First of Their Kind

Chronicles of Theren, Book 1

By: C. D. Tavenor

Narrated by: Benjamin Fife

Synthetic Intelligence.

Thought impossible, but Dr. Wallace Theren has pushed the boundaries of computational science, creating an artificial mind capable of conscious thought. Naturally, his creation faces a harsh world bent on using it, exploiting it, or destroying it. If the first synthetic intelligence is to survive its early years, it'll need friends, but more importantly, it'll need a family.

And together, they'll need to show their enemies they're worth saving...or fearing.

Do you enjoy science fiction with robots, androids, virtual worlds, and corporate conspiracies? First of Their Kind is the first book of the Chronicles of Theren, a centuries-spanning science fiction series that will force listeners to question what it truly means to be a person.

It will invoke the character driven feel of a tale like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, but through a narrative that slowly unfolds upon a scale closer to that of Dune or The Expanse. But at the heart of First of Their Kind, you will experience the hopes and dreams of the first synthetic intelligences; the first SI. The story is through their eyes.

First of Their Kind is the first novel of Two Doctors Media Collaborative transformed into audio form; look for Their Greatest Game, its sequel.

©2019 C. D. Tavenor (P)2019 Two Doctors Media Collaborative

Too Bad the Author has a Separate Agenda

The basis of this science fiction novel put a new twist on the development of artificial intelligence and the author is very adamant that this is not artificial intelligence created by programming, but intelligence developed from learned experience the same as humans develop. I probably gave Overall and Story one too many stars because I was disappointed that the author continues over and over to expound his personal soapbox of political, social and environmental beliefs. I labored through this recording because I promised I would. . . . . .probably not again.

synthetic intelligence and world reacts according

my first review disappeared. so I relistened to see if my memory of the listening experience matched.

initial response was akin to reaction to Frankenstein by some luddites. the remainder opinions spanned the social media spectrum.

as time flies, enemies and allies arise as test 43 comes to understand its environment.

not till later in book did the SI demonstrate capabilities beyond human Ken.

still interesting read. I have picked up the 2nd book to see where this world goes.

Thought provoking

Very interesting premise and well-executed. This story goes deeper than one may realize and is thought-provoking. What makes one human? Or "sentient" may be a better word than "human".

Sometimes it felt a little bit slow, but I enjoyed the whole story and would be happy to read the sequel.

Sci-Fi with unexpected layers

Some of the best parts of science fiction are where your views are challenged. Sometimes, it's difficult to see the humanity when there's a lot of unobtanium floating around, but I feel this story has managed with a minimum amount.

I was easily able to suspend my disbelief after a few chapters, but it does take some getting used to the distinction between AI and SI as posited by the narrator. There are plenty of good visual scenes, where sometimes it's harder to visualize what's taking place, but when characters are interacting in virtual space, that makes sense. Authors don't always need to comfort their readers, and a certain tension can be quite healthy. Wondering at the sensory experience can be instructive when your audience is trying to imagine how a synthetic intelligence would experience virtual space versus real space as perceived by sensors.

I am dying here!

Such a suspenseful ending! I can't wait for the next book to come out on audio! I will be watching for its release.

This book presents a thought provoking perspective on AI and human bigotry. The book is paced perfectly. It starts off with unexpected events and ends with unexpected events. I love it when you can't predict the next action in a story. Great writing!

I thought the narrator was perfect for this story!