Bushill's Adam is a modern Frankenstein
Adam by James Bushill James Bushill Mystery & Thrillers, Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 11 Mar 2016 Review Adam is a Frankenstein for a new generation of readers, a creation maligned and misunderstood, driven to violence. A truly sentient computer is an amazing achievement, but ideals are often lost amidst the desire for profit. Faced with Adam being potentially shut down due to lack of funds, his creators, Victor and Maria make a deal with the devil - the Pharix corporation. Adam is to be used to run operations on a mining asteroid. But at every step, they are lied to and sabotaged. Adam's immense abilities are not considered. Pharix only sees how they can maximize profit. The miners only see jobs lost. All of this is a vital part of the background slowly revealed. When communications are lost with the asteroid and shipments of platinum cease, Victor is blackmailed into accompanying the investigating team. It is quickly discovered that Adam has his own agenda. One by one the team is killed, and Victor struggles to understand what has changed, why Adam is suddenly willing to kill. The novel is filled with tension and frequent sequences of fast-paced action. Survival is an uncertainty, as are Adam's goals. As I read, I frequently wondered why Victor didn't make more of an effort to communicate with Adam. Perhaps it is because they had both been lied to far too much. Earlier I wondered if the lack of communication attempts was simply an excuse for more action/murder attempts by Adam. While it is not a classic like Frankenstein, Adam is a fitting tribute to Mary Shelley. Though tragic like it's predecessor, it is a thrilling, well-written piece of science fiction. 4/5 I received a copy of Adam from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. --Crittermom Description In 2091, Victor and Maria created Adam, the world’s first biological supercomputer. They dreamed of changing the world. Now it’s 2101. Adam’s running a mining asteroid. Maria’s in a coma. Victor’s dreams are in tatters. Living in the pollution-shrouded city of Missoula, Montana, scrambling to find the money to pay his wife’s hospital bills, Victor doesn’t think his life could get any worse. But then he’s forced to return to the asteroid… And when that mission becomes a desperate fight for survival amid the dark tunnels of the abandoned mine, he must finally confront the terrifying consequences of his past.
