Adrian Tchaikovsky writes books that make you think and The Expert System’s Brother is no exception.
Handry is our protagonist and along with his sister are a pair of orphans in their village. Their village appears to be idealised that everyone works for the good of the village those that don’t well… they are severed from the collective.
This novella does what Adrian Tchaikovsky does very well and that’s explore the nature of humanity and community and it wouldn’t be an Adrian Tchaikovsky book without some insect involvement.
Handry’s world is vividly brought to life, the landscape is almost a character in its own right.
This novella almost feels like an allegory. A cautionary tale of what could happen were we to grow too reliant on Technology for that tech then to degrade and begin to fail. A sinister reading of Wall-E.
Its fast moving, its has emotional depth and I was blown away by the ideas that are explored within it.
