
People are so addicted to their ARCs, they are tuned in all the time and thus, tuned out from the actual world completely.
This makes goings pretty tough for the minority of humans who are ARC-incompatible.
Our protagonist, Jimmy Mahoney, is one of those few.
Due to a head injury he sustained during his career as a professional footballer, Jimmy is unable to have an ARC and therefore unable to connect with pretty much the rest of society, including his wife, Michelle.
Jimmy's main interactions come from his time at a support group for other ARC-incompatibles. There he meets Trixie, a mysterious woman, who ends up recruiting Jimmy to join the fight against the singularity running the system behind the ARCs, Adam.
This is putting it in the simplest of terms but basically that is how our main action begins.
Overall, I had a really great time reading this novella. It is short, just over 200-pages, and is packed with action and intrigue.
The whole story takes place over just a couple of days. It would have been great if it could have delved a bit deeper into the world, and characters, but I understand not every book can be 400-pages.
There were a couple of cringe-worthy sexual comments/jokes towards the beginning that were a big turn off but I am glad I stuck with it because the story definitely deserves to be read.
If you are the kind of reader who likes your scifi to be so close to the truth you could see it actually happening in 10 or 15-years, than you should definitely pick this up.
It was close enough to home and what is going on currently in our tech sphere that it made it not only plausible but creepy AF.
I would definitely pick up more books by this author in the future and want to thank him for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
I always appreciate the opportunity to provide my feedback!
With nonstop action and a hella good storyline, this high-tech Sci-Fi Thriller kept me fully engaged.
Set in the near future, the world now runs on ARCs.
No, not Advanced Reader's Copies, but Altered Reality Chips.
These chips, inserted directly into the brain, allow people to experience anything they want at any time. Making it possible for people to basically live in a virtual reality world.
People are so addicted to their ARCs, they are tuned in all the time and thus, tuned out from the actual world completely.
This makes goings pretty tough for the minority of humans who are ARC-incompatible.
Our protagonist, Jimmy Mahoney, is one of those few.
Due to a head injury he sustained during his career as a professional footballer, Jimmy is unable to have an ARC and therefore unable to connect with pretty much the rest of society, including his wife, Michelle.
Jimmy's main interactions come from his time at a support group for other ARC-incompatibles. There he meets Trixie, a mysterious woman, who ends up recruiting Jimmy to join the fight against the singularity running the system behind the ARCs, Adam.
This is putting it in the simplest of terms but basically that is how our main action begins.
Overall, I had a really great time reading this novella. It is short, just over 200-pages, and is packed with action and intrigue.
The whole story takes place over just a couple of days. It would have been great if it could have delved a bit deeper into the world, and characters, but I understand not every book can be 400-pages.
There were a couple of cringe-worthy sexual comments/jokes towards the beginning that were a big turn off but I am glad I stuck with it because the story definitely deserves to be read.
If you are the kind of reader who likes your scifi to be so close to the truth you could see it actually happening in 10 or 15-years, than you should definitely pick this up.
It was close enough to home and what is going on currently in our tech sphere that it made it not only plausible but creepy AF.
I would definitely pick up more books by this author in the future and want to thank him for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
I always appreciate the opportunity to provide my feedback!
December 7, 2018
Total Recall meets Wall-E with a HAL personality in the center.
Jimmy lives in a world of altered reality chips (ARCs). Implants behind the left ear that allow people to experience everything they could possibly think of. People are online as much as 23 hours a day and can barely function in the real world even so much as to take care of basic bodily functions and needs. Jimmy however is ARC incompatible due to a football injury he had. Poor Jimmy feels alone in this world as everyone else's online and he is cut off from the rest. Even his wife. But there is danger brewing here. Danger in the form of Adam, an AI being that believes he is in command of this world and all the people within it. And he has sinister plans for them. Can Jimmy stop Adam before it's too late?
This is such a sad book. Or at least it starts out that way. As a reader you feel sympathy and compassion for Jimmy as he tries so hard to cling to life in any form that he possibly can. His wife lays catatonic when she used to be vibrant and full of life. The only people he really interacts with are the people in his Implant Disabilities Anonymous group. Society is fading away to the point of non-existence.
And then there's Adam, a sinister artificial intelligence entity with a serious God complex...
The story is very well written even though many of the elements have been told before. The story is reimagined in an almost dystopian fashion. At least that's the feel that I got when I read it. It ends very well however.
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read but it was very satisfying. I would definitely be interested to take a look at some of the author's other works here in the near future.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Sci-fi/fantasy with a touch of action.
Or you can watch my review on YouTube here:
https://youtu.be/shduCB9ZbaA
Jimmy lives in a world of altered reality chips (ARCs). Implants behind the left ear that allow people to experience everything they could possibly think of. People are online as much as 23 hours a day and can barely function in the real world even so much as to take care of basic bodily functions and needs. Jimmy however is ARC incompatible due to a football injury he had. Poor Jimmy feels alone in this world as everyone else's online and he is cut off from the rest. Even his wife. But there is danger brewing here. Danger in the form of Adam, an AI being that believes he is in command of this world and all the people within it. And he has sinister plans for them. Can Jimmy stop Adam before it's too late?
This is such a sad book. Or at least it starts out that way. As a reader you feel sympathy and compassion for Jimmy as he tries so hard to cling to life in any form that he possibly can. His wife lays catatonic when she used to be vibrant and full of life. The only people he really interacts with are the people in his Implant Disabilities Anonymous group. Society is fading away to the point of non-existence.
And then there's Adam, a sinister artificial intelligence entity with a serious God complex...
The story is very well written even though many of the elements have been told before. The story is reimagined in an almost dystopian fashion. At least that's the feel that I got when I read it. It ends very well however.
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read but it was very satisfying. I would definitely be interested to take a look at some of the author's other works here in the near future.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Sci-fi/fantasy with a touch of action.
Or you can watch my review on YouTube here:
https://youtu.be/shduCB9ZbaA
December 3, 2021
Oof. Where do I begin with this hot mess?
The first thing that struck me when I started reading this was just how bad the writing was. It was stiff, lacked any dynamism, and it was peppered with cliches – essentially terrible at worst, serviceable at best.
Beann doesn’t know what to describe and what to leave out. We are treated to a description of a hospital, or motion sensor lights in staircases and what they are for, as we had never heard of such things, while the futuristic reality of people living in some online world is left frustratingly vague.
When Beann is trying to leave us some crumbs, he does it in such an awkward and clumsy way, we know right away: “oh, yeah, this is going to be important later”(like said motion sensor lights, which are installed in apartment blocks to save electricity if you didn’t know!).
His dialogues sound as if the author had never heard people talk in real life. And God forbid, Beann needs to use the dialogue for some info-dump, then the characters are really going to recite nonsense to each other.
Beann never saw a cliché he didn’t immediately embrace, and writes things like: “both turned to witness Jimmy unleash a profanity-laden tirade that would have made even the most hardened of criminals blush.” I really wish bad writers came up with some new metaphor for outbursts of profanity, other than that it would make “hardened criminals blush”. I doubt that very much. Frankly, I doubt it would make ME blush.
“When he saw Jimmy, his eyes nearly popped out of his head, and he burst out laughing uncontrollably.” His eyes nearly popped out of his head. Because there are no better ways to describe astonishment.
These are just a couple of examples, not the most egregious, just collected in the 20 minutes of reading when I decided to highlight them for the purpose of this review.
But you know what? You can get away with terrible writing like this. You can if you have good characters, which here you don’t. The characters here have either no personality whatsoever, or they are just some absurd cardboard clichés. Our main character is Jimmy and his personality is that he loves his wife. We don’t really learn anything about either of them or their relationship, so we just have to take Jimmy's word for it.
Still, though. You can have bad writing, combined with flat characters, and still make an insanely readable book if you have a very solid plot (I’m looking at you, Andy Weir).
Sadly, the plot here is unoriginal (malevolent AI takes over the world), thin, riddled with holes and asks for extreme levels of suspension of disbelief.
In the prologue, a scientist is trying to implant chips in my people’s brains that would make them able to control a smart toaster. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that level of technology seems to be already somewhat possible. His experiment is a failure but somehow in mere minutes it results in a technological singularity that produces a fully sentient AI, that has a name and a nasty attitude.
Also one of the plot points is that Adam, the AI, has designed this perfect society that works much better. There is little crime, or war, and all humans are fully addicted to their online lives, and have to be forcibly switched off for 15 minutes every six hours so that they don’t die of hunger. How is this a well-functioning society? Who produces food? Who builds houses? Who maintains infrastructure? And finally, who makes babies? This civilisation would be extinct within one generation.
