A review by cheye13
Qualityland by Marc-Uwe Kling

challenging funny reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was a stunning breath of fresh air. It was comforting(?) to see this kind of commentary written in a published book. It makes me feel a little less insane and a little more hopeful that we can work to fix things.

This is wonderfully creative, written with in-world 'ads' to split up action and provide a shortcut for worldbuilding and context. "Qualityland" is expertly kept anonymous and widely applicable to the real world. I was impressed by the tonal balance between discussing hard-hitting, important topics while keeping the reading experience enjoyable and at times even hopeful, rather than falling down a rabbit hole of despair.

What I enjoyed the most was the nuance in the discussion of "AI" – in a setting where humans are increasingly automated and machines are increasingly humanized there was a lot of good commentary on art, machine learning, and humanity while avoiding slipping into luddism. There were also quite a number of historical interludes that taught me a lot about real history and development.

I could've done without the manic pixie dream girl, and I would've liked the main character to have a little more personality and/or drive aside from his One Mission, but overall I was simply so impressed to read a book like this.

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