Synopsis
This is an action-packed book for anyone who's interested in what a world run by Artificial Intelligence would be like. Filled with memorable characters and high drama, it poses philosophical questions about the role of the individual in an increasingly technological world.
In a future United States, robots do all the work and there is no need for jobs or money. The major corporations have been turned into government ministries, and the few universities left are tasked to train the human staff for those ministries.
Everyone gets just about everything they want, but certain limits are imposed based on what strata of society you inhabit.
The top level, called the Swells, are the highest Ministers and their families. They get whatever they request, and get it quickly. The next level, the Shoals, are the staffers who work in the ministries. They get almost whatever they want, but not as fast as the Swells. The final strata is the vast majority of the population, known as the Sands. All of their needs, from housing to food to clothing and health care, are met. They can request anything they need, but can't get the same luxuries as the Swells and the Shoals and have to wait longer to receive what they're authorized.
The Swells live in exclusive neighborhoods called Tier One, where they have flying cars and estates. The Shoals also live in separate neighborhoods, where they can have surface cars and condominiums. The Sand communities aren't allowed cars of any kind, but they do have well-designed apartments and high-speed mass transit. Security for the entire country is provided by robotic police called Mechanized Marshals.
The government places heavy emphasis on societal contentment. With every need met, Citizens are expected to get along and obey the laws. As artificial intelligence entities and robots do almost all of the work, the ministries spend most of their time in minor turf wars. Humanity is slowly giving way to the machines.
Because they don't receive the luxury items available to the upper crust, the Sands have developed a vibrant barter trading system. Some neighborhoods grow crops to augment government-supplied food while others craft designer clothing highly prized by the Swells and Shoals. Although personal vehicles are not authorized, Citizens of the Sand communities have reconditioned older cars and trucks to keep the barter system functioning.
Life in Sand communities can be dangerous. Not as heavily policed as other neighborhoods, they are rife with barbaric gangs and addictive drugs.
People across the society seek to add more purpose and meaning to their lives. Some have embraced a philosophy called The Unused Path, which stresses self-discovery and self-reliance. No one knows where The Path came from, but it is gaining popularity and the government is starting to see it is a threat to contentment.
And anything that challenges the social order is not tolerated.
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