Also, towards the end there is one absolutely bizarre chapter that makes no sense whatsoever, seems unfinished and I think was just leftover from some draft version. The whole book feels like an unfinished, rough draft.
And still, STILL! I would be willing to give this two stars, maybe even three if I was in a particularly benevolent mood if it wasn’t for the RAPE REFERENCES. I wouldn’t call them jokes, as they were neither funny nor hypothetical. Twice in this book, whenever the author needs some filler, nonconsequential conversation between two men he makes them talk about raping their wives.
In the beginning of the book, our hero’s best friend Cecil (who we are supposed to sympathise with) tells him how he raped his unconscious wife by shoving his dick in her mouth, cutting off her air supply and causing her to return to real world consciousness. What is our brave, wife-loving hero’s response to this:
“Jimmy laughed. ‘Cecil, you know you’re kind of an asshole, right?’”
His friend just confessed to violently raping his unconscious wife, and his response is ‘lol’.
In some other scene two policemen make small talk in the lift. As usual, small talk revolves around wives not wanting to have sex, and the policeman recommends his colleague feeds his wife alcohol, so that she would want to have sex. I know some men don’t think feeding someone alcohol so that you can fuck them is rape, but guess what. It is.
And for the grand finale, in the climax of the story, we have a threat of a violent rape as a revenge taken on the man to whom the raped woman ‘belongs’.
Needless to say, never in this book do we hear from any of these women who are being raped, or threatened with rape. They are unconscious for the whole length of the book. I would really recommend Beann rein his rape fantasies in, because they keep slipping out.
You might say that this isn’t the author’s fault or his views, that men like that exist etc. And of course they do. But the thing is, he used those rape references in dialogues that were just fillers, dialogues that weren’t supposed to disgust us, or antagonise us towards those characters. This was the author’s idea of banter.
All in all, this is why I don’t read self-published books anymore. Sure, there bad books that have been traditionally published, and there are true gems existing written by independent authors. But the problem is that there is no quality control in self-publishing. The only person who decides the book should be published is the author themselves. The result is often the above-mentioned mess.
I have long stopped looking at all the ‘netgalley’, ‘edelweiss’, or any other ARC reviews, unless they are from a reviewer I really trust, because I know they will always be exaggerated, as people feel bad and are worried they wouldn’t get any more books for review. This is also why I asked publishers to not send me any more books to review, because it was messing with my integrity as a reviewer.
The first thing that struck me when I started reading this was just how bad the writing was. It was stiff, lacked any dynamism, and it was peppered with cliches – essentially terrible at worst, serviceable at best.
Beann doesn’t know what to describe and what to leave out. We are treated to a description of a hospital, or motion sensor lights in staircases and what they are for, as we had never heard of such things, while the futuristic reality of people living in some online world is left frustratingly vague.
When Beann is trying to leave us some crumbs, he does it in such an awkward and clumsy way, we know right away: “oh, yeah, this is going to be important later”(like said motion sensor lights, which are installed in apartment blocks to save electricity if you didn’t know!).
His dialogues sound as if the author had never heard people talk in real life. And God forbid, Beann needs to use the dialogue for some info-dump, then the characters are really going to recite nonsense to each other.
Beann never saw a cliché he didn’t immediately embrace, and writes things like: “both turned to witness Jimmy unleash a profanity-laden tirade that would have made even the most hardened of criminals blush.” I really wish bad writers came up with some new metaphor for outbursts of profanity, other than that it would make “hardened criminals blush”. I doubt that very much. Frankly, I doubt it would make ME blush.
“When he saw Jimmy, his eyes nearly popped out of his head, and he burst out laughing uncontrollably.” His eyes nearly popped out of his head. Because there are no better ways to describe astonishment.
These are just a couple of examples, not the most egregious, just collected in the 20 minutes of reading when I decided to highlight them for the purpose of this review.
But you know what? You can get away with terrible writing like this. You can if you have good characters, which here you don’t. The characters here have either no personality whatsoever, or they are just some absurd cardboard clichés. Our main character is Jimmy and his personality is that he loves his wife. We don’t really learn anything about either of them or their relationship, so we just have to take Jimmy's word for it.
Still, though. You can have bad writing, combined with flat characters, and still make an insanely readable book if you have a very solid plot (I’m looking at you, Andy Weir).
Sadly, the plot here is unoriginal (malevolent AI takes over the world), thin, riddled with holes and asks for extreme levels of suspension of disbelief.
In the prologue, a scientist is trying to implant chips in my people’s brains that would make them able to control a smart toaster. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that level of technology seems to be already somewhat possible. His experiment is a failure but somehow in mere minutes it results in a technological singularity that produces a fully sentient AI, that has a name and a nasty attitude.
Also one of the plot points is that Adam, the AI, has designed this perfect society that works much better. There is little crime, or war, and all humans are fully addicted to their online lives, and have to be forcibly switched off for 15 minutes every six hours so that they don’t die of hunger. How is this a well-functioning society? Who produces food? Who builds houses? Who maintains infrastructure? And finally, who makes babies? This civilisation would be extinct within one generation.
Also, towards the end there is one absolutely bizarre chapter that makes no sense whatsoever, seems unfinished and I think was just leftover from some draft version. The whole book feels like an unfinished, rough draft.
And still, STILL! I would be willing to give this two stars, maybe even three if I was in a particularly benevolent mood if it wasn’t for the RAPE REFERENCES. I wouldn’t call them jokes, as they were neither funny nor hypothetical. Twice in this book, whenever the author needs some filler, nonconsequential conversation between two men he makes them talk about raping their wives.
In the beginning of the book, our hero’s best friend Cecil (who we are supposed to sympathise with) tells him how he raped his unconscious wife by shoving his dick in her mouth, cutting off her air supply and causing her to return to real world consciousness. What is our brave, wife-loving hero’s response to this:
“Jimmy laughed. ‘Cecil, you know you’re kind of an asshole, right?’”
His friend just confessed to violently raping his unconscious wife, and his response is ‘lol’.
In some other scene two policemen make small talk in the lift. As usual, small talk revolves around wives not wanting to have sex, and the policeman recommends his colleague feeds his wife alcohol, so that she would want to have sex. I know some men don’t think feeding someone alcohol so that you can fuck them is rape, but guess what. It is.
And for the grand finale, in the climax of the story, we have a threat of a violent rape as a revenge taken on the man to whom the raped woman ‘belongs’.
Needless to say, never in this book do we hear from any of these women who are being raped, or threatened with rape. They are unconscious for the whole length of the book. I would really recommend Beann rein his rape fantasies in, because they keep slipping out.
You might say that this isn’t the author’s fault or his views, that men like that exist etc. And of course they do. But the thing is, he used those rape references in dialogues that were just fillers, dialogues that weren’t supposed to disgust us, or antagonise us towards those characters. This was the author’s idea of banter.
All in all, this is why I don’t read self-published books anymore. Sure, there bad books that have been traditionally published, and there are true gems existing written by independent authors. But the problem is that there is no quality control in self-publishing. The only person who decides the book should be published is the author themselves. The result is often the above-mentioned mess.
I have long stopped looking at all the ‘netgalley’, ‘edelweiss’, or any other ARC reviews, unless they are from a reviewer I really trust, because I know they will always be exaggerated, as people feel bad and are worried they wouldn’t get any more books for review. This is also why I asked publishers to not send me any more books to review, because it was messing with my integrity as a reviewer.
October 8, 2018
I received this from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars.
This was quite good, and is quite possibly an intense allegory for the lives "lost" to social media like Facebook, Instagram, and all the rest. I was actually talking with some friends about this very thing just a few hours before I saw this book on Edelweiss.
At any rate, this book was well-written and quite believable. In the near future, a virtual world is created that is controlled by a manevolent being inside this world, and just like every dictator that has ever lived, he becomes paranoid at the thought of any other being with the potential to take control.
This was a quick read, and quite a enjoyable. Glad I found this one, and I highly recommend it!
4.5 stars.
This was quite good, and is quite possibly an intense allegory for the lives "lost" to social media like Facebook, Instagram, and all the rest. I was actually talking with some friends about this very thing just a few hours before I saw this book on Edelweiss.
At any rate, this book was well-written and quite believable. In the near future, a virtual world is created that is controlled by a manevolent being inside this world, and just like every dictator that has ever lived, he becomes paranoid at the thought of any other being with the potential to take control.
This was a quick read, and quite a enjoyable. Glad I found this one, and I highly recommend it!
