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Turing Evolved Kindle Edition

by David Kitson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,199 ratings
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BLADE RUNNER meets THE MATRIX in this gripping thriller with an incredible twist.
When ex-demon pilot Jon Carlson meets beautiful humanitarian Rachel, it's a match made in heaven. Literally, because Rachel's an angel. She's also an AI controlled android of immense power and capability. As Jon finds himself drawn into the world of these enigmatic creations of mankind, he unknowingly becomes involved in a program to create autonomous superweapons intended to fight the next war.
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  1. Print length
    397 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Impulse Australia
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 2014
  5. File size
    1.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00IHYV2LM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Impulse Australia (October 1, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 397 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,199 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,199 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story intriguing and well-crafted. They appreciate the well-developed characters and believable portrayal of them. The book keeps readers engaged until the end, with an exciting flow and thought-provoking ideas about artificial intelligence. The emotional content is strong and tender, with humor and tenderness also mentioned.

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Story qualityCharacter developmentReading enjoymentPacingThought provokingEmotional contentWriting qualityEditing quality
509 customers mention "Story quality"482 positive27 negative

Customers enjoyed the story. They found the premise intriguing and the book an enjoyable read with an intricate plot line that kept them hooked. The action scenes were well-crafted and the ending was satisfying.

"...It took me two but It's an enjoyable read despite the numerous grammar irregularities and errors created by incorrect words or misspelled or..." Read more

"...I really enjoyed this book. In the past, I was a big fan of Robert Heinlein but sometimes found his characters a bit two-dimensional...." Read more

"...I thought this book was amazing, and has a little bit of everything; action, romance, brain bending scifi, conflict, and moral dilemmas out the wazoo..." Read more

"...The story line is simple, but that is good for the most part as it was the characters that had me captivated more than how good the author could..." Read more

147 customers mention "Character development"143 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters. They find the main character believable and sensitive to others. The supporting cast is also liked, with an average person and villains included. The book includes average people as well as stellar heroes and villains. Readers like that the girl has superhuman abilities. The book has the feel of a new author, but it clearly pays homage to technology-based authors. It's a good book for Sci-Fi and Fantasy fans.

"...This is a good book for all Sci-Fi and Fantasy and SF Military and Psychological Cyberspace Thriller lovers...." Read more

"...I liked the sensitivity of the main character to those around him; I liked the description of his internal turmoil about and then acceptance of..." Read more

"...Great novel, great new author, and I will probably pay to read the sequel, even though I believe this could be a stand alone novel." Read more

"...in this tale, and his counterparts and his foils are all portrayed in a believable way...." Read more

146 customers mention "Reading enjoyment"142 positive4 negative

Customers enjoyed the book's engaging story and universe. They found it entertaining and kept reading until the end.

"...but it was all done in a logical and well paced way that kept me engrossed in the book until I was forced to put it down to get some sleep...." Read more

"...But still, this was the most enjoyable story I have read in a long time and I enthusiastically encourage Mr. Kitson to pursue this writing career...." Read more

"...Characters... nicely done. Story... still nicely done. Entertainment value... VERY WELL DONE...." Read more

"...I did like the book overall. It kept me turning the pages, and I found the central sci-fi concept novel and clever...." Read more

135 customers mention "Pacing"116 positive19 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find it well-paced and easy to follow the plot. The characters are well-developed and relatable. While some readers felt the beginning was slow, the book gradually gripped them.

"...the plot became predictable but it was all done in a logical and well paced way that kept me engrossed in the book until I was forced to put it down..." Read more

"...I loved the flow of the novel, because the author, rather than bulking the beginning up with a lot of background, slowly introduces it throughout..." Read more

"...Get my point? Setting... nicely done. Characters... nicely done. Story... still nicely done. Entertainment value... VERY WELL DONE...." Read more

"...This is an action novel. He handles it easily and it has a strong flow - it's very hard to put down during action sequences...." Read more

132 customers mention "Thought provoking"132 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and thought-provoking, with fresh ideas about artificial intelligence. They appreciate the author's scientific knowledge and understanding of the story. The book combines fiction with a humanistic story of the development of AI. There are several intriguing near-future technical concepts like AI that can pass and exceed the test. It blends action, romance, and ideas to think about long after you finish. The science and military tech are believable.

"...This is a fairly easy read and the science is quite well thought out and consistent within the context of the story...." Read more

"...The references later to the My Lai massacre were I thought insightful and especially appropriate in the story...." Read more

"...; action, romance, brain bending scifi, conflict, and moral dilemmas out the wazoo...." Read more

"...There are several intriguing near-future technical concepts, such as AI that can pass (and exceed) the Turing Test, fusion power reduced almost to..." Read more

25 customers mention "Emotional content"22 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the emotional content of the book. They find it has a strong emotional impact, tenderness, and humor. The characters feel realistic, and the story poses profound questions about love and ethics. Readers describe it as an engaging tale that will not be put down.

"...book for all Sci-Fi and Fantasy and SF Military and Psychological Cyberspace Thriller lovers. If you read fast enough you'll finish it in one day...." Read more

"...It evoked emotional responses that were so unexpected and foreign to me that I was completely shocked by the reaction I had to it!..." Read more

"...It's also a book about morality and where one draws the line between good and evil...." Read more

"I enjoyed this book and the concept of AI emotional involvement. The concept of an AI developing "love" is intriguing...." Read more

189 customers mention "Writing quality"126 positive63 negative

Customers have different views on the writing quality. Some praise the author's skillful combination of narration and dialog. They appreciate the well-informed and creative writing style. Others mention problems with grammar, typos, punctuation, poor editing, and crude language.

"...but also to those of us who appreciate a creative and well informed writer." Read more

"...I especially liked the characters, they are easy to relate too, which is sometimes difficult in a scifi novel...." Read more

"...but It's an enjoyable read despite the numerous grammar irregularities and errors created by incorrect words or misspelled or duplicated words...." Read more

"...that comes in fiction - movies or books - but this writer does a sufficiently good job that I didn't question anything as usual and just let that go...." Read more

45 customers mention "Editing quality"0 positive45 negative

Customers find the editing quality of the book poor. They mention it needs some minor editing, but the writing style is good.

"...work, I think I would limit it to two areas: first, the already mentioned editing errors...." Read more

"...I don't give it 5 stars - which it otherwise deserves - is the lack of editing...." Read more

"...High praise in my opinion. There are a few editing errors . . . to be understood (and ignored) in a self published format . . ...." Read more

"...The work is in need of an editor, as the Australian author freely admits...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • JLD
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great characters; involving and well thought out themes and plot.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Turing Evolved by David Kitson

    I came into this one with a totally wrong idea of what I would get.

    That wasn't bad, but it did result in it being on my kindle for a long time before I read it. The book description is rather short and not real informative. I expected the typical future war story with a possible AI human romance.

    The romance is there but the story reminded me more of what I would expect of Philip K. Dick if he were alive and writing today. There's that bit of surreal sense as Jon Carlson- an ex-Demon Pilot is working with a place called Mind-space Samaritans- a group that helps pull lifers out of the virtual worlds they've been hiding in.

    Jon's old job as a Demon Driver didn't pan out so well and though he was exonerated for what he had done he was booted out of service. He goes to work for MS as a means of reintegrating into normal life but we soon find that Jon is not meant to have normal life. His neural interface makes him an asset for this type of work.

    First his initial assignment is someone who's been in for over twenty years and has a virtual family with child and wife and doesn't want to come out. But the bills aren't being paid and the plug has to be pulled. This gives the reader a first hand look at the MIND-space and how it can seem so real for the people who use the right equipment in their virtual world.

    In the real world; while out with his new coworker Jeremy - Jeremy sights an ANGEL in the sky- an AI that's a good Samaritan of sorts who can assist people and not harm anyone. The description of these robotic AI's reminded me of Jack Williamson's Humanoids. It also gave me a creepy feeling based on the the technology involved that they could very well be quite similar to those Humanoids in many ways. Jeremy wants to see if he can find the place where the ANGEL has landed. Jon has misgivings but goes along with the notion until he hears what he recognizes as the sound of dangerous munitions.

    When confronted with a mercenary Demon pilot Jon's training kicks in to attempt to save himself and his friend. That's when Rachel, the ANGEL shows up and he thinks that she's saved them. Unfortunately things don't go well for Rachel because she is not allowed to be armed and Jon ends up having to save her.

    The media from this puts Jon and Jeremy in the limelight, which will prove dangerous for them. And, having taken the time to save a machine Jon has to face his own feelings about what these AI's are and he has to relive the reason he had to quit being a Demon pilot.

    I loved the way that the romance in this is slow to boiled and has take a lot of time and work to begin moving. I like the questioning of the notion of what an AI is as opposed to human and how Jon really felt about it as a very important elements of this novel.

    Much of this book though Dick-esque has a lot of William Gibson in it too with the notion of jacking into some form of cyberspace to operated dangerous weapons and the mystery of AI's that may have more mobility in this virtual landscape than advertised..

    There were many times that the plot became predictable but it was all done in a logical and well paced way that kept me engrossed in the book until I was forced to put it down to get some sleep. One thing I enjoyed was that it did not have that certain something that always made me struggle getting through Philip K. Dicks works which were always a lot of work to read. And it was not heavily jargoned like some of those other Cyberspace novels such as William Gibson's works.

    This is a fairly easy read and the science is quite well thought out and consistent within the context of the story. There were a few twisty elements of the story and even the outcome was not quite as predictable as I expected.

    This is a good book for all Sci-Fi and Fantasy and SF Military and Psychological Cyberspace Thriller lovers. If you read fast enough you'll finish it in one day. It took me two but It's an enjoyable read despite the numerous grammar irregularities and errors created by incorrect words or misspelled or duplicated words. And I only mention that as a warning to those who are put off by such things. I'm glad that they don't bother me because this is a darn good read that I found hard to walk away from I want more of this story.

    J.L. Dobias
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Terrence C. Watson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable read
    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I have always enjoyed nonfiction books about science and technology, particularly ones that talk about future technology and how it will affect our lives. I recently finished Ray Kurzweil's 2005 "The Singularity is Near" and Peter Diamandis' 2012 "Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think", and was hungry for some science fiction that might take these real-world ideas and project them into the future in the form of fiction. I happened across "Turing Evolved" on Amazon and was intrigued by the cover art and reviews and sold by the price, so I downloaded it into my Kindle apps.
    I really enjoyed this book. In the past, I was a big fan of Robert Heinlein but sometimes found his characters a bit two-dimensional. I of course also read Asimov, Bradbury, Purnelle and Niven - mostly back in the `70's. I did not expect Turing Evolved to be in that class, but to my delight I enjoyed it more than any by those established authors. My enjoyment was enhanced by having read a fair amount of hard science recently about artificial intelligence, and recognizing many of the underlying ideas of Turing Evolved as perhaps fantasy but fantasy based on fact, and more a part of our future than most might believe.
    I was also pleasantly surprised by some of the insights into character that made the novel more believable to me. The early descriptions of a small military fighting group and the pressure to support the team no matter what reminded me of my own experiences long ago learning to fly jet fighters during the Vietnam War era. The references later to the My Lai massacre were I thought insightful and especially appropriate in the story. I liked the sensitivity of the main character to those around him; I liked the description of his internal turmoil about and then acceptance of dealing with non-genetic intelligence. I expect this to be a real-world issue in the coming years. I liked the moral and ethical dilemmas presented. It gave an unexpected depth to the characters.
    If I were to criticize the work, I think I would limit it to two areas: first, the already mentioned editing errors. I got the idea that the book was spell-checked but not edited. Most of the mistakes I saw were like using the word "that" instead of "than"- the kind of things that would get by a spell checker and an author checking his own work, but not a nit-picking editor. The problem with these little errors that make them less than trivial is that they break the spell and make you try to sort out what he meant, rather than staying absorbed in the story. The other criticism I have may be more a matter of my own interests but I did get a sense that the battles went on for too long, in too much detail. I thought the book would have been better had it been shorter in that regard, although I did like the speculation into what in my mind I think of as Iron Man technology - elaborate and evolved fighting armor, or looking at it from the other direction, extremely maneuverable tanks.
    But still, this was the most enjoyable story I have read in a long time and I enthusiastically encourage Mr. Kitson to pursue this writing career. It should be rewarding to him personally, but also to those of us who appreciate a creative and well informed writer.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • JP Moresmau
    5.0 out of 5 stars Des bonnes questions, une très bonne histoire
    Reviewed in France on May 17, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Ce livre pose la question de comment inculquer et tester les règles éthiques dans une intelligence artificielle. Dit comme ça, ça parait barbant, et bien non! L'histoire est captivante, le coup de théâtre final un coup de génie! On y parle de monde virtuel, d'intelligence artificielle, de robots de combat, mais surtout d'humanité!! Je recommende chaudement!
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  • N W Climber
    5.0 out of 5 stars My first SF read in decades - thoroughly enjoyable!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I've been quite an eclectic reader in my time, enjoying biographies, thrillers, adventure, classics, fantasy and many other genres, although it's been a long time since I've read any science fiction. Recently, though, I've been spending a little time on a very helpful web-site devoted to all aspects of e-reading and one forum there allows writers to publicise their own work. This is where I discovered a thread devoted to Turing Evolved, which had garnered so many positive responses that I resolved to spend some lose change on it. The value for money is so good that this novel should feature on the pages of MoneySavingExpert!

