Synopsis

From J. M. Lee, a bestselling phenomenon in Korea, comes a haunting and mind-bending novel about the revolutionary possibilities of AI and the infinite mysteries of what it means to be human.

In the virtual city of Alegria, fantasies are made real, innumerable lifetimes are lived, and even death itself is a survivable experience. An escape from reality that changed the landscape of artificial intelligence, it is home to more than one hundred million people. Though it’s been six years since Alegria’s creator—revolutionary tech genius KC Kim—died of cancer, his legacy is alive in the pinnacle of KC’s an AI named Allen who surges with KC’s memories.

As hard as KC’s widow, Minju, and her new husband, Junmo, try to move on, Minju can’t shake the unnerving feeling that somehow, from somewhere, KC is watching. She sees a stranger who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. A pair of KC’s custom-made shoes arrive at her doorstep. And someone has booked a Tokyo hotel room where she and KC shared happier times. Certain of nothing except KC’s mad innovation, Minju can only imagine what he is accomplishing without even existing.

If KC is reaching out from an infinity of memories, what are his plans for Minju and Junmo, and how can they hope to escape KC’s all-seeing grasp? And whose plans are they, really? The possibilities are frightening.

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Review

In light of recent advances in AI, this novel reflects the possibility of where our world is headed in the near future.

This novel shifts points of view from KC to Minju to Junmo, and even to Allen. It was intriguing to see where each chapter went and how it added to the storyline. There were times when I thought I knew where the story was headed, only to have a new viewpoint introduced that changed everything I had believed until then.

KC is a genius and manages to create AI that can evolve and think for itself. How does he do this? By ignoring protocols and using his brain to map the processes to teach AI logic and reasoning. Sure, he is dying, but was this a wise move? It is hard to say, but more details are laid out later in the book, which turns logic on its head.

Junmo is a convict, but is drawn into a situation that is not of his making. I don’t want to spoil the details, but it added a new layer to the story when his truth was revealed.

Minju and KC had an interesting relationship. I do not doubt that they were meant for each other, but his treatment of her at the end of his life wasn’t deserving. However, we know that many of his actions were tied to the nanobots running around his body.

This book is full of technical details, which is to be expected when discussing virtual reality and the advancement of AI. I found it to be intriguing, and I might have learned a thing or two.

This story was intriguing, complex, and suspenseful. I couldn’t believe the twists that the author took us on with each new chapter.

If you enjoy sci-fi and futuristic novels, this might be one that you will enjoy.

We give it 5 paws up.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: J. M. Lee’s books have sold millions of copies in Korea, where he was born and raised. He is the author of Broken Summer, currently in production for a television series; Painter of the Wind, which was adapted into an award-winning South Korean television series; The Boy Who Escaped Paradise; and The Investigation, which was nominated for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and was the winner of Italy’s prestigious Premio Selezione Bancarella award.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR: Sean Lin Halbert holds an MA in Korean literature from Seoul National University. He is the recipient of the LTI Korea Translation Award for Aspiring Translators, the Korea Times Modern Korean Literature Translation Award, and the GKL Translation Award. Artificial Truth is his seventh book in translation. Sean lives in Seoul with his wife and daughter and teaches at LTI Korea Translation Academy.