Taking a step back

A bit of escapism, with a punch

The start of a new year is a great time to take a step back. It’s also often a time to do performance reviews or have the follow-up conversation with the team. To help you escape the hard conversations and see the bigger picture, this post is different.

It’s a book recommendation. For a work of fiction.

And because the year is long, it’s a trilogy, The Mechanical God by Lucian K.

This is an indie publication, so there are some typos here and there, and the pacing varies. The strengths outweigh these challenges.

The books follow twins who join a high school / boarding school on a remote island. It’s where the wealthiest or smartest kids in the world go to get the very best education. Except, as the kids quickly realize, something is wrong. The cost of failing the tests that the school’s AI runs is death.

And there are no adults anywhere.

Here’s why you should read it. This series is actually a history of technological development from the agricultural revolution to the rise of AI. It’s not surprising considering that the author is a data scientist at a tech company and has a Ph.D. in economics. Under the guise of a Hunger Games / Lord of the Flies / Lost thriller, the book explores how tech influences human culture, conservatism vs. progressivism, and human vs. AI.

It’s a fun way to take a step back from the daily grind while still learning something relevant to the job. Especially with how close we are (or not) to the Singularity.

And also, there’s the mystery. Why are kids still joining the academy years after it went mad? Where the hell are all the adults?