Review: Automaton by Cheryl Davies

Blurb:
In the not too distant future, after the huge successes of role playing games and virtual worlds such as The Sims, Second Life, and reality shows such as Big Brother, it was only a matter of time before somebody took the next step. A remote island. An android population existing only to entertain. Their lives broadcast around the clock and around the globe. Their actions dictated by their owners. It’s the world’s biggest game played by thousands. Welcome to Gameworld. Dean 3012 is a good guy living on the Island. He loves his girlfriend, Lily, and with their first baby on the way, life is perfect. But when things take a sinister turn, the couple is plunged into a world of darkness and despair. Dean must take control and fight for all their lives.

My Review:
This book is a quick, but complex read. It's not at all a fluffy bunny story, so be prepared for some serious thought. I really found myself drifting off in thought, not because the book was bad, but because it made me wonder. With the current state of gaming these days, and the ever intensifying need to have games be more and more realistic, would this sort of thing be possible? I would like to say no, but you never really know.


I liked the way Davies writes this story. She paints a very bleak picture of a possible future where everyone is entranced by Gameworld. People don't live THEIR lives anymore, they live through their avatars. This story's has been done before, both in movies (Surrogates comes to mind) and books, but Automaton feels fresh.  I blame Davies' characters and writing ability on this! I did not have a sense of deja vu, nor the desire to roll my eyes and mutter "not this storyline again!"

All in all, this was a quick yet serious read. I was pulled in from the start and was not disappointed. I do recommend this to anyone that enjoys fiction with a thought provoking, sci-fi edge!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.