Silently and Very Fast
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Average rating4.1
Fantastist Catherynne M. Valente takes on the folklore of artificial intelligence in this brand new, original novella of technology, identity, and an uncertain mechanized future. Neva is dreaming. But she is not alone. A mysterious machine entity called Elefsis haunts her and the members of her family, back through the generations to her great-great grandmother--a gifted computer programmer who changed the world. Together Neva and Elefsis navigate their history and their future, an uneasy, unwilling symbiote. But what they discover in their dreamworld might change them forever . .
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Simply beautiful writing... I never thought someone could write such soulful and colourful prose on the topic of AIs. The book was too short – I would love to get lost in this world a little longer. The only nitpick I have is that the ending feels a bit rushed.
Full review at SFF Book Review.Catherynne Valente doesn't take single wrong step. On the one hand, I am shocked it took me until the first Fairyland book to discover her, on the other hand, I am happy about the amount of unread Valente books I have sitting on my shelves.This novella (which you can read for free on the Clarkesworld Magazine page - or even listen to on audio) creates a sort of mix between a science fiction story about an AI and mythology. There has to be mythology! It's beautifully written and even though it took me a while to get into, it paid off in the end. If you've never read Catherynne Valente, I'd suggest you start with [b:The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making 9591398 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland, #1) Catherynne M. Valente http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317793528s/9591398.jpg 6749837]. But if you want a little bite-sized book that will leave you melancholy and thinking for yourself, you may as well choose this one.
