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The Stray
In a post-A.I America, all of the world's problems can be solved with the invention of cars that run on carbon, effortless communication with tech interfacing implants, and even machines that design themselves.
None of this helps Ethan, who can remember a time before these improvements to society. His daily life at the Water Recycling Plant is nothing more than a monotonous grind: wake up, clock-in, clock-out, sleep, repeat.
He continually struggles to find meaning in an increasingly efficient and digital society.
This all changes after Ethan is selected for a sleep study, as old feelings and emotions start to flow back into him again.
Ethan will have to decide if her past is worth his future.
None of this helps Ethan, who can remember a time before these improvements to society. His daily life at the Water Recycling Plant is nothing more than a monotonous grind: wake up, clock-in, clock-out, sleep, repeat.
He continually struggles to find meaning in an increasingly efficient and digital society.
This all changes after Ethan is selected for a sleep study, as old feelings and emotions start to flow back into him again.
Ethan will have to decide if her past is worth his future.
134 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 5, 2022
2-2.5 stars, cant decide
this book has a great concept, not the best execution :/
the book starts with two chapters of the charahcter waking up and going about their day, its only 3 pages in total but its so random and out of place. the third chapter goes on normally and the story could begin there and still make total sense.
every conversation in this book was so robotic, they were always either these convos that tried to be "deep" and meaningful but just felt a little unnatural or they were very scientific, therewere about 2 whole pages explaining how a machine works scientifically and how it copies and constructs molecules and i didnt get a single word of it, it uses these scientific terms and big words that are so hard to take in. this happens a lot through out the book, scientific explaining that makes no sense to me, its even a huge part of the plot twist but i didnt even get to enjoy it because i just felt lost.
the plot twist reveals a charachter was behind all that happens, but that barely matters because im not even sure who the charahcter is, theyre all introduced in a way that dont make sense
this book has a great concept, not the best execution :/
the book starts with two chapters of the charahcter waking up and going about their day, its only 3 pages in total but its so random and out of place. the third chapter goes on normally and the story could begin there and still make total sense.
every conversation in this book was so robotic, they were always either these convos that tried to be "deep" and meaningful but just felt a little unnatural or they were very scientific, therewere about 2 whole pages explaining how a machine works scientifically and how it copies and constructs molecules and i didnt get a single word of it, it uses these scientific terms and big words that are so hard to take in. this happens a lot through out the book, scientific explaining that makes no sense to me, its even a huge part of the plot twist but i didnt even get to enjoy it because i just felt lost.
the plot twist reveals a charachter was behind all that happens, but that barely matters because im not even sure who the charahcter is, theyre all introduced in a way that dont make sense
October 1, 2020
I'm going to start this off by saying that I am glad to have been able to be among the first to read this book. It kept me on my toes, the chapters varied in length and had vivid descriptions, and overall it's a pretty good read. You'll love this book if you like dystopian future mixed with Synths from Fallout 4.
However, The Stray seems a bit... incomplete, if you will. The story is a little too fast-paced and has the reader jumping ahead through time almost every paragraph, at times. It's great if you like that sort of thing, but it's really not up my alley. The author also seemed to switch back and forth between voices and genres. One chapter, it's a romantic comedy, the next it's a dystopian thriller. Again, it's really great if you like that sort of thing, but I, for one, do not. Some authors can really pull off mixing together multiple genres, but the way that he presented it just seemed confused.
There's also a couple of unnecessary explanations that could've been left up to the reader to decipher. I often found myself skipping over the incredibly long paragraphs explaining things that I had already inferred or things that I would eventually come to assume.
What's strange is that there are longer chapters with tons of unnecessary explanations (and even sometimes unnecessary descriptions), and then there are short chapters that are so short, they seem completely unnecessary to the storyline - almost as though they were added as an afterthought.
I wish that I could rate this book more than three stars, but I really can't bring myself to do it. The author seems generally confused about how his voice should sound throughout the story.
Despite all of the negative aspects, I really quite enjoyed some of the passages in this book. I've gotten more than a few wise quotes from these pages and I found the story itself rather insightful. If you overlook some of the fallbacks, you'll find a really amazing and creative story.
