Artificial Artifacts by John Fennec

Artificial Artifacts by John Fennec
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over Feb (our first readalong)

Pages - 308

Publisher - We Are White Fox

Source - Review copy for a readalong

Blurb from Goodreads

A visionary debut collection of eleven loosely interconnected short stories explores the rise of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, revealing their profound impacts on human existence. This is not your typical sci-fi - it's an intricate puzzle. Can you solve the mystery that is Peter Byrell?



My Review

So I always say I am not overly a fan of short stories so it isn't often I will pick one up let along agree to read it. However the theme of AI absolutely drew me in, I blame Terminator and Sci Fi for getting into these types of themes. That, old horror movies and how reliant we are on technology these days like look how much our homes/lives use! Anyways back to the book. We kick off this debut meeting Peter Byrell via a memo or email to the company. Whilst Peter pops up in some of the eleven stories all have a theme linked in one way or another.

I think this would be a great book club/book group discussion as there is so much to unpack whether you go individually or as a collective whole. One that hit home was the newer type invention for a type of Fitbit if you like, no spoilers. That being said look how many of us use Fitbits, guilty here, what if we were offered something a bit more invasive, medical style. What if music and technology did more to our very beings, what if we were manipulated and didn't know the whole impact and or control?

The book raised a fair few questions, for me anyway and as I said we had a readalong with this one, our first ever doing that. The questions I posted on our Instagram so you can nosey yourself but it gave a bit more pause for thought for some of the stories. I got a wee bit Terminator vibes in some of them, others you couldn't help but question your own dependence/usage of technology. I did enjoy conspiracy themes, I love a good conspiracy theory myself so watching how characters reacted to situations, tech and even each other in these stories reeled you in!

I am finding the AI & advanced tech in stories are becoming more popular, art imitating life? A strong debut with a new take, characters woven into individual tales with some interloping - I found the last story nodding to the rest of the book was a nice touch, 4/5.

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The Passengers by John Marrs

The Passengers by John Marrs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Ebury Digital

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

Eight self-drive cars set on a collision course. Who lives, who dies? You decide.

When someone hacks into the systems of eight self-drive cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course.

The passengers are: a TV star, a pregnant young woman, a disabled war hero, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife - and parents of two - who are travelling in separate vehicles and a suicidal man. Now the public have to judge who should survive but are the passengers all that they first seem?


My Review

A jury, carefully selected with a government official and members of the public having to take their turn to "vote" on who is at fault in car accident. Set in the not to distance future we have level five cars, they control everything and the driver can just relax, as a passenger. When one of the meetings is interrupted by a hacker who has taken control of eight of these cars and advising in two and a half hours they will die. Tempers flare, emotions are high, the public will get a say in the votes, eight seemingly innocent people's lives hang by a madman's decision, who will survive.

So we hear a wee bit about the passengers, the government official is warned there will be consequences for failure to comply. The public and watching and voting, the poor people are trapped in their cars and chapter after chapter the tension is building. Just when you think you have it sussed where the book is gone the author flings a curve ball, you know nothing, only what the hacker chooses.

Corruption, lack of morality, trial by public, life and death, lies, destruction, love and absolute anarchy. The tension builds up quickly and keeps you hooked, you just want to see what is coming next, who will be next, will anyone survive. The book also lets you look at the darker side of humanity, yes it is a fiction book but go onto almost any social media and look at the comments. You could easily see this being a reality and I think that is what is scary about this book, the potential. We see how dark humans can go, how fast technology is developing and how much humans rely on it, but when it goes wrong.....fantastic read. This wasn't my first by Marrs and it won't be my last 4/5 for me this time.

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Zoo by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Zoo by James Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 395

Publisher - Century

Blurb from Goodreads

All over the world, brutal attacks are crippling entire cities. Jackson Oz, a young biologist, watches the escalating events with an increasing sense of dread. When he witnesses a coordinated lion ambush in Africa, the enormity of the impending violence becomes terrifyingly clear.

With the help of ecologist Chloe Tousignant, Oz races to warn world leaders before it's too late. The attacks are growing in ferocity, cunning, and planning, and soon there will be no place left for humans to hide.



My Review

Animals all over the world are exhibiting increasingly aggressive and new hunting patterns of behavior. Jackson Oz is a young biologist who has been ridiculed and discredited in his field for some of his outlandish claims, so much so he left his course. Now it looks like Oz may be the one person who can help understand what is happening with the animals but will he be listened to before it is too late?

Ooooh I really quite liked this book although it seems a bit hit and miss with some of the readers. As with all of Patterson's books the chapters as small which helps you get through it quickly or dip in and out if you are busy.

As humans we have take a lot for granted, we abuse our positions of power, animals are often abused, murdered and dis guarded so when do we reap what we sow? In Zoo, animals are reacting and rising up against humans and we find ourselves no longer at the top of the food chain. Sadly with the theme of the book animals are harmed which may make for uncomfortable reading, there are human deaths also again some scenes may be disturbing for some readers.

I like that the book examines not only animal behavior patterns but also human patterns, how we react in life and death situations and how we pull apart or together in the face of danger. I would love to see a follow up to this book, 4/5 for me this time.

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