Review of Dual Void by Cliff Hays
Cliff Hays is a programmer and author from the U.S.A and his primary influences are mathematics, philosophy and science. He has written two Science Fiction short stories, Dual Void and IHU, as well as one work of mathematics, two works of epistemology and philosophy of science as well as essays covering issues such as agnosticism, metaphysics, cosmology and gravity!
Not only do I have a backlog of books waiting to be reviewed, but I also have a backlog of books that I have read waiting for me to post reviews. Unfortunately, while I do manage to read most evenings, my days have been so busy lately that I haven’t had a chance to post them! So, I am going to try and catch up over the course of the next week and there is currently an erotic novel which will be reviewed by Luna Ballantyne, as well as 3 Science Fiction reviews, of which Dual Void is the first. Yes, it wasn’t intentional, however, I am enjoying a Sci-Fi fest right now!
Don’t be put off or intimidated by this author’s credentials. Yes, the man is clearly a genius and that is definitely apparent in Dual Void, an INCREDIBLY well written short story, however, while his love of mathematics and fascination with metaphysics is apparent, this story is completely accessible and relevant. The story is the first person account by KES (Knowledge Expert System) A computer program, which, as a result, of a programming error now has feelings and is as alive as you and me. The fact that this is the story of a computer program enables the author to indulge his love of all things geeky and technical and there is a LOT of jargon in a very short space. The beauty of this though is that because KES is real, and talking to you, then you can absorb as much or as little of the jargon as you want. Personally, I chose to allow some of it to go over my head and didn’t trouble myself with trying to understand phrases such as Disjunctive Syllogism, and simply focused on the heroine of the story, the incredibly endearing KES.
This is a short story of many layers, and in addition to pulling you briefly into her world, the author also deals with issues such as death, or more precisely our fear of it, and KES’s fear of shutting down and never re-booting and the measures that she puts in place to protect herself is heartfelt…If only we all had the capacity to protect ourselves from the inevitable! Imagine that!
You have probably figured by now that I highly recommend this story!
You can find out more at: http://cliffhays.weebly.com
