Unseen

Disruptions to AI systems reveal a conspiracy in this intricately built sci-fi mystery from Hird (Moon of the Goddess). In a near-future Toronto in which sprawl has consumed almost all green space, the AI Monitor keeps traffic running smoothly. When some hyperrealistic graffiti confuses cars and causes a logjam, traffic employees Jen and Miles investigate. Miles, who has a Gift that allows him to trace electric patterns, notices the supposedly unhackable security footage of Monitor has been tampered with to protect the artist. Meanwhile, Rickie, a Gifted botanist, and Jainyu, whose Gift is communication with birds, discover strange, destructive bugs in one of the few remaining scraps of green space. As problems with Monitor spread, a developer makes waves about the threats the bugs pose to rooftop food supplies, protesters decry the over-reliance on AI, and Miles’s investigation is hindered by widespread bias against Gifted people. This serious, stark, and refreshingly measured warning about the risks of future technology braids its fantastical elements with satisfying, complex conspiracy. Sci-fi fans looking for mature dystopian fiction should check this out. (Feb.)