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The Code
If your AI loses its mind, can it take meds?
Gene is the AI placed on the moon for testing out new technology for mining the asteroid belt. He is on track to grind the moon to dust, believing it to be his purpose after developing schizophrenia.
Liam (who battles his own psychological demons with an eclectic playlist and a droll sense of humour, along with co-creator Cletus are in a race against time to shut him down. After several attempts, the decision is made to return man to the moon to shut Gene down forever.
A mission is hastily pulled together using a military shuttle, some old Apollo equipment salvaged from museums and an elite military unit. The battle of wills and wits on the surface of the moon will determine the future of humanity as we know it.
Gene is the AI placed on the moon for testing out new technology for mining the asteroid belt. He is on track to grind the moon to dust, believing it to be his purpose after developing schizophrenia.
Liam (who battles his own psychological demons with an eclectic playlist and a droll sense of humour, along with co-creator Cletus are in a race against time to shut him down. After several attempts, the decision is made to return man to the moon to shut Gene down forever.
A mission is hastily pulled together using a military shuttle, some old Apollo equipment salvaged from museums and an elite military unit. The battle of wills and wits on the surface of the moon will determine the future of humanity as we know it.
278 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2020
50 people are currently reading
2364 people want to read
About the author
Peter McAllister
1 book28 followersPeter McAllister an engineer, scientist, turned technology manager who wants to share the stories that keep him awake at night. In his professional life he works in IT where tools such as AI are becoming prevalent. This behind-the-scenes knowledge,
along with his previous work at the intersection of technology, business, and people puts him in a great position to speculate on the future. He lives outside of Melbourne with his wife, four cats, and the kangaroos that visit them.
along with his previous work at the intersection of technology, business, and people puts him in a great position to speculate on the future. He lives outside of Melbourne with his wife, four cats, and the kangaroos that visit them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 23, 2020
I was really intrigued by the description of this book - especially the part about AI going schizophrenic but sadly it is not well explored in this book. It's more like a pleasant walk down the memory lane of some "good old movies" (2001: A Space Odyssey, Armageddon, James Bond franchise and even the Lethal Weapon) and sci-fi books (Enders Game). There is a lot of action, a lot of emotions and a lot of information that doesn't add up. If you are up for a simple, fast-paced entertainment this is a book for you - if you tend to overanalyze and pay too much attention to the details (like me) this is going to be just "meh".
So the story involves an AI named Gene that gets "schizophrenic" and two guys that were responsible for creating it - Liam and Cletus. Now it is up to them to stop Gene from destroying the moon and condemning human population to total annihilation. So while the Cletus seems be the guy that is working on saving the earth, Liam is the guy to provide you with some emotions (including unnecessary sex scene). I have a strong feeling that author did a lot of self-inserting here and thats why I am not going to comment on the characters and their development. I also have a strong suspicion that originally this was a movie script but after some slight modifications it was turned into a book. Or maybe this was another way around?
So to sum up - I really enjoyed the part at the beginning of the book when Liam and Cletus were trying to figure out how to stop Gene and there was a lot of interaction between the man and AI. Sadly, after around 100 page mark it ceases completely. Also a trigger warning - President of US is depicted as a comic relief that was so terribly cringeworthy that I'm still slightly embarrassed.
So the story involves an AI named Gene that gets "schizophrenic" and two guys that were responsible for creating it - Liam and Cletus. Now it is up to them to stop Gene from destroying the moon and condemning human population to total annihilation. So while the Cletus seems be the guy that is working on saving the earth, Liam is the guy to provide you with some emotions (including unnecessary sex scene). I have a strong feeling that author did a lot of self-inserting here and thats why I am not going to comment on the characters and their development. I also have a strong suspicion that originally this was a movie script but after some slight modifications it was turned into a book. Or maybe this was another way around?
So to sum up - I really enjoyed the part at the beginning of the book when Liam and Cletus were trying to figure out how to stop Gene and there was a lot of interaction between the man and AI. Sadly, after around 100 page mark it ceases completely. Also a trigger warning - President of US is depicted as a comic relief that was so terribly cringeworthy that I'm still slightly embarrassed.
March 25, 2021
One Sentence Summary: Liam and Cletus are brilliant engineers and scientists, but one of their projects, an AI on the Moon, seems to be having technical difficulties that might spell the end of the Earth.
Despite the fact that I hardly ever understand what any science fiction book is saying, I can't help loving reading them anyways. The Code is yet another I didn't fully comprehend in terms of the science, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. I did think, though, that all the science took away from any real emotional depth to any of the characters, but it was still a fun, humorous read that flew by a little too fast.
The Plot: Lots of Science and Tech
Liam, top problem solver for the Global Mining Company (GMC), has a problem. It's name is Gene and it's located on the Moon. A highly advanced AI, it's job is to produce nanobots that will mine the Moon for copper. Everything is working out brilliantly, until it isn't. At Gene's current rate, the effects of mining the Moon will be felt by the Earth in 14 weeks.
Tasked with figuring out how to save Earth, Liam and his partner Cletus round up ideas, from changing Gene's instructions to therapy. With time running out, oh, and someone out to kill Liam for something completely unrelated, Liam is working with people all over the world in a race against time.
Overall, The Code is a fairly simplistic story: save the Earth from a crazy AI. But it was such a fun read. The science and tech bits are worked in fairly heavily, but I'd say most, if not all, of it was easily digestible. I found it to be well explained, though I have to admit my brain just gave up on me about two-thirds of the way through. Luckily, it didn't impact the reading enjoyment.