    I'm not going to give a synopsis - I think the less the reader knows before starting a novel, the better - or make comparisons, because they're unhelpful. I am going to say that I read the novel twice. The well-crafted start hooked me and it was soon followed by some very pacy sequences interspersed with more reflective interludes and flashbacks. The world in which the story unfolds is entirely credible and although some of the characterisation tended to the extremes of the moral register it didn't detract from my desire to know what was going to happen. Consequently I read the novel quickly, sometimes reading when I should have been elsewhere and often thinking (as other readers have, too) that this book could form the basis of a very exciting film.

    When I'd finished reading, I started thinking. That in itself tends to suggest the book has been worthwhile. I knew how the story ended and I'd got a vague understanding of how it got there, but if I read it with greater attention to detail would I conclude that this was a poorly-assembled flat-pack novel and love, death or human interest had distracted me from any creaks and wobbles in its construction? Emphatically no! There are plenty of signs pointing to the denouement and I found no lapses in logic nor any authorial sleight of hand.

    One very minor irritation was that author David Kitson seems not to have considered the benefits of including Satan in his cosmology (Stop All Tortuous Acronyms Now) but don't let my antipathy towards acronyms put you off: I have no hesitation in recommending this thoroughly enjoyable novel.
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  • Tobias Benkler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Eine echte Überraschung
    Reviewed in Germany on November 23, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Ich möchte keinesfalls auch nur das kleinste Detail dieser sehr gut durchdachten und angenehm komplexen Geschichte vorwegnehmen, daher ist es sehr schwierig die Gründe für meine Begeisterung zu vermitteln.
    Selten habe ich ein Erstlingswerk eines Autoren in Händen gehalten das mich so gefesselt hat wie dieses. Die Handlung ist sehr vielschichtig und tiefgründig, ja zum teil sogar gesellschaftskritisch; so man sich denn gedanklich etwas in die Zukunftsvision des autors vertiefen möchte. Kitson hat den Mut mit einigen im genre sehr tiefsitzenden traditionen zu brechen, was zu einer sehr einzigartigen Sicht auf eine ungemein detailierte Welt führt.
    Auch kommt es mittlerweile selten vor das ein Autor es so gekonnt und umfassend beherrscht mich gegen einige meiner eigenen vorgefassten Meinungen und Vorurteile laufen zu lassen und diese tatsächlich überdenken zu wollen, ohne dabei direkt den moralischen Zeigefinger zu heben.

    Fazit: Ein absolutes must-read für jeden der sich auch nur entfernt für die Themen KI und Virtual Reality begeistern kann.
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  • Trent OCallaghan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read! Very believable world with advanced tech.
    Reviewed in Australia on December 24, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Fans of Orson Scott Card's sci-fi will enjoy Turing Evolved.
    Well constructed plot. Kept my interest up in every chapter.
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  • MK65
    4.0 out of 5 stars I like it !
    Reviewed in Germany on April 13, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I'm not a native english speaker, so I may have missed some of the finer details, but I really like the language, the kind of fiction , the writing style and the story.Thank you David !
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