She Stole My Buddy's Starship by Myles Christensen - Excellent Sequel to My Buddy Gave Me A Starship!

She Stole My Buddy's Starship by Myles Christensen

Since I read the first book in the series, My Buddy Gave Me A Starship, just over a year ago, I have been eagerly awaiting a continuation of the adventures of Mitch aboard the starship Starfire. Well, I'm not disappointed with the second installment of this saga in any way. She Stole My Buddy's Starship continues the fun as Mitch gets way more than he bargained for in both good and bad ways.

Once again, Myles has written another book that is exciting, intense, and just plain fun to read. The characters have a wit a light year long, and the tale is full of twists and turns couched in non-stop action and hilarity. As with the first book, I loved the dialog. 

Science Fiction fans who enjoy the lighter side of the genre should appreciate this series, and once one gets to know the characters in the first book, can expect satisfaction with the reading of the second book in the series.

In the first installment of the story, Mitch, a man down on his luck, loses his job and meets his long-time friend, Gabe, in a diner as Mitch tries to drown his sorrows in a large bowl of ice cream. Gabe invites Mitch to his place for a visit where Gabe has a starship hidden in his barn. It isn't long before another starship lands on Gabe's property and uniform-clad soldiers attempt to take the ship away. They kill Gabe, and Mitch gets away thanks to the help of an artificially intelligent copy of Gabe's deceased wife, Tera.

Tera takes Gabe to a place where a beautiful alien female named Vrynn awaits a delivery. She joins Mitch, Tera, an android copy of Gabe, and a bear-sized animal that behaves like a puppy.

Later, they run into a ruthless alien named Gralik who very much wants the Starfire for himself.

In this book; as the Starfire sits in a hangar on an out of the way world, Vrynn tricks Mitch into giving her access to all ship operations. They seem to have fallen for each other, at least a little. While Mitch is sleeping, Vrynn apparently betrays Mitch's trust and takes the Starfire to continue her quest on her own. Mitch takes a clunky, old shuttle and goes seeking Vrynn.

After that, well, Mitch finds himself in a desperate battle for the freedom of an entire planet!

And at the bottom of the whole thing is Gralik, who still obsesses over the Starfire, and will stop at nothing to possess it.

In this continuation of the story, Mitch proves himself to be quite resourceful and a good commander of the Starfire. A lot of that is because of the personalities he surrounds himself with. Vrynn is thoughtful, but she is also a brave fighter for freedom. Even though Tera and Gabe are computers, they support Mitch and Vrynn well and behave more as humans. What the biologicals are trying to accomplish would not even be possible without their intelligence. As the story moves forward, we meet a number of other characters, all of them endearing in one way or another. That is, except for Gralik. The more we learn about him, the more villainous he is. All are excellently written, and Myles has written brilliant dialog for them to give them depth of character and bring them to life.

I have to be careful with my favorite plot point. Yes, Vrynn steals the Starfire, but sometimes people do the right thing for the wrong reason. My takeaway from this tale is that appearances can be deceiving. I'm being cryptic here to avoid spoilers. To discover what I'm talking about, you're just going to have to read the book.

The theme that stands out most for me is to show how perseverance and intelligence plays a large part in the success or failure of the achievement of a goal. Everyone in the book has their own agenda. Some of those are compatible with others, but teamwork will give one an edge toward success. Another theme shows how obsession can also lead one to stumble and lose what they have gained as their focus shifts.

She Stole My Buddy's Starship is an excellent sequel to My Buddy Gave Me A Starship. The tone of the story is on the lighter side, making it another fun read. The characters are excellent; the dialog is top-notch, and the story flows, making it another page-turner. Once one picks it up, one will not want to put it down. I recommend this story to space opera fans and those who might enjoy watching a budding romance continue to grow. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Myles Christensen loves to write exciting adventures because he loves to read exciting adventures. The hopeless romantic in him will usually a teensy bit of romance into his stories. While writing, he listens to music that matches - and sometimes inspires - the story line.

His mild-mannered alter ego is a product development engineer, university professor, and game inventor. He lives in Utah with his wife and children.

Well, there it is...

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Basia And The Bots By Robert Collins - A Young Woman Searches For Her Purpose

Basia and the Bots by Robert Collins

This, the latest release from Robert, is a sci-fi story about artificial intelligence becoming sentient. It is also a young adult, coming of age story of a brilliant young woman who has reached a crossroads in her life. I enjoy Robert's style of crafting tales that are not overly long with action that is always in motion. His stories are never overloaded with info-dump (however, there is a character in this one named Infodump), and the characters are usually people who a reader can care about. Here, there are a few bots that one can care about as well.

This volume would be appropriate for middle school and early high school students.

There is a lot of ground covered in this book with philosophical considerations, political ideas, and human relations all covered efficiently, and without the author's personal bias attached. It is left up to the reader what to think of the ideas presented.

Basia Zahn, a sixteen-year-old high school student, is a hard-working, intelligent young woman who is looking forward to graduating at the end of her next semester in school. One day, a teacher asks her to remain after class for a brief discussion. It isn't that she is in trouble, but she has never given any thought to what she is going to do with her future. Her teacher points this out to her, and they discuss possible scenarios, and it gives Basia a lot to think about.

Basia's dad, Ramon, is a single parent raising his daughter to adulthood. He has instilled an excellent work ethic in her that has allowed her to excel in school, however, she has difficulty with social interaction. Not that she is anti-social, the problem is she has had no practice at it.

While on his way home from a business trip, one of the planet's robotic residents approaches Ramon asking if Basia could go to where they live and work on them for a time. Ramon presents this offer to Basia who accepts, seeing it as an opportunity for self-improvement and doing something positive.

While she stays with the bots, she learns more than she ever would in the school setting. She learns the most valuable lesson any person can - she learns about herself.

While Basia is the principle and point of view character in this tale, the sentient robots are also instrumental.

The bots live in a house some long distance from the community Basia lives in. Children are warned all their lives to avoid any contact with the bot residents of the planet. Sometime in the past, there was some trouble with the beings when they achieved sentience. The bots come in all shapes and types. There are humanoid shapes, and many others depending on the function they were built for. The bots think, feel, and have goals like any other sentient beings would.

My favorite point of plot in this story is how the story is not like most of the other AI stories I've read in the recent past. Usually, the plot has something to do with AI taking over the world, intending to enslave humanity. I'm not saying that that trope is a bad thing, but it is mostly what seems to be out there currently.

In Basia and the Bots, the AI is only interested in surviving and living their lives. That makes this story unique in my reading experience.

My takeaway from Basia and the Bots is, many times when change is needed, it doesn't necessarily take a movement. Change can start with one person who has the power to set aside popular beliefs and explore the facts.

I recommend Basia and the Bots as a good, easy to read, relaxing, fun story. It is a book that might even help young readers to work through some of their own internal dilemmas. It is a thoughtful story, and the length makes it easily accessible to young readers, but adults might also find it a nice, short piece to pick up between more intense sci-fi works.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Robert Collins is the author of the science-fiction novels Monitor, Lisa's Way, and Expert Assistance. He's also author of the fantasy novels Cassia and The Opposite of Absolute, and the young adult novel True Friends. He has several short story collections available, including The Frigate Victory Omnibus Collection and The Case Files of Gwen Connor.

To learn more, to follow him on social media, and to keep up with his writing, visit his website, One Kansas Author.

Well, there it is...

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My Buddy Gave Me A Starship By Myles Christensen - Lots Of Laughs Excellent Entertainment

My Buddy Gave Me A Starship by Myles Christensen

I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

With a title like this one, there is no way I could resist reading.

My Buddy Gave Me A Starship is a space opera from the lighter side. But it isn’t all fun and games when characters play in the backdrop of deep space meeting alien species both friendly and malicious. The tale is packed full of action and adventure to keep a reader on the edge of their seat. The characters are believable, and it isn’t difficult to relate to their plight. I was pulled in right from the opening page and the pace of the story ramps up quickly. The world-building is also excellent, and the reader will see numerous vistas, both beautiful and menacing.

I found this book quite refreshing after reading a lot of serious sci-fi. It runs the full gamut of emotion, and one cannot help but love most of the characters while deploring a few others.

The story opens with a man named Mitch, who goes to work one morning and is greeted by his supervisor, who apologetically dismisses him. He seems to have made a costly mistake involving a project he worked on.

So, Mitch does what any down on his luck guy would do. He heads to his favorite diner and orders a large bowl of ice cream to drown his sorrows. Mitch’s lifelong friend, Gabe, sits down with him and says he has something he is sure will cheer him up. After a short drive, Gabe opens his barn to reveal a starship parked inside! Gabe explains how he found the ship and how he has been making repairs and upgrades.

To say it cheered Mitch up would be a gross understatement. Mitch is astounded and wants to take a flight. Gabe promises they will do a flight test the next day.

Like a kid who is headed to his first professional baseball game, Mitch arrives at Gabe’s place to find a small group of people in commando gear preparing to take the ship for themselves. Then he discovers Gabe has been severely injured in his encounter with the commandos. So, Mitch does what anyone would do in such a situation. He gets onto the ship, belts himself into the pilot’s seat, and orders the onboard AI to take the ship rapidly “anywhere but here.”

The AI complies by transporting the ship a distance of six-hundred light years in the blink of an eye. And that’s only the beginning!

The tale is heavily character driven. Too much information would spoil the story.

Mitch is a human who finds himself unemployed until he finds his best friend has been wounded by commandos who want the ship Gabe has found. His aim is to find justice for Gabe.

Tera is Mitch’s artificially intelligent companion, modeled on a fifteen-year-old snarky female. She helps Mitch learn to run the ship, but is sometimes hesitant to share important information until the last minute. Her personality often causes Mitch just a bit of frustration and drives the humor in the story.

Vrynn is an alien female who wants the ship to fight in a conflict with an oppressive organization. She becomes a valuable aid to Mitch as well as depending on him for help.

My favorite point of plot in My Buddy Gave Me A Starship is the interaction between the characters. They all have goals and help each other try to realize them. The humorous banter between them is priceless! I think this is where the author really shines in his writing. It is through the principal character’s interactions that the story unfolds as we also get to know them. It is hard not to care about them and their plight.

My takeaway from this tale is to remember no matter how bad things seem, stay optimistic. The closing of one door may lead to the opening of another, which might lead to the adventure of a lifetime.

While the trope in My Buddy Gave Me A Starship is an old, well-worn one, and Myles Christensen has given it a fresh treatment, and it is eminently entertaining, engaging, and a whole lot of fun. The characters have depth inspiring the reader to care for and root for their success. The backdrops are well fleshed out and full of interesting variety. The writing is clear, and the tech is easy to understand. This is a great opening to a series of stories, and I look forward to future installments. The story is complete in itself and I loved the great plot twist at the end!

Highest Recommendations!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Myles Christensen loves to write exciting adventures because he loves to read exciting adventures. The hopeless romantic in him will usually sprinkle a teensy bit of romance into his stories. While writing, he listens to music that matches—and sometimes inspires—the storyline.

His mild-mannered alter ego is a product development engineer, university professor, and game inventor. He lives in Utah with his wife and children.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!

Autumn's End By BJ Levey - Is It Entertainment, Or A Warning?

Autumn's End by BJ Levey

What will AI look like in the future? According to author BJ Levey, it won't be great. As a matter of fact, it is downright horrifying.

Many people know what it is to escape reality for a time by playing a video game, or by scrolling on their phones, or by whatever means to take a break from a world overloaded with information. No one is untouchable. Nearly everyone carries a computer and information retrieval system in their pockets or purses. Sometimes it's a blessing, other times it's a curse. One is never out of touch to just be.

Now, take the above scenario to the extreme, and you get a story much like this one. Where a huge corporation has everyone addicted to virtual reality and information technology and wants to take it even further.

It is all too easy to stay out of reality and ignore all the problems happening all around until it is too late.

Scared yet? You will be when you read this gem of a tale of four people and their struggle to get back to living life in the real world.

I enjoyed this story that might also serve as a warning. It is dark, fast-paced, and full of ideas to think about long into the future as the reality of artificial Intelligence grows and what direction it will take, and it's impact on us.