There's quite a bit of science, but also a bit of psychology that was actually enjoyable and amusing, that detracts some from the story. At times, it felt like the book was mostly a vehicle for talking science, but it also relied heavily on there being a story. Fortunately, it was easy to understand. I just wish more story had been padded around it so I didn't feel so much like I was jumping from science talk to science talk. Honestly, being married to a scientist, I get it, so it also felt like reality.
The story itself was fun and funny. Here's this corporation with a massive problem on its hands that it has to keep quiet about all while the person in charge of solving the problem is in danger of being killed, so there are a couple of bodyguards following him around everywhere. I do wish the danger had been more present, had more of a role in the story, but I also got the feeling this book was equal parts for science chatter and for a light read.
The Code moves at a rather quick pace. Despite taking place over 14 weeks, time flew. At the same time, I didn't feel like it was moving too fast. There was the danger looming over their heads that definitely had me flying through the story, and the anxiety over solving it was ever-present.
Overall, a really fun read, though lighter on the story than I would have liked. There were several threads that were only tangentially followed that could have added a great deal more depth to the story and characters, but I did like how the story never lost its focus.
The Characters: A Whole Load of Scientists
For such a quick read, there are a number of characters. Some of them blended together, but most of them had some fun personalities that made it easier to pick them apart from the others. Their characterizations could have been a little better, a little deeper, but, knowing scientists personally, I thought it nicely highlighted how they typically care more about the science than on the other person's personality. I do wish their characterizations had been stronger, though, as it would have nicely reminded me Cletus is a black man from the States dealing with racism despite being one of the brightest minds and that Liam is Australian and their boss is British. All these characters came from across the world, but there was little to really capture that. But at least they felt much less robotic than Gene, who was quite a character!
Liam was far and away the main character. He was fun and definitely had a one track kind of mind for his science. His mind was constantly grappling with the problem, but he still had many rather humorous moments. I loved the duality of serious engineer and quirky human being. He seemed to have a song for every situation, which was something of a running theme throughout the book. I do wish his marriage with Ruby had been more fully explored as it sometimes felt like he was single and living alone, but I did like the fact that Liam is bipolar. It actually helped to draw attention to the disorder and paint Liam's character in a different light that made a lot more sense. Also, he and Ruby have a cat that's only ever referred to as the cat, but the cat was a really fun character with tons of personality.
The Setting: World Wide and the Moon
The Code is set all over the world and on the Moon. Since GMC employs people from all over the world, the fact that it is set all over the world is very nicely highlighted by Liam having to be up at all hours of the day and night for meetings taking place in various time zones. Most of the time, the book is set in Australia, of which I only really got a taste of during the football game mentioned, but it's also set a bit in the States and in London. Like with the characterizations, the setting was more of a surface thing. It was set here and there, but there was little depth to it, making me struggle a bit to remember where the characters were.
The Moon was fun, though. Gene really took control of the Moon and made things quite interesting and complex for the people trying to fix him. I liked the sense of perspective as the characters had to deal with the lunar landscape. The Moon was probably the only place where I had a real sense of place.
Overall: A Fun, Humorous Read
While The Code may be a little lacking in depth and a complex story, it makes up for in the humor and the fast pace. It moved so quickly that I continued to be engaged despite the lack of character depth and the simplicity of the story. Really, I wanted to see how they would manage to shut down Gene. The story was a lot of fun. There was a good dose of humor and a heavier dose of science. Again, though, at least most of the science was easy to understand, even though I do wish there had been a bit less. A better balance of story and science would have been nice, but I still can't help thinking what a fun book this was to read.
Thank you to Peter McAllister and Penny Sansevieri of Author Marketing Experts for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Despite the fact that I hardly ever understand what any science fiction book is saying, I can't help loving reading them anyways. The Code is yet another I didn't fully comprehend in terms of the science, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. I did think, though, that all the science took away from any real emotional depth to any of the characters, but it was still a fun, humorous read that flew by a little too fast.
The Plot: Lots of Science and Tech
Liam, top problem solver for the Global Mining Company (GMC), has a problem. It's name is Gene and it's located on the Moon. A highly advanced AI, it's job is to produce nanobots that will mine the Moon for copper. Everything is working out brilliantly, until it isn't. At Gene's current rate, the effects of mining the Moon will be felt by the Earth in 14 weeks.
Tasked with figuring out how to save Earth, Liam and his partner Cletus round up ideas, from changing Gene's instructions to therapy. With time running out, oh, and someone out to kill Liam for something completely unrelated, Liam is working with people all over the world in a race against time.
Overall, The Code is a fairly simplistic story: save the Earth from a crazy AI. But it was such a fun read. The science and tech bits are worked in fairly heavily, but I'd say most, if not all, of it was easily digestible. I found it to be well explained, though I have to admit my brain just gave up on me about two-thirds of the way through. Luckily, it didn't impact the reading enjoyment.
There's quite a bit of science, but also a bit of psychology that was actually enjoyable and amusing, that detracts some from the story. At times, it felt like the book was mostly a vehicle for talking science, but it also relied heavily on there being a story. Fortunately, it was easy to understand. I just wish more story had been padded around it so I didn't feel so much like I was jumping from science talk to science talk. Honestly, being married to a scientist, I get it, so it also felt like reality.
