💡 “I was born in pieces, and then those pieces were put together.” Having penned dozens of engrossing, full-length science fiction classics, acclaimed US author John Scalzi’s 2023 novella Slow Time Between the Stars takes a different approach. Part of Amazon Original Stories’ Far Reaches Collection, Scalzi’s novella stands at a mere 28 pages, yet proves that oftentimes brevity may indeed be an author’s strength.

What if AI developed consciousness? That is the question posed by the novella, and one that is promptly answered — though in a way that’s entirely different from what you’d expect. The novella, told in first person by the AI, narrates its journey through endless space as it carries with it the weight of human civilization in the form of all the knowledge humanity has ever amassed.

The goal? Find a new home. As it ventures through space, travelling an insurmountable distance, the sentient tech is tasked with one pivotal mission: find a habitable planet or an intelligent civilization that can help. Naturally, that doesn’t happen overnight, and the AI model — the 17th iteration of its kind — finds it has nothing better to do than to reflect.

The thought of sentient AI is terrifying, but this particular model is unbelievably and viscerally human. The NYT bestselling author’s choice to have the novella be in first person adds incredible depth, personality, and humanity to what is inherently an inhuman narrator — but even that becomes subject to interpretation. The reader follows as the AI model contemplates its creation, the state of humanity, and what its mission’s success may mean for its future.

The novella reads as though it were an account of a lone sailor, never to return home. Slow Time Between the Stars offers a fresh and thought-provoking reading experience that leaves the reader wanting more. At its core, it is a surprisingly deeply personal and emotional read, and one that is both timely and important as humanity pours USD tns into AI. If you’re looking for a 30-minute read with your morning coffee, look no further.

WHERE TO READ IT- You can find the e-book on Amazon at no charge if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber.

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