Four events hold the center of this novel of Appalachia, AI, and a militant cult:
- The director of the ATF holds a press conference about an AI-soldier-involved shooting
- A farmer and his sick wife bring home an AI nurse and another AI farmhand to help out at their rapidly deteriorating home, surrounded by toxic soil and water
- An ATF agent leads a raid on a house occupied by the child soldiers of an anti-technology militia leader
- An AI soldier spends months awake and captive in a cell following his actions in the raid, which resulted in the death of a child
While it may seem like I've given away the entire story with that bulleted list, but I haven't, as the book looks at those events (and the time before and after them) through the eyes of a variety of characters. It's a bit confusing at the outset, but quickly draws you in, forcing complex musings on morality, personhood, guilt, empathy, and the role of technology in the military. While it would have been nice to get a bit more info about the kids who were armed at the behest of the militia leader (especially since his kid is one of the POV characters), it's a surprisingly intriguing tale, though perhaps not a particularly cheerful one. Still, I'd definitely recommend it!
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