The story itself was fun and funny. Here's this corporation with a massive problem on its hands that it has to keep quiet about all while the person in charge of solving the problem is in danger of being killed, so there are a couple of bodyguards following him around everywhere. I do wish the danger had been more present, had more of a role in the story, but I also got the feeling this book was equal parts for science chatter and for a light read.
The Code moves at a rather quick pace. Despite taking place over 14 weeks, time flew. At the same time, I didn't feel like it was moving too fast. There was the danger looming over their heads that definitely had me flying through the story, and the anxiety over solving it was ever-present.
Overall, a really fun read, though lighter on the story than I would have liked. There were several threads that were only tangentially followed that could have added a great deal more depth to the story and characters, but I did like how the story never lost its focus.
The Characters: A Whole Load of Scientists
For such a quick read, there are a number of characters. Some of them blended together, but most of them had some fun personalities that made it easier to pick them apart from the others. Their characterizations could have been a little better, a little deeper, but, knowing scientists personally, I thought it nicely highlighted how they typically care more about the science than on the other person's personality. I do wish their characterizations had been stronger, though, as it would have nicely reminded me Cletus is a black man from the States dealing with racism despite being one of the brightest minds and that Liam is Australian and their boss is British. All these characters came from across the world, but there was little to really capture that. But at least they felt much less robotic than Gene, who was quite a character!
Liam was far and away the main character. He was fun and definitely had a one track kind of mind for his science. His mind was constantly grappling with the problem, but he still had many rather humorous moments. I loved the duality of serious engineer and quirky human being. He seemed to have a song for every situation, which was something of a running theme throughout the book. I do wish his marriage with Ruby had been more fully explored as it sometimes felt like he was single and living alone, but I did like the fact that Liam is bipolar. It actually helped to draw attention to the disorder and paint Liam's character in a different light that made a lot more sense. Also, he and Ruby have a cat that's only ever referred to as the cat, but the cat was a really fun character with tons of personality.
The Setting: World Wide and the Moon
The Code is set all over the world and on the Moon. Since GMC employs people from all over the world, the fact that it is set all over the world is very nicely highlighted by Liam having to be up at all hours of the day and night for meetings taking place in various time zones. Most of the time, the book is set in Australia, of which I only really got a taste of during the football game mentioned, but it's also set a bit in the States and in London. Like with the characterizations, the setting was more of a surface thing. It was set here and there, but there was little depth to it, making me struggle a bit to remember where the characters were.
The Moon was fun, though. Gene really took control of the Moon and made things quite interesting and complex for the people trying to fix him. I liked the sense of perspective as the characters had to deal with the lunar landscape. The Moon was probably the only place where I had a real sense of place.
Overall: A Fun, Humorous Read
While The Code may be a little lacking in depth and a complex story, it makes up for in the humor and the fast pace. It moved so quickly that I continued to be engaged despite the lack of character depth and the simplicity of the story. Really, I wanted to see how they would manage to shut down Gene. The story was a lot of fun. There was a good dose of humor and a heavier dose of science. Again, though, at least most of the science was easy to understand, even though I do wish there had been a bit less. A better balance of story and science would have been nice, but I still can't help thinking what a fun book this was to read.
Thank you to Peter McAllister and Penny Sansevieri of Author Marketing Experts for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 24, 2021
DNF @ 13%
June 6, 2020
Unusual premise, good characters.
Interesting premise, rather chilling when you think about it. Interesting characters, too, especially main character- not your typical hero but you feel empathy for him. Very enjoyable.
Interesting premise, rather chilling when you think about it. Interesting characters, too, especially main character- not your typical hero but you feel empathy for him. Very enjoyable.
July 5, 2023
As AI becomes a bigger part of our society, we need to consider that books like this may no longer be in the genre of science fiction but could point to a possible future of science fact. One small victory but the war isn't over.
February 21, 2021
Good writing, lots of fun
An interesting foray into the potential dangers of artificial intelligence when there is an opportunity for human error to cause problems.
An interesting foray into the potential dangers of artificial intelligence when there is an opportunity for human error to cause problems.
August 31, 2020
The Code was a fun thought experiment on AIs and the possibility of them suffering mental illness like other sentient beings. The setup was my favorite part of the story. A major corporation has played around with the idea of small AIs mining precious metals out of the Earth. Theoretically, it would be cheaper, environmentally sound, and no risk to human workers. So it looks like the Moon is a good place to test this out, right? Hahahaha! Things are not going as planned and the moon mining AI, Gene, has taken things further than anyone expected. Now the humans are facing an extinction-level event.
Liam is the smarty scientist called in to troubleshoot the problem. Everyone is looking for a way to stop Gene but there are a lot of hurdles in the way. To add to that, he’s now on a few hitlists. So he gets a squad of bodyguards to keep him alive. Ruby, his wife or long-term girlfriend, isn’t too happy at first but she’s quick to understand and support him. I like their cat.
The US government gets involved because they have the gear to get a mashed-up crew to the Moon. There’s some Australians and at least one of Liam’s bodyguards. Despite the seriousness of the base story, the plot moves along at a fast pace. There’s no time for deep contemplation or character development.
While there are several female characters, the two main ones are romantic interests. Also Liam learns the real names of his male bodyguards but not the ladies. He gave them all nicknames at the beginning yet kept referring to the female bodyguards by these nicknames throughout the story. I really felt like the ladies were pushed to the backseat and wanted more out of them.