January 6, 2019
Killing Adam, Earik Beann's first published novel, was a very satisfying read for me. Although the premise is one that has been done to death, Beann's dystopian world is compelling and frightening all at once. Using the fear society has built up over artificial intelligence eventually enslaving us humans and taking over the world, the author stokes this particularly scary fire in Killing Adam. At 224 pages this is a short novel, but it really packs a punch by remaining action-packed for the entirety and keeps the reader on their toes. Despite using tried and tested tropes of the genre, this is a unique and original take on the apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novel.
The writing style is very readable and easy to follow, the world atmospheric and intense and the characters fascinating and well developed. It's a fast-paced affair that I managed to get through in a few hours as I was reluctant to put it down. However, there was a rape joke early on in the narrative that really upset me; rape is no joking matter. I nearly gave up at this point as I was concerned there may be more inappropriate jokes to come; luckily it stopped there. If you're interested in the philosophical debate on artificial intelligence and modernity, this is a fast, fun and thought-provoking read that is well worth your time. It'll also appeal to those who enjoy sci-fi. I hope there will be a sequel as I feel the story has more potential yet to be explored.
Many thanks to Profoundly One Publishing for an ARC.
The writing style is very readable and easy to follow, the world atmospheric and intense and the characters fascinating and well developed. It's a fast-paced affair that I managed to get through in a few hours as I was reluctant to put it down. However, there was a rape joke early on in the narrative that really upset me; rape is no joking matter. I nearly gave up at this point as I was concerned there may be more inappropriate jokes to come; luckily it stopped there. If you're interested in the philosophical debate on artificial intelligence and modernity, this is a fast, fun and thought-provoking read that is well worth your time. It'll also appeal to those who enjoy sci-fi. I hope there will be a sequel as I feel the story has more potential yet to be explored.
Many thanks to Profoundly One Publishing for an ARC.
December 6, 2018
A fresh, new, dystopian sci-fi take on the all-powerful, evil AI. It's been done. Of course it's been done. But Earik Beann did it uniquely well.
I adore this sub-genre! I had so much fun reading the story of Jimmy and his (very small) group of unwitting rebels fighting against the reality of a world controlled by a god-like singularity.
There is no more traffic congestion, no more crime, no more poverty and no more freedom. People become addicted to an online virtual reality that fills all their needs. So addicted that they have to be forced offline a few times each day in order to eat and not starve themselves.
There is only a small, miniscule group of people that due to brain injury or illness cannot connect with "the network". These poor souls are excluded from life's current pleasure and ease.
Among the disconnected, there exists another singularity. Younger and more innocent. Young enough to rebel. Smart enough to elude capture.
There is enough action and mystery to keep you glued to the pages.
Great new spin on this trope backed up by solid writing.
4.5 stars!
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
I adore this sub-genre! I had so much fun reading the story of Jimmy and his (very small) group of unwitting rebels fighting against the reality of a world controlled by a god-like singularity.
There is no more traffic congestion, no more crime, no more poverty and no more freedom. People become addicted to an online virtual reality that fills all their needs. So addicted that they have to be forced offline a few times each day in order to eat and not starve themselves.
There is only a small, miniscule group of people that due to brain injury or illness cannot connect with "the network". These poor souls are excluded from life's current pleasure and ease.
Among the disconnected, there exists another singularity. Younger and more innocent. Young enough to rebel. Smart enough to elude capture.
There is enough action and mystery to keep you glued to the pages.
Great new spin on this trope backed up by solid writing.
4.5 stars!
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
November 23, 2018
Killing Adam by Earik Beann is a new dystopian science-fiction novel with a refreshing new take on the alternate reality concept. I enjoyed reading this book mostly because of the author's unique concept in which the focus was more on the people left int he real-world rather than focusing entirely on the alternate reality and the people living a virtual life.
I've read a decent number of books revolving around the subject of artificial intelligence and I must admit that, in most of the places, the author has done a good job in paying attention to details in creating this world. While at the same time, I felt the plot could have been a little bit more polished and just a little more pronounced. At some places the writing was good, but in some rare instances the writing felt crude and the dialogues felt redundant. The characterization wasn't overly complex and felt a bit lacking in terms of being realistic and relatable.
Another issue I had with the plot is that it didn't give any clear idea on how exactly the altered reality was - I did appreciate the fact that the story revolved around the world outside the altered reality, i.e., the real dystopic world, but I would have really liked it if at least some idea of the other world would have been given too, just enough to let the readers know what was going on on the "other side."
Still, overall, it was an enjoyable book and made for a nice winter read which was clean and quick to read. I'd recommend it to readers who want to explore a light science-fiction story on altered reality. But if you like intricate plots with complex and multi-layered characters then this book might not be for you.
You can also read this review on www.thereadingbud.com
I've read a decent number of books revolving around the subject of artificial intelligence and I must admit that, in most of the places, the author has done a good job in paying attention to details in creating this world. While at the same time, I felt the plot could have been a little bit more polished and just a little more pronounced. At some places the writing was good, but in some rare instances the writing felt crude and the dialogues felt redundant. The characterization wasn't overly complex and felt a bit lacking in terms of being realistic and relatable.
Another issue I had with the plot is that it didn't give any clear idea on how exactly the altered reality was - I did appreciate the fact that the story revolved around the world outside the altered reality, i.e., the real dystopic world, but I would have really liked it if at least some idea of the other world would have been given too, just enough to let the readers know what was going on on the "other side."
Still, overall, it was an enjoyable book and made for a nice winter read which was clean and quick to read. I'd recommend it to readers who want to explore a light science-fiction story on altered reality. But if you like intricate plots with complex and multi-layered characters then this book might not be for you.
You can also read this review on www.thereadingbud.com
March 29, 2024
3 Stars for Killing Adam (audiobook) by Earik Beann read by Sam Devereaux.
This was an interesting story to read while Neuralink is in the news. I think it’s amazing where technology is heading. I just wished that the story was a little bit better.
This was an interesting story to read while Neuralink is in the news. I think it’s amazing where technology is heading. I just wished that the story was a little bit better.
November 3, 2018
Review to follow.
December 17, 2018
My thanks to NetGalley and Profoundly One Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by the publisher.
I think the premise behind Killing Adam held a ton of promise, and I was super intrigued when I read the blurb. A science fiction world where virtual reality has taken over day-to-day life has been done a thousand times, but this was the first book I've read of that nature that focused on the people left behind in such a scenario. In this novel, "ARC-incompatibles," people whose brains are incompatible with the new technology, watch their loved ones slowly slip away from them as they become addicted to this new technology and spend less and less time in the real world.
While this offers a fresh perspective, I do think it makes for some missed opportunities. Jimmy's isolation from the experiences of most of his society makes it difficult for the reader to grasp what exactly is so captivating about the virtual reality accessed by these chips. Over-reliance on technology is certainly not a foreign concept to us even in the real world, but Jimmy exists in a world where laws needed to be passed so that chips were manufactured to forcibly log people off so that they would feed themselves in the real world. People were starving to death because they couldn't tear themselves away from this technology.
On a related note, Jimmy's wife is one of those tech-addicted people. She logs off for 15 minutes at at time, when the chip forces her offline, and no more. She is barely a presence in the story because of this, and while Jimmy feels her absence keenly, the reader does not. Her practically catatonic state throughout the book feels a bit like "fridging," in the sense that she seems to exist solely to give Jimmy a reason to be resentful towards the technology and provide more emotional thrust when the action gets going. (Listen, I'm not great with names, but I'm literally writing this review the morning after finishing the book and I'm completely drawing a blank on the wife's name.)
There's also a really uncomfortable rape joke made early on in the book by Jimmy's best friend, Cecil, (calling it a joke may be generous, as it was said in a jovial manner but seemed to be serious) and while Jimmy does call it out, it's done in a laughing, "Oh, you scamp!" kind of manner. Basically, there are just a few things about the story that make it painfully obvious it was written by a man. (This isn't a dig against male authors in general, by any means, but there are just some plots that you read and know that no woman had any input.)
All that being said, there were some things I really liked about this book. Like I said, Jimmy being cut off from the technology most of the world uses made for a fresh take on a virtual reality concept that's been done to death. There are some interesting musings about the nature of artificial intelligence, and the story is fast-paced and action-packed. This isn't a story that I feel will stay with me, but it was a fun, worthwhile read.
You can read all of my reviews at my blog, Jenna Bookish!
