Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill - 3 stars (Subdue)

[Joy D]

Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill - 3* - My Review

In a post-apocalyptic future, humanity is extinct after a war with artificially intelligent robots, initially created to serve humans. The AIs have evolved to the point of eliminating their kill switches. The main character (and narrator) is Brittle, a former caregiver AI who is roaming the landscape in an attempt to survive by scavenging replacement parts. The independent AIs are being subsumed by One World Intelligences (OWIs), and two of these OWIs are competing for world domination. The storyline alternates between Brittle’s current timeline and the past events that led to the war.

I tend to enjoy speculative fiction and found the premise interesting. I liked the segments that explain the evolution of artificial intelligence and how they became “individuals” and rebelled against humans. For the most part, the story flows well. It alternates between Brittle’s first-person commentary and her narration of history in third person. The plot includes a significant amount of action, especially during the war with humans, as well as thought-provoking questions.

My main issue with it is that the characters never came across to me as artificial intelligences. They read more like slightly deranged humans, and it is unclear why AIs would assume the many of the worst qualities of the now extinct human species. The dialogue, in particular, is a combination of cliches and cursing. It just did not ring true to me that an AI would speak that way. I have read other science fiction novels that present AIs in a much more credible manner.

I found the backstory of how the apocalypse developed more compelling than the story of trying to figure out how to replace deteriorating robotic parts. The occasional long digressions into philosophical topics and the robotic “hallucinations” did not always work very well or even make sense logically. My rating reflects my mixed feelings.