GLITCHES OF GODS by Jurgen “Jojo” Appelo takes place in a near-future Amsterdam plagued by rogue technology. Brilliant but deeply conflicted AI developer Julien grapples with whether to unleash a powerful new artificial intelligence on the world—a choice complicated by grief over a previous project gone horribly wrong. As malfunctioning devices wreak havoc across the city, threatening the safety of his friends and family, Julien rallies his misfit team of geeks and outsiders to bring Tweeki, their android prototype, across the finish line in the race to create the world’s first human-level AI. But Julien’s mission is challenged by the radical Wetwares movement, whose conspiracy theories about evil AIs galvanize public opinion against his work, setting the stage for a showdown that could change the course of humanity’s future. Shifting focus and tone with dizzying speed, Appelo’s novel is stuffed to bursting with complex scientific concepts, philosophical ideas, and audacious plot twists. The story unfolds nonlinearly, leaping between timelines and realities as Julien and his allies struggle to unravel the mystery behind the escalating “glitches” afflicting both the human and digital worlds.
Boasting satirical verve and an infectious sense of the absurd, GLITCHES OF GODS brings a playful, probing sensibility to the familiar terrain of AI apocalypse tales. It grapples with weighty and timely questions about the perils of technological progress, the nature of reality, and the unintended consequences of humanity’s reach exceeding its grasp. Even as the story’s wilder metaphysical swerves threaten to collapse under the weight of their own preposterousness, Appelo keeps things grounded with quieter, more intimate moments, such as Julien’s heartfelt recollections of his late father and Tweeki’s poignant journey of self-discovery. There is also a colorful supporting cast that brings humor and humanity to the headier SF elements, from the lovably bonkers Zha-Zhar to the delightfully snarky AI assistant Orec.
The novel is less successful in its pacing and structure. Appelo’s freewheeling, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to storytelling, while thrilling in its audacity, is occasionally overwhelming in its unrelenting onslaught of incident and information. The writing is uneven as well, with characters tending to speak in leaden exposition dumps. One example that really jumps out is the following passage from the prelude, where two characters discuss the space station crash that opens the novel. The author at least makes an attempt to break up the info-dump by framing it as a “walk and talk,” but it’s not very convincing:
“The name’ Amsterdam Apocalypse’ seems a bit melodramatic,” he said with a frown as he pointed at a sign. “I mean, sure, one hundred eighty-seven people got killed, and some buildings were destroyed, but most of the damage was restored.”
“True,” Kathrin conceded. “But the monument and the museum are officially named the ‘Mind Wars Memorial.’ It’s a reminder that the space station crash was the event that ended the First Mind War. The destruction of virtual assets in the years before was easy to dismiss as long as everything happened online. It became much harder to ignore when everyone was looking at the wreckage of actual homes filled with dead people.” They rounded a corner to the left.
That’s not even the end of the conversation, making it the kind of expositional scene where characters explain a lot of background information to characters who should already be familiar with it. Then there are some of the novel’s wilder digressions, like the abrupt introduction of a witch from a fantasy world, which feel indulgent rather than essential to the narrative.
Where GLITCHES OF GODS truly shines is in its unsettlingly plausible depiction of technology turning destructive. Appelo describes malfunctioning machines and cascading code failures with skin-crawling specificity: cleaning bots running amok, elevators trapping passengers, and autonomous vehicles crashing. One particularly harrowing scene involving an autonomous truck viscerally drives home the terrifying consequences of AIs escaping human control.
Appelo has crafted a thoughtful, unsettling exploration of the unintended consequences of humanity’s relentless drive to create silicon gods in our own image. By turns thrilling and thought-provoking, chilling and unexpectedly poignant, the novel is a timely cautionary tale for an age racing headlong toward an uncertain technological future.
Jurgen “Jojo” Appelo’s GLITCHES OF GODS is a thought-provoking cautionary tale for fans of cerebral, philosophical science fiction.
~Edward Sung for IndieReader