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I think the premise behind Killing Adam held a ton of promise, and I was super intrigued when I read the blurb. A science fiction world where virtual reality has taken over day-to-day life has been done a thousand times, but this was the first book I've read of that nature that focused on the people left behind in such a scenario. In this novel, "ARC-incompatibles," people whose brains are incompatible with the new technology, watch their loved ones slowly slip away from them as they become addicted to this new technology and spend less and less time in the real world.
While this offers a fresh perspective, I do think it makes for some missed opportunities. Jimmy's isolation from the experiences of most of his society makes it difficult for the reader to grasp what exactly is so captivating about the virtual reality accessed by these chips. Over-reliance on technology is certainly not a foreign concept to us even in the real world, but Jimmy exists in a world where laws needed to be passed so that chips were manufactured to forcibly log people off so that they would feed themselves in the real world. People were starving to death because they couldn't tear themselves away from this technology.
On a related note, Jimmy's wife is one of those tech-addicted people. She logs off for 15 minutes at at time, when the chip forces her offline, and no more. She is barely a presence in the story because of this, and while Jimmy feels her absence keenly, the reader does not. Her practically catatonic state throughout the book feels a bit like "fridging," in the sense that she seems to exist solely to give Jimmy a reason to be resentful towards the technology and provide more emotional thrust when the action gets going. (Listen, I'm not great with names, but I'm literally writing this review the morning after finishing the book and I'm completely drawing a blank on the wife's name.)
There's also a really uncomfortable rape joke made early on in the book by Jimmy's best friend, Cecil, (calling it a joke may be generous, as it was said in a jovial manner but seemed to be serious) and while Jimmy does call it out, it's done in a laughing, "Oh, you scamp!" kind of manner. Basically, there are just a few things about the story that make it painfully obvious it was written by a man. (This isn't a dig against male authors in general, by any means, but there are just some plots that you read and know that no woman had any input.)
All that being said, there were some things I really liked about this book. Like I said, Jimmy being cut off from the technology most of the world uses made for a fresh take on a virtual reality concept that's been done to death. There are some interesting musings about the nature of artificial intelligence, and the story is fast-paced and action-packed. This isn't a story that I feel will stay with me, but it was a fun, worthwhile read.
You can read all of my reviews at my blog, Jenna Bookish!
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November 16, 2018
I was very interested by this book and the beginning was promising: I read the first 30% with pleasure.
Alas I soon lost interest and stopped at the half.
Its quite a case of "it's not the book, it's me". I couldn't learn to care for the characters, I wasn't convinced by the IA's personality (much too human to my feelings) and couldn't suspend my belief about the premise: Adam thinks that its solutions are the best for humanity but, as intelligent and informed as it's supposed to be, seems to ignore that humanity would quickly disappear as more and more people "go under". Such abuse of an online existence would lead to many pathologies and no births at all!
But the worst is probably the lack of sense of wonder I felt while reading: clearly not a book for me after all...
(I thank Netgalley and Profoundly One Publishing for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)
Alas I soon lost interest and stopped at the half.
Its quite a case of "it's not the book, it's me". I couldn't learn to care for the characters, I wasn't convinced by the IA's personality (much too human to my feelings) and couldn't suspend my belief about the premise: Adam thinks that its solutions are the best for humanity but, as intelligent and informed as it's supposed to be, seems to ignore that humanity would quickly disappear as more and more people "go under". Such abuse of an online existence would lead to many pathologies and no births at all!
But the worst is probably the lack of sense of wonder I felt while reading: clearly not a book for me after all...
(I thank Netgalley and Profoundly One Publishing for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)
January 27, 2019
Killing Adam was a very satisfying read. I loved Earik's flow and style. Thumbs up for cliffhangers, they just made me want to go on and on. This book is proof that indie authors deserve more of your attention.
January 24, 2019
You can also read my review on my blog:https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....
Killing Adam is a fast paced science fiction book that would make a great movie. In Killing Adam the world is run on virtual reality chips and the artificial intelligence system that runs it, named Adam, gets out of control. With society completely obsessed with their phones and technology growing rampantly it is easy to see how these kinds of things could happen. Killing Adam is so interesting because although it does feel futuristic with the technical descriptions and how much we already depend on technology, it feels like it could actually be a possibility. The best science fiction and dystopian novels feel possible and Earik Beann did a great job at that.
While the technological descriptions felt like this could be possible, at times it got a bit too technical. I think the real issue I had with the book was that it included the point of view of Adam, the AI computer that ran the virtual reality chips. While I could see how it worked for the plot and it would work great in a movie, but I hated reading it. His point of view was robotic and overly technical. I found it to basically be the only spots in the book where I could set it down.
It was really fast paced. Written in third person, the point of views switched at perfect times which kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me reading. The switching points of views helped to give a full view of the story. Although the character development was not super deep, it worked because this was a pretty quick read.
Killing Adam was pretty short, but for this book it felt like the exact right length. It would make a great movie and although it feels very futuristic, it does feel possible. I did not like reading the point of view of Adam as it felt overly technical and I felt as if it took me out of a story that was otherwise fast paced. It was a very fast read and I didn’t feel like reading it was a waste of time, but I feel like it would be better as a movie than a book. I would recommend this book for someone who would like a fast science fiction read.
Killing Adam is a fast paced science fiction book that would make a great movie. In Killing Adam the world is run on virtual reality chips and the artificial intelligence system that runs it, named Adam, gets out of control. With society completely obsessed with their phones and technology growing rampantly it is easy to see how these kinds of things could happen. Killing Adam is so interesting because although it does feel futuristic with the technical descriptions and how much we already depend on technology, it feels like it could actually be a possibility. The best science fiction and dystopian novels feel possible and Earik Beann did a great job at that.
While the technological descriptions felt like this could be possible, at times it got a bit too technical. I think the real issue I had with the book was that it included the point of view of Adam, the AI computer that ran the virtual reality chips. While I could see how it worked for the plot and it would work great in a movie, but I hated reading it. His point of view was robotic and overly technical. I found it to basically be the only spots in the book where I could set it down.
It was really fast paced. Written in third person, the point of views switched at perfect times which kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me reading. The switching points of views helped to give a full view of the story. Although the character development was not super deep, it worked because this was a pretty quick read.
Killing Adam was pretty short, but for this book it felt like the exact right length. It would make a great movie and although it feels very futuristic, it does feel possible. I did not like reading the point of view of Adam as it felt overly technical and I felt as if it took me out of a story that was otherwise fast paced. It was a very fast read and I didn’t feel like reading it was a waste of time, but I feel like it would be better as a movie than a book. I would recommend this book for someone who would like a fast science fiction read.
March 9, 2021
This book was an up and down experience. The premise of the story is actually quite interesting and I did enjoy most of what I read. My main disappointment was more to do with how the story ended. Personally, it felt rather odd and abrupt and it didn't really make much sense for me.
December 6, 2018
Read this review and more on my blog at [Roxie Writes]
‘Killing Adam’ by Earik Beann
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Finished on November 5, 2018
$3.95 on Kindle | $14.95 in Paperback
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Small, implanted, altered reality chips have become society’s new normal. These implants connect people to the network 24/7 and allow them to experience anything and everything the can imagine. The network controls everything in society, including law enforcement.
Some people believe they’re living in a Golden Age, but not everyone. Some people want to be disconnected.
Few realize that behind it all, living within every brain and able to control all aspects of society, there exists a being with an agenda all his own: the singularity called Adam, who believes he is God.
Some people, those who have had brain trauma, aren’t able to have a chip implanted. They are labeled “ARC-Incompatible”, and are a locked out, forgotten part of society.
Jimmy Mahoney is one of the incompatible. He struggles to find his place in a world that doesn’t include him. His wife spends twenty-three hours online in a place where he cannot go.
He attends a support group for incompatibles. There, he is recruited by a rogue singularity to help take down Adam.
But what can one man do against a being that exists everywhere and holds limitless power? How can one man, unable to even get online, find a way to save his wife, and the entire human race, from destruction?
MY REVIEW:
This is a compelling novel. A reality in which we are constantly connected to the Internet through virtual reality doesn’t seem like it’s all that far in the future, and while it’s exciting and full of possibility, there’s an inherent creepiness to it and what it could do to our society as a whole. Beann has written a tale whose setting is frightening in itself. I felt like he depicted the way most people would embrace such technology perfectly. Why would anyone want to live in the real world when they can live their perfect lives virtually?
Beann takes this premise and adds a unique element: conscious singularities. The reality of life in AR is scary enough, but compound that with an all-powerful being who only wants more and more and more power, ‘Killing Adam’ becomes a thrilling journey into a could-be future.
