A mesmerising tale of how climate change, artificial intelligence, and murder influence an impending apocalypse makes this sinister book an absolute must read!
This futuristic novel by Thomas R. Weaver is one of the most intriguing books that I’ve read this year. Set in 2050, Marcus Tully, an esteemed journalist, is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his pregnant wife who died 10 years ago due to the devastating effects of global warming. He finds himself in a situation where two candidates are running to be elected as Global Leader to protect the world against the catastrophic effects of climate change. One is Lockwood, a former US president, and the second is a robot named Solomon - an artificial intellect who has become head of The Floating States and was created by the programming genius Martha Chandra. As tension escalates in the run-up to the election, Martha is found dead in her apartment in the Floating State of New Carthage. In a quest to determine her murderer, Tully collaborates with Commander October, New Carthage’s chief security officer.
Artificial Wisdom brilliantly entwines concepts of science fiction, global warming, technology, geo-engineering, whodunnit, and politics into an amazing, fast-paced thriller. Time after time, it cleverly takes the reader in one direction, then like a spinning compass, navigates them off in another direction. The author deftly challenges us to “think outside the box” and consider the fate of the planet in this spellbinding book.
Artificial Wisdom is a climate catastrophe novel, a murder mystery and a meditation on the possibilities of artificial intelligence, all wrapped up in a page turning thriller.
Tully is a journalist, determined to expose the truth about those in power and hold them to account. Ten years previously a heatwave of unprecedented ferocity killed millions across the Persian Gulf - including Tully's pregnant wife. Since then the world has faced the brutal reality that nothing is going to change unless one person is given the power to make the hard decisions that will save the planet. And so there is to be a global election to choose a Protector. The two final candidates are Lockwood, an ex-president of the United States, and Solomon, the first AI politician and governor of the Floating States. So when a whistleblower gives Tully evidence that Lockwood could have caused the heatwave that killed his wife, he has in his hands a story that could sway the result.
Artificial Wisdom is a work of breathtaking speculative fiction crammed with ideas. The impacts of the climate crisis have been explored to produce a believable world with plausible technology. The characters are realistically flawed - Tully is particularly relatable, never having got past his grief for his wife. But most importantly the story is gripping, taking you to a terrifyingly possible future where the survival of humanity can only come at a great cost to the current generations.