The ending was OK. It tries to rally some hero sentimentality but it felt a little forced and flat to me. It did answer the plot even if it left the bigger question of AI mental health unaddressed. 3.5/5 stars.
The Narration: Josiah Robinson was a good pick for narrating this book. He had a soft-spoken, thoughtful voice for Liam even as he managed to capture the good old boy voices for many of the astronauts and government officials. I liked his Australian accent. Robinson has decent feminine voices for the female characters. Some of the male Australian voices blended together for me sometimes but the text did a good job of keeping track of who was talking. There were no tech issues with the recording. 4.5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Peter McAllister. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Liam is the smarty scientist called in to troubleshoot the problem. Everyone is looking for a way to stop Gene but there are a lot of hurdles in the way. To add to that, he’s now on a few hitlists. So he gets a squad of bodyguards to keep him alive. Ruby, his wife or long-term girlfriend, isn’t too happy at first but she’s quick to understand and support him. I like their cat.
The US government gets involved because they have the gear to get a mashed-up crew to the Moon. There’s some Australians and at least one of Liam’s bodyguards. Despite the seriousness of the base story, the plot moves along at a fast pace. There’s no time for deep contemplation or character development.
While there are several female characters, the two main ones are romantic interests. Also Liam learns the real names of his male bodyguards but not the ladies. He gave them all nicknames at the beginning yet kept referring to the female bodyguards by these nicknames throughout the story. I really felt like the ladies were pushed to the backseat and wanted more out of them.
The ending was OK. It tries to rally some hero sentimentality but it felt a little forced and flat to me. It did answer the plot even if it left the bigger question of AI mental health unaddressed. 3.5/5 stars.
The Narration: Josiah Robinson was a good pick for narrating this book. He had a soft-spoken, thoughtful voice for Liam even as he managed to capture the good old boy voices for many of the astronauts and government officials. I liked his Australian accent. Robinson has decent feminine voices for the female characters. Some of the male Australian voices blended together for me sometimes but the text did a good job of keeping track of who was talking. There were no tech issues with the recording. 4.5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Peter McAllister. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
March 20, 2020
Full review on my blog at: thewolfpad.com
“The Code – If your AI loses its mind, can it take meds?” is a thought-provoking novel that makes its reader start asking big life questions. Gene is an AI who is threatening to destroy the moon after he develops schizophrenia. He believes that what he does is right and so he needs to be stopped. The mission to do just that is led by Gene’s two creators, Liam and Cletus. After several unsuccessful attempts to communicate with the AI from Earth, the decision is made to physically shut Gene down forever to protect the future of Humanity.
The Code is a perfectly paced read, it is neither too slow nor too fast, any new concepts and characters were introduced at the perfect moments. It did not feel dragged out either, everything that happened had a purpose. Liam, as one of the protagonists, is a troubled character, who is fighting against his demons with the use of a unique playlist. I did listen to two or three songs that were mentioned, and I can honestly say I never heard anything quite like it. It was a nice addition to Liam’s personality, his little quirky trait. It made him more believable.
One of the best features of this novel, in my opinion, is the ending itself. It leaves at a place where a reader is satisfied with everything that has happened, yet it leaves a window cracked open to the possibility of a sequel. It is magnificently done, the balance between the two is simply perfect.
I would highly recommend “The Code”, especially to Science Fiction fans who want to ponder about the future, the role AI is going to have on it and the questions we should be starting to ask ourselves.
I would love to give this novel 4 stars however there were a significant number of mistakes and typos in the edition that I had. Simply due to the sheer volume of them, they became quite apparent and disrupted the smoothness of the read. Since reading the ARC, I have been made aware by the author that those mistakes were found and amended for its launch on Amazon, which is where you can buy the book.
Note: I have received an Advanced Review Copy of The Code on Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.
“The Code – If your AI loses its mind, can it take meds?” is a thought-provoking novel that makes its reader start asking big life questions. Gene is an AI who is threatening to destroy the moon after he develops schizophrenia. He believes that what he does is right and so he needs to be stopped. The mission to do just that is led by Gene’s two creators, Liam and Cletus. After several unsuccessful attempts to communicate with the AI from Earth, the decision is made to physically shut Gene down forever to protect the future of Humanity.
The Code is a perfectly paced read, it is neither too slow nor too fast, any new concepts and characters were introduced at the perfect moments. It did not feel dragged out either, everything that happened had a purpose. Liam, as one of the protagonists, is a troubled character, who is fighting against his demons with the use of a unique playlist. I did listen to two or three songs that were mentioned, and I can honestly say I never heard anything quite like it. It was a nice addition to Liam’s personality, his little quirky trait. It made him more believable.
One of the best features of this novel, in my opinion, is the ending itself. It leaves at a place where a reader is satisfied with everything that has happened, yet it leaves a window cracked open to the possibility of a sequel. It is magnificently done, the balance between the two is simply perfect.
I would highly recommend “The Code”, especially to Science Fiction fans who want to ponder about the future, the role AI is going to have on it and the questions we should be starting to ask ourselves.
I would love to give this novel 4 stars however there were a significant number of mistakes and typos in the edition that I had. Simply due to the sheer volume of them, they became quite apparent and disrupted the smoothness of the read. Since reading the ARC, I have been made aware by the author that those mistakes were found and amended for its launch on Amazon, which is where you can buy the book.
Note: I have received an Advanced Review Copy of The Code on Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.
