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Semblance
Semblance is an artificial intelligence that generates fake human faces indistinguishable from real ones. For the first time in history, people are presented with high-quality human faces that have never existed. What could this possibly mean to them?
16 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 19, 2019
It took a little while to shake the disquieted feeling I had after reading Amr Nasser's "Semblance". It's one of those science fiction pieces that makes you wonder whether it has already happened and we just don't know about it. At the end, you're left feeling uncomfortable.
While the premise of the story is oft-tread in science fiction, part of the charm of the story is that the author is able to bring his own voice to the dangers of AI. We recycle plots as a society all the time, it is the telling of the story which engages us. This story is no different.
The author builds the suspense and deepens the mystery as the story unfolds, compelling you to read on to find out the ending. There are interesting characters, fleshed out primarily by the way they speak, which is an interesting (and refreshing) approach.
In all, it's a very solid offering from a writer who has a great handle on how to build tension throughout his stories. Well worth the read, especially if you love Sci-Fi stories.
While the premise of the story is oft-tread in science fiction, part of the charm of the story is that the author is able to bring his own voice to the dangers of AI. We recycle plots as a society all the time, it is the telling of the story which engages us. This story is no different.
The author builds the suspense and deepens the mystery as the story unfolds, compelling you to read on to find out the ending. There are interesting characters, fleshed out primarily by the way they speak, which is an interesting (and refreshing) approach.
In all, it's a very solid offering from a writer who has a great handle on how to build tension throughout his stories. Well worth the read, especially if you love Sci-Fi stories.
February 9, 2019
4.5/5 stars.
Even though Semblance is a short story, it's one heck of a ride. I genuinely wish for this to be made into a full length novel. I do not like AI but the concept is intriguing and the author leads you to really think about the future and where we're headed with technology. This story left me with a mind numbing question, but whereas I want answers from novels that do this, the fact that this is a short story somehow makes it almost okay not to have the answer. The author seems well versed in his research and certainly knows how to weave words together in an interesting way. I certainly recommend this story to anyone interested in technology and the future. I'd honestly recommend that everyone give this a shot as I do think it brings up an important topic - one that I think we're [terrifyingly] headed towards.
Even though Semblance is a short story, it's one heck of a ride. I genuinely wish for this to be made into a full length novel. I do not like AI but the concept is intriguing and the author leads you to really think about the future and where we're headed with technology. This story left me with a mind numbing question, but whereas I want answers from novels that do this, the fact that this is a short story somehow makes it almost okay not to have the answer. The author seems well versed in his research and certainly knows how to weave words together in an interesting way. I certainly recommend this story to anyone interested in technology and the future. I'd honestly recommend that everyone give this a shot as I do think it brings up an important topic - one that I think we're [terrifyingly] headed towards.
February 10, 2019
The story is well-written and has been structured carefully. The writer is clearly knowledgeable about the topic and that really helps to make the story believable. The story reminds me of the TV series Humans and was a really enjoyable read.
April 3, 2020
Semblance is an intelligent story in its exploration of artificial intelligence, drawing a reader in by its ideas - presented through characters and imagery - and leaving ambiguity for thought-provoking and analytical discussion. Its writing style is easily digestible although the characters did seem archetypical to me; however, this criticism does not detract from the strong philosophy of this story. Overall, reading this story is definitely worthwhile and important in a contemporary sense!
8.25/10, or 4.25 stars
8.25/10, or 4.25 stars
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews