Occam’s Gamble is a thought-provoking hard science fiction novel by Enzo Anza. We see the story unfold from multiple character viewpoints as it fictionally postulates what the future of AI can hold and the possible dangers within; ideas such as artificial intelligence, artificial sentience, and the pursuit of uploading human consciousness. Set in the year 2096, the story unfolds through multiple character viewpoints that slowly interweave into a high-stakes, intellectually engaging narrative.

Elena Kamatova, a tech influencer, is on site to cover the next launch to an off-world mining facility that is carrying a special payload. While there, she meets Len and Dara, the SLED operators of the spacecraft Posterity, who are going up on this launch. At the same time, we are introduced to Ishio Takamori, a scientist deeply bonded with Kal, an artificial sentient intelligence he helped create. Kal’s capacity to interact with humans and conduct rapid scientific research is the culmination of Ishio’s work towards his objective of uploading a human’s consciousness. Adding to the mix is Melv, a former colleague of Ishio’s, now working with a more militarized AI named Charlie, seeking to create a “human” machine that can understand warfare and apply a logical, albeit human, way of dealing with it.

Without giving away too much of the plot, we learn how all of these characters connect when Charlie manages to break free of his constraints and Kal disappears at the same time. Meanwhile, Lan and Dara deal with unexpected complications during what was supposed to be a routine mission. Was Kal destroyed by Charlie? Are these events connected?

Though this isn’t my usual genre, I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, and the scientific elements in this book impressed me. So much so that I had to stop to re-read passages to fully grasp the ideas presented. The author even includes dedicated science sections and ship diagrams, which reminded me of content from Isaac Arthur’s Science & Futurism series on YouTube. It’s serious sci-fi for serious thinkers.

The characters, including Kal, are also given depth by their shared history and past events. It adds a relatability to the reader and a break from the science that allows you to be drawn into the story. But the true strength of this story is that it makes the reader question the moral and philosophical ideas of AI and where we as a society could end up if we were to follow the timeline that is posed in this story.

My only real complaint was the writing style. While technically competent, it tended to be overly descriptive at times, to the point that I almost didn’t finish it. While I enjoyed the science of it, sometimes it bogged down the flow. Also, parts unrelated to the science itself were so florid at times, it detracted from the pure enjoyment of the book. I kept going back to read it despite that because the story was good.

If you’re into science fiction that doesn’t hold back on the science, Occam’s Gamble is a rewarding, if sometimes demanding, read. It dares to ask big questions and gives you a lot to think about after the last page.

Thank you to the publisher Gauche Symmetry Press, the author Enzo Ansa, and BookSirens for allowing me to read this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.