Virtuality, Book II

"THEY WILL NOT REPLACE US!" The year is 2052: the Humans First movement rises to defend humanity from AI. A rogue computer virus had compromised the universal healthcheck protocol, but the accidental creation of three sentient animatronics-born of a programming error-now pushes society to the brink. What will become of humanity? The robots ally with a team of precocious youths and a motley alliance of non-human species to demand equal rights for all conscious beings: whether warm- or cold-blooded, carbon- or silicon-based, furry or neo-metallic. As violent resistance from Humans First threatens chaos, the scientist who unleashed the robots pursues darker ambitions-and the sentient machines may have their own agenda. Hearts and Minds continues Virtuality Volume I's chilling exploration of humanity's nature and uncertain future. "Tech-driven codes and programs display terrifying flaws in Kroll's near-future tale, in which self-aware robots and radical new therapies threaten the humans they're meant to serve... Kroll's worldbuilding in this opening series installment is sublime" - Kirkus Reviews, on Virtuality Volume I: The Sailor Comes Home from the Sea "Kroll's vivid writing kept me on the edge of my seat, blending suspense with philosophical inquiries about technology's role in our lives." - K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite