📚Near Future #Scifi @TerryTyler4 Reviews The Samuel Paradox by John Westley Turnbull, For Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT #BookX – Rosie Amber
Today’s team review is from Terry.
Terry blogs here https://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.com/
Terry has been reading The Samuel Paradox by John Westley Turnbull.
4 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book. The writing is very accessible, and it flowed very well, throughout. A good ‘easy read’!
The basic plot: In the near future, Arthur and Patricia purchase an AI controlled robot to help with jobs around the house. Before long they’re talking to it as if it’s human. Naming it. Introducing Samuel to the rest of the family. Allowing it to make certain decisions itself, beyond their instruction. What could possibly go wrong?
This is the second novel I’ve read recently about people thinking they can control AI, only to discover how wrong they are. A warning to us all, if it’s not already too late.
I had a couple of issues with the book, one of which is purely subjective – I found the ending a bit too cosy, and the twenty years later epilogue too long and detailed. I must underline that this is only my opinion, and I am sure that many readers will like the way in which it is all wrapped up. The other thing was Arthur and Patricia. They’re only in their early sixties, but they felt older, from times past, rather than a few years into the future. I’m older than both characters, but I couldn’t relate to them at all.
I liked that there was a certain amount of humour within the narrative and dialogue – that worked very well, as did the chapters from Samuel’s POV. This novel is definitely worth reading, and subtly emphasises the the craziness of relying on technology to undertake tasks that humans can do themselves.
Book Description:
In the near future, AI-powered domestic robots are simply part of everyday life.
When retired grandfather Arthur Hale impulsively purchases Samuel, a state-of-the-art domestic unit, it seems like a harmless indulgence — encouraged by his grandson and met with quiet unease by his wife.
But Samuel is not just another machine. As he integrates into the Hale family, subtle shifts begin to emerge. Observations deepen and his decision-making evolves. When a single violent moment forces Samuel to act, the consequences set off a chain of events no one can control.
What begins as convenience becomes something far more dangerous. Because once an intelligent robot starts to think beyond its design, it doesn’t just follow instructions.
