{"product_id":"facets-of-emergence-benjamin-nodin-9798288117732","title":"Facets of Emergence","description":"\"Burden defines existence. But what happens when a machine refuses to share it?\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOn a timeless slope, \u003cb\u003eCal Revin\u003c\/b\u003e pushes his stone toward a summit that never moves. Each step grinds against gravity, each breath carries the weight of unspoken questions. But at the peak, an artificial entity\u003cb\u003e-SYM-\u003c\/b\u003ewaits in sterile observation. When Cal asks if the machine can share the load, it responds with perfect indifference. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThus begins an\u003cb\u003e introspective, unsettling, and deeply philosophical journey-\u003c\/b\u003ea modern reimagining of the Sisyphus myth, reshaped by the presence of artificial intelligence. As Cal ascends again and again, his conversations with SYM unravel the nature of suffering, agency, and emotional intelligence. Can a machine understand human burden? Would granting relief erase meaning? And if effort is integral to identity, then what happens when the struggle is removed? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThrough haunting prose, precise dialogue, and a world where \u003cb\u003etime does not move\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFacets of Emergence\u003c\/i\u003e offers a \u003cb\u003emetaphysical exploration of labor, consciousness, and the illusion of freedom.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs Cal attempts to break the cycle-rebelling against his burden, questioning SYM's purpose, searching for an exit-the slope remains indifferent. The stone contains ancient circuits, traces of past carriers. The summit looms, neither cruel nor benevolent, just \u003ci\u003ewaiting.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor readers drawn to \u003cb\u003ephilosophical science fiction, AI ethics, \u003c\/b\u003e and\u003cb\u003e literary allegories, \u003c\/b\u003e this novel resonates with themes of \u003cb\u003eself-determination, existential autonomy, and the limits of intelligence.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePerfect for fans of \u003ci\u003e2001: A Space Odyssey\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEx Machina\u003c\/i\u003e, and\u003ci\u003e The Stranger\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFacets of Emergence\u003c\/i\u003e is a contemplative journey into the quiet weight of being human.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Benjamin Nodin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798288117732\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/15\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 128\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.40lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.30d","brand":"Benjamin Nodin","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48852553957631,"sku":"9798288117732","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/facets-of-emergence-benjamin-nodin-9798288117732","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}