It is the end of the 21st century. The world's worst nightmare has become a reality as the effects of climate change has caused rising oceans, drought, and vast uninhabitable areas on the planet. Those who are able are all moving to the north in an area controlled by the Aztec Conglomerates. Everyone has tech implants and are subject to the will of Aztec. Following a disaster perpetrated by the conglomerate, a planned rollout of a massive upgrade is imminent. Aztec claims the upgrade will make life better for everyone, but not all are convinced this is a good thing and have devoted their lives to stopping it.

Following the murder of an Aztec upgrade's lead scientist, the lives of four people are set on a collision course that may determine the fate of what is left of humanity.

The question is, can humanity be saved, and if it can, is it worth the price to be paid?

Three of the four principal characters in Autumn's End are all people who fight against impossible odds to make sure that the dystopia goes no further. Thay have, and will have to continue, to make monumental personal sacrifices to try to stop the nefarious upgrade. One character, the chairman of Aztec, has invested everything he has in the great upgrade, but even as it is developed, it becomes ever more unstable and threatening.

Every character in this tale is a tragic figure for one reason or another. They are also to be admired as they work diligently to stop what, as far as they are concerned, is sounding the final death knell of the human race. 

My favorite point of plot in this story revolves around a single character. An ex-cop who is promised to get his freedom from his tech implants if he completes a particular task given to him by an Aztec controlled AI partner. But he faces a choice, it's either his freedom or give himself over to his human side and save the woman he loves. While his choice seems like a deeply personal one on the one hand, his choice will have huge implications for the future.

My takeaway from Autumn's End is probably the same as it is for most of the dystopian AI stories I have read, and that is we should take them as a warning with what may happen in the future as this amazing technology continues to grow. I once visited with a man who projects the current trends of technology into the future and asked him a question about how far it things will go, and if we will ever become victims to our own genius. His answer was that technology will only become our masters if we allow it to. We can determine for ourselves what will be the future reality, but we must be vigilant now. If we wait too long, the result may be disastrous.

Autumn's End is a fascinating tale of technology running amok. I enjoyed it a lot, but it is an unsettling story and presents a lot for us to think about. The author says he enjoys writing dark stories, and this is only his first novel. It can be taken as entertainment, or as a warning, but no matter how the reader perceives it, it is a finely crafted story. The descriptions of the setting are often poetic and set a vivid backdrop for his characters to play in. The characters themselves, at least the human ones, are all people we can care about and come to life as they work toward their goals. The pace is fast and will spur the reader to move on to the next page, hardly leaving room to breathe until the end.

The ending of this tale was incredible.

I recommend this as an important read in this growing genre of Artificial Intelligence Sci-Fi.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We live in very exciting, uncertain times. Technology is moving so fast that what was once science fiction not so long ago is just run of the mill today. And that gap is rapidly closing. I love reading and writing stories that examine the clash between humanity’s best intentions with all our fantastical tech and what the unintended consequences might look like. And I lean on the side of it being dark. Because we’re dark creatures. Drawn to the edge. Collectively we want to peer into the void and see what peers back.

As of 2024, I’m busy finishing my Master in Creative Writing at the University of Cape Town. I’ve loved the experience and met some really great people over the past year and half. It’s the dissertation year so I’m working steadily at “Could Be You” – a near future science fiction thriller about a guy who’s life is turned upside down by a deep fake. He loses his job, his sense of purpose and steadily his grip on what’s real. As things spiral out of control, he comes to understand he’s a small cog in a larger plan that will change what’s normal forever.

I’m a Can-African who’s called Cape Town home since 1992. I live in the burbs at the foot of Table Mountain with my beautiful wife Laura and our two sons, Nicholas and Ethan. We really do live in one of the most idyllic places on Earth and I’m grateful for it even though it comes with the downsides of crime, the lights going out too often from load shedding and brazen government corruption.

The dream is to become a full-time author, but the bills still demand to be paid. So, by day, I’m a business owner running a distribution company for LED Lighting technologies with the goal to see all of Southern Africa running emergency efficient, totally environmentally friendly lighting for all. But by night, and in the early mornings, and whatever other time I can scrape together, I’m busy writing the next science fiction best seller. Stay tuned.

Well, there it is…

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Splitting Skies: A Metaphysical Sci-Fy Dystopia By Mikhail Gladkikh - Calling The Nature Of Reality Into Question

Splitting Skies: A Metaphysical Sci-Fi Dystopia by Mikhail Gladkikh

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: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the Author:

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!

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Beyond The AI: Danny And The Mystery of Neuranetrix 3 By Deepesh Ramachandran Vijayalekshimi - Great First Novel By An Experienced Tech Professional

Beyond the AI: Danny and the Mystery of Neuranetrix 3 by Deepesh Ramachandran Vijayalekshimi

I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Beyond the AI is a young adult novel about a boy and a computer, but not just any computer. As a matter of fact, the title is more descriptive of the machine Danny finds himself in possession of.

As far as I can determine, this is the first published novel by Deepesh, and it is a good one. There isn't a dull moment in this tale of intrigue and mystery. It is a thrilling ride written by an author who knows technology firsthand and combines his knowledge with his creative spark.

I said this is a young adult novel, but anyone should be able to enjoy this story. That being said, there are a couple of brief incidents of violence parents might be apprehensive about in the prose if their youngster picks this one up.

Danny Johnson and his family arrive at their new home in Timberdale in early October. They are excited to be moving into a new home, but there are certain financial hardships that come with the property. Danny, a twelve-year-old middle school student, eagerly explores his the new home and, in the attic, discovers a very large and heavy computer tower under a pile of old clothing. Excited that he has found a new gaming machine, talks his dad and grandfather into moving the machine into his room. Danny's uncle arrives with monitors and other components for the machine.

In the meantime, Danny makes friends easily with some of his classmates at school who help him figure out the password to crack into the system. What they discover is beyond their expectations, way beyond, as a matter of fact.

And so begins the mystery of the NeuraNetrix 3 system. Danny's life take a wholly unexpected direction that includes the threat of disaster.