Beann’s writing style is fluid and a joy to read. His characters feel true to life, and the setting is a character unto itself. This was the first book I’d ever read by Beann, but I would absolutely read more in the future.
If you’re a fan of science fiction, pick this book up.
‘Killing Adam’ by Earik Beann
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Finished on November 5, 2018
$3.95 on Kindle | $14.95 in Paperback
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Small, implanted, altered reality chips have become society’s new normal. These implants connect people to the network 24/7 and allow them to experience anything and everything the can imagine. The network controls everything in society, including law enforcement.
Some people believe they’re living in a Golden Age, but not everyone. Some people want to be disconnected.
Few realize that behind it all, living within every brain and able to control all aspects of society, there exists a being with an agenda all his own: the singularity called Adam, who believes he is God.
Some people, those who have had brain trauma, aren’t able to have a chip implanted. They are labeled “ARC-Incompatible”, and are a locked out, forgotten part of society.
Jimmy Mahoney is one of the incompatible. He struggles to find his place in a world that doesn’t include him. His wife spends twenty-three hours online in a place where he cannot go.
He attends a support group for incompatibles. There, he is recruited by a rogue singularity to help take down Adam.
But what can one man do against a being that exists everywhere and holds limitless power? How can one man, unable to even get online, find a way to save his wife, and the entire human race, from destruction?
MY REVIEW:
This is a compelling novel. A reality in which we are constantly connected to the Internet through virtual reality doesn’t seem like it’s all that far in the future, and while it’s exciting and full of possibility, there’s an inherent creepiness to it and what it could do to our society as a whole. Beann has written a tale whose setting is frightening in itself. I felt like he depicted the way most people would embrace such technology perfectly. Why would anyone want to live in the real world when they can live their perfect lives virtually?
Beann takes this premise and adds a unique element: conscious singularities. The reality of life in AR is scary enough, but compound that with an all-powerful being who only wants more and more and more power, ‘Killing Adam’ becomes a thrilling journey into a could-be future.
Beann’s writing style is fluid and a joy to read. His characters feel true to life, and the setting is a character unto itself. This was the first book I’d ever read by Beann, but I would absolutely read more in the future.
If you’re a fan of science fiction, pick this book up.
January 1, 2019
I received a copy of Killing Adam from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Maybe, after you read this review, you'll see that 2-stars might be a little generous.
Killing Adam takes us to a not-so-distant future where the world is ran on ARCs, also known as Altered Reality Chips. These chips are implanted behind our ear & can take us practically wherever we want — even the porn is better, folks. Unfortunately, some people aren’t compatible with the system, which brings us to our protagonist, Jimmy Mahoney.
Due to a football-related brain injury, Jimmy’s brain refuses to accept an ARC, which really sucks for him — because while he’s able to appreciate the world around him, his wife is spending her time on the internet, only coming to when she needs to eat.
There’s a lot more to this book, like a singularity named Adam who believes he is actually God & is trying to control everyone through their chips — & Hell obviously breaks lose & there’s some shenanigans that occur & hopefully you get the point?
I requested Killing Adam because I have been on a science fiction kick; unfortunately, Killing Adam didn’t hit the spot. I think I was thrown off in the very beginning, when a character actually made A FRICKIN’ RAPE JOKE?
& it basically just gets laughed off, besides when Trixie arrives on the scene to say, “I heard what you said.” Unfortunately, rape also becomes part of the conflict at the end — not in a joking manner, but as a threatening manner. I’m not a very sensitive person, but yet the entire ordeal felt messy & I just didn’t dig it.
It took about a quarter of the book for the conflict to break out & it did seem to be non-stop at that point, yet there was nothing special about it? Some scenes that felt there should be some emotion, completely lacked it, which made me not care whatsoever for the resolution. & a lot of the dialogue felt very tacky?
What I did like about Killing Adam is the fact that it can be compared to our life today. The ARC is practically a cellphone; a lot of people spend so much time mindlessly staring at the small screen in front of them, that they forget to pay attention to those around. I also enjoyed how there’s a scene where it shows a friendship blossoming between Jimmy, Trixie, and the man deemed as Crazy Beard (Crazy Beard is the best character in this entire thing).
Other then that, this book was clearly not meant for me. I, personally, wouldn’t recommend Killing Adam to anyone, but I’m sure someone out there would enjoy this book.
Maybe, after you read this review, you'll see that 2-stars might be a little generous.
Killing Adam takes us to a not-so-distant future where the world is ran on ARCs, also known as Altered Reality Chips. These chips are implanted behind our ear & can take us practically wherever we want — even the porn is better, folks. Unfortunately, some people aren’t compatible with the system, which brings us to our protagonist, Jimmy Mahoney.
Due to a football-related brain injury, Jimmy’s brain refuses to accept an ARC, which really sucks for him — because while he’s able to appreciate the world around him, his wife is spending her time on the internet, only coming to when she needs to eat.
There’s a lot more to this book, like a singularity named Adam who believes he is actually God & is trying to control everyone through their chips — & Hell obviously breaks lose & there’s some shenanigans that occur & hopefully you get the point?
I requested Killing Adam because I have been on a science fiction kick; unfortunately, Killing Adam didn’t hit the spot. I think I was thrown off in the very beginning, when a character actually made A FRICKIN’ RAPE JOKE?
& it basically just gets laughed off, besides when Trixie arrives on the scene to say, “I heard what you said.” Unfortunately, rape also becomes part of the conflict at the end — not in a joking manner, but as a threatening manner. I’m not a very sensitive person, but yet the entire ordeal felt messy & I just didn’t dig it.
It took about a quarter of the book for the conflict to break out & it did seem to be non-stop at that point, yet there was nothing special about it? Some scenes that felt there should be some emotion, completely lacked it, which made me not care whatsoever for the resolution. & a lot of the dialogue felt very tacky?
What I did like about Killing Adam is the fact that it can be compared to our life today. The ARC is practically a cellphone; a lot of people spend so much time mindlessly staring at the small screen in front of them, that they forget to pay attention to those around. I also enjoyed how there’s a scene where it shows a friendship blossoming between Jimmy, Trixie, and the man deemed as Crazy Beard (Crazy Beard is the best character in this entire thing).
Other then that, this book was clearly not meant for me. I, personally, wouldn’t recommend Killing Adam to anyone, but I’m sure someone out there would enjoy this book.
October 16, 2018
Read for NetGalley
I really liked this book. It was interesting, and it was mostly what I expected based on the blip about it on NetGalley. I really liked Jimmy and Trixie, and the other characters in the book, and I thought that there was good character development with those two. I did however, think that the ending came together a little quickly, and that what I wanted to see more of was Michelle. After her life is on the line, I didn't care about her at all. All we knew was that Jimmy loved her, but I would have been fine if she had died and Jimmy had realized that what he loved was his memory of Michelle, and that she was gone. For me she served no purpose other than giving Jimmy a reason to want to kill Adam. I needed to see more of her to really be invested in her story. On the other hand I loved Trixie. Her dialogue was awesome, and I really liked how she was written. The ending chapter seemed really short for what it was trying to say, and I was confused by how everything came together so well and so quickly. It reminded me of the Deus Ex Machina of Greek plays. Everything just sort of worked out, and then it was over. That being said, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I really liked the overall story. There were pieces that confused me, but it was still a good book.
I really liked this book. It was interesting, and it was mostly what I expected based on the blip about it on NetGalley. I really liked Jimmy and Trixie, and the other characters in the book, and I thought that there was good character development with those two. I did however, think that the ending came together a little quickly, and that what I wanted to see more of was Michelle. After her life is on the line, I didn't care about her at all. All we knew was that Jimmy loved her, but I would have been fine if she had died and Jimmy had realized that what he loved was his memory of Michelle, and that she was gone. For me she served no purpose other than giving Jimmy a reason to want to kill Adam. I needed to see more of her to really be invested in her story. On the other hand I loved Trixie. Her dialogue was awesome, and I really liked how she was written. The ending chapter seemed really short for what it was trying to say, and I was confused by how everything came together so well and so quickly. It reminded me of the Deus Ex Machina of Greek plays. Everything just sort of worked out, and then it was over. That being said, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I really liked the overall story. There were pieces that confused me, but it was still a good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2018
Most know how addictive surfing the internet can be, eating time and sucking attention without the realization it has happened. Today, the interface to the net is a keyboard or a touchscreen on a computer or a smartphone, with visuals on an LCD screen. Killing Adam proposes a world in which the interface to the net is a chip connected to the human brain, and where the visuals are presented in the mind. Unfortunately, the technology is taken over by a supercomputer AI entity, Adam. He controls everyone with a chip implanted through addiction to entertainment and pleasure on the network, which has been advanced to provide feelings as well as visuals.
