Michelle Herbert reviews I Still Dream by James Smythe…
I Still Dream is a thought-provoking novel that will get under your skin. It begins in 1997 with Laura and the computer programme she has created, known as Organon. Laura is in many ways a typical teenage, racking up the phone bill and making meaningful mixtapes. With Organon, Laura has created something useful for herself, but that she hopes may one day be able to help others.
As the book progresses we learn more about Laura and the people who help shape her, whether that is to learn to distrust others or knowing when to ask for help. This includes her family, teachers and friends, the people who should protect you, although they can’t guarantee that they will be able to give you everything you need. Laura is isolated by the loss of her Dad at a young age, but apart from Organon, doesn’t seem to be able to communicate effectively with other people.
The book is written with ten-year gaps so that we see snapshots of Laura’s life. Although she is the protagonist, we do see some years from other characters perspectives. In 2007 we follow “nice guy” Charlie, who has major self-esteem issues. Charlie is one of those guys who thinks he is interesting, and although he sees himself as someone who thinks through his actions, he is actually really impulsive. The chapter gives us insight into what Laura is up to and how both she and Organon have evolved in the elapsed years. This affects not only Laura’s relationship with Charlie but also at the company, Bow, where they both work.
As the story moves forward in time, we see how Laura’s life changes and how family affects the decisions she makes. Laura can be seen as paranoid or as protectionist, as she doesn’t use any products related to her former company. Laura is a Tech consultant, who goes in and fixes other companies problems, she is sought after and seen as a genius, but almost lives off the grid as she hides Organon from the world.
I Still Dream is a book about the relationships we have with other people, but also the relationship we have with technology. It is thought-provoking, but also a wake-up call to remind ourselves how much we share online and how protected we believe our data is online. The book is not preachy about any of this, humanity uses what is convenient to us without worrying about the consequences or thinking about who really has access to our data and what they are using it for.
The book is both dystopic and hopeful utopian, although not at the same time, in certain time periods the story becomes slightly more like a technological thriller, and it is chilling to see how much control an artificial intelligence can have over, both the information it sees and what it can do with it. There are a lot of really intense chapters that I read with bated breath. I Still Dream is also full of tragedy but is also heartfelt. By the end, the story takes on a much sadder tone, without becoming overly sentimental.
This is a great book that will both leave you feeling satisfied that you have read something smart but will also haunt you with what it is trying to say. The story left me feeling like I had been on an emotional roller coaster. I hope that people currently working on technology are reading this book as well. Now is it too soon to start reading I Still Dream all over again?
Michelle Herbert
