Topcliffe's Reviews > The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect

I was searching through an iceberg of most disturbing books and came across ‘The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect’. It seemed like the perfect choice, especially after reading a short story called ‘I have no mouth, and I must scream’. My curiosity with Artificial Intelligence as a literary topic was at it’s peak.

The plot is fairly simple; Lawrence creates a computer called Prime Intellect. PI can think. Being subject to the ‘Three Laws of Robotics’ it improves itself to a point where it makes humanity immortal and every wish and desire available on command. The world is perfect, people get bored and find ways to consensually torture and (almost) kill each other for entertainment. And so it goes from there…

Firstly, I must say that the logic behind the creation and workings of Prime Intellect is outstanding. Roger Williams (author) is a computer programmer and it shows. Chapter Two sold me instantly on this book. I very much enjoyed reading about the reasoning and PI’s interpretation of Asimov’s Three Rules. It just works.

There are some bits that I was not too fond of, and that’s the gore. It felt flat. Looking back at the earlier chapters it would make sense for it to feel bland as the lead character (Caroline) is an expert in all things death & torture. She’s bored, she’s seen it all. Unfortunately the later chapters feel much the same and the shocking scenes that should make one grimace barely got a reaction.

Overall, I must say that I enjoyed this little book. Although I didn’t think much of the ultra-violence, I absolutely adored the chapters involving Prime Intellect (especially near the beginning). I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Artificial Intelligence or just needing that sci-fi fix. You’ll definitely find it here.