I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review
voluntarily.
Splitting Skies is the latest novel by Mikhail Gladkikh. It is a
breath-taking tale of Artificial Intelligence that has left a world full of
people addicted to living anywhere but the real world, but the artificial world
is also becoming less and less desirable. It is full of twists and turns moving
at warp speed that will have the reader asking many questions, including
calling the very nature of existence into question.
From the back of the book:
Humanity’s thirst for simplification in a world driven by technology leads
to the ultimate creation: Designed Consciousness. This invention destroys the
framework of society and brings humanity to the verge of collapse. But the
implications for the structure of the universe itself are much more sinister.
An older man who has lost his purpose and a blind artist girl embark on the
impossible quest to prevent the disaster. As the fabric of reality begins to
unravel, the two unlikely heroes must question if the world even deserves to be
saved.
My favorite point of plot in this story is illustrated by the opening line:
"If you die in a dream, do you survive in reality? And what is reality,
anyway?"
As I write this review, my daughter is in the next room playing a video
game. She is controlling a character who wanders a virtual countryside
collecting items and building strength to help her eventually defeat a foe
threatening the world she moves her character through.
Is the character nothing more than the result of code written by another
human being? Does my daughter see this as a real person she is helping to reach
his goal? Is the world he moves through real to him? It makes one think deeper,
and some things that come to mind can be a little unsettling.
Here, in reality, we like to think we have free will. But do we really?
Are we nothing more than pawns in someone's imagination being moved through
a world created for us by someone?
Most rational people would say no. Many philosophers call existence into
question. Others are convinced we have no self-determination, and we are living
in some sort of matrix while being moved and manipulated as we move through
life.
And if it is the case, we are living in a virtual reality, how would we know
in the first place?
Splitting Skies gave me all these thoughts as I turned the pages and read
this fascinating tale where the virtual world becomes real, and the threats are
also as deadly as those in our mundane existence.
My takeaway from Splitting Skies is to recognize how the human imagination
continues to grow, and the stories we tell beyond that imagination eventually
become reality. How far will AI go? Only as far as we allow it would have been
my answer before reading this book. I'm not so sure anymore.
I have come to expect excellent and thought-provoking stories from Mikhail,
and Splitting Skies is no exception to my expectations. But be warned, this is
not a book to be taken lightly. It is a complicated tale that will demand the
reader’s full attention. It is deep with science fiction, philosophical, and
existential ideas that can make your head spin. In a word, it is excellent
reading, and I recommend it for those who don't mind being disturbed for a
short time before getting back to the rigors of mundane life.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am a technologist and a science fiction author.
My professional career provides me with a unique perspective on the
technologies of the future. I am working at the forefront of the 4th Industrial
Revolution, advancing 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Supply
Chain, and Energy Transition. You can read my fiction and connect with me at my
website mikhailgladkikh.com.
Join me in my quest to imagine the future world!
Well. there it is...
Qapla!
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