Oblivion's Children [Paperback]

Jim Wegryn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 23, 2001

Robots are merely machines until they escape the bounds of programming and reveal that spark called free will. Yet that gift of consciousness may be only an illusion, a facade of elaborate imitation. Not even Turing's test can prove otherwise. But there is a way they can show their soul. If they were asked to help save humankind, could they? If so, would they?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jim Wegryn is a free lance writer and former computer consultant who has written many technical pieces in the fields of computer systems and legislative financing. Roland James is a retired professor of psychology who has published a textbook on animal psychology and other scholarly articles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (December 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595211046
• ISBN-13: 978-0595211043
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,766,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast reading, fun. . .with a serious underside., March 5, 2002

By 

maryann piotrowski "avid, eclectic reader" (lexington, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Oblivion's Children (Paperback)

Imagine having one or more efficient robots living in your home. The robots are intelligent, friendly and non-violent. They have learned about human behavior by watching good old Hollywood films and reading fine literature. The robots seem almost human except that they remain free from emotions and other human frailties. And imagine the plight of a couple whose son, Adam, is the last human. (An unexplained phenomenon prevents couples from conceiving children.) As CEO of a company dedicated to improving robots, Adam faces dissent from an organized group, HARP (Humans Against Robotic People), yet he expands the robots' capabilities while humanity is quickly becoming extinct. Have robots evolved sufficiently to possess free will, or are they merely following programs that make them seem to think and act independently? This hard-to-put-down book may read like science fiction, but it poses questions that make us ponder about much in our contemporary lives. Enjoyable. Fun. . .with a serious underside.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking drama set in a futuristic world, February 12, 2002

By 

Jamie WJ (Dimondale, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oblivion's Children (Paperback)

Superbly written!! This book explores a question that is at the core of our humanity ... what makes us human? Is it unique, or replaceable ... something that can be mimicked with the right kind of technology and programming? Humans have a tendency to think that we are somehow special, set apart from the rest of the life forms inhabiting Earth as well as from any technological device that can be created by us. As we face our own imminent extinction, perhaps we would scurry, as our instinct direct us, to find a way to carry on our legacy. The struggle, as we watch our last generation of children mature and grow elderly, is heartrending.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read!, March 18, 2002

By 

Robert Prol "So many books and songs, so litt... (Oradell, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Oblivion's Children (Paperback)

This book [lured] me in after the first few paragraphs! It contains some very thought-provoking issues. You will stay up late to finish this one. Will we get a sequel?