Our Only Chance

An A.I. Chronicle

De: Ray Else

Narrado por: Lisa Zimmerman

A different kind of Frankenstein. Einna is a lot like other teenage girls: naive, idealistic, secretive, disobedient and interested in boys. Only Einna is not human, she is an A.I. android. Her creator, her mother, is Manaka Yagami, the first female tech billionaire. Einna has a plan to make herself human, if she can keep Mother in the dark and avoid the clutches of the notorious Yakuza.

©2017 RAY ELSE (P)2017 RAY ELSE

An A.I. Chronicle

I received a free copy from AudioBookBoom in exchange for my review
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is one of my favorite reading topics, . Overall, this is an interesting and thought-provoking tale.

Uniquely entertaining

"Our Only Chance: An I.A. Chronicle" (2017) by Ray Else is a unique novel set in Japan in which Manaka, a brilliant scientist, creates Einna, a super intelligent android with feelings, creating an exceptional mother-daughter relationship. Their bond is threatened by a greedy, dangerous silent partner who wants to create an army of androids in order to reap huge profits. I found the somewhat open-ended ending unsatisfying but enjoyed the book overall. The narrator is terrific! Strongly recommended Audiobook provided free in exchange for an honest review.

In Search of a Soul

Having read the book I was delighted to find it had been released as an audiobook. My original review is below. The tale retained its freshness, wonder and delight as narrator Lisa Zimmerman's clear vocalizations brought the characters vibrantly to life in this exploration of the potential future of Artificial Intelligence and speculation about the soul.

Disclaimer: "I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

~~~Original Review~~~
This beautifully written, delicate tale searches for the meaning and substance of the soul. What about the spark of life creates or constitutes a soul? Can they be made artificially? Can AI have a soul? My own take on the matter would include self-awareness being an element and I would thus certainly grant souls to cats, dogs, etc. But this isn't my story and the author, Ray Else, comes up with his own solution. Echos of Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov show Mr. Else is a worthy successor.

I select carefully from NetGalley's offerings and congratulate myself that I have very seldom chosen poorly.

A.I.s or humans?

Ray Else has mastered the skill of connecting fiction and real life! I love how it had components of Japanese culture and futuristic possible dilemmas. This story has several plot twists and kept me in suspense! It makes you want to keep listening to the very end! That says a lot for someone like me that has just recently returned to my love for books! This author makes you really think about the future and makes you wonder if A.I.s could really take over the world and our souls?!
The narrator did a great job helping me envision each character along the way. Can't wait for the sequel! I must say this author is like nothing ELSE I have read-truly unique!

Fantastic book

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A.I. is such an interesting concept, especially with the potential dangers of it. This book also really makes you think about what actually defines what life means. A very engaging book with a good narrator. Well worth a credit.