What if....
Written: Jan 09 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: concept, characterization, plot, prose style
Cons: maybe too optimistic
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| shadowcat's Full Review: |
What if ...
Someone invented an absolutely accurate and tamper-proof lie detector? What effect would it have on society? On government? On personal relationships? Can a single piece of technology have the power to remake human nature?
These questions and more are addressed in James Halperin's The Truth Machine, one of the best books I've read in years. This book begins its story in the early nineties and progresses through 2050 in a seamless blending of actual events and extrapolation from current trends.
Halperin paints a largely optimistic picture of the future caused by the Truth Machine; crime plummets, business dealings become based on full disclosure rather than hidden information, and there are no longer secrets in personal relationships. Some suicides result, but it is estimated fewer than the lives saved by the flawless criminal justice system.
Personally, I think this picture may be a little too pretty; I can't see human culture changing this dramatically and positively in a single lifetime. But then, I'm a pessimist, and in any case I don't view this as a flaw in the book; as a storyteller, Halperin's job is to show a possible path, not a certain or even likely one.
Halperin's prose is coherent and unobtrusive, drawing you into the story without bothering with flowery language. As the story purports to have been written by a journalistic AI, it is completely fitting. His main characters are brilliantly intelligent, but each have their human failings and grow throughout the story.
In sum, The Truth Machine is a must-read for any lover of speculative fiction or cultural anthropology. It is a gripping exploration of the overturning of human society, and what emerges when the lies are stripped away.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
shadowcat
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Member: Heather Keith
Location: Chelmsford, MA
Reviews written: 28
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
Human consciousness lies somewhere between Pavlov's dog and Schrodinger's cat.
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