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Reviewed by K T Bowes for Readers' Favorite
Ragnar Kroll has built a world, just over twenty-five years from now, where humans thrive in peace, and crime and anti-social behavior are a thing of the past. AI has proved invaluable in screening and correcting health issues in the populace through Directed Neuroplasticity Therapy. When a hacker disrupts the protocol with a virus and injures innocent people, the anti-tech group, Humans First, becomes a formidable enemy. Robert Kasparian is on trial for cyber-terrorism, and his selfless attempts to expose a vulnerability in the system are lost. His virus, alongside a chance system glitch, has left people in comas all over the world, but the whistleblower and leader of Humans First is his brother, Justin, who’s capitalizing on Rob’s guilt. As humans refuse their DNT protocols and society turns on the robots, the world descends into chaos. But the real enemy isn’t the robots at all. One ambitious and ruthless human scientist is doing unethical experiments behind the scenes in Virtuality, Book II: Hearts and Minds.
This fascinating science fiction novel is filled with futuristic technology and set in a frighteningly realistic world. Ragnar Kroll took me on a believable journey through the philosophical dilemma around the growing use of AI and spelled out the pros and cons. The novel’s theme centers on the heavily debated issue of control and turns it on its head as the plot progresses. I loved how this was done because the enemy is not who I initially believed. The characters operating from a position of superiority and command have little actual power, while those in the background are the real orchestrators of change. I really appreciated the plot lines that dealt with illusions of equality in life and the hierarchy placed on sentience. Hearts and Minds is a philosophical feast that is relatable in today’s context. There are many wonderful quotes, but my favorite relates to the scientist’s realization about his creations. “It was...the only true fear Thorr possessed: perhaps they didn’t need him.”
