For book club in February we took a total left turn and read a science fiction novel written by a friend of one of our club members. The novel, Deus v. Machina written by Dave Cullen is clearly part of a new series based on a private investigator, Cody Stockton, in the near future (2045). It was fun to have a book club discussion in support of a new author, and I found the book genuinely engaging (even my kiddos enjoyed it, stealing it from my nightstand and reading it in just a few nights on their own).
Without giving too much away, the novel has a backstory that humanity had given over operations of the planet to AI systems, the AI then annihilated more than 10% of the population, an uprising against the AI (referred to as the AI War in the novel) occurred, and eventually humanity won, shutting down the AI system, and returning to human rule. Because of this the society seems very close to current day technology (as if we “undid” many of the areas where AI is starting to profoundly change business and political decisions), and there are serious concerns around equality and wealth distrubution (much like our current society). Due to these challenges, the society leaders are contemplating reinstating the AI systems to help manage society, and that backdrop leads to many of the challenges within the novel.
I personally found this backstory requires a prequel I want to read. Not having more detail about it makes it hard to understand why certain technology is still so prevalent 20 years from today, and also why there is such hatred and fear of AI. It also made me question the resurgance of faith in 2045 when we see so many people moving away from faith in modern society. I think that novel will be very interesting. That being said this novel focuses on Cody Stockton, a private investigator in Las Vegas in the year 2045, and his investigation of an accident that he quickly realizes is a murder involving a dangerous Satanic cult.
For a first novel, being willing to take AI, God, and Satan in fewer than 300 pages is lofty! While many sci-fi novels touch on religion, few do it without creating a divergent world and religion. Mr. Cullen brings Jesus to Earth, and pits faith directly against AI. I can poke at anachronisms that were unexplained (USB wall plugs for phones, or numeric passwords, when clearly these things will be wildly different in 2030 let alone 2045), but the narrative between Cody and his girlfriend, as well as Father Briggs around faith, and the challenges that make Cody a believer by the end of the novel are the beauty of the story.
I look forward to a prequel that explains the AI war, the state of technology in 2045, and more of Cody’s evolution as an individual.