However, The Stray seems a bit... incomplete, if you will. The story is a little too fast-paced and has the reader jumping ahead through time almost every paragraph, at times. It's great if you like that sort of thing, but it's really not up my alley. The author also seemed to switch back and forth between voices and genres. One chapter, it's a romantic comedy, the next it's a dystopian thriller. Again, it's really great if you like that sort of thing, but I, for one, do not. Some authors can really pull off mixing together multiple genres, but the way that he presented it just seemed confused.
There's also a couple of unnecessary explanations that could've been left up to the reader to decipher. I often found myself skipping over the incredibly long paragraphs explaining things that I had already inferred or things that I would eventually come to assume.
What's strange is that there are longer chapters with tons of unnecessary explanations (and even sometimes unnecessary descriptions), and then there are short chapters that are so short, they seem completely unnecessary to the storyline - almost as though they were added as an afterthought.
I wish that I could rate this book more than three stars, but I really can't bring myself to do it. The author seems generally confused about how his voice should sound throughout the story.
Despite all of the negative aspects, I really quite enjoyed some of the passages in this book. I've gotten more than a few wise quotes from these pages and I found the story itself rather insightful. If you overlook some of the fallbacks, you'll find a really amazing and creative story.
April 27, 2021
One of the things I love about science fiction that speculates on the potential future is that there are so many possibilities, so many different choices that could change the future and the entire world. Whether that be post-apocalyptic sci-fi, utopian sci-fi, the rise of technology, the fall of technology, disease, famine, whatever, there are so many different ways that things could go wrong. Or, alternately, ways that they could go right. Jason Ford’s The Stray is a musing on a world following the rise of AI, and what it means to be human.
1. Thoughts on the plot
A lot of contemporary futuristic/fate of the world sci-fi is very action oriented. The character has a particular goal, either to improve the world or to get back to the way things were. This book is more about a mental journey by means of character interaction, which I think was very interesting indeed.
This book follows Ethan, a worker at a Water Recycling Plant who gets selected to participate in a sleep study where an AI analyses his dreams. For thirty days, he lives in a house and helps the AI to learn about humanity. During this time, Ethan interacts with people from his past, memories he thought long forgotten, and the ever-present question of what it means to be human.
While there is little direct action in this book, I think that the plot is actually very rich. The interactions between characters determine choices and push both Ethan and the AI into a sequence of events that may, in fact, change everything, or change nothing at all.
2. Thoughts on the characters
As far as characters go, I like Ethan. He is not hugely go-get-em at the beginning of the book, and starts off maybe a bit boring. He is this way due to situations in his past, with his ex-girlfriend Cameron, who was something like his opposite, but not quite. Therefore, the decision to apply for this sleep study is actually a huge leap forwards for Ethan, and leads to an ever increasing pace to discover the meaning of life as a human. He delves into philosophy, remembering character interactions, and also experiencing new things that essentially change him from someone who accepts things to someone who seeks things out. A very good main character.
The other primary characters in the novel, with whom Ethan interacts, include his ex, Cameron, a friend, Jimmy, and the scientists running the sleep study. These characters are hugely significant in terms of plot, but none of them have quite the depth that Ethan has. I think, overall, that this works out very well, since it is Ethan we’re focusing on. As individual characters, separate from the plot, I think they don’t quite fit the mold. Frankly, though, it doesn’t much matter as they suit the story perfectly well.
3. Favourite part
I liked the discussions of philosophy quite a bit. Now, I think there were some points in the philosophical musings that could have used slightly more clarification (namely in the last five percent of the book), but even ambiguous, they push the boundaries of reality and force questions of what really matters in life. I really enjoyed this, since a lot of the time, we see AI in sci-fi with single-minded focus rather than a search for greater meaning. That, and the fact that these discussions played such a large role in Ethan’s character development made this more than something incidental in the story, to something essential.
4. Critique
My only real critique for this book has nothing to do with the characters or the story, but with the formatting. There were instances in the book where dialogue spoken by two separate characters appeared in the same paragraph, sans dialogue tags. Now, I was able to generally decipher who was saying what, but it took me out of the story and required a bit more puzzling than I had anticipated. This isn’t a huge issue, since the story was clear even with this formatting quirk, but I did notice it.
I think that The Stray was a very good story about what the role of humans is in a world where we are perhaps not entirely relevant, where AI manages a great deal and people do not need to strive to reach such great heights any longer. I especially liked the philosophy, the drive that Ethan had to choose his path, and all the questions that were brought up by a world where the problems we face are all but solved.
