Surprisingly, the highest-rated book on GoodReads from Liz Moore isn't Long Bright River or Heft- two phenomenal stories I had devoured from this author. Instead, it is this lesser-known slow-burn literary fiction novel from 2016 that has been gathering dust on my bookshelf for years. What I didn’t expect is that this backlist selection is more timely than it ever could be with the controversial mainstream rise of AI and the novel’s imagined chatbot named ELIXIR.
Set in 1980s-era Boston, Ada Sibelius grows up under the care of David, her brilliant yet socially awkward single father. As the head of a prestigious computer science lab, David brings Ada to work each day, providing her with an unconventional homeschooling experience. Ada blossoms into a painfully shy prodigy by the tender age of twelve, mesmerizing those around her.
In a twist of fate, David's life takes an unexpected turn, leaving Ada on the brink of orphanhood. However, one of her father's colleagues steps in and offers Ada a place to call home with her family.
In her new home, Ada finds solace in the evenings by immersing herself in the AI system her father meticulously crafted. As the bond between Ada and her father gradually weakens, this chatbot becomes a source of comfort and intrigue. The more Ada uses this tool, the more she realizes that her father has placed special messages just for her within its code. In fact, much of the novel is spent decoding what those codes are while tying together fragmented memories of David's life.
This 451-page character-driven story spans Ada's life and deepens into the different eras and technology challenges throughout the generations. As we learn more, we uncover key characteristics of David are rooted in something more significant than the reader realizes. It isn't only about exploring technology but also about being an outsider to society, the beauty in found family, and even finding love.
The audiobook performance by Lisa Flanagan was exceptional on this one. Still, I would pair it with a paper copy because excerpts from the code and chat messages run throughout, making it burdensome to follow without those visual elements.
This story is a remarkable companion novel to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Much like Niven's, though, it sometimes falls victim to the same pacing struggles with a bit too much inside baseball in its development.
As Moore has described in past interviews, though, she struggled with the evolution of technology as she was writing it, constantly refining and changing it to align over her years of research and writing. As a book club, it will be incredible to contrast her 2016 world to our greatest fears and most rewarding interactions now with AI technology.
The clever twists, time hops, and unique narration tools tie in beautiful reveals and gently remind us of what it means to be family. I hope you’ll love discussing this in 2024 with me, and I wanted to alert you early since this is a longer novel than our typical fare.
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