In Our Likeness by Bryan VanDyke
Overview:
In Our Likeness by Bryan VanDyke introduces us to Graham Gooding who’s struggling to care for his mother after her dementia diagnosis and is overwhelmed with grief and upset over the rapid progression of her condition. He works at a tech start-up and as he heads in one morning after visiting his mother at her assisted living facility he shares his frustrations with his friend, and work crush Nessie Locke. Immediately, she takes him out and he’s free to vent his feelings to her. As they’re heading home she asks him to do her a favor and play around with the algorithm she’s been working on and see if he can break it.
He obliges and as he’s tinkering around with the algo he makes a shocking discovery that the edits he made manifested in real life. Overcome with confusion and guilt for the changes he’s made he tries to confess what he’s done to Nessie but is intercepted by his boss David Warwick who tells him he knows what the algorithm can do and encourages Graham to keep it from Nessie and continue working on the project.
The deeper that Graham digs into the algorithm and the more that reality begins to become altered he realizes the troubling consequences of this kind of power and enlists the help of Nessie to reset the algorithm to restore the original reality before truth is eradicated.
Review:
This was such a troubling and sad novel as it dealt with concepts surrounding the responsibility and ethics surrounding technology and AI about its influence on humanity. It was a thought-provoking reflection on human behavior and the driving factors that compel us to do what we do. I felt the concept and content of this novel were well-established.
The writing style was clear and simplistic making it easy to read and immerse yourself in the story. However, I did feel that it lacked emotion and feeling. I could see and comprehend Graham’s grief and complicated feelings surrounding the algorithm but felt it lacked depth. As I reflect on the story I believe this may have been intentional on the author’s part to illustrate Graham’s inability to properly process his emotions and confront the reality he was facing.
Additionally, the pacing was steady allowing you to truly comprehend and understand the gravity of Graham’s discovery, the consequences he was dealing with, and the complications that result in an algorithm this advanced.
When it comes to the readability I found it easy to get drawn into the story and have an enjoyable experience. However, I did struggle to understand the more techy elements of the story and had to take my time to process and understand what was happening. For those who aren’t tech-inclined like me, you may find this to confound you a bit but it becomes clearer after you continue reading.
The plot development was superb. Each twist built on itself progressing the story forward and slowly upping the stakes. I also appreciated how this story was broken down into parts. This separated each reveal and twist of the story helping to build the tension and create intrigue and anxiety over what would happen next.
As for the conclusion, I didn’t see it coming, and while I understand its implications I did feel it was a little anti-climactic considering the incredible tension that existed leading to that point. Also, some elements were left open to interpretation by the reader giving it a feeling or sense that the story wasn’t properly wrapped up or explained.
The characterization was done well but I feel we didn’t get enough depth and complexity especially when it comes to supporting the events that transpire in the conclusion. I didn’t feel I truly understood Nessie and all that transpired for her leading up to her final decision. We see how the algorithm impacts her per Graham’s experience but we don’t get access to her feelings and thoughts which could’ve given a more satisfying feel to the conclusion.
Perhaps if we could’ve seen both Graham’s and Nessie’s viewpoints the story would’ve felt more balanced and the ending would’ve had more of an emotional impact rather than leaving me confused trying to connect all the dots.
When it pertains to my experience and feelings reading this book I felt anxiety and fear regarding the algorithm and the consequences of such a technological advance. I also felt sorrow and grief over Graham’s mother’s situation and how his jumble of feelings, thoughts, and emotions made him an easy target for Warwick. I also had bittersweet emotions surrounding Graham’s and Nessie’s friendship.
Overall, this novel came across as thought-provoking and poignant. It was an enjoyable read and gave me a lot to ponder and think about.