1. Thoughts on the plot
A lot of contemporary futuristic/fate of the world sci-fi is very action oriented. The character has a particular goal, either to improve the world or to get back to the way things were. This book is more about a mental journey by means of character interaction, which I think was very interesting indeed.
This book follows Ethan, a worker at a Water Recycling Plant who gets selected to participate in a sleep study where an AI analyses his dreams. For thirty days, he lives in a house and helps the AI to learn about humanity. During this time, Ethan interacts with people from his past, memories he thought long forgotten, and the ever-present question of what it means to be human.
While there is little direct action in this book, I think that the plot is actually very rich. The interactions between characters determine choices and push both Ethan and the AI into a sequence of events that may, in fact, change everything, or change nothing at all.
2. Thoughts on the characters
As far as characters go, I like Ethan. He is not hugely go-get-em at the beginning of the book, and starts off maybe a bit boring. He is this way due to situations in his past, with his ex-girlfriend Cameron, who was something like his opposite, but not quite. Therefore, the decision to apply for this sleep study is actually a huge leap forwards for Ethan, and leads to an ever increasing pace to discover the meaning of life as a human. He delves into philosophy, remembering character interactions, and also experiencing new things that essentially change him from someone who accepts things to someone who seeks things out. A very good main character.
The other primary characters in the novel, with whom Ethan interacts, include his ex, Cameron, a friend, Jimmy, and the scientists running the sleep study. These characters are hugely significant in terms of plot, but none of them have quite the depth that Ethan has. I think, overall, that this works out very well, since it is Ethan we’re focusing on. As individual characters, separate from the plot, I think they don’t quite fit the mold. Frankly, though, it doesn’t much matter as they suit the story perfectly well.
3. Favourite part
I liked the discussions of philosophy quite a bit. Now, I think there were some points in the philosophical musings that could have used slightly more clarification (namely in the last five percent of the book), but even ambiguous, they push the boundaries of reality and force questions of what really matters in life. I really enjoyed this, since a lot of the time, we see AI in sci-fi with single-minded focus rather than a search for greater meaning. That, and the fact that these discussions played such a large role in Ethan’s character development made this more than something incidental in the story, to something essential.
4. Critique
My only real critique for this book has nothing to do with the characters or the story, but with the formatting. There were instances in the book where dialogue spoken by two separate characters appeared in the same paragraph, sans dialogue tags. Now, I was able to generally decipher who was saying what, but it took me out of the story and required a bit more puzzling than I had anticipated. This isn’t a huge issue, since the story was clear even with this formatting quirk, but I did notice it.
I think that The Stray was a very good story about what the role of humans is in a world where we are perhaps not entirely relevant, where AI manages a great deal and people do not need to strive to reach such great heights any longer. I especially liked the philosophy, the drive that Ethan had to choose his path, and all the questions that were brought up by a world where the problems we face are all but solved.
April 25, 2021
“In everything you do, you are celebrating your existence.”
This book is a philosophical/sci-fi journey about life, love and technology. If you are looking for a quick superficial story - this is not it. I found myself reading certain sentences (sometimes paragraphs) over and over until the words really sank in. You could probably read this ten times and find something you didn’t catch or you could probably ponder about a page for a half hour before moving on. The technological aspect (implants, AI, bodysnatcher-esq experiment) made me feel an eerie uneasiness that wouldn’t subside. Maybe because I could really envision the events that happened in the book. I did want more of an explanation about some things but that would take away from the philosophical part, wouldn’t it? It was a masterful story that included themes of existentialism, immortality, and other unknowns. I wouldn’t suggest reading this while you are tired. I would suggest if you are a fan of sci-fi, philosophy and A.I. to pick this up now.
Thank you to De Novo Press for the gifted copy in return for my honest review!
This book is a philosophical/sci-fi journey about life, love and technology. If you are looking for a quick superficial story - this is not it. I found myself reading certain sentences (sometimes paragraphs) over and over until the words really sank in. You could probably read this ten times and find something you didn’t catch or you could probably ponder about a page for a half hour before moving on. The technological aspect (implants, AI, bodysnatcher-esq experiment) made me feel an eerie uneasiness that wouldn’t subside. Maybe because I could really envision the events that happened in the book. I did want more of an explanation about some things but that would take away from the philosophical part, wouldn’t it? It was a masterful story that included themes of existentialism, immortality, and other unknowns. I wouldn’t suggest reading this while you are tired. I would suggest if you are a fan of sci-fi, philosophy and A.I. to pick this up now.