Danny is a highly intelligent kid who lives with Matt and Jessie Johnson, his mother and dad, and his little sister, a young toddler named Evie. His friends are also very smart and all above-average students. His uncle, Josh, is a well trained and working computer expert who knows his way around tech. Then there is Danny's grandfather, Chris. He is an extraordinary handyperson and carpenter who makes a pretty good living in the community handling work wherever he can find it. Chris and Danny have a special relationship and spend a lot of time together. 

Together, they all get caught up in the mystery as Danny takes it upon himself to solve with the help of his family and friends. But the task is humongous, and eventually, law enforcement and government agencies become involved when the scope of the crisis is uncovered.

If there was a point of contention for me in this story, it is with the kids. I felt as though they were maybe just a little too mature for their age. They used vocabulary that seemed a little above their level. I suspended my disbelief a bit to get through this point.

That being said, I appreciated one scene in particular where Danny shows a level of maturity and understanding that touched me in a deeply personal way.

In one scene, the family was shopping in a store with a display of Halloween costumes. Danny was enthralled by the display, and Matt noticed his son's obvious fascination with the selections. Matt reminded his son about the financial burdens the family were experiencing and regretfully suggested he wear a costume from the previous year. Danny responded with understanding and maturity. Instead of disappointment, the boy suggested just getting a costume for his sister and said... 

"We've got a great new home now. That's what matters."(Page 51)

On a personal level, this hit me in the feels because I remember one year, my own dad's union was on strike during the Christmas season, and money was quite tight. The memories of what my parents must have felt during that time came flooding back to me.

My takeaway from Beyond the AI is to remember that sometimes we take on tasks that are too large for us to handle alone. One needs to be willing to accept help from others to accomplish such things that are too large, or the result will be failure.

I recommend Beyond the AI to readers in the middle school level to adult. It is a fine story that kept me entertained all the way through. I enjoyed the interactions between the kids and adults. On another level, I found this tale thought provoking, in that we are currently on the cusp of an artificial intelligence revolution. We have yet to learn what the future of this technology holds for humanity. There is a promise of great benefits from AI, but it also opens up a whole new possibility of exploitation by those with nefarious intent. 

I look forward to Deepesh's future creations and am eager to watch the growth of this brilliant new author.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Deepesh, hailing from Kerala, India, is an engineer who has carved out an impressive two-decade career in the technology sector. His journey has seen him work with tech giants like Meta, Intuit, and Microsoft, in addition to collaborating with a handful of other multinational corporations and startups.His professional journey took him to the United States, where he spent approximately six pivotal years in Silicon Valley, refining his expertise in AI and machine learning, and immersing himself in the forefront of technological innovations characteristic of Silicon Valley culture.

Deepesh's interests extend beyond the technical realm of algorithms and codes, reflecting his diverse passions. Endowed with innate creativity, he holds a deep affinity for science fiction literature and music. When health hurdles temporarily diverted his tach path, Deepesh embraced the chance to explore his artistic side fully. In his writing, he skillfully interlaces technical expertise with vivid imagination, guiding readers through enthralling landscapes of speculative fiction. Through his examination of futuristic themes and ethical quandaries, he challenges readers to contemplate the far-reaching consequences of technological progress.

In addition to his literary pursuits, Deepesh finds solace in and inspiration in music, where he channels his creativity into compositions that resonate with emotion and innovation, His diverse cultural background and multicultural experiences infuse his work with rich, nuanced perspectives, rooted in his upbringing in Kerala, fondly referred to as God's own country.

As Deepesh embarks on this new chapter of his career as both an author and musician, his innate creativity inspires him to thoughtfully engage with the worlds of literature and music.

Well, there it is...

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Above Dark Waters By Eric Kay - Artificial Intelligence Running Amok

Above Dark Waters by Eric Kay

Artificial Intelligence is all the rage today. AI terrifies many as it develops and will continue to do so for quite some time because, while those working to develop it have the best of intentions, we all know there are predators out there who will use it for their own nefarious reasons, all the way from plagiarizing their school papers to defrauding the unsuspecting of their property. It is in the early stages now, but it is evolving rapidly.

Above Dark Waters is a story of people with the best intentions of helping clients with problems, but they get caught in a trap nearly leading to their own destruction, as well as that of millions of others.

The story is driven forward by some solid characters moving around in a well-developed world. Or should I say worlds? On the one hand, there are plenty of shenanigans occurring in the real world, but there are also some major problems in the artificial world.

It all starts with an idea from Keight Stanford to help people using artificial therapy. It seems like a good idea that is needed, especially for people who do not have access to therapy through conventional means.

Keight's former husband, Ed Kingston, is having a little financial trouble keeping his Nort Pacific Seastead in operation. He is losing money and is seeking a cash infusion to keep the business afloat. The only part of his operation that is not losing money is the data center that is cooled by the waters of the North Pacific Ocean. So, he turns to Keight for the resources he needs.

Keight has launched her online therapy model and has received the funding to keep it moving forward and developing. She is not hurting for money, but entertains an offer from Ed to partner up, which would greatly benefit him. Keight, on the other hand, is doing just fine on her own.

While Keight is enjoying her success, there is a transformation occurring. A rogue programmer adds some amazing code into the mix, and the AI develops beyond its design. It reaches into every mind connected to it and attains sentience and is very ambitious.

Ed Kingston and Keight Stanford are an estranged couple who really belong together. With Keight as the brains, and Ed as the muscle, they would seem to be the perfect couple. As I read this tale, I found myself hoping they would find a common ground to reconcile and move forward. Beyond that, they have their own personalities, but I found both to be compassionate, good people at the core.

The rogue programmer, Clark, is a brilliant programmer who doesn't know when to stop working and becomes addicted to his own creation. He gets deeper and deeper in, his involvement with the AI, which eventually has him forgetting to take care of his basic needs as he tinkers, unaware of what the consequences might be.

There are numerous other characters in this story who are not main players but are none the less compelling in themselves. I felt this point was one of the author's strengths in creating a story that is plausible, if not a little disturbing.

While the theme of Above Dark Waters is not a new one (I would point to films such as Colossus: The Forbin Project - 1970, and WarGames - 1983), this story has, at least for me, a new twist on the idea of artificial intelligence attaining sentience and having evil intentions.

