The first installment in Y.T. Cheng’s The Human Inside trilogy is a near-future science fiction thriller that follows a group of heroic cybernetically enhanced humans (called amborgs).
Dr. John Kendrick is CEO of A.I. Industries and creator of the amborgs. In 2135, high school senior Brad—who reveres the mythical superhumans who are often called to keep the population safe in times of violent turmoil—somehow manages to meet Kendrick, who graciously agrees to give him a tour of the top-secret facility. During the visit, Brad gets a life-changing history lesson as Kendrick reveals how the amborgs survived a gang-powered uprising that swept the country, sussed out a traitor, and brought to justice a villain bent on destroying the world and blaming it on the amborgs.
Powered by fertile, thought-provoking speculation—like what makes a being “human” and whether cybernetically enhanced humans are the next step in evolution or ultimately the end for humankind—this projected trilogy’s next two installments have much potential.
The biggest concern here, however, is the lack of overall description, which makes the experience two-dimensional. When student Brad is shown the amborgs’ quarters, the description is nearly nonexistent: “[He] could not believe what he was seeing. He was actually in the place where the amborgs lived.”
Additionally, the confusing character names— which are predominantly numbers (particularly the amborgs —greatly impact enjoyment. Readers will have major issues keeping track of who is who: “As the amborgs moved in, another team, which consisted of 3, 466, 297, 57 and 35, also arrived from where 117 and 501 previously entered.”
This oft-used SF trope—dehumanizing the populace by giving then numerical names—hits a little different here, as most amborgs want their new names and not their pre-augmentation names. Are these AI and cybernetically enhanced beings with numerical names more machine than human? Or are they somehow more human?
It’s an intriguing question. Unfortunately, the story’s flaws undermine its promising thematic potential.
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