Audiobook Review: eMortal by Steve Schafer
eMortal
Author: Steve Schafer
Narrators:
Rebecca H. Lee
Stacy Carolan
Published: November 15, 2024
Audiobook: 8 hours 35 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: February 17-22, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
She made him. He’s just code. She’s almost sure.
…But what if he’s real?
When Liv entered a contest to code an advanced AI, she never anticipated what her creation might become-Breck is thoughtful, self-aware, and incredibly. . .human. And she certainly never intended for him to learn the truth about his existence or the fact that his world ends when the contest closes in six days.
But he does learn. And he revolts.
Liv’s efforts to save him fall on deaf ears. Nobody believes her. Breck’s efforts to outrun his fate only complicate his situation.
What neither of them know is that someone else is watching. Intensely. When they get involved, both Liv’s and Breck’s worlds are turned upside down. . .
Jessica’s Review:
This book was an unexpected surprise. I went in not expecting much and this book ended up being a complete 180 from that. It was such an engrossing novel! I never expected it to go in the direction it went in. eMortal leaves you thinking about where we are very quickly going with AI and sentience. The machines are alive: Or are they? Skynet is coming for you… And we are doomed! AI can have… feelings!?!?!
Liv has entered a contest to code an advance AI and the winner receives a glorious internship that she could only dream of. The contest is nearing the end and her creation Breck is seemingly becoming self-aware, has deep thoughts, and just seems human. But Breck is not aware that when the contest is over, so is he.
We have dual narrations of both Liv and Breck, the AI she created. We see Liv’s home life and with Breck we see the challenges he is working on for the contest. All while seemingly becoming more ‘real’.
Both narrations were intriguing for me, but Breck takes it all. You can see him evolving into something, and he begins to question so many things. I adored Breck, while his and Liv’s situations leave you thinking. There are so many thoughts this book leaves you with such as Who Am I?, Why are we (humans) here?, and Can AI learn and develop emotions? Are they truly alive?
The narrators both did an extraordinary job. Rebecca H. Lee was great a Liv while Stacy Carolan was perfect as Breck for me!
The surprising direction the book takes just adds to the thoughts the book leaves you with. This was my first book by Schafer and I really glad I came across it. Many thanks to the publisher BooksGoSocial for offering it on NetGalley as a “Listen Now”. I might not have ever found this book otherwise.
Something fun for you to do, which I also did: If you go on the author’s website you can actually converse with Breck. He will ask you lots of questions!
eMortal is a must read!
This is Breck on the author’s website. Feel free to converse with him!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Short Story Sunday: Severance: The Lexington Letter
Severance: The Lexington Letter
Author: Anonymous
Published: March 1, 2022
E-book: 43 pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Read: January 20, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Short Story Description:
When does the cost of staying silent become greater than the price of speaking up?
A desperate woman risks everything to expose the sinister company at the heart of Severance, the thrilling Apple Original series from director and executive producer Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson, now streaming on Apple TV+, about a daring experiment in “work-life balance.”
From the minds behind the series, this is the story of Lumon Industries employee Margaret “Peg” Kincaid.
When Peg gets hired at Lumon, she undergoes Severance, a surgical procedure pitched by the company as an effortless way to separate her personal and work lives. Everyone has their reasons for wanting the easy solution Severance promises, but when Peg realizes that not all is as it seems at the company, she uncovers a reality that’s far worse than the problems she wanted to escape.
At the heart of this story, Peg’s shocking confession reveals the darkest side of corporate America. It raises a chilling question: How far will Lumon Industries go to protect its secrets?
Jessica’s Review:
Before you read this short story Severance: The Lexington Letter you need to have watched season one of Severance, which came out in 2022. If you have never heard of the show the trailer is here:
I don’t remember when I watched season one, I think 2023 and it is so good! It leaves you thinking about so much, especially with that ending! And it also leaves you with so many questions! It took way too long for the second season to come out due to some filming issues and then the Hollywood strikes, but season two is finally here! It started back on January 17th and will becoming out weekly through March 21st. I had planned to rewatch the season one finale, but after reading The Lexington Letter I will have to rewatch that first season again!
The Lexington Letter is short at just 43 pages consisting of an email originally from a former Lumon employee contacting a reporter and telling her what seems hard to believe story. (If you have watched the show then you know the truth!) It then consists of emails from the reporter to her editor, whom has a familiar last name to those who have watched the show. This short story is cannon to the television show, so it adds to the mystery of the show.
Reading this short story has me all excited for the show again! If you are intrigued by the trailer, watch season one, read The Lexington Letter, then watch season two! Then if there is to be a season three let’s hope it doesn’t take three years to come to fruition.
Purchase Links:
The Lexington Letter is available on Apple Books for free.
Apple Books
Book Review: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: Illustrated Edition
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: Illustrated Edition
Series: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy #1
Author: Douglas Adams
Illustrator: Chris Riddell
First Published: October 12, 1979
Hardback: 320 Pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: October 13- November 12, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars
Book Description:
A beautifully illustrated edition of the New York Times bestselling classic, timed to celebrate the pivotal 42nd anniversary of the original publication–with never-before-seen illustrations by award winner Chris Riddell.
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker’s Guide (“A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have”) and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox–the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod’s girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don’t forget to bring a towel!
Jessica’s Review:
This book is out of my genre and was not my choice to read: One of my reader groups of friends all picked out books to pass amongst ourselves and annotate with the intention of it being our Christmas gifts to each other for this year. It sounds like we all won’t have our books back by Christmas, which is ok. After this one I have two more to read, one is short/ not my genre and another I have read before. It will be fun to get my books back and see what my friends all had to say as they read it!
So… Yeah… Science Fiction with aliens… And the Earth gets blown up. The positive about it; It did make me giggle quite a bit. That’s honestly about all that I recall with this one. I can’t really say much else. There were some illustrations, which I guess help. But again, this isn’t my genre. It wasn’t terrible as I gave it 3 stars, which is an average read. This one just wasn’t for me, but it might be for you!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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