Thank you to De Novo Press for the gifted copy in return for my honest review!
May 10, 2021
Ethan has always been a reluctant adopter of technology so it was a big step when he allowed his first implants wired to his brain. Even more so when he agrees to a strange experiment. He will live in a house sleep and dream. The next morning an AI renders into reality those he saw in his dream.
But reality blurs when the ‘reproductions’ know more than they should and the power and motivation of this AI becomes frighteningly clear.
A book that puts philosophy and existential questions right next to a rather chilling tale about the future of AI. If the past is what defines us then an entity that looks exactly like us and contains the same memories must be one and the same. But a dog is not defined by its past. Rather it lives as a dog moving from one moment to the next. Therefore, a human, created by AI, with the same memories may move as they see fit.
Yeah, those kinds of questions.
These questions flow in and out of a compelling mystery about a situation that has long since evolved out of control of anyone who was in control. Nice, short, concise read best paired with some light music and a glass of good wine.
But reality blurs when the ‘reproductions’ know more than they should and the power and motivation of this AI becomes frighteningly clear.
A book that puts philosophy and existential questions right next to a rather chilling tale about the future of AI. If the past is what defines us then an entity that looks exactly like us and contains the same memories must be one and the same. But a dog is not defined by its past. Rather it lives as a dog moving from one moment to the next. Therefore, a human, created by AI, with the same memories may move as they see fit.
Yeah, those kinds of questions.
These questions flow in and out of a compelling mystery about a situation that has long since evolved out of control of anyone who was in control. Nice, short, concise read best paired with some light music and a glass of good wine.
April 30, 2022
As a fan of Ray Bradbury's short stories, Brian K. Vaughan and Isaac Asimov, I love a futuristic dystopian setting where machines take over and humans doubt their existence. On top of that, it was quite clever to focus it on an emotion that machines may identify but probably not mimic. This world evolves into a digital era and refusing it ends in isolation.
This short read is the story of a man who is stuck in a lifeless routine. He accepts to get out of his comfort zone to embark on an experience that (literally) makes his dreams come true and teaches him to appreciate life.
It has a great structure, almost cyclical but through a journey of learning thoughts.
I love a story confined to a small space and the subtle lessons explored by the experience with a twilight zone vibe. The end is very Bradburish. Loved it.
My fav quote is: "But some people simply don't have those kinds of ambitions. (...) They do - Just once it's too late when they've had their fill of copied days. Years."
Personal note: I don't want to live a life of copied days. I want to be the real deal.
This short read is the story of a man who is stuck in a lifeless routine. He accepts to get out of his comfort zone to embark on an experience that (literally) makes his dreams come true and teaches him to appreciate life.
It has a great structure, almost cyclical but through a journey of learning thoughts.
I love a story confined to a small space and the subtle lessons explored by the experience with a twilight zone vibe. The end is very Bradburish. Loved it.
My fav quote is: "But some people simply don't have those kinds of ambitions. (...) They do - Just once it's too late when they've had their fill of copied days. Years."
Personal note: I don't want to live a life of copied days. I want to be the real deal.
May 28, 2021
Even though this is a short story, I was still on the edge of my seat! It was nice to dip more into a Sci-Fi and futuristic type story.
While reading, questions did arise which lead to the philosophical part. This made things a little harder to connect, but made me focus even more to understand what the author was doing.
The plot is based around a character named Ethan that gets selected to be a subject of a sleep study. Readers get a look at his past, memories, and questions that Ethan composes.
The short story was definitely different than anticipated, yet keep my interest for the majority of the time.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys about Sci-Fi, Dystopian, and philosophical factors!
While reading, questions did arise which lead to the philosophical part. This made things a little harder to connect, but made me focus even more to understand what the author was doing.
The plot is based around a character named Ethan that gets selected to be a subject of a sleep study. Readers get a look at his past, memories, and questions that Ethan composes.
The short story was definitely different than anticipated, yet keep my interest for the majority of the time.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys about Sci-Fi, Dystopian, and philosophical factors!
