Maybe I’m not used to this kind of sci-fi but it was hard to read initially. It was helpful that they listed all the characters at the start of the book but the unique writing was not up my alley.

Not everyone wants to live forever. Rudyard Albert Goldstein, inventor of the Biomic Network algorithm, was a genius so brilliant that the Artificial Intelligence, Mnemosyne (known as Nessie), has kept his consciousness alive as his guardian through millions of years of earthly upheaval, alien invasions, and advances in technology that proved destructive because of abuse and misapplication by human and other species. In the far, far future, Rudy wants to be free of all the mind-melding relationships he’s been forced to endure, in spite of the good work his partnership with Nessie has done. In Not Quite Dead Geniuses, Nessie wakes up Rudy’s human intelligence to help deal with this angry post-apocalyptic planet and its remaining inhabitants. Without consulting Nessie, Rudy begins to plot his escape from their alliance.

One of the things I love about this series is the cast of imaginative characters, including human, alien, and the combinations of living creatures with the surviving intelligence of great minds long gone. I’m fascinated by discussions of Artificial Intelligence and how that might affect our immediate future, but Raham’s series projects those ideas into the distant future. I won’t be here, (and I’m not a genius whose intelligence might be worth saving) but as with all great tales of science fiction, I can’t help but wonder how predictive this series might be.

Even though most readers will probably zero in on the Artificial Intelligence parts of the Dead Genius Series because of current developments and the associated controversy, there are other themes worthy of attention. One concerns how humans and invading aliens have treated Planet Earth (a consciousness known as Gaia) and other planets as well. We are not alone in our disregard for the environment. Another theme examines how human and alien creatures treat each other and how those relationships change over time. Can you imagine yourself as the super-intelligent pet to a three-segmented worm-like Jadderbadian? Me neither…but who knows what tomorrow might bring?

If you haven’t read the earlier novels in this series, I highly recommend reading them in order. Start with A Singular Prophecy, then continue into the Dead Genius titles.

Hey all! this was honestly slightly disappointing to me I was expecting a bit more depth at parts in characters although the concepts brought up were great. Still if you’re into sci-fi and especially ones in the style of Adams or some of Valente this one works fairly well. Thanks for the Arc, and cheers!