7/10 ( )

Disturbing. ( )

I wasn't expecting much from this book, but I actually really enjoyed it. The first part, in first person present tense, bugged me almost enoungh that I gave up and picked up a different book, but the action picks up almost right away, and the narration fits the story well from then on. The premise in this story is a bit like the early days of the Battlestar Gallactica world, when humans were figuring out for the first time how to transfer human consciousness into a machine. The movie Caprica is a lot like this book, only in Alpert's story a rogue AI intelligence has started taking over the planet and is trying to exterminate the human race, and the technology that might allow human minds to transfer into a machine is the only tool left that might defeat the AI. I am definitely looking forward to the next book, as the end of this one more than hints that at least one more book will follow this one. ( )

THE SIX by Mark Alpert is a heart-pounding near-future thriller exploring artificial intelligence, digital preservation, and what it means to be human.

Adam’s body is withering away from the effects of muscular dystrophy. Along with five other terminally ill teens, Adam undergoes an operation that allows his brain to be merged with a computer to produce the first human-machine hybrids. Since the army controls the technology, The Six pioneers are obligated to work with the military on a top secret mission to destroy a rouge artificial intelligence known as Sigma who is about the exterminate human life on earth. The conclusion sets up the premise for a new series that’s likely to be popular with YA science fiction fans.

Alpert’s fast-paced plot, engaging writing style, and attention to scientific detail will be a draw for many young science and science fiction fans. Librarians will find this adventure-suspense equally popular among both male and female teens. Use this book to inspire youth to go back and read the works of Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and others. Also tie this work of science fiction with nonfiction books related to artificial intelligence, robotics, genetics, and physics. The many thought-provoking issues addressed in the text make it a good choice for book club discussions.

Librarians need to be prepared for questions about when the next book in this series will be available. It’s sure to be a YA hit.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.markalpert.com/.

Published by Sourcebooks Fire on July 7, 2015. ( )

Science fiction of a very high calibre in that it looks at issues such as Artificial Intelligence as a way of preserving the brains/memories and in essence the "id" of the terminally ill, (i.e Adam with his MD, other teens with brain cancer, etc.)and then using them as weapons to destroy rogue non-human sourced AI.
I like how Alpert has used his extensive knowledge in this area (as a Scientific American journalist) to create a very believable and therefore slightly terrifying world where so much is controlled by computers, that the effects of such a rogue AI like Sigma seem very, very plausible, and this adds huge weight to the story. Highlights of the book were when Adam sees his mother for the first time after the procedure, and she tells him that he is not her son, and in some respects she is correct, he is just a collection of data that THINKS that it is Adam.
Highly recommended for readers aged 14 and older as you need a good grasp of scientific knowledge to immerse yourself in the story; younger readers might struggle with a lack of background information on the subject and also with grasping the moral implications of the story.
Plot: Terminally ill teenagers are offered the chance to live forever as the data in 6 robots that are super soldiers designed to combat Artificial Intelligence that has taken over old Russian Nuclear weapons silos and the internet and satellites. The issues in the book are accepting death, what is death, are you dead if you still create memories in data and also with Adam's Dad being the one who develops the technology to preserve his son and also the rogue AI Sigma - what cost technology when it can go horribly wrong or what are the motives behind creating such technology, and are they justified? ( )