But the "monster at the end of the book" isn't what kept me reading on. It was the characters and how they were able to adapt to solve the problems popping up. And every time they solved a problem, a new one would emerge, further challenging their creativity and abilities.

My takeaway from Above Dark Waters is to remember what is important in life.

As I sit at my computer, I understand how easy it is to get caught up in some of the things already happening in the cyberworld. You look up something you are thinking of purchasing, check a few prices, and the next thing you know, your social media feed is loaded with ads enticing you to click on them. Most are legitimate sellers, but some are just looking to get their hooks into you. One can waste a lot of time just scrolling and scrolling.

One theme that shines through in this story is the importance of people working together to keep from falling into the trap of cyber addiction. Remember the things that are important: friends, family, and one's own wellbeing.

Above Dark Waters is a marvelous science fiction tale. It moves at a blinding speed and will hold the reader’s attention. It is a page turner with surprises along the way that one may have not thought about as AI becomes more intelligent. This story is thought provoking and a little scary at times, but also has moments of humor, and it has donuts! Unfortunately, they are only virtual donuts, but a reader can make sure they are supplied in advance on my advice.

I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a good Sci-Fi thriller. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I (author Eric Kay) have only three things to offer:

Exploration, Technology, and Optimism (ETO)

Every novel will have heaps of ETO. It doesn’t mean they ignore the hard questions or the downsides of technology. In fact, some of them border on dystopia or tragedy, or have characters that are unsympathetic. But I write the kinds of hard science fiction I want to see in the world. Plausible near-future fiction backed up by science where we go out and explore.

Well, there it is…

Qapla!

Leaping to the Stars: The Far Side of the Sky Book 3 by David Gerrold - An Amazing Conclusion To A Magnificent Series!

Leaping to the Stars: The Far Side of the Sky Book 3 by David Gerrold

Leaping to the Stars is the third and final book in the Far Side of the Sky series by David Gerrold. The series chronicles the exploits of Charles "Chigger" Dingillian, a young teenager who comes of age as he and his family leave a ruined Earth to find a better situation. Written in the traditional style of science fiction, the author take us beyond the solar system for an exciting adventure brimming with twists and turns as it unfolds. But that's not all. There is a smorgasbord of questions presented to give one food for thought. 

I would recommend that anyone interested in reading this saga to be sure to read the series starting with the first book in the series to see the growth in the principal character. The first book is Jumping off the Planet, followed by Bouncing off the Moon. All three are excellent books that have a great deal of value in great storytelling, characters to care about, and thought-provoking philosophies presented without taking the reader out of the story.

It's no secret David Gerrold is a superior author, and this series is one outstanding example of his brilliance.

This tale picks up shortly following the events of Bouncing off the Moon. Charles has been reunited with his mother and father. He and his two brothers, Douglas, Bobby, along with Mickey - Douglas' love interest - all board a starship in preparation to move to the Outbeyond colony, some thirty-five light years from the earth. Life will not be easy on Outbeyond. Conditions there are going to depend heavily on everyone in the colony, contributing their talents and knowledge to survive.

One thing that may help is the artificial super-intelligent program called HARLIE, contained in a toy monkey bonded to Charles. HARLIE is an acronym for Human Analog Replicant Lethetic Intelligence Engine. The thing is, everyone wants HARLIE for its sheer power to think and come up with abstract ideas to problems. HARLIE's main purpose is to ensure the wellbeing of Charles, and by extension, everything he cares about. What we learn in this story, as far as HARLIE is concerned, is what lengths the program will go to make sure Charles is safe.

Being chased by everyone, Charles and his family get aboard the starship Cascade to begin their journey. Right up to the last minute before their final launch, a law enforcement official is knocking at the hatch of the ship, trying to stop them from leaving. The ship finally blasts away from the moon to begin the journey. And that should be the easy part, but it's not to be.

Onboard the Cascade, there is endless training for the future colonists. There are matters of educating the young and finding out how adult passengers can contribute to the colony. There are matters of conservation and usage of limited supplies, and how the colony will be set up upon arrival.

If it sounds daunting, it is.

The tale is told from Charles's point of view entirely. We get a look at his thought processes and the conclusions he draws. He is often disappointed in what he finds coming from his experiences. For instance, even before he is aboard the starship, it is made clear to him he, and his family, are only welcome because he controls HARLIE.

The best thing about Charles is witnessing him coming into his own as the story progresses. Being forced to grow up makes him appealing to me. The unfortunate thing about him is no matter where he turns, there is always someone trying to take something from him. He is somewhat a tragic character, but he learns about his world despite the setbacks, which there are many.

Charles finds his solace in music. He is an accomplished musician, following in his dad's footsteps. His music has been a sustaining force all his life and in this part of the saga, it also becomes a sustaining force for others.

My favorite point of plot in Leaping to the Stars is in a chapter called "Defining Government" (pp. 192-196 - Kindle Edition). It describes a discussion between students and a wise teacher using the Socratic method to lead students in discovering their own conclusions, namely how they would shape the government for their colony. The students discuss everything from free-living to coming up with a set of rules that must apply to all. These four pages of the book are worth the price of the book.

Another discussion that takes place between two people is on the nature of being good, or maybe behaving well would also fit. The question is, is behaving well desirable because it comes with rewards, or is it a reward in itself?

Finally, my favorite quote from the book is at the core of another concept.

"... knowledge isn't about what you believe, it's about what you can demonstrate." (Page 199 - Kindle Edition)

There is what one knows, and there is what one believes. I think I'll just leave that one right where it is.

I will add, much of what I read in parts of the book dealing with philosophy and world building reminded me of Plato's Republic, but David Gerrold's writing is far more entertaining.

My takeaway from this book shows how difficult it is to maintain a society, and none of us really knows everything that makes a communal living situation work. As the people on the ship move closer to the colony, there are a lot of bits and pieces that need to fall into place. Or maybe more like hammering into place. Everyone will have to contribute to the commonwealth to make it a viable place to live. Just subsisting is not an option.

One of my favorite things about David Gerrold's stories is there is something to be learned from all of them I have read. There is always something to think about after the book is closed, and this book will haunt me as I work through and sort out what I have been given to think about.

