I've read a few of the short stories based in the near future where our online lives are run by autos, smart apps designed to make our lives easier. The author creates a plausible and sinister vision of the future which I'd enjoyed. Now all of the stories have been combined into a single book, along with some new stories so I was eager to read through them.
I'll admit that I was tempted to skip through the stories that I'd read previously, but I'm glad that I didn't. The short stories provided different snap shots of the world the author has created and while they were excellwent reads in their own right, they are so much better when re-read with the wider context this book provides.
The overall story is great, the different glimpses tantilise with what is going on before drawing together into a conclusion that both feels logical and satisfies. It's also open to allow further books in the series which I hope is the intent.
As well as providing a good story the author writes well, although in many ways this is a bleak world that he creates it is still full of life and humour. Overall this is a great read that I'm happy to recommend to anyone.
In 2022, everyone uses an auto. This sophisticated ‘super-app’ is a digital personal assistant which acts on your behalf. It knows your personality and habits – and mimics them. It learns from your behaviour – and copies you.
Your whole life, set to automatic. How would you manage without it?
Digital detective Joanna O’Donnell has heard stories about autos going wrong, twisting people's lives inside out. She doesn’t believe it. Until it happens to her.
Unable to trust her own agency, Joanna secretly investigates and discovers these incidents may be part of a bigger, more terrifying story.
Michael Walker – the man who invented the auto, and public enemy number one – is back...
Auto is available from Amazon (and you really should read it!)
By day I'm a video game consultant, and I also volunteer at the German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund - the charity that rescued the dog I adopted last year. I've also recently started compiling a website covering the history of the village I live, although I'm hoping to draw in some help for that project! Here is scratchpad when I need it, and a place for my personal projects. It's also an archive from back when this was was my writing blog.
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Michael, a gigantic THANK YOU for this excellent review! I'm especially impressed that you took the time to re-read the stories you'd already read, that's serious commitment! Very much appreciate all your kind words.
ReplyDeleteNo problem, it's a good read.
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