The latest
sci-fi novel to come from author Michael Poeltl envisions a Utopian world of 2162
which suffers a dystopic turn when the artificially intelligent robot Hosts
claim sentience. Is Tobias the root cause? A human with tech implants covering
sixty percent of his body makes him a suspect in a world where such
modifications are unpopular and even illegal.
Do such
alterations then make Tobias a poster-boy for the Cyberpunk genre? The phrase
is not mentioned in A.I. Insurrection, but all the signs are there. Advanced technology plus dystopian elements equals
cyberpunk, and A.I. Insurrection has all of that and a war which erupts; displacing
the fragile balance of utopia.
Tobias is a disgruntled young adult in his mid-twenties, and after a devastating
life event, he falls from grace with the Utopian government, plotting to disrupt
its perfect façade. Within the Shadow net he finds the means to do so, and in
the underground, enlists others to follow him on his personal vendetta. Creating an
entirely new race through tech integration and brand awareness, Tobias secretly
rallies the youth of the world into action against the oppressive Utopian government.
The more I reflect on Tobias – the man – his actions and the darkness within, the more I see how closely he would identify with the term: Cyberpunk.
So, does
that make the book a cyberpunk book? I think it could easily call itself that.
A near future cyberpunk tale. Yes. Absolutely. So, for those looking for a new
Cyberpunk read – A.I. Insurrection should push all of your buttons and give you
the return on a novel you deserve. 
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