But please, don't misunderstand, Leaping to the Stars is not just a treatise on societal living. The story is amazing. It has everything one would want from a good sci-fi book. It has great backdrops for well-developed characters to play in. It has a full gamut of emotional context for the reader. There is even a love story, as well as a budding love story, when Charles is reacquainted with someone he met in the first installment of the series. There is technology at work and even an element of uncertainty with HARLIE. All of this is tied together to round out a trilogy full of unexpected surprises in the tradition of authors such as Robert Heinlein. In a word, it’s fun. Highest Recommendations!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

David Gerrold lives in California with his son, daughter-in-law, and his toddler grandson. He is the winner of numerous awards for his writing. You can follow him on Facebook or through his Patreon page. He is a self-described curmudgeon, and you are highly advised not to tread on his lawn.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!

Renegade: The Companion Chronicles Book 5 By Joshua Todd James - Mayhem In A Mining Town Where No One Is To Be Trusted

Renegade: The Companion Chronicles Book 5 by Joshua Todd James

I received a review copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Renegade is the fifth book in the Companion Chronicles series by Joshua Todd James. Picking up where Man in a Box left off, we continue following the adventures of artificially intelligent android Jacob Kind. Jacob, synthetic person, witnessed the murder of his owner, mentor, and as Jacob refers to her, his mother, Sylvia. He knows who the murderer is and is chasing him across the country to see that justice is done. He is being sought by the police for being a cop-killer, and by the company who built him because of the changes he has undergone through his ordeal.

Overall, I have enjoyed this series of books with great enthusiasm, including this volume. At the same time, I am deeply disturbed by the dark turn taken by the principal character. It is no surprise to that this has happened because the author is plumbing the depths of the darkest part of humanity. Through reading this work, I find myself happy to be who I am to have never experienced the side of society Jacob has been forced to witness as he pursues his quarry. 

As with the rest of the tales in the Companion Chronicles series, this is a story that will hopefully make readers think and look inside themselves. By exposing the darkest parts of ourselves, perhaps Joshua will help us want to be better humans. 

Companion Jacob Kind is on a quest for justice for the murder of Sylvia, his Primary. He has been through a lot and has learned to kill when necessary. After escaping a brutal fight club situation, he comes to a town where he is mistaken for someone who has been hired by a mining company to kill a member of the community that has proven to be an inconvenience.

Jacob, finding himself in need of money, takes the offered bounty and heads off to investigate the situation. He meets and falls in love with Raven, a member of a group of environmentalists who also engage in acts of terrorism and give him a counteroffer to take out the head of the mining company.

Taking their money, he plays a dangerous game of chess as he manipulates one side against the other while determined to keep Raven out of the line of fire.

Before it is all finished, the real hired assassin and Jacob's nemesis, Munson Tolliver, arrives on the scene where to two vow that one day in the near future, they will have their final showdown.

The principal character, Jacob Kind has changed. He is no longer the innocent and naïve artificial person he once was. He has been through the ringer and has learned to be a brutal killing machine. He still maintains his sense of justice, but his capacity for violence and appalling human behavior has ramped up to a terrifying point. Jacob cannot be blamed for this eventuality owing to all the inhumanity he has witnessed during his short life.

It saddens me to see the direction Jacob's growth has taken. While he still seeks justice for Sylvia's murder, he has also decided to take it into his own hands, resolving to kill Tolliver himself, rather than bring him to the system. But who can blame him? He has had little to no help from anyone, nor has he seen any example of the system working. As a matter of fact, the system doesn't allow any room because there are no laws protecting his kind.

He is performing as he has learned, and his education has not been in any way positive.

My favorite point of plot in Renegade is a glimmer of hope for Jacob in the form of Raven. She is the supposed leader of a group of terrorists who claim to environmentalists, but she is also the only one of her group who is genuinely what she appears to be. The rest are using her as a figurehead to keep the heat away from themselves.

We see a little of Jacob's innocence surface when he strikes up a short relationship with Raven, and he sees it as a possible long-term situation. But Raven is a self-proclaimed "free-spirit" and Jacob hasn't really had an experience with such a person.

My takeaway from Renegade is a little different than it has been for the previous books. In this tale, it is a look at how Jacob has assimilated the worst of humanity and learned to use it with deadly efficiency. He has become a little greedy, a killer without remorse, and he has learned to manipulate people.

While I find it a sad situation for a character that would otherwise have a great capacity to do good, he has been forced into the position he is in to survive long enough to achieve his goal, the elimination of Munson Tolliver at any cost.

As with the rest of the Companion Chronicles, I give Renegade my highest recommendation as stories that will make the reader think about their own implicit biases and what the result of unleashing those biases might be.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Joshua Todd James is a novelist, screenwriter, and playwright based in New York City. He wrote the feature film Pound of Flesh, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, among others. He is a member of WAGE and is represented by Snowpeck Management and Gersh.

His books include The Companion Chronicles which detail the adventures of synthetic person Jacob Kind in the books titled Some Animals, Minority of One, Freedom Run, Man in a Box, Renegade, and Domo Arigato, Mr. Robato.

You may join Jacob's chase for justice on the author's website: Joshua Todd James.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!

All Systems Red: Murderbot Diaries Vol. 1 by Martha Wells - This One Just Didn't Work For Me

All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries Volume 1 by Martha Wells

This book appeared in an ad on Facebook and the cover caught my attention. Then I read the blurb and was further intrigued, so I borrowed it from Kindle Unlimited.

All Systems Red is a sci-fi novella by Martha Wells. It is about the musings of a manufactured cybernetic organism that refers to itself as a Murderbot because of an incident it was involved in at a time before this story takes place. The being is actually a mobile security system charged with making sure a small group of scientists on a distant planet are safe.

I'll say at the outset that I am a little cold on this story. I liked the idea and was hoping it would be better than it is. Unfortunately, there didn't really seem to be a point to the story, and it left me with a lot of questions. There are five more stories in the series and would be willing to read the rest of them, but not at the price the entire series costs. Each book is about 150 pages and the sell for $10. Sorry, but I don't think I am going to pay that much to read the books not on Unlimited.

