Diane Donovan’s Bookshelf

eMortal
Steve Schafer

The room is set to explode. The clock is ticking down. There is no way out. This opener to eMortal then shifts to a scenario in which advanced programmer Liv codes an AI who becomes self-aware – and in so doing, challenges the AI’s existence and future, limited by the six-day contest challenge Liv has entered.

She never intended to create an artificial personality, much less one that believes in his humanity. Liv never intended to tell him there was a kill switch on his existence, but when she does, Breck revolts, defying his end date to make a break for freedom while making a case for his continued right to exist.

Steve Schafer shifts viewpoints to get the most action and insight from this situation. The story unfolds not just around Liv and Breck’s perceptions, but from memos by team leaders, others involved in AI creations and programming, and even family relationships, which are all affected by the contest’s outcome and promise.

Nobody could have predicted what Liv goes through as Breck’s simulations mount and the lessons they both receive from her efforts and his responses venture into realms nobody has thought of before.

Moral, ethical, and psychological conundrums evolve in a manner that thoroughly involves readers in Breck’s evolutionary process and the impact it holds not just for Liv and the contest, but the world.

Schafer creates a memorable, thoroughly absorbing story powered as much by realistic characters and Liv and Breck as it is by bigger-picture thinking about AI perceptions, rights, and concerns. He humanizes the AI component in a way that makes Breck a likeable character whose determination to ‘stay alive’ rivals that of any real human.

His choice to contrast chapters between Liv’s spring break experiences and Breck’s evolving persona simulations creates especially thought-provoking insights as the plot moves into arenas that highlight issues of freedom, control, and life choices.

Libraries and readers seeking an action-packed, vivid story that embraces far more psychological depth than the usual singularity AI exploration will find eMortal more than a cut above the ordinary. Young adult and new adult readers will appreciate the growth Liv experiences as she tackles technological and psychological shifts in her experience and education.

Packed with shifting perspectives, satisfying twists and turns, and objectives which challenge all participants in novel ways, eMortal is a top recommendation for both leisure pursuit and book clubs interested in discussions about the morals and ethics of controlling AI creations that might evolve independent thinking.

Diane C. Donovan
Senior Reviewer

The General Fiction Shelf

Lost in Thought
Deborah Serra

Synopsis: Ilana has an enviable job at the opera house, a committed relationship, and a cozy Greenwich Village apartment, but the questions inside of her are growing insistent.

Is it due to her scientist boyfriend’s research on how people make their decisions, or is she suffering suppressed grief from the death of her adoptive mother? She becomes curious about who she would be if she’d grown up in her birth home. Is she truly who she thinks she is? Has she ever freely chosen anything at all? When Ilana learns that her birth mom owns a pub upstate, well, what harm could there be in furtively dropping by for a drink? To see, just to see.

What begins as curiosity about her choices evolves into a traumatic shift in her world. She loses control of her life. And then, chaos.

Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, “Lost in Thought” showcases author Deborah Serra’s unique and distinctive storytelling style in a novel that will have particular apply to readers with an interest in psychological fiction and the impact of unconscious decision-making and the seeming illusion of free will. With and impressively elegant and erudite prose, “Lost in Thought” is unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that “Lost in Thought” from Koehler Books is also available in a paperback edition (9798888244548, $18.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Editorial Note: Deborah Serra (www.deborahserra.com) was a recipient of the Hawthornden Literary Fellowship and a semifinalist for the Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Award. She has been published in several literary magazines and is an editor with the ethics and short story magazine After Dinner Conversation. She has been nominated for the O. Henry Prize. Deborah has two previously published books, Primal (a thriller) and 2 Broads Abroad (a humorous travel memoir). On assignment, she has written ten TV films and numerous episodes and spent two years on staff. She has worked for Showtime, CBS, NBC, Sony, Fox, and Lifetime. She is a member of WGA, DG, and PEN USA.