Driving Ambition

by Fiona Moore

In the not-too-distant future, intelligent Things are recognized as sentient beings--but do they have the same rights as humans? And what about the free-floating Intelligents deep within the Internet. Thompson Jennings is a man with unique problems and unique abilities--he can interface between the human and machine worlds, acting as a go-between in labour negotiations and other disputes. But when one his clients, a sentient taxicab, is murdered, his problems multiply and his abilities are stretched to the limit.

The Internet of Things! Self-driving cars! Artificial intelligence! Oh, and murder, too. Fiona Moore is a terrific guide to our brave new world in this crackerjack, fast-paced, and engaging novel.

-- Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Wake

Genres: Science Fiction

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2018

About the author

Fiona Moore is a writer and academic whose work has appeared in Asimov, Interzone, and Clarkesworld, with reprints in Forever Magazine and two consecutive editions of The Best of British SF; her story “Jolene” was shortlisted for the 2019 BSFA Award for Shorter Fiction, and her first novel Driving Ambition is available from Bundoran Press. She has written and cowritten a number of articles and guidebooks on cult television, including guides to Blake’s Seven, The Prisoner and Battlestar Galactica. She has also written three stage plays and four audio plays, and a blog entitled A Doctor Of Many Things. When not writing, she is a Professor of Business Anthropology at Royal Holloway University.. She lives in Southwest London with a tortoiseshell cat who is bent on world domination.

Reviews

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is an intriguing exploration of "what if" regarding the evolution of AI, with lots of philosophical parallels regarding culture, class, and property, the story never really grabbed me. The characters were varied and weird in their own ways, but there was very little cohesion - everyone was only looking out for themselves. The protagonist provides a window into the culture of independent sentient software by providing an interface between those disparate entities. Clever mechanics, but it became a maguffin. There were lots of clever situations, and the descriptions of the various virtual environments were very good. There were hints about the ending, but it really came from the sidelines. Love doesn't overcome all obstacles, as it was largely absent altogether.

If you enjoy older William Gibson or Bruce Sterling or Neal Stephenson, then you will likely appreciate this world. But this story is not at that level.

[Liz Westbrook-Trenholm · Rating 5 out of 5]

In these days of issues-driven sci fi, it’s a joy to read a novel that captures all the best traditions of science fiction: big ideas, enthusiasm for exploring the what-ifs arising from them and an intriguing plot all presented with a freshness that’s thoroughly engaging and meaningful without descending into darkness.
Fiona Moore’s Driving Ambition is a murder mystery in which the victim is an intelligent taxi cab whose labour activism in support of things’ rights has made it (her) enemies, human and AI. Thompson Jennings is an altered human whose wired brain grants him the ability to understand and communicate in machine language, making him ideal as an interface between humans and cars in labour negotiations. It also means he is drawn inexorably into the investigation of who (or what) might be guilty of permanently wiping the mind of the victim: Off-gridders who repudiate interconnectedness; the Anonymous, anti-thing activists; competitor Things or the industrialists who exploit them; or the Indies, machine intelligences developing into a species that appears to be increasingly indifferent and even hostile to humans.
As Thom pursues the truth, his character emerges as a human who relates better to the rescue animals he adopts and protects than with the intelligent people and things he encounters, including his ex-girlfriend, the attractive labour lawyer he meets on the negotiating team, an independent machine detective who exists entirely on the web and his own, Off-gridder brother. Plot and character development are woven expertly together with an examination of what an entirely new AI species might be like. Here Fiona Moore’s training as an anthropologist comes into play, enriching the portrayal of artificial intelligence societies, and all in a lucid, accessible language that makes it a breeze to read.
This book is fun, smart and a thoroughly enjoyable read. I recommend it.

[Anna-Lena Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read, lots of interesting ideas to keep you thinking long after you put the book down. Fun characters, both human and non and I loved the London details, it feels like the city I know. Almost like reading a story about aliens, but here the alien 'minds' are our machine creations. Will recommend 👌🏽

[Brad C. Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most unique murder mysteries I've ever read. It was fast-paced and thoroughly engaging.