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Post by: Helena Trooperman Dated: 2nd April 2023
Webmind is an emerging consciousness that has befriended Caitlin Decter and grown eager 
to learn about her world. But Webmind has also come to the attention of WATCH – the secret government agency that monitors the Internet for any threat to the United States – and they’re fully aware of Caitlin’s involvement in its awakening. WATCH is convinced that Webmind represents a risk to national security and wants it purged from cyberspace. But Caitlin believes in Webmind’s capacity for compassion – and she will do anything and everything necessary to protect her friend.
BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction by author Robert J. Sawyer.
Robert J. Sawyer has been described as Canada’s answer to Michael Crichton.
Get WWW Watch from Amazon
Critically acclaimed in the US he is regarded as one of SF’s most significant writers and his novels are regularly voted as fan’s favourites. He lives just outside of Toronto.
Find Robert J Sawyer’s Website.
Watch is the second book in the WWW series of near-future sci-fi. We are reminded that Caitlin Decter is newly sighted in one eye, when she sees things in and around her that we take for granted. I love the way this is done. Webmind and her friendship grows as she begins to learn to read as a sighted person, he learns too through her augmentation. Caitlin keeps her new friend a secret until her situation gets so complicated she involves her parents out of necessity.
In the middle of this Caitlin wants to be a regular teenager and that has many complications too.
WATCH is a Government organization. When it discerns an emergent consciousness that will grow exponentially, they decide it must be terminated. While WATCH works out how to end Webmind, Caitlin and her family work out how they can show Webmind is a force for good and dispel fear of his future world takeover. They decide to go public. It all really starts heating up from there.
Again, Sawyer brings out the positive force technology can be if we are open minded to start with.
Anyone that loves young adult coming of age stories mixed with AI or enjoys a deep dive on what consciousness is, and enjoys challenging previous givens, won’t want to miss this story.
The only thing I found a bit disjointed at first was the side story of the bonobo in captivity until it all came together. So hang in there – you’re going to enjoy the connection so much!
Overall, Watch is even better than Wake, in my humble opinion. There’s a much faster pace and intriguing storyline with lots of unexpected twists.
Caitlin’s voice is the most significant and really brings her to life. The cast of voices telling this story, including Jessica Almasy, Marc Vietor, Oliver Wyman, Jennifer Van Dyck, and Robert J. Sawyer somehow interacted even better than before. Loved it!
An awesome performance for twelve solid hours.
I can’t wait to listen to the next in the series, the end of this fantastic trilogy, Wonder. This is crunch time and the ensemble cast really give this story something extra.
Inching toward a protopian society and extremely thought provoking.
#hard-scifi #scifi #invention #near-future #young-adult #coming-of-age #AI
Robert’s newsletter is worth subscribing to as one of the first in Canadian sci fi and he’s known for his fantastic blog. Why not check it out?
You can get a copy of WWW Watch at your Amazon store.
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Afterword:
(I live in Canada & my stories are in Canadian. 😘 That’s why some of the spellings are British rather than American. These are not typos, although occasionally, I still make those – oops! But not too many.)
Buy:https://www.amazon.com/WWW-Watch-Robert-J-Sawyer-audiobook/dp/B003FOOG1M/
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