More Than the Sun and Stars

De: Adam Dorr

Narrado por: Adam Dorr

Hoshimi Lancaster is different. Born with severe disabilities, she lives on the other side of the glass, looking in. But her father, Jordan, is lead scientist at ExoCortex, a cutting-edge technology firm developing brain-computer interfaces, and she is the first human subject to receive a full array of implants. By linking her brain to enormous cloud computing resources, ExoCortex promises a way to regain normal function. But what if the technology allows more than just normal function? What if it offers a pathway to greater than human capability?

Forces beyond ExoCortex alone are at work in the world, however, and as Hoshimi uncovers more of the truth about her own transformation, she learns she isn’t the only new kind of mind that exists. And whatever her father might have imagined for their future together, fate has very different plans for them.

More than the Sun and Stars is a captivating and awe-inspiring exploration of what it means to be a child and a parent, to have power and responsibility, and to retain one’s identity in the face of staggering technological change. This remarkable story raises profound questions about human nature, technology, and what our future may hold.

©2024 Adam Dorr (P)2024 Adam Dorr

Good story,want the film…

The readers voice was a bit flat so was a bit distracting / annoying to my listenig experience

Superintelligence with Soul

Jordan is an engineer at ExoCortex, racing to perfect a brain-computer interface (BCI) for his disabled daughter, Hoshimi. His desperate love -- "Papa loves you, more than the sun and stars" -- drives the early chapters, and the quieter moments, like Midori's steadfast presence by Hoshimi's hospital bed, establish an emotional core.

The sci-fi ramps up fast. Hoshimi's BCI surgery unleashes mind-bending potential. Elsewhere, a confined AI, Delphi, debates its own freedom with a committee of officials. I loved Delphi's cunning restraint, subtly building trust -- a strategic thrill that hints at bigger stakes.

Hoshimi's ascent, though, is the real story. It's not just that Hoshimi's intelligence is scaling passively. Bottlenecks must be solved by Hoshimi herself. She tackles bottlenecks -- like reimagining working memory as a multi-dimensional workstation -- by drawing analogies in a distinctly human way. I enjoyed the evocative imagery of these transformations. Her human-ness is demonstrably one of her greatest advantages.

The balance of tech and emotion worked for me. Jordan's ambition, Midori's quiet strength, and Hoshimi's transformation are steeped in familial bonds.

This isn't light reading. The dense sci-fi ideas demand familiarity with the genre's logic. My grandpa, less versed in sci-fi, found later twists jarring, but I savored them. If you're a fan of speculative fiction, this is a gem: a journey of awe-inspiring scale tethered to a beating emotional core. For some, it might feel like a leap too far. For me, it's one of the most satisfying literary rides I've ever taken -- mind-boggling and always earned.