May 25, 2022
This was an interesting read with a plot that makes you think about human nature, perception, and what it is about us that makes us human. Through the story, Ford asks the reader to grapple with the question of authentic reality and challenges the human perspective.
While it was an amazing concept, the book was a bit hard to follow and needed to be developed a little bit more in my opinion.
But I would recommend reading it and supporting a local publishing press and author. “The Stray” will definitely spark your imagination and challenge the way you think about perception and reality.
While it was an amazing concept, the book was a bit hard to follow and needed to be developed a little bit more in my opinion.
But I would recommend reading it and supporting a local publishing press and author. “The Stray” will definitely spark your imagination and challenge the way you think about perception and reality.
December 26, 2021
The author does a fantastic job of pulling you through the storyline with the dialog. The characters are real and meaningful. The writing is excellent and even poetic at times. It reminds me of Andre Aciman's Enigma Variations - only fictional. Or is it?
May 4, 2022
I'll start by saying that this book gave my brain the mental work out it needed. Jason Ford (who now has a new fan!) did an exceptional job of putting together the plot, and I was not expecting the twist at the end. It definitely makes you think on how you should be spending your time and what is important. The main question I had throughout is if I would accept being in an experiment that could potentially have me not wanting for anything.
I do not want to give too much away because I could definitely go on, but if you are a fan of sci-fi and the possibilities that even could be our future, I would definitely suggest this!
Thank you De Novo Press!
I do not want to give too much away because I could definitely go on, but if you are a fan of sci-fi and the possibilities that even could be our future, I would definitely suggest this!
Thank you De Novo Press!
April 2, 2021
This was an interesting book, and I honestly can’t 100% say how I felt about it. There were a lot of interesting and dimensional aspects to this short story, but they way that the story was told had me feeling lost more than once.
This story revolves around an “Average Joe” sort of guy in the future, who participates in a form of sleep experiment, and his life is forever changed.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
👍🏻 the story was under 150 pages
👍🏻 the pace of the story was quick
👍🏻 the concept was intriguing and thought provoking
👍🏻 it’s a book that prompts discussion on the future of AI
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧‘𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞:
👎🏻 the pace was almost TOO quick in some parts (jumping around in time often)
👎🏻 some descriptions of the technology and hypotheses were lengthy and caused me to re-read them multiple times to fully understand
Overall, I think this was a very interesting futuristic short story that could have done with maybe just a bit more editing to smooth out how the story was told to make it easier for readers to comprehend.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys sci-fi, futuristic, dystopian, or technology-heavy “what if” type stories!
This story revolves around an “Average Joe” sort of guy in the future, who participates in a form of sleep experiment, and his life is forever changed.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
👍🏻 the story was under 150 pages
👍🏻 the pace of the story was quick
👍🏻 the concept was intriguing and thought provoking
👍🏻 it’s a book that prompts discussion on the future of AI
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧‘𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞:
👎🏻 the pace was almost TOO quick in some parts (jumping around in time often)
👎🏻 some descriptions of the technology and hypotheses were lengthy and caused me to re-read them multiple times to fully understand
Overall, I think this was a very interesting futuristic short story that could have done with maybe just a bit more editing to smooth out how the story was told to make it easier for readers to comprehend.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys sci-fi, futuristic, dystopian, or technology-heavy “what if” type stories!
March 25, 2021
This was a such a good read. It didn't take long at all for me to get through it! It's definitely for the sci-fi and philosophical lovers out there. You truly have to be paying attention, as it subtly flips from one scene to another. It gave my brain a workout, and I loved the characters. I only wish there was MORE to this book! I would love to see a sequel that dives into Ethan's past further, and where we see even more development with him and Carmen. I also loved the plot twist, where I thought it was going in one direction, but completely ended up being a different scenario than I expected (can't give way too much!). It honestly feels almost like a prediction of how things could end up being in the future, especially with our society's obsession with technology. And it cemented my belief, that technology, in a lot of ways, should probably be left alone.
Jason left a lot of amazing ideas in this book that I'll be writing down as quotes for awhile now.
If you love those kind of stories, do yourself a favor and check it out!
Jason left a lot of amazing ideas in this book that I'll be writing down as quotes for awhile now.
If you love those kind of stories, do yourself a favor and check it out!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews