The Murder Machine

SHE DID THE JOKE!!!! One of my favorite jokes EVER, one that I literally laugh out loud every time I see it, goes like this: "My wife asked me why I carry a gun in the house. I said 'Decepticons'. She laughed. I laughed. The toaster laughed. I shot the toaster. It was a good day."<br/><br/>Ladies and gentlemen, a minor spoiler: Deep in the heart of this book about AI tools controlling our machines and how these tools could be used for murder, there is a line:<br/><br/>"If I'm going to need to shoot anything, he thought dryly, it would need to be the appliances."<br/><br/>YEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br/><br/>SHE DID THE JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br/><br/>That alone MADE this book for me. That one line guaranteed a 5* review. Because it referenced my favorite joke ever. :)<br/><br/>Now, the rest of the story, taking place largely in the area I currently live (Jacksonville/ St Augustine, FL) with a few trips to some areas I've visited over the years (Tennessee), was a fun one just because of the personal connections... and the well told story. This is one that could have gone a T2: The Future War (an excellent book from earlier this Millenium, the conclusion of a trilogy that picks up immediately after T2: Judgement Day and tells a better conclusion to the Terminator story than anything put on screen since T2) route, given its basic premise... and yet chooses to make everything more more human focused.<br/><br/>Which makes it absolutely more terrifying.<br/><br/>Overall a well told story that could seemingly work as a series starter - and it would be very interesting to see where such a series goes.<br/><br/>Very much recommended.