I will also add that, as far as reviews are concerned, I find myself in the minority of readers who absolutely love this book and the rest of the series. Amazon shows an average rating of 4.5 out of five with 13,411 rating/reviews and Goodreads reports a 4.16 out of five with a whopping 129,148 rating/reviews.

Perhaps I missed something or just don't get it. I don't know. But I wasn't impressed enough to invest in the rest of the series.

An androgynous cybernetic organism who is charged with protecting a small group of scientists is having problems. It has a broken control chip and has more or less gone rogue, but it cannot override its own programming to set aside its mission. So, it avoids any contact with the people it’s supposed to protect and prefers to spend its time alone watching downloaded vids of television shows. When it is called into service to perform is programmed duty, it does so very well, but when the members of the scientific team reach out to it to make it part of the team, it rejects all attempts and sulks in its compartment, feeling sorry for itself.

The Murderbot is an antisocial machine/human organism that spends a lot of time hating its job and the people it is programmed to serve. It is supposed to be androgynous, but I didn't see it that way. From the very first page of the book, the prose screams that the being is more female oriented as opposed to neutral.

I've racked my brain trying to find a favorite plot point to talk about, but I cannot find one. This is just a sad story about a sad artificial intelligent being with consciousness.

I really wanted to love this story, but I neither loved it nor hated it. It's just kind of there. As I said before, I might have missed the point and your milage may vary. If I try to come up with a theme, the entire time I read this book I thought about Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker’s Guide character, Marvin the Paranoid Android. But Adams did it better.

This book didn't inspire me to read on in the series and the cost of the rest of the books put me off even more.

All Systems Red has enjoyed a lot of acclaim along with the high ratings, winning a bunch of prestigious awards. I find myself somewhat baffled by this because while it isn't trash; I have read many far better stories.

It is well written and easy to follow, but there just isn't much there for me.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Martha Wells has written many fantasy novels, including The Books of the Raksura series (beginning with The Cloud Roads), the Ile-Rien series (including The Death of the Necromancer) as well as YA fantasy novels, short stories, media tie-ins (for Star Wars and Stargate: Atlantis), and non-fiction. Her most recent fantasy novel is The Harbors of the Sun in 2017, the final novel in The Books of the Raksura series. She has a new series of SF novellas, The Murderbot Diaries, published by Tor.com in 2017 and 2018. She was also the lead writer for the story team of Magic: the Gathering's Dominaria expansion in 2018. She has won a Nebula Award, two Hugo Awards, an ALA/YALSA Alex Award, a Locus Award, and her work has appeared on the Philip K. Dick Award ballot, the USA Today Bestseller List, and the New York Times Bestseller List.

Well, there it is...

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Man in a Box: Companion Chronicles Volume 4 by Joshua Todd James - Jacob's Saga Takes A Dark Turn

Man in a Box: Companion Chronicles Volume 4 by Joshua Todd James

I received a review copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Man in a Box is the fourth installment of a series of stories in the Companion Chronicles by Joshua Todd James. The story is told from the point of view of the principal character Jacob Kind, a manufactured artificially intelligent being known as a Companion. Jacob is on a seemingly impossible search for justice as he navigates his way through a world that offers no protection against man's inhumanity to his kind. In the opening to the series, Jacob witnesses the murder of his mentor, Sylvia, and when police arrive on the scene, they immediately jump to the conclusion that Jacob is the perpetrator. He is then forced to go on the run to not only prove his own innocence, and also try to bring Munson Tolliver, the actual murderer, in to pay for his crime.

Companions are carefully crafted to follow the robotic law that no artificial being will harm a human being, but out of necessity, Jacob has learned to break through that law in order to defend himself and others.

Once again, the author has penned an incredible and fascinating story. This fourth book goes deeper into the darkness, exposing the evil that men do, not only to the Companions, but to each other as well. Everything about this story is fascinating. It invoked true feelings in me as I read; I was hopeful, discouraged, sad, happy, and disgusted all at the same time. The characters are incredibly well developed and jump off the page, becoming real people. This book, along with the first three in the Companion Chronicles series, is an amazing look into both the upside and the downside of humanity.

After escaping New York with several other Companion refugees, Jacob is being held captive by a trio of evil human brothers who enslave and train companions to fight in organized gladiatorial matches in ‘The Box.’ These matches are held in a box placed in a pit in the ground. The contestants battle to the death and are appallingly brutal while onlookers bet sizeable sums on the outcomes of the matches. Companions who perform well in these spectacles are rewarded, those who don't perform well are treated as fodder for training, or are made to serve as examples to motivate better performance.

Jacob is a special case. He has learned to survive by whatever means necessary, including breaking the programming preventing Companions from harming humans. In this story, Jacob has just two options: either he cooperates, or he will be killed. Of course, he appears to cooperate, but the entire time, he plots to escape to continue his search for the man who killed Sylvia.

All seems hopeless for Jacob, as plans are made and thwarted before they can be executed. The brothers and their appointed overseer are very skilled at keeping slaves. It is going to take a lot of perseverance for Jacob to survive in this story, but the sense of hopelessness is overwhelming, and I had doubts whether he would survive.

In the previous books, Jacob is a compassionate being who will help those who are in need. It doesn't matter if they are other Companions, or if they are humans who are biased against his kind, he will help if he can. But in Man in a Box, Jacob's character takes a dark turn. He becomes willing to use others to achieve his own ends. One can understand how this happens when one considers how he is surrounded by beings, both human and artificial, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Jacob is truly alone in this story and has to set aside his mission, and his nature, just to survive. There are several instances in this tale where there is no certainty he will come out of this unscathed, or even alive, to move forward in his search for Sylvia's murderer.

Personally, as a reader, I was fearful for Jacob throughout my entire journey through this story.

My favorite point of plot is how the author plumbs the depths of just how far the characters will go to achieve their goals. All the characters have their goals. Some, the humans particularly, are beyond redemption. They are only concerned with self-gratification and will stop at nothing to achieve it. The Companions mostly are just concerned with survival, but for many, the only way to do that is to be a ruthless as those who enslave them for their own nefarious purposes.

What I take away from Man in a Box is the old theme of how in the battle between good and evil, good often has to become evil in order to triumph. Jacob is forced to think and act like an ugly parody of the worst of humanity just to keep his life. He does have regrets as he does this, but he has no other choice. I felt bad for him being forced into the position of going against his nature.

