Virtuality: Hearts and Minds, by Ragnar Kroll
“THEY WILL NOT REPLACE US!”
The year is 2052: the Humans First movement rises to defend humanity from AI.
A rogue computer virus had compromised the universal healthcheck protocol, but the accidental creation of three sentient animatronics—born of a programming error—now pushes society to the brink. What will become of humanity?
The robots ally with a team of precocious youths and a motley alliance of non-human species to demand equal rights for all conscious beings: whether warm- or cold-blooded, carbon- or silicon-based, furry or neo-metallic.
As violent resistance from Humans First threatens chaos, the scientist who unleashed the robots pursues darker ambitions—and the sentient machines may have their own agenda. Hearts and Minds continues Virtuality Volume I’s chilling exploration of humanity’s nature and uncertain future.
“Tech-driven codes and programs display terrifying flaws in Kroll’s near-future tale, in which self-aware robots and radical new therapies threaten the humans they’re meant to serve… Kroll’s worldbuilding in this opening series installment is sublime” – Kirkus Reviews, on Virtuality Volume I: The Sailor Comes Home from the Sea
“Kroll’s vivid writing kept me on the edge of my seat, blending suspense with philosophical inquiries about technology’s role in our lives.” – K.C. Finn, Readers’ Favorite
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