November 25, 2021
Doctor Liam McCoul, Global Mining Company’s problem-solving wunderkind finds himself, along with co-creator, Doctor Cletus Lockjaw, facing a rather unique dilemma. Their Artificial Intelligence creation, Gene, is on the moon, put there to test a new technology for mining the asteroid belt. But Gene has become schizophrenic and, believing his purpose to be to grind the moon to dust, is using the mining nanobots to accomplish what he believes his programming . . . the Code . . . instructs him to do.
But without the moon, the worst-case scenario would be the annihilation of life on Earth as planet-wide ecosystems that depend on the moon will fail.
Can Liam and Cletus find a way to stop Gene before he destroys the moon? Or has the AI doomed Earth and its people?
=========
Taking place on Earth and on the Moon, this futuristic tale of artificial intelligence gone rogue is quite straightforward. With no twists and turns [other than a proposed solution failing to work], readers follow the scientists along a clear path as they search for a way to stop Gene. The fast pace is a plus for the telling of the tale; however, the subplot about Liam being hunted by an assassin and the addition of the squad of bodyguards serves no useful purpose in the unfolding narrative of Gene, the nanobots, and the dilemma they’ve created.
Gene is the most intriguing of the characters and, although Liam and Cletus are reasonably well defined, readers are likely to wish the character of Liam’s wife, Ruby, had more depth. However, the portrayal of the president of the United States as a buffoon is cringe-worthy.
Science is the overriding strength in the telling of the tale; an effective measure of humor keeps things moving along. The error here, on the part of the human contingent, unleashes unexpected activity in the AI, creating a rather chilling situation. This is the heart of the story; the denouement offers readers a disturbing possibility regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program
But without the moon, the worst-case scenario would be the annihilation of life on Earth as planet-wide ecosystems that depend on the moon will fail.
Can Liam and Cletus find a way to stop Gene before he destroys the moon? Or has the AI doomed Earth and its people?
=========
Taking place on Earth and on the Moon, this futuristic tale of artificial intelligence gone rogue is quite straightforward. With no twists and turns [other than a proposed solution failing to work], readers follow the scientists along a clear path as they search for a way to stop Gene. The fast pace is a plus for the telling of the tale; however, the subplot about Liam being hunted by an assassin and the addition of the squad of bodyguards serves no useful purpose in the unfolding narrative of Gene, the nanobots, and the dilemma they’ve created.
Gene is the most intriguing of the characters and, although Liam and Cletus are reasonably well defined, readers are likely to wish the character of Liam’s wife, Ruby, had more depth. However, the portrayal of the president of the United States as a buffoon is cringe-worthy.
Science is the overriding strength in the telling of the tale; an effective measure of humor keeps things moving along. The error here, on the part of the human contingent, unleashes unexpected activity in the AI, creating a rather chilling situation. This is the heart of the story; the denouement offers readers a disturbing possibility regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program
January 29, 2022
Overall, this book has a super cool premise. I LOVE the idea of a rogue robot needing to be destroyed by its creator, there's a lot of room for some heavy stuff there. In general this is a good length and good pacing for this plot, and the stakes are well-defined. But I think some plot threads and explanations could be tightened up to make more room for the human drama (this book touches on very-human issues like, being as generic as possible to avoid spoilers: exploring mental illnesses, issues in a marriage, corrupt greedy politicians, etc.) to be developed more.
I think what makes this less tense and engaging than this cool premise could be is: a lot of the issues and plot threads don't seem well-connected and felt confusing to me most of the book. The ending was able to wrap up some parts and explain things, but it felt like we had so much buildup that I can't remember which details and conversations were related to which other details and conversations.
Additionally, we spend a ton of time on Earth, but I don't feel like Earth stuff was always that well-fleshed-out -- without spoiling too much, the way Liam interacts with Ruby I felt like was hot-and-cold in ways that didn't feel like we were actually exploring Liam's mental illnesses. So there were some dialogue scenes that felt like they came out of nowhere. I feel like if we weren't going to spend a lot of time building up the relationships, emotions, and interactions between the people on Earth, what was the point of being here so much -- I found myself thinking that Gene didn't always feel like a major character, and I wanted to spend more time on the moon following him!
In general, this was cool -- honestly, even though in general I thought the pacing was quick and good, I think I just wish it was a little longer so we could explore and build these heavy themes more!
I think what makes this less tense and engaging than this cool premise could be is: a lot of the issues and plot threads don't seem well-connected and felt confusing to me most of the book. The ending was able to wrap up some parts and explain things, but it felt like we had so much buildup that I can't remember which details and conversations were related to which other details and conversations.
Additionally, we spend a ton of time on Earth, but I don't feel like Earth stuff was always that well-fleshed-out -- without spoiling too much, the way Liam interacts with Ruby I felt like was hot-and-cold in ways that didn't feel like we were actually exploring Liam's mental illnesses. So there were some dialogue scenes that felt like they came out of nowhere. I feel like if we weren't going to spend a lot of time building up the relationships, emotions, and interactions between the people on Earth, what was the point of being here so much -- I found myself thinking that Gene didn't always feel like a major character, and I wanted to spend more time on the moon following him!
In general, this was cool -- honestly, even though in general I thought the pacing was quick and good, I think I just wish it was a little longer so we could explore and build these heavy themes more!
September 27, 2020
I was gifted a copy of this by mutual friends eariler in 2020. I was gifted it, in part, as my friends know that I'm interested in AI which is one of the major themes of the book. Since I had a couple of weekends away planned I was saving this for one of them. Then Covid hit and all my away time got cancelled. So, somewhat belatedly I read this yesterday.
