Silicon Dawn

By: W.H. Massa

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Length: 3 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

The line between man and machine has been crossed....

And there is no turning back.

A serial killer stalks the city of the future....

Hunting the scientists who build the robots....

And it's up to a cop and an AI to unravel a terrible conspiracy.

The world is still reeling from the devastation of the Omega Virus and struggling to rebuild. A growing android workforce has given rise to the Human Defense League and anti-AI sentiment is at an all-time high.

Adam, the first of the new X-3000 models, arrives into this hostile world. Field-tested on the Luna colonies, now assigned to Earth, Adam is paired with homicide detective Jane Malveaux, who has little patience for synthetics.

Before long both Malveaux and Adam must cast aside their differences and join forces to solve a case that will test both man and machine.

©2015 William Massa (P)2015 William Massa

I robot with a twist

Great story lots of twists and cliff hangers. Well written story. I look forward to the rest of the series. I received this book from the author narrator or publisher for free via audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review

Silicon Dawn

The author gave me an audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Good plot.. Great audio!

Silicon Dawn

What did you like best about this story?

Silicon Dawn is a great science fiction thriller. A detective (Jane Malveaux) is paired with a robot to investigate some disturbing murders. She must put aside her prejudices and work with the robot. She begins to question her understanding of robots as they work together to solve the case. Great thriller.

An Incredible AI Narrative

Silicon Dawn is the prequel to Silicon Man, book one in the series, and it follows Adam, an AI who is visiting Earth for the first time. He ends up as the partner for a homicide detective who is working on a case of anti-AI murders.

Silicon Dawn is a delightful mix of Blade Runner-esque storytelling and murder mystery elements that combine to make one addicting story! It's fast paced, fantastically written, and poses a ton of questions about what it means to be alive and to have humanity. All AI stories generally pose those questions at some point, but Silicone Dawn stands out among the AI stories I've read and seen simply because it offers us a fresh perspective; that of an AI. We get to spend time in Adam's head as he navigates new social situations and a world where AI's are not entirely welcome. It's really something to be able to experience those moments of learning and adapting that we normally see from an outside point of view; not only does it give depth to the story itself, but it also help build connections between the reader and the AI involved. I love a good mystery, especially when it keeps me guessing and catches me off guard, and that is exactly what Silicon Dawn did. I also love that it’s not some simple who-dun-it where the mystery is all tied up neatly and the characters are essentially back at a clean slate, but instead a mystery that leaves a lot hanging in the balance despite being solved because things like this have lasting impressions. Initially I was a little afraid of the length. Nearly 4 hours just doesn't seem like enough time for a full story to occur and I've experienced a quite a few pointless prequels, but all of that was unfounded. Not only did we get a full and complete story, but it provided some great insight into the characters that will appear in the main books and also laid some pretty detailed groundwork in the world building department.

Joe Hempel, our narrator, did a wonderful job! He has excellent pacing, which is a must when you have someone who likes to switch up the reading speeds. If the pacing is off then you end up with chipmunks on the fast end or a huge bout of impatience at the normal speed, and Joe has no such issues. He really adds a little extra kick to the already solid writing with his attention to the voices, emotions, and inflections.

A fantastic story with an equally fantastic narrator means that I am super excited to be able to add the rest of this series to my TBR pile!

A Great Science Fiction and Action Experience

Human and machine, a line being crossed that stresses a society as the role of artificial life is changing from semi-intelligent servant to something more. This book is an exploration of the promise of machines being endowed with human like intelligence, the stresses it can put upon society and an unexpected nightmare that results. I found this to be a great science fiction book with a nice dose of mystery. The audiobook version, narrated by Joe Hempel, is a well voiced experience with great differentiation between characters and genders.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost for an honest and unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

Great sci-fi murder mystery

This is a great mix of action, murder/mystery and sci-fi. You can not help but love AI Adam, he is unique, unassuming, intelligent and caring. The development of the relationship between AI hating Jane Malveuax and Adam is captivating, complex and thought provoking. Adams development and increasing self awareness is both scary and fascinating, it makes you wonder how you would react when faced with a man made "machine" that looks and acts totally human. One that is capable of independent thought, personal growth, superhuman power and can act altruistically. At what point does a machine stop being a machine and become a new species? The narration on the audiobook is excellent. Joe Hemple does a great job of bringing the characters to life and imparting feeling and tension into the story. You are easily drawn along on this fast paced, exciting mystery; my only complaint is that it left me wanting more. I received the audiobook at no cost and under no obligation.

Issac Asimov meets classic mystery

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yea. I would. It's a solid story and I have a few friends that like science fiction.

What about Joe Hempel’s performance did you like?

I think he did a great job. I look forward to listening to some of his other performances.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yea, it's a fast moving story that catches your attention. It's not long either so it's very much a story you can go through in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

I definitely sense the echoes of Issac Asimov with Silicon Dawn. If I were to describe it I would say Issac Asimov meets classic mystery. The writing is solid and the narration is great. If you like science fiction you'll enjoy it. It has all the makings of solid story with no dull moments that I could remember.

Silicon Dawn

A Prequel to Silicon Man,this was an excellent book.People are fighting against AI rights.A virus kills off most of the human population.Adam,the first of the 3000 series visits Earth and finds he is not welcome. Joe Hempel was a fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Silicon Dawn

Humans and mechs now are so close people can't tell them apart, but that doesn't mean that the prejudice isn't still there, really now it is worse than ever. But Adam just goes on and is determined more than ever to show his worth and how much the mechs can help humans and that they won't hurt the humans Will the humans ever accept the mechs or Adam?

This is a interesting book on so many levels, but beside the obvious this book is full of action, suspense and twists. Some you might see coming but others you won't see coming, but either way this book will have you reading or if you are lucky enough listening past your bedtime to see what happens next. The audio narrated by the very talented Joe Hempel is awesome he brings the story to life while listening he makes each character individual in your brain and the world they live in so vivid it is amazing, you won't be disappointed in either format you choose.

Cyberpunk sci-fi

This is an entertaining instalment in a great cyberpunk sci-fi series. The story in this book takes place 10 years before the listed 1st book, but it doesn't matter if you listen to this one first as it has different characters. I liked the characters and the world building was good. The plot moved along at a good pace. The narration and production were very well done.