Book Review: I, Human (Book 1) by Vito Veii
Science-Fiction has always been one of my favorite genres, so I simply had to get this book after reading the description, which promised a thought-provoking discussion about robots and how people see them. The title, “I, Human”, might remind you of Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot”, but no worries! The author has managed to bring some new and completely unexpected twists to his story. White reading it, I realized that his premise is quite original, and his ability to paint the universe he created in vivid, detailed images got me hooked from page one.
The narrator is Marcus, the captain of the starship Veda. The whole book is like a journal, and I soon fell in love with Marcus and his way of seeing things. In the first chapter, we see him visiting his friend and mentor, Paul, who is a brilliant inventor. Thus, he meets Paul’s newest invention – an android that acts and behaves just like humans, without leaving the impression that it is only copying them. Marcus is absolutely fascinated by the robot, and asks Paul to tell him how he created it. This is one of the parts that I loved most about Vito Veii’s story. I love reading about science and technology, and trying to understand how things work. If you read the book, you will see that the author is great when it comes to explaining technological advances, as well as how his world is structured and how it functions. All the details about the political system, the war between the blocks, and the differences between Homo-sapiens and Homo-superiors helps the readers understand everything better.
My favorite character is, of course, Vlen – the android. It was interesting to see how the other characters, including Marcus, treated him knowing that he is not human. Even though he wasn’t sure at first, Marcus soon realized that Vlen is special and he should be treated like any other person. This is why he changes his name from Stellaris to Vlen. It is the first step to acknowledging that he is, in fact, very much human and he should be treated accordingly.
“I, Human” is a truly complex and creative novel. It is not only fast-paced and engaging, but it also raises some interesting and thought-provoking questions about what makes us humans, and about how the technological developments influence the future of humanity.