Scottish Book of the Week: Adam-2

Continuing with my wee personal project, to read my way around Scotland through children’s books, this week we’re venturing into the genre of science fiction with Adam-2 by Alastair Chisholm.

Book Details

Title: Adam-2
Author: Alastair Chisholm
Genre: Science Fiction
Recommended reading age: 9+

Scottish Setting

The novel is set in a futuristic Edinburgh, which has been destroyed in a war between humans and robots. Well-known Edinburgh landmarks that get name-checked include Castle Rock, Edinburgh Castle, and Arthur’s Seat.

“Adam knew the tower where he and Father lived was in a city named Edinburgh, in a country named Scotland. He had maps and pictures of it in his memory stores (…) Adam remembered dazzling pale sunshine on a busy street, gardens and trees, houses of all different sizes and ages, and in the centre a huge mass of ancient volcanic rock – Castle Rock, with mighty Edinburgh Castle on top.” (Page 31)

Plot Summary

Adam-2 is a robot or, as he repeatedly introduces himself, “Adam version two point zero, a prototype experimental artificial entity.” For over two hundred years, he has remained in a basement, dutifully following the routines set by his creator and obeying one key instruction: not to go outside. His isolation only ends when two children, Linden and Runa, discover him and draw him out into the world.

Emerging into Edinburgh, Adam discovers that the city – and the world he once knew – has been devastated by a long-running civil war between humans and advanced artificial intelligence. The children take him back to their camp, where the adults are wary, fearing he is no different from the relentless robot war machines known as “Funks” which continue to wage war against humanity.

However, Adam was originally programmed to serve humans faithfully, and as he begins to prove his loyalty, he slowly earns their trust. But the opposing AI forces soon attempt to recruit him to their side, leaving him caught in the middle. Holding the power to end the way, by choosing one side over the other, Adam must decide who he wants to align with – or whether there might be another way!

“You want to know what makes us human? What it really is? Being wrong (…) Look at me. I’ve messed up. We’ve all messed up. Humans mess up. This whole thing – this whole world – that’s us messing up, getting it wrong. What’s what we do!” (Page 269)

Conclusion

Science fiction isn’t a genre I would normally read, but I picked up Adam-2 as part of my ongoing journey through children’s books set in Scotland, and I’m glad I did. While Edinburgh mostly sits in the background, with just a few recognisable place names mentioned, it was still enough for me to picture the setting and imagine the story unfolding there. The book balances suspense and adventure well, and despite usually being able to anticipate plot twists, I didn’t anticipate the direction it took or how it would end.”

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy fast-paced, adventurous stories, as well as those with an interest in science fiction. That said, you don’t have to be a dedicated sci-fi reader to appreciate it.

Adam-2 is available from uk.bookshop.org (Affiliate Link) or you can order it from your favourite indie bookshop.