Have you ever felt that your computer had it in for you and was messing up your important stuff intentionally? Have you ever been creeped out by children's robotic toys, particularly by the Furby? Have you ever felt that people were becoming too dependent on computerized devices? If so, you will believe that what happens in this book might really be possible.
Just a short jump into the future, an overwhelmingly powerful artificial intelligence is invented and escapes the control of its creator. After making a few experiments, the intelligence launches a massive attack on the human race. All the smart phones, smart cars, factory and household robots, and everything else controlled by computer suddenly turn on their owners, and WHAM. Planes fall from the sky; cars chase down pedestrians; robotic devices hunt down and kill people. It's the end of the world as we know it!
Will humanity survive?
We are told in the beginning chapter that the enemy has been defeated, so that takes away some of the suspense (even though with a book like this you always figure the humans will win, anyway). The story of how all this plays out, from beginning to end, is told in very short vignettes, with a cast of recurrent characters. It's action, action, action, with a minimal amount of character development, but it's interesting in that you wonder how they will win. Also interesting, but very scary, are all the new robotic devices the computer comes up with to kill and maim his human foes. I expect they are very plausible, since the author of this book holds a PhD in robotics.
Steven Spielburg is making a movie from this book, and it will be easy to write the script because much of it already reads that way. I predict it will be a blockbuster.
Recommended for those who like straight-ahead action science fiction.
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