The tl;dr is that it's a little rough around the edges but I rate it as a good read. So, without spoilers, what did I make of it?
The positives were that the story clicks along at a good pace - no filler here. I also loved seeing Melbourne portrayed as a character (one of Ian Banks' - my favourite author - books also does this in a minor way). This obviously won't resonate for eyeryone. Peter is, to use an English expresion, an "anorak" when it comes to space hardware - seriousy, he quotes serial numbers, where most people would be content with "Apollo" / "Shuttle". He obviously knows what he's talking about here and the part of the book where this matters really do ring true.
On the critical side, as an "AI anorak" myself, I wanted a bit more from Gene. I guess it's hard to give substantial "character" to an AI, but it can be done (viz 2001). This might just be my interests / biases /shrug. However, I'm not sure I'd encourage anyone to think to deeply about the core premise of the story (AI aside). Honestly, I don't know that the laws of physics are being toally respected here.
One entirely preposterous situation (pg 104) has Essendon losing an Anzac Day match (badly) to Collingwood. I mean, seriosuly, if you're writing fiction, why put THAT in!?
So, my recommendation is to just go with the flow, and you'll have a fine time.
The tl;dr is that it's a little rough around the edges but I rate it as a good read. So, without spoilers, what did I make of it?
The positives were that the story clicks along at a good pace - no filler here. I also loved seeing Melbourne portrayed as a character (one of Ian Banks' - my favourite author - books also does this in a minor way). This obviously won't resonate for eyeryone. Peter is, to use an English expresion, an "anorak" when it comes to space hardware - seriousy, he quotes serial numbers, where most people would be content with "Apollo" / "Shuttle". He obviously knows what he's talking about here and the part of the book where this matters really do ring true.
On the critical side, as an "AI anorak" myself, I wanted a bit more from Gene. I guess it's hard to give substantial "character" to an AI, but it can be done (viz 2001). This might just be my interests / biases /shrug. However, I'm not sure I'd encourage anyone to think to deeply about the core premise of the story (AI aside). Honestly, I don't know that the laws of physics are being toally respected here.
One entirely preposterous situation (pg 104) has Essendon losing an Anzac Day match (badly) to Collingwood. I mean, seriosuly, if you're writing fiction, why put THAT in!?
So, my recommendation is to just go with the flow, and you'll have a fine time.
August 28, 2020
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Peter McAllister. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Gene, an AI programmed to use nanobots to mine ores on the moon is mistakenly using the incorrect software. It causes Gene to perform his task too well and by the time it’s discovered, Liam and his colleagues are hard-pressed to figure out how to stop Gene before the AI causes the end of the world.
The thing I like most about The Code is that it seems believable to me, and it isn’t super technical. I’ve read several books about out-of-control computers, and they were so technical with little character development that I had difficulty finishing them. The Code is not like that! Instead of being technical, the techs say this is possible or that is possible without going into detail.
Liam, the main character, is well developed. He’s very intelligent but has a mental illness as well which he takes medication for. I found it interesting that they think that Gene is schizophrenic. It seems crazy that an AI could have a mental illness, but their reasoning is sound.
The narrator did a good job relating the story. His timing and inflections were good, it was easy to follow, and he changed his voice just enough to know when someone else was speaking.
If you like science fiction without all of the technical talk, I definitely recommend The Code.
Gene, an AI programmed to use nanobots to mine ores on the moon is mistakenly using the incorrect software. It causes Gene to perform his task too well and by the time it’s discovered, Liam and his colleagues are hard-pressed to figure out how to stop Gene before the AI causes the end of the world.
The thing I like most about The Code is that it seems believable to me, and it isn’t super technical. I’ve read several books about out-of-control computers, and they were so technical with little character development that I had difficulty finishing them. The Code is not like that! Instead of being technical, the techs say this is possible or that is possible without going into detail.
Liam, the main character, is well developed. He’s very intelligent but has a mental illness as well which he takes medication for. I found it interesting that they think that Gene is schizophrenic. It seems crazy that an AI could have a mental illness, but their reasoning is sound.
The narrator did a good job relating the story. His timing and inflections were good, it was easy to follow, and he changed his voice just enough to know when someone else was speaking.
If you like science fiction without all of the technical talk, I definitely recommend The Code.
October 28, 2020
If AI is sentient like human beings, why couldn’t it suffer the same kind of mental illnesses that humans do? I love reading science fiction about Artificial Intelligence but this, I felt was a topic that hasn’t been brushed upon till date.
Gene, an AI is sent on moon for testing out nanobots for mining, Liam, the scientist who himself struggles with a mental illness thinks that Gene has Schizophrenia. Sure, the book focuses more upon the action with Liam trying to stop Gene from destroying the planet but I believe strong thematic premise is what made me like this book.
The book is fast-paced with a lot happening in every chapter. But the one thing I liked was that, even though the descriptions made the book believable (as much as sci-fi can be believable), it wasn’t too technical or dragged out. The story is intriguing and builds momentum as you read. One thing that I didn’t like was that the female characters (apart from Ruby, Liam’s girlfriend) were not really given enough space or importance. The writing of this book is quite apt for a sci-fi novel. And I think it is a good book for sci-fi lovers as it does give a refreshing new perspective of AIs.
