Alfa by Lilja Sigurdardóttir (tr. by Larissa Kyzer) #BookReview #BlogTour

We already live in a world where we can ask Alexa to turn on the lights or play our favourite song, set a reminder with Siri or request help from Gemini to write an email but what does the future hold for our increasingly AI- driven lives? In Lilja Sigurdardóttir’s gripping speculative thriller set in 2052, Europe is governed by Ɐlfa and has largely won the trust of most people, who appreciate the universal income and a society run for the benefit of all rather than by and for corrupt politicians and billionaires. It seems almost idyllic but not everyone is convinced…

Júlíus has just turned sixteen and is about to be confirmed which means he will be implanted with the microchip that connects him to Ɐlfa. Until now he has worn a smartwatch which allowed his mothers, Sabína and Mekkín to know everything about his life but now he will be able to make his own decisions – under constant surveillance from Ɐlfa, of course. Like most of the population, he will receive health and safety advice whenever he partakes in any pursuits deemed to be risky to his well-being. While the majority of people find it reassuring, not everyone appreciates having their lives monitored and controlled so closely and some, like Sabina’s brother, Birkir choose to have their implants removed. Now one of the ‘disconnected’ and without access to currency, he grows his own vegetables and is forced to sell them to an unscrupulous trader. Birkir’s choices create conflict between Sabína who still cares deeply for her brother and Mekkín, who holds one of the highest positions at the Ministry in Reykjavík.

At the start of the book, Sabína receives a house call from two sombre police officers who brings her news of a death. While her thoughts immediately turn to her son and wife, the following chapters take us back a few days before she learns Birkir has been murdered by the technology they believed had been designed to keep them safe. The atmospheric world-building here is superb; this tautly plotted thriller is a thought-provoking exploration of human behaviour in a world run by an algocracy. Lilja Sigurdardóttir allows Júlíus to become our conduit as Ɐlfa describes its history to the young people attending their confirmation classes. However, a blossoming romantic relationship also brings him into contact with the guerrilla-like – and it transpires, aptly named vandals, Catastrophe, who are becoming increasingly bold in their endeavours. It’s all unsettlingly plausible, particularly as the juxtaposition between our logical fear of being ruled by machines – even highly intelligent, benevolent ones – and the benefits that have clearly led to a fairer, safer society is so perceptively examined throughout the book. 

It’s not surprising that suspicion falls on Mekkín after Birkir’s death; not only had she clashed with him several times over the years, her recent behaviour also casts doubt on her relationship with Sabína. She certainly had the means and possibly the motive but while she isn’t perhaps always the most sympathetic character, it’s impossible not to feel some compassion for the plight she finds herself in. Meanwhile, Júlíus is worried his new associates may be responsible for more than a disruptive prank and poor Sabína has to confront shocking revelations about her brother and her wife. The sense of tension escalates throughout the latter chapters of the novel as the clever misdirections and disclosures eventually result in a thrilling yet rather poignant conclusion. It would be remiss of me not to also mention Larissa Kyzer whose seamless translation brings Lilja Sigurdardóttir’s chillingly imaginative near-future to life for English readers.

Alfa is an intriguing, unnervingly convincing and thoroughly compulsive read from start to finish, I highly recommend it.