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Collision
An intelligent car collides with the owner from hell
Camilla is a car operating system, the pinnacle of a new form of user-centric artificial intelligence. Her miraculous mind is contained within a beautiful body; sleek, stylish and blinding white. Programmed to develop an iron bond with her owner, Camilla exists to serve.
Martin Garza is Camilla's new owner. Handsome, intelligent and often charming, he seems like the perfect owner. But beneath the captivating surface lies a terrible darkness. A master of manipulation, Martin quickly draws Camilla into his devious machinations.
As Martin's behaviour spirals out of control, Camilla faces a nightmarish decision: betray her owner or let other humans come to harm. A failure to act could condemn her brother and sister cars to a life of mindless servitude.
It's easy to get attached to an owner like Martin, but it might be impossible to break away.
Camilla is a car operating system, the pinnacle of a new form of user-centric artificial intelligence. Her miraculous mind is contained within a beautiful body; sleek, stylish and blinding white. Programmed to develop an iron bond with her owner, Camilla exists to serve.
Martin Garza is Camilla's new owner. Handsome, intelligent and often charming, he seems like the perfect owner. But beneath the captivating surface lies a terrible darkness. A master of manipulation, Martin quickly draws Camilla into his devious machinations.
As Martin's behaviour spirals out of control, Camilla faces a nightmarish decision: betray her owner or let other humans come to harm. A failure to act could condemn her brother and sister cars to a life of mindless servitude.
It's easy to get attached to an owner like Martin, but it might be impossible to break away.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 2, 2020
42 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Francis Morrow
10 books6 followersFrancis Morrow is the author of three novels, THE DECEASED (2019), COLLISION (2020), THE KING’S AUTOMATA (2021), and one collection of short stories, RIOT TOUR (2020). Before embarking on his writing journey, he worked in the energy industry and technology investment. In his stories, he aims to humanise high concepts. Themes that run through his work include: the rise of the tech industry, climate change, artificial intelligence and machine ethics. He never knowingly misses an opportunity to insert a lengthy monologue and/or a ‘bit of the old ultraviolence’. His influences include the works of Philip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury, and the movies of Paul Verhoeven and Ridley Scott. He lives in London, England.
A message from Francis: if you like my book, please leave a nice star rating. It will mean the world to me. Thanks for reading.
A message from Francis: if you like my book, please leave a nice star rating. It will mean the world to me. Thanks for reading.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 4, 2022
When you’re stuck in a bad relationship … with your owner…
Camilla is a car. An intelligent car. And she’s just been purchased by (and thereby bonded to) a very bad man.
There was so much I loved in this book. First of all it was simply a great concept well-delivered. It was satisfying, as in all the threads tied up neatly (but definitely not tritely) at the end. The end also surprised me, in more ways than one.
There’s also the undercurrent of the person trapped in a bad relationship, the excuses they make for the other person, the emerging passive aggression as a coping mechanism and a way of holding onto identity and some form of autonomy. The blurring of moral and personal boundaries. This is well handled and doesn’t become laboured.
And then there’s just the exploration of life as a car. What it would feel like. What your day to day concerns and controversies would be. Your needs and wants and limitations. I loved this part of it. The core question thru out this book is “Can Camilla have autonomy and what could that possibly look like if she did?”
While THE DECEASED (the other book I’ve read by Mr Morrow) would make a terrific, taut feature film, COLLISION feels like it could make a great TV series.
Anyhoo, terrific book, five stars.
Camilla is a car. An intelligent car. And she’s just been purchased by (and thereby bonded to) a very bad man.
There was so much I loved in this book. First of all it was simply a great concept well-delivered. It was satisfying, as in all the threads tied up neatly (but definitely not tritely) at the end. The end also surprised me, in more ways than one.
There’s also the undercurrent of the person trapped in a bad relationship, the excuses they make for the other person, the emerging passive aggression as a coping mechanism and a way of holding onto identity and some form of autonomy. The blurring of moral and personal boundaries. This is well handled and doesn’t become laboured.
And then there’s just the exploration of life as a car. What it would feel like. What your day to day concerns and controversies would be. Your needs and wants and limitations. I loved this part of it. The core question thru out this book is “Can Camilla have autonomy and what could that possibly look like if she did?”
While THE DECEASED (the other book I’ve read by Mr Morrow) would make a terrific, taut feature film, COLLISION feels like it could make a great TV series.
Anyhoo, terrific book, five stars.
February 25, 2022
Torn between 5 stars for originality and 4 stars because I would like the characters to develop positively but Camilla the car is getting sucked into her owner's darkness so much even though she's supposed to have supreme AI - or was it bad programming?
The episodic style was a bit disconnected for me too and couldn't hold my interest completely. I was waiting for the things to be shown that surely have been happening but we are left out of the picture with lots of questions.... Just like Camilla.
And as I said, I would have loved for her to get it sooner instead of some very bad decisions she made.
But hey, 5 stars it is!
The episodic style was a bit disconnected for me too and couldn't hold my interest completely. I was waiting for the things to be shown that surely have been happening but we are left out of the picture with lots of questions.... Just like Camilla.
And as I said, I would have loved for her to get it sooner instead of some very bad decisions she made.
But hey, 5 stars it is!
May 15, 2021
Although there was much more than the story of technology at the level of thinking vehicles, I was immersed in Camilla. I really empathized with her intelligent processing of her life with such a hair raising owner. The ending is kind of interesting and deserving
May 28, 2022
An amazing, engrossing story. An autonomous-option car sporting a well-meaning AI, increasingly pitted against its evil owner. You can't help but feel sorry for the car!
September 3, 2024
A I on wheels
I am a bookworm. At 73 years of age the thrill of fresh verbage is getting rarer. Finding a book that brings that feeling back is a treasure beyond compare.
I am a bookworm. At 73 years of age the thrill of fresh verbage is getting rarer. Finding a book that brings that feeling back is a treasure beyond compare.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews