Harare Review of Books

295 pp. Published August 8, 2024 by Whitefox. SF.

It took me a while to be persuaded by the premise of this book—perhaps because of writing like this:

“John was dressed in a button-down shirt tucked neatly into a pair of brand-name jeans which hugged his thighs like a toddler missing its mother. He looked like a choir boy compared to the group of four older men, each one a variant shade of bald, the skin on their patchy red faces flaking off and disappearing into the summer wind.”

… but around 20% in, I began to enjoy it. What John Fennec does in Artificial Artifacts, is to consider a world made bewildering by technology: AR, artificially-enhanced memories, AI mayors, manipulated news, and more.
Some people opt out of reality. Others use technology to manipulate the reality of others. There are conseqences throughout the book from the personal level to geopolitics.

Fennec has thought very carefully about the various directions future technology may take, and then created wonderfully imaginative and human-focussed stories. His ideas are deeply engaging; these are thoughtful enquiries into our technological future. (There is one conceit around an all-knowing figure, but this is not at all important to the collection, just an entertaining diversion.)

Here are some of the individual stories I enjoyed. Kundalini Yoga is a mind-bending consideration of dimensional travel. It’s really very cleverly done; I loved it. Round-Tripped Revolution tracks a family across eras; I enjoyed the echoes and links between generations. Morning Commute is a smart story about how we may find new ways to choose our own reality. Rolling Blue-Blackouts is very chilling on technology and mental healthcare. And Pukahoda imagines a future that feels like it’s just about here, where AI replaces artists.

All in all, this is a very good read, well worth your time for thinking through these topics. Also, importantly, it’s very entertaining.

Many thanks to Whitefox and NetGalley for a DRC.