The Earl of Florida Reviews, “Neon Lieben”
Buy Me Now!!!
How to describe Neon Lieben without spoiling the story? Sapha (the author) paints a masterpiece with prose that captures the mind’s eye with artistic strokes. Yet the longer your enraptured eye takes in the beauty, the more the detailed brush strokes reveal deeper layers of wonder.
The spoiler free review:
Neon Lieben storms the stage overcrowded by novels/movies/television series that have stood tall amidst those who have come short of greatness. A paraphrasing of Solomon Kane, “There are many paths to ‘greatness’, not all of them peaceful.” Sapha takes the idea, long overused, of artificial intelligence and ushers it into the new millenia.
Instead of harping on the dangers of A.I. or the vast potential possibilities for humanity, Neon Lieben simultaneously introduces her readers to the birth pains of new life created by mechanical engineering as well as organic, genetically modified creations through science steeped in realism.
The novel follows two timelines, set over two thirds of a century apart, and while it takes a moment to gather your bearings it’s a marathon of intrigue, growth, and questioning morality. Or perhaps it’s a “quest of morality”. We get to watch and experience, not just one but, multiple births of innocence across the years. The contracting birth pains are felt as innocence is slowly lost when eyes open to the evil machinations of man.
However, this isn’t just the tale of artificial intelligence but also humanity. Who are we? Where do we come from? What is expected of us? And, most importantly, what do we want for our future?
For those of us seasoned (I mean old, like me) we remember the “Short Circuit” films that were light and cheery with humor yet asked the heavy questions. Does Johnny 5 have a soul? Does Lieben? Do the bio-machines, led by Aderastos, have souls?
The journey, as you read Neon Lieben, will make you ask the question of what constitutes life/soul? What would you do to protect it? And if we, in our own personalized bubbles, mirror the antagonists in a form of elitist thinking or is all life precious no matter the origin?
I absolutely love “Neon Lieben” as a novel and as a thought provoking piece of art.
5/5
Published by Vraeyda Media Inc
