Sheila's Guests and Reviews

 The dangers of AI are much in the news, especially among authors concerned that our works might be used to "train" AI to write like us, and artists concerned about their art. Will we really be overtaken by the machines - not if the things I've read are anything to go by. New, but not so new. This book postulates AI that doesn't just write or paint - it changes reality. Trained to recognize fakes, it fakes everything, and now the "real" people are in a race against time to put the genie back in the box. Because if nothing and no one can be trusted, where do people fit in? In Our Likeness by Bryan Vandyke In a world of AI, what is real and what is fake? And in a world without truth, will anything matter anymore? In Our Likeness imagines a world where AI can detect lies, then can lie, then can create a new sort of truth out of lies. Instead of people editing the program, the program starts editing people. Then reality – real relationships – slips away. It’...

So why did I choose to read these books. Witches and Wizards - I love the way the author creates strange worlds, and I wanted to see what she made of the Wizard of Oz. Haunting of Ashley Masterson - the cool haunted cover drew me in, and it felt like a story made to be made into a movie. Natural selection - because I couldn't resist reading about the Galapagos island. They're all romances, and all fun reads. Enjoy Of Witches and Wizards by Nicole Zoltack A mother wants the best for her daughter, and wants to believe the best of her daughter. But what if her daughter turns out to be an evil witch? Retelling the Wizard of Oz fairytale through new eyes, with new interpretations, author Nicole Zoltack takes the tale in whole new directions – dark, sinister, thought-provoking. It’s a thoroughly good read. The Haunting of Ashley Masterson by Marie Wilkens A haunted house mystery, with a protagonist fleeing an abusive husband, this novel includes lots of twists and turns. There’s ...