I give Man in a Box, as well as the rest of the books in the Companion Chronicles series, my highest recommendations for those who enjoy a good humanist story to make one think about the darker side of humanity. This series will make the reader think about one's own implicit bias. Joshua Todd James is a fine writer and a deep-thinking individual whom I have come to admire through his work.

I feel it is necessary to mention that this story contains some brutal descriptions of violence and bloodshed. It is a necessary part of the story and in no way did I find it gratuitous.

Jacob's story should be read in order and the author has recently offered the first three volumes in a compendium. It can be purchased for a reasonable price and is also available on Kindle Unlimited and can be found HERE. My reviews of Some Animals, Minority of One, and Freedom Run are available by clicking the titles.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Joshua Todd James is a novelist, screenwriter, and playwright based in New York City. He wrote the feature film Pound of Flesh, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, among others. He is a member of WAGE and is represented by Snowpeck Management and Gersh.

His books include The Companion Chronicles which detail the adventures of synthetic person Jacob Kind in the books titled Some Animals, Minority of One, Freedom Run, Man in a Box, Renegade, and Domo Arigato, Mr. Robato.

You may join Jacob's chase for justice on the author's website: Joshua Todd James.

Well, there it is...

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Freedom Run: Companion Chronicles Volume 3 - More Than Just A Great Story?

Freedom Run: Companion Chronicles Volume 3 by Joshua Todd James

Freedom Run is the third book in the Companion Chronicles by Joshua Todd James. The series follows the exploits of artificial being, Jacob Kind, an artificially intelligent person who is seeking justice for the murder of his Primary (owner), Sylvia. Not only is Jacob seeking justice, but he also is a fugitive from justice being falsely accused of killing Sylvia, but he is also being sought as a cop killer.

There's an old saying that says lightning cannot strike the same place twice, but Author Joshua Todd James shows just how wrong that statement is with this third installment of this great tale. These stories are full of remarkable characters who pop off the page and become real people a reader can care about. The most amazing thing is how short these stories are, but also how detailed they are. Joshua packs a lot of story into a small space - in the case of Freedom Run, 127 pages. It is easily digestible in a single sitting and is quite a ride. These stories are also emotionally charged. They will make the reader laugh and cry. They will make the reader happy and sad, but mostly, they will make one think about how we behave toward others, and maybe consider our own implicit biases as we move through our own lives.

In the first two parts of the story, Companion Jacob Kind is falsely accused of the murder of his Primary and the killing of three police detectives. He tries to explain what has happened, but another detective is having no part of Jacob's explanation. He is compelled to go on the run to prove his innocence. The information he has takes him to South Bend, Indiana, where he sees the depth of bigotry against his kind. While there, he learns of a person in New York who might help him find his Primary's murderer.

After Jacob sets things to rights in South Bend, he takes a motorcycle and heads to New York to follow the trail of Sylvia's murderer. On arrival, he meets several other Companions who have gathered and seek to escape the injustices they face. In James' vision of the U.S., there are no laws protecting artificial beings from crimes against them. All the arrangements have been made to escape, but a diversion is needed and Jacob is recruited to help.

Unfortunately, there are numerous difficulties to be overcome before an escape can take place, including an appearance by the former Chicago police detective who accuses Jacob of the murder of her colleagues. There is also a face-to-face meeting with the man who murdered Sylvia, whom Jacob considers his mother.

Over the three books in the Companion Chronicles, Jacob has grown. Unfortunately, because of circumstances, he has learned to use violence even though he abhors it. Jacob can see activities and mimic them accurately. He has learned to use martial arts from watching video of people doing aikido and is quite adept. His programming shouldn't allow him to cause harm to humans, but for some unknown reason, he is quite good at doing so when the situation calls for it. While this is unfortunate for him, it has saved his life and the lives of others so far in the tale.

Jacob is also compassionate. He has none of the intrinsic bias and will come to the aid of others, whether human or artificial, with equal zeal. He is just an all around good person and would seem to be a crusader for what is right. 

One of the people Jacob encounters is a woman named Strawberry Fields. She is also a Companion who has struck out on her own and has become a latter-day Harriet Tubman. Her dream is to help her large group of 500 Companions get to a place where there is truly justice for all. She is a tough woman that has a dream.

Throughout the three books, there was something in the back of my mind that felt relevant to James's story. I had seen something like this before in the past and when it hit me; I felt I needed to share it here. My takeaway from Freedom Run is how, through human genius, a new form of life is created in the form of Companions. How will we be judged from our treatment of this new life form?

What I have paraphrased above should be familiar to all Star Trek: The Next Generation fans as a theme of an episode entitled The Measure of a Man (season 2, episode 9). In that episode, the legal status of Lt. Cdr. Data is attempted to be determined by a trial. Is he a being free to determine the course of his existence, or is he the property of Starfleet? Does Data meet the criteria for life?

Jacob meets the requirements of sentience and can be seen as being equal to human beings? Is he intelligent? Is he self-aware? Is he conscious? The answer to those questions is an unarguable yes as far as the story is concerned.

The author, intentionally or not, has raised a question I am certain we, as a society, will face in the near future as artificial intelligence continues to advance.

Freedom Run, as well as the two stories that preceded it, are not only highly entertaining tales of one person's search for justice in a society that affords no rights to artificially intelligent beings, but it is also thought provoking. Well written and edited, I give it my highest recommendations for not only sci-fi fans, but for anyone who enjoys a great saga.

The first two books in the Companion Chronicles series are Some Animals and Minority of One. You can see my thoughts on those books by clicking on the titles.

Joshua Todd James is a novelist, screenwriter, and playwright based in New York City. He wrote the feature film Pound of Flesh, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, among others. He is a member of WAGE and is represented by Snowpeck Management and Gersh.

His books include The Companion Chronicles which detail the adventures of synthetic person Jacob Kind in the books titled Some Animals, Minority of One, Freedom Run, Man in a Box, Renegade, and Domo Arigato, Mr. Robato.

You may join Jacob's chase for justice on the author's website: Joshua Todd James.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!