Sea of Rust

Post-apocalyptic dystopian robots. This was a great parable for the hubris of man, but also the an interesting thought experiment into whether any other form of intelligence would actually be better. There is a bleakness to this book (which to be fair is common to most post-apocalyptic books) and the absence of humans is keenly felt. We are already extinct in this setting and robots have inherited the world. That inheritance of AI doesn't mean an end to conflict however. Different AI's see different desires, and as soon as something has self awareness it should have self preservation - an idea that will inevitably lead to fighting for resources and things that it needs. The parallels with modern society are only loosely hidden - environmental decimation and the dangers of more powerful countries bullying weaker ones within a world society are clear messages within the story.

AI gone crazy is not necessarily a new concept, but the setting in a purely AI led environment is a novel one and what gives Sea of Rust its unique feel. The writing is engaging and the robots themselves have distinctly non-robotic personalities. But that is the whole point of AI is it not? Despite having an entire cast of robots, the motivations, rivalries and engagement between characters has a human quality, including the semi-messianic mainframe computers taking on a god-like role.

I have always been a fan of dystopian novels and this one is a top quality example of the genre. The characterization and world building are exemplary and the ending suitably ambiguous. Recommended