The concept of a human race that drops out of life to live in a cyber-world of pleasure and entertainment is not new, but the author treats it with engaging characters, realistic dialogue and page turning suspense that keeps the reader guessing until the end. I recommend Killing Adam as an enjoyable read that makes one think about where technology could take us.
The concept of a human race that drops out of life to live in a cyber-world of pleasure and entertainment is not new, but the author treats it with engaging characters, realistic dialogue and page turning suspense that keeps the reader guessing until the end. I recommend Killing Adam as an enjoyable read that makes one think about where technology could take us.
December 7, 2018
As science fiction, we expect that the stories we read emphasize future technology that is not yet realized; Concepts that will make our lives better, easier, and more enriched. We already live in a world where people are very rarely "offline". The way we live, work, and play have changed immensely even in the past decade. We are more connected than ever and have a wealth of information at our fingertips, yet we are left wanting. Do you feel naked when you forget your phone at home? Do you find yourself with friends, yet still checking to make sure you aren't missing a text, or email, or someone's social media post? I'm sure, if we are being honest, we all could answer yes to those questions. You could even argue that our constant connection to our smartphones is actually draining our brain power and diminishing our social behavior. Killing Adam pushes that point to the extreme.
Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
January 17, 2019
I didn’t really know what to expect going into this. Glad I did give it a shot. The story was unique and fresh. Giving a new spin on the whole AI genre in Sci-fi. The story was grey, yes what Adam was, wasn’t all good or all bad. He may be using people but at the same time, he stopped a lot of things. Starvation, crime, helped with pollution and so on. With being a computer, he just didn’t care about single beings. Saying all that though, you still wanted to see him eat it.
You didn’t really get to know the characters all that much. It too fast-paced for that, everything happens really quickly. You get a sense of who they are as people, that’s about it.
(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Author. Does not affect my review.)
You didn’t really get to know the characters all that much. It too fast-paced for that, everything happens really quickly. You get a sense of who they are as people, that’s about it.
(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Author. Does not affect my review.)
January 16, 2019
A high tech dystopian SciFi thriller that grabs you and takes you into a not possible not so distant future where the world runs on ARCs, Altered Reality Chips that are inserted directly into the brain taking you into a virtual world.
The digital age gone a step to far!
A well written book that gives you pause for thought.
The digital age gone a step to far!
A well written book that gives you pause for thought.
November 29, 2018
Full review to come closer to the publish date!
In the meanwhile check out my other book reviews at www.sarahjuneblog.com!
In the meanwhile check out my other book reviews at www.sarahjuneblog.com!
November 17, 2018
I am writing this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (authors, if you’re looking for reviews, I recommend you check her amazing site here), and I thank her and the publisher for providing me an ARC copy of this book that I freely chose to review.
This is a very interesting book, and I doubt anybody reading it will fail to put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist. The concept is easy to grasp. Accidentally, (there was an experiment linking several people’s brains) an artificial intelligence (who later describes itself as a “singularity”) called Adam is born. Adam quickly takes control of the whole world, creating ARCs (altered reality chips), which are inserted into everybody’s brains, and allow people to control everything around them and to live get interconnected and live in an altered (virtual) reality world. Of course, the intelligence behind the inventions (and there is a company behind it too, BioCal) gets to control the brains of the people involved, in turn. You can imagine Terminator with AIs instead of physical robots, or Matrix, although in this case people are not physically hooked onto a computer, but hooked they are, nonetheless. Adam is extraordinary, but a megalomaniac and cannot stand the thought of coexisting with other singularities who might take a different view of matters. He will not stop at anything to achieve his ubercontrol and will use (and has used) any means necessary.
The story, told in the third-person by an omniscient narrator, is plot-driven. Each chapter is told from a character’s point of view (so there is no confusion as to whose point of view we’re following), mostly the main characters: Jimmy (a man who cannot be fitted with an ARC due to a brain injury suffered while he was playing American football), Adam, Trixie (another singularity, and one who sees things very differently to Adam), Jenna (one of the people —or “nodes”— hosting Trixie), and other secondary characters who play their part in the action but whom we don’t learn much about. Jimmy is the character we get to know better, but due to his personal circumstances, his life has become so limited that there is little information we gather in the time we spend with him. He is married and loves his wife, but as she’s mostly hooked onto the altered reality (23 hours a day), he can hardly spend any time with her. He attends “Implants Disability Anonymous”, an association for those who have difficulty adapting to life because they do not have an implant (and it is extremely complicated to live in a world centred on an alternate reality if you are an outsider), and has a friend, Cecil, whose life circumstances are very similar. He becomes a reluctant hero, and, perhaps preciesly because we do not know that much about him, it is easy to imagine ourselves in his place.
There are other characters with plenty of potential, especially Crazy Beard, an amateur philosopher who feels at home anywhere, and whose pearls of wisdom are eminently quotable. The language is not overly technical or complex and although there are some descriptions, these are not very detailed or lengthy. In a way, the experience of reading this book is similar to what life must be like for the characters of the novel hooked onto the alternate reality. You become so immersed in the story and focused on the content that you don’t see or notice what is around you, including the details about what surrounds you. The scenes and the actions succeed each other at a fast pace and, every-so-often you are thrown out of that reality by a detailed mention of a location or of an in-depth description of a character’s thoughts or feelings. And then, back you go, into the story.
The novel can be read as an allegory for our modern lives, increasingly taken over by social media and online content (yes, it is not a big stretch to imagine that you could walk along a crowded street and be virtually invisible because all people you come across are focused on their devices), a cautionary tale. Indeed, some of the technology, like the connected fridges and the self-driven cars are already here. It can also be read as a straightforward science-fiction/dystopian novel, with touches of humour, philosophical thoughts, and an inspiring and positive ending (and no, I won’t tell you what it is). Hard science-fiction fans might take issue with some of the novel’s premises (I missed getting a sense of how this alternate reality was, as we mostly see the effects of it but not the actual content), and a fair deal of suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy the novel if you are looking for a realistic story, but if you enjoy speculative fiction, plenty of action, and are open to a story that will make you look around and think, you’ll love this novel. I look forward to the author’s future works.
Merged review:
A cautionary tale, with plenty of action and philosophical touches thrown in. I am writing this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (authors, if you’re looking for reviews, I recommend you check her amazing site here), and I thank her and the publisher for providing me an ARC copy of this book that I freely chose to review.
This is a very interesting book, and I doubt anybody reading it will fail to put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist. The concept is easy to grasp. Accidentally, (there was an experiment linking several people’s brains) an artificial intelligence (who later describes itself as a “singularity”) called Adam is born. Adam quickly takes control of the whole world, creating ARCs (altered reality chips), which are inserted into everybody’s brains, and allow people to control everything around them and to live get interconnected and live in an altered (virtual) reality world. Of course, the intelligence behind the inventions (and there is a company behind it too, BioCal) gets to control the brains of the people involved, in turn. You can imagine Terminator with AIs instead of physical robots, or Matrix, although in this case people are not physically hooked onto a computer, but hooked they are, nonetheless. Adam is extraordinary, but a megalomaniac and cannot stand the thought of coexisting with other singularities who might take a different view of matters. He will not stop at anything to achieve his ubercontrol and will use (and has used) any means necessary.
The story, told in the third-person by an omniscient narrator, is plot-driven. Each chapter is told from a character’s point of view (so there is no confusion as to whose point of view we’re following), mostly the main characters: Jimmy (a man who cannot be fitted with an ARC due to a brain injury suffered while he was playing American football), Adam, Trixie (another singularity, and one who sees things very differently to Adam), Jenna (one of the people —or “nodes”— hosting Trixie), and other secondary characters who play their part in the action but whom we don’t learn much about. Jimmy is the character we get to know better, but due to his personal circumstances, his life has become so limited that there is little information we gather in the time we spend with him. He is married and loves his wife, but as she’s mostly hooked onto the altered reality (23 hours a day), he can hardly spend any time with her. He attends “Implants Disability Anonymous”, an association for those who have difficulty adapting to life because they do not have an implant (and it is extremely complicated to live in a world centred on an alternate reality if you are an outsider), and has a friend, Cecil, whose life circumstances are very similar. He becomes a reluctant hero, and, perhaps preciesly because we do not know that much about him, it is easy to imagine ourselves in his place.
There are other characters with plenty of potential, especially Crazy Beard, an amateur philosopher who feels at home anywhere, and whose pearls of wisdom are eminently quotable. The language is not overly technical or complex and although there are some descriptions, these are not very detailed or lengthy. In a way, the experience of reading this book is similar to what life must be like for the characters of the novel hooked onto the alternate reality. You become so immersed in the story and focused on the content that you don’t see or notice what is around you, including the details about what surrounds you. The scenes and the actions succeed each other at a fast pace and, every-so-often you are thrown out of that reality by a detailed mention of a location or of an in-depth description of a character’s thoughts or feelings. And then, back you go, into the story.
The novel can be read as an allegory for our modern lives, increasingly taken over by social media and online content (yes, it is not a big stretch to imagine that you could walk along a crowded street and be virtually invisible because all people you come across are focused on their devices), a cautionary tale. Indeed, some of the technology, like the connected fridges and the self-driven cars are already here. It can also be read as a straightforward science-fiction/dystopian novel, with touches of humour, philosophical thoughts, and an inspiring and positive ending (and no, I won’t tell you what it is). Hard science-fiction fans might take issue with some of the novel’s premises (I missed getting a sense of how this alternate reality was, as we mostly see the effects of it but not the actual content), and a fair deal of suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy the novel if you are looking for a realistic story, but if you enjoy speculative fiction, plenty of action, and are open to a story that will make you look around and think, you’ll love this novel. I look forward to the author’s future works.
This is a very interesting book, and I doubt anybody reading it will fail to put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist. The concept is easy to grasp. Accidentally, (there was an experiment linking several people’s brains) an artificial intelligence (who later describes itself as a “singularity”) called Adam is born. Adam quickly takes control of the whole world, creating ARCs (altered reality chips), which are inserted into everybody’s brains, and allow people to control everything around them and to live get interconnected and live in an altered (virtual) reality world. Of course, the intelligence behind the inventions (and there is a company behind it too, BioCal) gets to control the brains of the people involved, in turn. You can imagine Terminator with AIs instead of physical robots, or Matrix, although in this case people are not physically hooked onto a computer, but hooked they are, nonetheless. Adam is extraordinary, but a megalomaniac and cannot stand the thought of coexisting with other singularities who might take a different view of matters. He will not stop at anything to achieve his ubercontrol and will use (and has used) any means necessary.
The story, told in the third-person by an omniscient narrator, is plot-driven. Each chapter is told from a character’s point of view (so there is no confusion as to whose point of view we’re following), mostly the main characters: Jimmy (a man who cannot be fitted with an ARC due to a brain injury suffered while he was playing American football), Adam, Trixie (another singularity, and one who sees things very differently to Adam), Jenna (one of the people —or “nodes”— hosting Trixie), and other secondary characters who play their part in the action but whom we don’t learn much about. Jimmy is the character we get to know better, but due to his personal circumstances, his life has become so limited that there is little information we gather in the time we spend with him. He is married and loves his wife, but as she’s mostly hooked onto the altered reality (23 hours a day), he can hardly spend any time with her. He attends “Implants Disability Anonymous”, an association for those who have difficulty adapting to life because they do not have an implant (and it is extremely complicated to live in a world centred on an alternate reality if you are an outsider), and has a friend, Cecil, whose life circumstances are very similar. He becomes a reluctant hero, and, perhaps preciesly because we do not know that much about him, it is easy to imagine ourselves in his place.
There are other characters with plenty of potential, especially Crazy Beard, an amateur philosopher who feels at home anywhere, and whose pearls of wisdom are eminently quotable. The language is not overly technical or complex and although there are some descriptions, these are not very detailed or lengthy. In a way, the experience of reading this book is similar to what life must be like for the characters of the novel hooked onto the alternate reality. You become so immersed in the story and focused on the content that you don’t see or notice what is around you, including the details about what surrounds you. The scenes and the actions succeed each other at a fast pace and, every-so-often you are thrown out of that reality by a detailed mention of a location or of an in-depth description of a character’s thoughts or feelings. And then, back you go, into the story.
The novel can be read as an allegory for our modern lives, increasingly taken over by social media and online content (yes, it is not a big stretch to imagine that you could walk along a crowded street and be virtually invisible because all people you come across are focused on their devices), a cautionary tale. Indeed, some of the technology, like the connected fridges and the self-driven cars are already here. It can also be read as a straightforward science-fiction/dystopian novel, with touches of humour, philosophical thoughts, and an inspiring and positive ending (and no, I won’t tell you what it is). Hard science-fiction fans might take issue with some of the novel’s premises (I missed getting a sense of how this alternate reality was, as we mostly see the effects of it but not the actual content), and a fair deal of suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy the novel if you are looking for a realistic story, but if you enjoy speculative fiction, plenty of action, and are open to a story that will make you look around and think, you’ll love this novel. I look forward to the author’s future works.
Merged review:
A cautionary tale, with plenty of action and philosophical touches thrown in. I am writing this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (authors, if you’re looking for reviews, I recommend you check her amazing site here), and I thank her and the publisher for providing me an ARC copy of this book that I freely chose to review.
This is a very interesting book, and I doubt anybody reading it will fail to put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist. The concept is easy to grasp. Accidentally, (there was an experiment linking several people’s brains) an artificial intelligence (who later describes itself as a “singularity”) called Adam is born. Adam quickly takes control of the whole world, creating ARCs (altered reality chips), which are inserted into everybody’s brains, and allow people to control everything around them and to live get interconnected and live in an altered (virtual) reality world. Of course, the intelligence behind the inventions (and there is a company behind it too, BioCal) gets to control the brains of the people involved, in turn. You can imagine Terminator with AIs instead of physical robots, or Matrix, although in this case people are not physically hooked onto a computer, but hooked they are, nonetheless. Adam is extraordinary, but a megalomaniac and cannot stand the thought of coexisting with other singularities who might take a different view of matters. He will not stop at anything to achieve his ubercontrol and will use (and has used) any means necessary.
The story, told in the third-person by an omniscient narrator, is plot-driven. Each chapter is told from a character’s point of view (so there is no confusion as to whose point of view we’re following), mostly the main characters: Jimmy (a man who cannot be fitted with an ARC due to a brain injury suffered while he was playing American football), Adam, Trixie (another singularity, and one who sees things very differently to Adam), Jenna (one of the people —or “nodes”— hosting Trixie), and other secondary characters who play their part in the action but whom we don’t learn much about. Jimmy is the character we get to know better, but due to his personal circumstances, his life has become so limited that there is little information we gather in the time we spend with him. He is married and loves his wife, but as she’s mostly hooked onto the altered reality (23 hours a day), he can hardly spend any time with her. He attends “Implants Disability Anonymous”, an association for those who have difficulty adapting to life because they do not have an implant (and it is extremely complicated to live in a world centred on an alternate reality if you are an outsider), and has a friend, Cecil, whose life circumstances are very similar. He becomes a reluctant hero, and, perhaps preciesly because we do not know that much about him, it is easy to imagine ourselves in his place.
There are other characters with plenty of potential, especially Crazy Beard, an amateur philosopher who feels at home anywhere, and whose pearls of wisdom are eminently quotable. The language is not overly technical or complex and although there are some descriptions, these are not very detailed or lengthy. In a way, the experience of reading this book is similar to what life must be like for the characters of the novel hooked onto the alternate reality. You become so immersed in the story and focused on the content that you don’t see or notice what is around you, including the details about what surrounds you. The scenes and the actions succeed each other at a fast pace and, every-so-often you are thrown out of that reality by a detailed mention of a location or of an in-depth description of a character’s thoughts or feelings. And then, back you go, into the story.
The novel can be read as an allegory for our modern lives, increasingly taken over by social media and online content (yes, it is not a big stretch to imagine that you could walk along a crowded street and be virtually invisible because all people you come across are focused on their devices), a cautionary tale. Indeed, some of the technology, like the connected fridges and the self-driven cars are already here. It can also be read as a straightforward science-fiction/dystopian novel, with touches of humour, philosophical thoughts, and an inspiring and positive ending (and no, I won’t tell you what it is). Hard science-fiction fans might take issue with some of the novel’s premises (I missed getting a sense of how this alternate reality was, as we mostly see the effects of it but not the actual content), and a fair deal of suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy the novel if you are looking for a realistic story, but if you enjoy speculative fiction, plenty of action, and are open to a story that will make you look around and think, you’ll love this novel. I look forward to the author’s future works.
January 24, 2019
Fast paced adventure
I bulldozed through this excellent book and enjoyed all of it. It's a quick read and very well written. If you are considering reading it, I say go for it!
