Interflow of Things by Dave Dröge

In Interflow of Things, the new novel by Dave Dröge, humanity’s self-destructive tendencies are kept in check by a hyper-intelligent AI overlord, X.yy, for a frightening vision of a possible future.

By dividing up society into four categories – leaders, hard workers, creatives, and useless members of society – artificial intelligence has designed an ideal reality for saving humans from themselves. However, as one can imagine, there are those who rebel against this robotic domination, and want desperately to unplug from the façade all around them.

While some elements seem derived from “The Matrix” and other popular sci-fi stories, there is a unique charm to this novel, as it artfully blends highly technical jargon with genuine moments of human interaction and existential struggle. The character development of Julia and her Free Hacker compatriots is richly conveyed, and the philosophical questions posed by the novel are timely and important to consider.

That being said, the novel could be greatly improved with a thorough edit, given that the writing was often sloppy, which was distracting from a very compelling plot. The cover as well isn’t reflective of the strength of the story.

Overall, Dröge’s clear understanding of artificial intelligence and the threats that humanity faces in the coming generations make this book both prophetic and a pleasure to read.

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