THE VOYAGE OF THE UNICORN

An 82-year-old man awakens from “hibernation” to a world governed primarily by an artificial intelligence named Gaïa in Ravasco’s philosophical SF novel about death, technology, and immortality.

Shortly after Leandro Andore began his hibernation (roughly around our present time), AI surpassed human abilities of reasoning and decision-making, and humans gradually ceded authority to Gaïa. After Leandro wakes up, 132 years in the future, his mind is transferred to a 3D-printed body with an embedded, personal AI, which he names Aliana. Aliana guides Leandro around his new world, in which AI has eliminated the need for work, mood-altering substances, and human conflict in general. People spend their days in blissful leisure, making art, enjoying synthetic but delicious food, and having adventures facilitated by highly personalized technology. To some people, this would seem like a utopia, but Leandro has left behind the virtual world of his hibernation—a paradisiacal island that he designed himself, where he lived with avatars of his wife, son, and cats. The tension between the two worlds is further complicated by brief conversations that open each chapter, which suggest that Leandro is being manipulated by an unknown figure. The last act of Ravasco’s novel boasts a couple well-earned plot twists. However, overall, the plotting is rather slow and mostly consists of the protagonist having new experiences that inspire reflections on the 21st century. If a reader isn’t interested in such lengthy excursions, then they may feel the novel drags at times, but others may find it fun and affecting. Leandro is portrayed as an enthusiastic advocate for AI, and the novel mostly explores his perspective on a range of complex issues without admitting AI alternatives. As the author’s note indicates, even the novel itself heavily relies on AI—both for generating the whimsical art at the beginning of each chapter and for the English translation of the text from the French language.

A technocratic fantasy of an ideal, AI-assisted world that’s playful, meditative, and poignant, by turns.