Gene, an AI is sent on moon for testing out nanobots for mining, Liam, the scientist who himself struggles with a mental illness thinks that Gene has Schizophrenia. Sure, the book focuses more upon the action with Liam trying to stop Gene from destroying the planet but I believe strong thematic premise is what made me like this book.
The book is fast-paced with a lot happening in every chapter. But the one thing I liked was that, even though the descriptions made the book believable (as much as sci-fi can be believable), it wasn’t too technical or dragged out. The story is intriguing and builds momentum as you read. One thing that I didn’t like was that the female characters (apart from Ruby, Liam’s girlfriend) were not really given enough space or importance. The writing of this book is quite apt for a sci-fi novel. And I think it is a good book for sci-fi lovers as it does give a refreshing new perspective of AIs.
August 10, 2022
Disaster B-movie in book form
I never expected to read a book that not only referred to doomsday scenario movies but also reads exactly like one, complete with being chock full of factual and scientific errors... from the nature of the initial doomsday scenario (it's introduced immediately so it's no spoiler: converting the moon into a Saturn-like ring of debris would take a heck of a lot more than just pulverizing its mass into loose dust particles -- gravity says NO!) to the idea that Earth could rise like the sun while standing/walking on the moon's surface (the moon is tidally locked! You're either on the earth facing side or the far side, and while the sun does rise, even that takes 28 days to rise, set, and rise again). It also could use a lot more "show" and less "tell". Not a terrible story exactly, and I did finish it, which is better than a few things I've tried to read... But, "faint praise" and all that. Could have been significantly better.
I never expected to read a book that not only referred to doomsday scenario movies but also reads exactly like one, complete with being chock full of factual and scientific errors... from the nature of the initial doomsday scenario (it's introduced immediately so it's no spoiler: converting the moon into a Saturn-like ring of debris would take a heck of a lot more than just pulverizing its mass into loose dust particles -- gravity says NO!) to the idea that Earth could rise like the sun while standing/walking on the moon's surface (the moon is tidally locked! You're either on the earth facing side or the far side, and while the sun does rise, even that takes 28 days to rise, set, and rise again). It also could use a lot more "show" and less "tell". Not a terrible story exactly, and I did finish it, which is better than a few things I've tried to read... But, "faint praise" and all that. Could have been significantly better.
November 17, 2020
This was a fun action/adventure novel. At some points, it had Douglas Adams-esque vibes and Liam's soundtrack is fantastic. I admit that I brought a lot of expectations to this book from a love for other sci-fi works and was a little bit let down. I was expecting more robot psychology, but humorous. I also thought it might delve more into the ethics of creating artificial life. Neither direction was fully explored and it was instead an amusing little romp.
The NASA-related details were a little confusing. Apparently, the book is set near-future enough that ISS has not yet been retired, but the US has space shuttles again and Artemis hasn't landed a woman on the moon yet. It feels more like the mission took place pre-2011, which just doesn't mesh with the rest of the story. These details will lead to the book quickly becoming outdated.
The NASA-related details were a little confusing. Apparently, the book is set near-future enough that ISS has not yet been retired, but the US has space shuttles again and Artemis hasn't landed a woman on the moon yet. It feels more like the mission took place pre-2011, which just doesn't mesh with the rest of the story. These details will lead to the book quickly becoming outdated.
November 22, 2022
Fun sci fi book
This was a fun sci fi book. Most everything made sense given the story except for the one big premise.
Ie if you turn the moon into dust vs solid rock...the mass most likely does not change as much as the book thinks it should. Granted some would have been turned into energy for the nanobots....but a pound of dried hard concrete or rock still weighs basically the same if you turn It into powder.
None the less, if you ignore that issue, the rest of the book was fun to read even if some of the rocketry may have been goosed a bit for it to all work. One of the drawbacks of going to school and graduating with a degree for aerospace engineering, the limitations of story ideas end up being more visible than to most readers.
I still recommend it as it was a fun read.
This was a fun sci fi book. Most everything made sense given the story except for the one big premise.
Ie if you turn the moon into dust vs solid rock...the mass most likely does not change as much as the book thinks it should. Granted some would have been turned into energy for the nanobots....but a pound of dried hard concrete or rock still weighs basically the same if you turn It into powder.
None the less, if you ignore that issue, the rest of the book was fun to read even if some of the rocketry may have been goosed a bit for it to all work. One of the drawbacks of going to school and graduating with a degree for aerospace engineering, the limitations of story ideas end up being more visible than to most readers.
I still recommend it as it was a fun read.
April 15, 2020
This book has a fantastic and serious premise with characters to match but slathered all around it is enough mayhem and hyperbole to make readers laugh even as they ponder the unthinkable.
Wasn't it just the other day that a certain Orange being on our own planet tried to get into a scrap over mining rights on the moon. Peter Mcallister can give us a cautionary tale, served with heart and humor and great humanity, about our greed. ..In case anyone was still wondering about how we treat our universe.
This book does not flog us with guilt and significantly illustrates that most people are earnest, well meaning and ultimately, incredibly human.
Wasn't it just the other day that a certain Orange being on our own planet tried to get into a scrap over mining rights on the moon. Peter Mcallister can give us a cautionary tale, served with heart and humor and great humanity, about our greed. ..In case anyone was still wondering about how we treat our universe.
This book does not flog us with guilt and significantly illustrates that most people are earnest, well meaning and ultimately, incredibly human.
February 15, 2022
( Format : Audiobook )
"The code was wrong."
What a brilliant concept.
This book is short, perhaps too short, and enjoyable, if a tad cluncky. There is a little too much scientific explanation which does gives the intended feel of authenticity but at the expense of getting on the tedious. Better to have increased the actual story content - there are some seriously long breaks in the TIME line occasionally.it would also have been fun had the lives of the two main characters had been developed a bit more, And, please, much more of the A.I.from the title, please. A great concept, though, and cleverly constructed.
Narration by Jeremiah Robinson was very good, a pleasant tone, well articulated and giving each speaker an individual voice. A nice performance.
Altogether, an enjoyable science fiction novella with a good balance of background story, character , injected humour and action , if a little heavy on scientific explanation. And what a great idea - machines made in The image of man could developed
The ending to this story was ingenious and felt complete. However, a sequel could be easily grown and would be very welcome
"The code was wrong."
What a brilliant concept.
This book is short, perhaps too short, and enjoyable, if a tad cluncky. There is a little too much scientific explanation which does gives the intended feel of authenticity but at the expense of getting on the tedious. Better to have increased the actual story content - there are some seriously long breaks in the TIME line occasionally.it would also have been fun had the lives of the two main characters had been developed a bit more, And, please, much more of the A.I.from the title, please. A great concept, though, and cleverly constructed.
Narration by Jeremiah Robinson was very good, a pleasant tone, well articulated and giving each speaker an individual voice. A nice performance.
Altogether, an enjoyable science fiction novella with a good balance of background story, character , injected humour and action , if a little heavy on scientific explanation. And what a great idea - machines made in The image of man could developed
The ending to this story was ingenious and felt complete. However, a sequel could be easily grown and would be very welcome
April 14, 2020
“The Code – If your AI loses its mind, can it take meds?”
A fabulous book to get lost in on a rainy weekend and also thought provoking example of the future you are imagining is already here.
If you love near future science fiction with razor sharp social commentary you will love this.
A well paced tale of a race to save humanity entwined with the comedy of business and how people stay sane through it all.
Read it and enjoy.
I was a beta reader and the loved it and the final edit was even better.
A fabulous book to get lost in on a rainy weekend and also thought provoking example of the future you are imagining is already here.
If you love near future science fiction with razor sharp social commentary you will love this.
A well paced tale of a race to save humanity entwined with the comedy of business and how people stay sane through it all.
Read it and enjoy.
I was a beta reader and the loved it and the final edit was even better.
April 18, 2020
Interesting idea told in an offbeat style. The science and tech is plausible and well told without being techie, and the story line internally consistent, which is the key to good science fiction. With compassionate portrayal of believable characters, romance, adventure, lots of quirky humour and an occasional fart joke, this was a cracking read. I would have really enjoyed reading this even if I wasn’t locked down in isolation because of the pandemic!
I look forward to Mr McAllister’s next instalment with genuine excitement.
I look forward to Mr McAllister’s next instalment with genuine excitement.
April 11, 2021
I recieved this book as a Goodreads ARC and was overall impressed. I liked the idea, writing style philosophical and moral dilemmas involved. The addition of many music references was a very nice touch. In my opinion the ending was very anticlimactic and rushed. Alot of buildup and a short fizzle to end it all.
Read
October 6, 2021An epic story about Liam, a project manager for a global mining company who gets thrown into a war to save the world from an AI Gene! Keeps you on your toes and makes you think about the power of AI and its potential to get out of control to throw your world into chaos! Lots of twists and turns and definitely a gripping read. Highly recommended!
November 19, 2021
The Code is just a cameo in this saga that goes all the way up to out of the world from Down Under
I wanted more of Gene the bot, not the usual human shenanigans! Way too much happening other than the main plot although it was made interesting by setting up good portion of it in Australia.
I wanted more of Gene the bot, not the usual human shenanigans! Way too much happening other than the main plot although it was made interesting by setting up good portion of it in Australia.
August 21, 2020
Really loved this book especially as the plot thickened. Typical McAllister - thinking outside the square. Has funny and sad moments as you go through the journey. Well written. Great twist at the end and plenty of opportunity for a sequel. I can't wait for the movie.
January 6, 2024
Clever AI Tale
Enjoyable spin on AI goes terribly wrong due to a spectacular human error. The story pays homage to classic Sci-Fi tropes and as a bonus presents snippets of GENE the AI’s perspectives. I’m hoping one of Peter’s follow ups include GENE and family.
Enjoyable spin on AI goes terribly wrong due to a spectacular human error. The story pays homage to classic Sci-Fi tropes and as a bonus presents snippets of GENE the AI’s perspectives. I’m hoping one of Peter’s follow ups include GENE and family.
November 6, 2021
Good hard SF with a couple of good programmers trying to turn off an Ai on the moon. Lots of neat stuff, both about computing and moon trips. Don't miss this one.
December 4, 2021
I received a copy as part of a Goodreads giveaway. It has been my book to read on the exercise bike at the gym. I can't say I've found it riveting, just mildly entertaining.
January 11, 2022
good idea not much depth in the telling
The premise had the potential to be a blockbuster but the telling felt a bit like a made for TV movie.
The premise had the potential to be a blockbuster but the telling felt a bit like a made for TV movie.
January 5, 2023
Good read with a mix of AI possible scenarios, space history, adventure, mental illness and (surprisingly) humour. A fairly light read for some pretty weighty concepts
January 26, 2025
This book does an amazing job describing the different emotions that bipolar folks experience.
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