Speak

What an interesting book. It is all about humans who are trying to communicate with each other but are unable to do this successfully.  It is a bit sad but I think there are many people in the world who have difficulty connecting with other people.  Social interaction is exhausting to them. Smart phones haven't helped.  I have seen teens sitting on my couch texting one another rather than talking.  How many have used texting to deliver a message they don't want to say face to face?  Don't get me wrong I love to text.  It's quick and easy but it is no substitute for sitting yakking with friends.

In this case several of the characters try very hard to find love and a place where they can belong but sadly they find they are more comfortable with mathematics and algorithms.  Several of the characters turn to computers and artificial intelligence to fill the void.

The author has chosen to use characters that are very different from each other. all from different time periods.  They all bring their own unique voice to the story.Three of the characters are computer wizards writing programs that  ultimately lead to the creation of "bots". These bots are programmed to learn.

One character is a young girl who had a babybot that was taken away from her and she finds she can't function without it. She can't leave her bedroom and ends up talking to Mary3 a bot born from the genius of those computer guys. And just to add depth to the story line the reader hears from a bot itself as it lays dying in some hanger. Has this bot developed feelings or is it just reviewing its memory banks as its power supply dwindles.

The book brings up some very interesting points. Give it a try. Click on the book for more info.