"This is a really interesting sci-fi / dystopian short story that’s economical with word count but still remains utterly engaging. Paired with a really strong ending I’d recommend this dystopian read."
An engaging yet succinct dystopian sci-fi exploring the implementation of AI and brain chips in the workplace.
Twisted Neuros by Z.J. Ryder has a really interesting concept. Structured as a message exchange, we follow a content marketing agency as they juggle a busy workload, working with ever advancing AI and adapting to new brain chips that allows them to communicate almost telepathically. We watch as Adnan worries that someone has hacked into his chip, the vulnerability added to the stress at work making him spiral. NeuroXPT, the agency’s AI program has its own problems in the face of working with its successor RuthX.
I did wonder whether the story being exclusively told through direct communication would mean that Twisted Neuros would feel like it was missing something, having no setting or movement to ground the story. However, it made me really focus on the characters, and after a few pages I was immersed regardless. The author tells the story brilliantly, knowing what to share, and sometimes more importantly what not to, in order to give the story impact. NeuroXPT’s struggles are given the same level of importance as Adnan’s and it helps to humanise the AI, there's something human about it’s concerns but also the futility of being replaced by the next generation. The circle of life computerised.
This is a really interesting sci-fi / dystopian short story that’s economical with word count but still remains utterly engaging. Paired with a really strong ending I’d recommend this dystopian read.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading Ambassdaor
| Primary Genre | Science Fiction |
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