SIMPOC

The Thinking Computer

De: Ray Jay Perreault

Narrado por: Zachary Johnson

The entire human population is attacked by a very suspicious virus. SIMPOC's programmer doesn't come in to work, that day, the next, or ever. The commander of the space station Oasis, Joan Herl, is forced to abandon the station because of dwindling resources. When they land on earth, they are attacked by another thinking computer who would do anything to protect itself and to continue thinking.

The moon colony, Dessert Beach, is trapped as their resources are running out, and they must decide when to come home. They have only lifeboats to carry them back to the lifeless Earth, and what will they find when they enter the atmosphere and land?

The astronauts trapped on the Mars colony, Red Dirt, are in worse condition. Their systems will break down and resources will run out. Coming home for them is a different story. The lifeboats aren't made for that purpose and must be rebuilt before the colony breaks down. Should they stay and take their chances on Mars, or should they journey back to Earth?

©2014 Raymond J. Perreault (P)2015 Raymond J. Perreault

A Rarity: Intelligent Sci-Fi!

What did you love best about SIMPOC?

It's really logical... the progression of events makes perfect sense and it stays close enough to reality that it's completely believable.

What did you like best about this story?

From an IT guy with 30 years in the industry, the computing stuff was pretty dead on, but not super-technical. Perreault hits all the right beats, but doesn't bore you with details. Many writers let the tech get in the way of the story, not here.

Which character – as performed by Zachary Johnson – was your favorite?

SIMPOC. A learning computer. Brilliant. Have to say that Termin (spelling?) was also great.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely. I actually would leave early on a drive and arrive early just to listen to more.

Any additional comments?

This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review. It's not just a quick 5-star because I received it free... you can check my other reviews. I only give credit where it's due. The narration by Johnson was also great. As someone with voice acting experience, he's quite talented, down to the different personalities and cadences in voices to the accents.

SIMPOC is an oxymoron: apocalyptic, yet uplifting

As others have mentioned, I was wary of narration from the point of view of an inanimate object. It is an idea many authors have experimented with and few have succeeded with. With that in mind, SIMPOC was a delightful surprise.

SIMPOC is indeed a thinking computer- a perfect mix of humanized and mechanized; he (or she, depending on how it's programmed) is capable of self-awareness and, to an extent, even empathy. SIMPOC destroys the common sci-fi trope of the self-aware AI antagonist. The supporting characters are well-written as well. Without giving too much away, I found myself missing a certain programmer, despite his brief appearance in the story.

I bought the audiobook version of the book and found it very easy to listen to. A human voice gives SIMPOC's moments of loneliness and doubt a tremendously different feel. Well-done and worth considering, even if you don't typically listen to audiobooks.

I look forward to the next book in the series. I did not anticipate that I would enjoy this story as much as I did.

SIMPOC 1

Zachary Johnson does a good job with narrating this short book.Everyone on Earth gets a virus just as a computer with intellegence comes online.Astronauts are left in space and when they return life on Earth is changed forever.
A good first book in a series.
This audiobook was provided to me at no cost for a fair and honest review

Gripping AI thriller

SIMPOC The Thinking Computer is a thrilling sci-fi adventure that explores the consequences of AI survival in a world devastated by a mysterious virus. The story keeps you on edge as astronauts struggle to return to an Earth that may no longer be safe. The mix of survival, space exploration, and AI intrigue makes this a must-listen for sci-fi fans!

The Story could go any direction

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Well yes I would if I had friends who read or use audio books. Sadly I have no such friends (unless you count the maybe friends on the websites I interact with)

What other book might you compare SIMPOC to and why?

This is a unique twist on the whole apocalyptic epoch. If all humanity dies (or most of it) will the computers take over, will they do what is necessary to survive and will they all be on the same side or will there be good and evil or at least different perceptions of right and wrong?

What about Zachary Johnson’s performance did you like?

I liked that they used a bit of sound effect to make it seem like the computers are all saying things at once. I am a bedtime listener to books rather than having them play in the background during my daily activities (although some tempt me more than others) and so I enjoy the pace and cadence of Mr. Johnson's performance. (Not to say he puts me to sleep by any means!)

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

When the humans go the way of the dinosaurs the computers reign begins but will the human frailties of the past become SIMPOC's downfall?

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to hear the next installment!

Nice short listen

Different take on the plague/end of world as we know it. I'm hooked to see what happens next!

Excellent contents

As cheesy as this sounds, this book really inspired to approach problems with a different perspective.

A Unique Blend of AI and Survival

SIMPOC stands out for its portrayal of AI personalities amidst humanity’s collapse. The story is action-packed and thought-provoking, and the astronauts’ perspective adds a thrilling layer. Highly recommended for lovers of intelligent science fiction

A Riveting Dive into Artificial Intelligence

The Thinking Computer is a groundbreaking exploration of artificial intelligence that captivates from the first page. The author masterfully blends technical depth with accessible storytelling, making complex concepts engaging for both tech enthusiasts and casual readers. The book’s portrayal of SIMPOC, a thinking computer, is both imaginative and thought-provoking, offering a glimpse into the future of AI and its ethical implications. With its rich narrative and insightful analysis, this book is a must-read for anyone curious about the intersection of technology and humanity. A truly enlightening and inspiring journey!

Simpoc the thinking computer

I had fun listening to this. The story starts off before humans succumb to a deadly virus, with the programming of Simpoc. We get to see how Simpoc is awoken, starts to learn, and eventually has to deal with the programmer not coming back. I have read a couple of AI books recently so this book was right up my alley. The story continues with the consequences of the virus being realized by the few people who are not exposed to the virus; mostly the space station, the moon base and the mars base. It is interesting to think of what astronauts would go through if earth had a calamity this disastrous. This looks like it will be something similar to an episodic series and I really want to know what happens next!

I had trouble following the date structure in audio format, and consequently could really only get that ‘time had passed’ but not how many days/months passed from the computer’s perspective. That was really the only complaint about having it in audio, otherwise listening to the book lent an extra feeling of loneliness that I don’t know I would have gotten in the print version.

The narration was really good. Not only were all the human character voices distinct but the female character sounded believable, the accents were decent, and most impressively even the robots had distinct sounds! I think doing a good robot voice (one that was still pleasant after 2 hrs) is impressive enough, but the fact that the narrator could do several that sounded distinct (and like they had their own personalities) was a nice treat.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."