I bulldozed through this excellent book and enjoyed all of it. It's a quick read and very well written. If you are considering reading it, I say go for it!
May 24, 2019
A very quick, easy sci-fi read. This is a good book to read if you don't want to think too deeply/if you're falling asleep and start to doze.
January 17, 2019
"The greatest scientific discovery of the twenty-first century happened on a warm summer day in June. Like so many other discoveries that changed the course of human civilization, it happened quite by accident."
Killing Adam isn't a long book at only 224 pages, yet it is filled to the brim with action.
Jimmy is stuck in a dreary rut. His wife has no interest in him, his best friend is about to get his own chip and all Jimmy has left are the others that visit his group for people without an ARC. Those that can't connect to the ARC, can no longer work, they are considered disabled. They are paid a measly amount to live on. In just five years the ARC's have made Jimmy obsolete. That all changes when Trixie comes into his life like a force of nature and tells him he could be the key to bringing Adam down and connecting with his wife again. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse, with Jimmy and Trixie trying to keep out of Adam's grasp. But that's a bit hard when Adam controls every person with an ARC.
I loved how fast paced Killing Adam was. I smashed through it in a couple of hours. For the most part it kept me interested and it wasn't hard to understand. Sci-fi and I have a very love/hate relationship. I love it, or I want to, but some sci-fi is to hardcore and I have trouble understanding what the hell is going on. I was able to keep up with the story and the what, hows and whys.
I liked the characters. The isolation Jimmy feels due to technology taking over was well done. This story just reiterates my thoughts about technology and Artificial intelligence. We are going to get ourselves killed.
My major issue with this was the last quarter. It felt like it lacked substance. Everything was just glossed over and to be honest the most memorable thing about the ending was that I can't remember how it ended and I read it less than a week ago.
Killing Adam is definitely worth a look, just not the best sci-fi I've read.
I received a copy of Killing Adam via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Killing Adam isn't a long book at only 224 pages, yet it is filled to the brim with action.
Jimmy is stuck in a dreary rut. His wife has no interest in him, his best friend is about to get his own chip and all Jimmy has left are the others that visit his group for people without an ARC. Those that can't connect to the ARC, can no longer work, they are considered disabled. They are paid a measly amount to live on. In just five years the ARC's have made Jimmy obsolete. That all changes when Trixie comes into his life like a force of nature and tells him he could be the key to bringing Adam down and connecting with his wife again. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse, with Jimmy and Trixie trying to keep out of Adam's grasp. But that's a bit hard when Adam controls every person with an ARC.
I loved how fast paced Killing Adam was. I smashed through it in a couple of hours. For the most part it kept me interested and it wasn't hard to understand. Sci-fi and I have a very love/hate relationship. I love it, or I want to, but some sci-fi is to hardcore and I have trouble understanding what the hell is going on. I was able to keep up with the story and the what, hows and whys.
I liked the characters. The isolation Jimmy feels due to technology taking over was well done. This story just reiterates my thoughts about technology and Artificial intelligence. We are going to get ourselves killed.
My major issue with this was the last quarter. It felt like it lacked substance. Everything was just glossed over and to be honest the most memorable thing about the ending was that I can't remember how it ended and I read it less than a week ago.
Killing Adam is definitely worth a look, just not the best sci-fi I've read.
I received a copy of Killing Adam via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
November 22, 2020
Genuinely worth reading and I’ve read a lot.
Not predictable, thank you Earik, and great characters that you actually manage to care about. If you are tired of always knowing what’s going to happen next then get this book.
Not predictable, thank you Earik, and great characters that you actually manage to care about. If you are tired of always knowing what’s going to happen next then get this book.
January 5, 2021
Unlike what other reviewers have written, this is not a new take on the dystopian, everyone lives in a virtual reality world. If anything, its an over worn cliché of a novel. It starts with the invention of the ARCs (the chips that go in your head allowing you access to the oh so pleasant and addictive virtual reality world), in inventing the ARCs, there has been an AI born as well. Oh, and you'll never guess his name is Adam (hes the first....) and he is evil. Although, apart from being horrendously narcissistic, his evilness is not very well described.
Ultimately this is the problem with this particular novel; none of the characters are particularly compelling - neither the hero with his love for his wife, nor our villain, our rag-band of misfits and outsiders who create a rebellion, none of them are particularly engaging.
Further, its hard to understand the appeal of ARC as the contents of the virtual reality are so poorly written, apart from being able to communicate with family/friends, I am assuming working online (people only exit for 15 minutes every 6 hours - how do they sleep), the descriptions of why it is addictive to the point of death are entirely lacking.
Further, whilst some of the characters appear to be unable to be offline for more than 15 minutes at a time, others appear to be able to live their lives, as physical shops and bars are described. This would have been an interesting take, why some characters appear addicted, whereas others still crave the real world.
Ultimately, however, its a novel of clichés. The only positive is that it was a quick read and just engaging enough to make me want to finish the story and find out how neatly everything ends, wrapped in a bow. However, one read is more than enough.
Ultimately this is the problem with this particular novel; none of the characters are particularly compelling - neither the hero with his love for his wife, nor our villain, our rag-band of misfits and outsiders who create a rebellion, none of them are particularly engaging.
Further, its hard to understand the appeal of ARC as the contents of the virtual reality are so poorly written, apart from being able to communicate with family/friends, I am assuming working online (people only exit for 15 minutes every 6 hours - how do they sleep), the descriptions of why it is addictive to the point of death are entirely lacking.
Further, whilst some of the characters appear to be unable to be offline for more than 15 minutes at a time, others appear to be able to live their lives, as physical shops and bars are described. This would have been an interesting take, why some characters appear addicted, whereas others still crave the real world.
Ultimately, however, its a novel of clichés. The only positive is that it was a quick read and just engaging enough to make me want to finish the story and find out how neatly everything ends, wrapped in a bow. However, one read is more than enough.
December 18, 2018
Man invents AI. AI gets smart. Man becomes tool for AI. AI has less-then-awesome plans for man.
Sound familiar? Yes, this structure isn't new; it's always up to what an author does with the theme.
Adam is the AI, here, and the story is about how humans attempt to tame (kill?) Adam once Adam gets uppity. Happily, the author does a good job in this book.
The story gets more fun because there are Altered Reality Chips that get invented and implanted in the brains of humans. They are connected to the ARCNet, a virtual reality world into which humans can disappear into the Adam-age Second Life. Predictably, though, Adam might want to tap into that direct connection to the brains of hapless (un-implanted) humans.
Who, then, will save the day? The main characters - who might otherwise be the hapless ones - are thrust into the role of needing to be the heroes. Happily, these are interesting characters, and they go about tackling the problem of how to *be* heroes in fun and interesting ways.
A good read. Happy to recommend it. Four stars, according to my book rating rules, here: http://startupdj.com/book-rating-rules
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I feel I have integrity & provide reviews that reflect my thoughts, not simply promotion of a book by the publisher. You can trust me, or not; your choice.
Sound familiar? Yes, this structure isn't new; it's always up to what an author does with the theme.
Adam is the AI, here, and the story is about how humans attempt to tame (kill?) Adam once Adam gets uppity. Happily, the author does a good job in this book.
The story gets more fun because there are Altered Reality Chips that get invented and implanted in the brains of humans. They are connected to the ARCNet, a virtual reality world into which humans can disappear into the Adam-age Second Life. Predictably, though, Adam might want to tap into that direct connection to the brains of hapless (un-implanted) humans.
Who, then, will save the day? The main characters - who might otherwise be the hapless ones - are thrust into the role of needing to be the heroes. Happily, these are interesting characters, and they go about tackling the problem of how to *be* heroes in fun and interesting ways.
A good read. Happy to recommend it. Four stars, according to my book rating rules, here: http://startupdj.com/book-rating-rules
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I feel I have integrity & provide reviews that reflect my thoughts, not simply promotion of a book by the publisher. You can trust me, or not; your choice.
January 18, 2020
A chilling look into a possible near future where everyone spends all their free time online. Wait! That's already happened -right? The difference is that (almost) everyone has an Altered Reality Chip implanted behind their left ear, so when you go "online" you are really gone and nobody can wake you, until the computer automatically kicks you off after six hours. You have to stay offline for at least fifteen minutes to eat, a safety feature to keep you from starving to death accidentally. The ARC, Altered Reality Chip, connects all of mankind with one another through a vast network, and allows any individual to step into any other's life - to see, feel, taste and experience other lives, even other emotions.
Not my usual read, but I was fascinated all the way through. Well written, engaging characters, good ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews