The Unseen World

A really good book which is so real that you feel you are right there. It covers a long period of time with the primary character being Ada Sebelius who at the beginning of the book is 12 and at the end is an old lady. Her “father” is David, whom she always calls by that first name. David is a very intelligent scientist – computer person at the very beginning of the computer era, when computers filled whole rooms. (That’s almost unbelievable these days, although I’m certainly old enough to remember those days.) One of the primary themes is developing artificial intelligence including a device/program called ELIXIR . (Think Amazon Alexa, only ELIXIR as it developed went much farther and much more developed as scientists continued working on it. There are many levels to the story, including the mysterious origin of David himself. The ending is practically unbelievable, and I found that a real reach, but maybe one day such a thing might be a reality, hopefully after I’m long gone. I won’t spell it out here, as I don’t want to spoil it for those who may read the book. Author Liz Moore is an amazing writer with a vast understanding of the subject matter.

Couldn’t stop reading this engaging, detailed, humane story. I love sci-fi, cryptography, and futurism, but they’re really only a sideline (and an inventive plot delivery device) in this book that fires on all cylinders exquisitely. Rich, complicated characters; realistically mixed and nuanced emotions; solid dialogue; tangible settings and eras with the kind of details that rhyme with your own memories...this is one impressively crafted, well-paced and extremely moving story.

As an aside, this novel satisfied me in a way that Neal Stephenson’s recent Fall—Or Dodge in Hell did not, somewhat shocking as he is one of my favorite writers. There are similarities in the tech aspects of the two books. But Stephenson went too far down the rabbit hole, too far from a human story you could really respond to, and his story never felt grounded the way The Unseen World does from beginning to end. Reading this has strengthened my resolve to go back and review Fall, and articulate my frustrations with it. I would be curious to know if others who have read both books had similar evaluations.

This is a beautiful, profound book that requires a deep level of commitment and investment from the reader. It’s a slow burn, there’s not a lot of dialogue, and it’s 451 pages long. But it’s the kind of book that makes you feel like you’re in good hands, the kind that will reward you both emotionally and cerebrally if you take the plunge.

I went into it knowing very little, and I had no idea what to expect. How deep would the artificial intelligence aspects of it go? Who were these characters? This vague sense of mystery and wonder begins in the first pages and builds steadily through to the end.

At its core, The Unseen World is a coming-of-age story about Ada, the strange, thoughtful, brilliant daughter of David Sibelius, a computer scientist at a prestigious university lab in the 1980s. Ada spends the formative years of her life in the lab with David and his colleagues, where she comes to share her father’s love for mathematics, cryptology and puzzle-solving.

When David suddenly falls ill, Ada’s peaceful world is upended. On top of that, she begins to suspect that David has been harboring secrets, and will spend the next couple decades of her life trying to decode the mysteries of his life.

The Unseen World is a fully realized novel about one family’s legacy, but more than that, it’s about what it means to be human: the inevitability of hurting the ones we care about the most, and the redemptive power of love, loyalty and forgiveness.

By the time I reached the final pages, I was completely blown away (and devastated) by how it had all come together — like one of David’s and Ada’s puzzles. Every piece of it made sense, every piece of it was an essential part of the whole.

Liz Moore's "The Unseen World" is a remarkable achievement. The inventive plot, centered around AI and virtual reality (forward-thinking, since the book was published in 2016), is thought-provoking and well-executed. Moore excels in character development, creating deeply relatable figures. This novel seamlessly blends fascinating technological concepts with heartfelt human experiences, making it a must-read for anyone who appreciates a well-crafted, intellectually stimulating narrative.

The story starts out being of the 3-star caliber: well-written, but nothing really special. But just when you think this is going to be another sad sobbing family drama, the real story unfolds and turning it into a 5-star novel for me. I absolutely loved the relationship between Ada and her father, and how it evolves over time. I also loved the role of ELIXER and the book's ending - sorry to be so cryptic but I don't want to say too much as I don't want to give the plot. Why 4 stars instead of 5? Well, I guess the only complaint I have is that Liz Moore took a little bit too long with setting the story.

Enjoy this beautifully unfolding story of a young girl, Ada, thrown into a world from which she has been sheltered. Her genius father has a secret which redefines Ada's identity. It is an intimate look into the heart and mind of Ada as she discovers hard truths of imperfect life. This book kept me turning pages. I enjoyed the twists and turns. Each of the characters were well developed. I will look for other books by Liz Moore.

The leader of an AI lab in Boston gets Alzheimer's, but there are doubts as to his true identity after he leaves. It is devastating to his 12 year old daughter, Ada, -- the diagnosis, the mystery of his true identity, and living with David's co-worker, Liston, and her three sons. David leaves Ada a puzzle, with the answer waiting for her in ELIXIR, the AI language acquisition program he started. This was a very good book, with excellent writing. I was so impressed with Liz Moore, the author, that I ordered Heft half way through The Unseen World.