Memories of Twilight Book 1
J.S. Criado
Jorge Sáez Criado
Ana María Fernández Gutiérrez (Translator)
Lisa Nicholas (Translator)
ISBN 978-1790983346
ASIN B07L7GRTF4
I was introduced to the words of Jorge Sáez (J.S.) Criado through a fellow bibliophile. At the time none of Criado’s works were available in English. I started following the author and once I found out that this volume was available in English, I picked it up right away. I devoured it twice today. The first time I read it during my lunch break at work. The second I used adaptive technology and listened to it on my way home from work. My only complaint is that it is too short. But a bit about that, the author in the introduction to the book states:
“Memories of Twilight is an experiment and an adventure—a science fiction story about a powerful, out-of-control artificial intelligence, robots with unimaginable abilities, and humans who are more and more dependent on technology. This story required something special, to be written not as a novel but as a series of small, key fragments, each offering its own vision of the whole, a vision of the twilight of humanity.”
The story is written as a series of separate pieces, and the 9 pieces in this volume span more than 15 years in time. The sections in this volume are:
About Memories of Twilight
Amy
The Turing Test
What Have We Done?
Disconnected
Best Friend
Interview
Election
Connected
Transfer Complete
In some ways the story reads like classic science fiction. It called to mind Frank Herbert’s stories The Green Brain and The Eye's of Heisenberg. The story begins with two programmers David and Billy who want to create an AI that can pass the Turing Test. They do too good a job and soon Amy has infected every internet aware device on Earth, and maybe even some no longer on the third rock from the sun. In an event similar to Ultron, spreading around the world, Amy is soon almost everywhere, and her security protocols are protecting her from being removed.
From there the story jumps in time, and place. We jump to different characters in different places at different times. We see follow the spread of robots from novelty items for the rich, to becoming standard household items. And All this time David and Billy are trying to find a way to put the lid on the Pandora’s box that they opened, because they were too smart and not cautious enough.
The Spanish edition of the book comes in at 120 pages, and the English print edition is just under 100. It is more of a novella. But it is also a collection of short stories. Each story could be read on its own. But together they weave a larger tale, a tale that is very well written, and as stated will leave you desperate for more. Book 2 is available in Spanish, and I hope we will not have too long a wait for it to be available in English. The way the story ends we are left hanging, wondering what happens to Billy and David. And I keep wondering what is going on, on the surface of the red planet.
A great story that will start you thinking, and one that you will not easily be able to stop thinking about. Very well written! I give it a solid 5/5 stars and encourage you to give it a try.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by Jorge Sáez Criado:
In English:
Memories of Twilight:
Transfer Complete
Power Engaged
...
In Spanish:
Llorando sangre
Apocalipsis: El dia del Señor
Cartas desde el corazón a un hijo no nacido
La Escala de la Felicidad
...
Memorias del ocaso:
Transferencia
Poder
...
Meditando el Santo Rosario:
Misterios gozosos
Misterios dolorosos
Misterios luminosos
...
1 comment:
I'll have the English translation of the second volume finished soon, so it should be published later this summer -- it's a doozy! I can't wait to see the third installment.
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