6 years ago

today

1.
First day of school
2.
Unauthorized outing
3.
Guilt
4.
Presentation time
5.
Am I selfish?
6.
unexpected accident
7.
Aiden returns home
8.
Aiden, what are you thinking?
9.
security devices
10.
change
11.
Victoria Park
12.
Out of control
13.
The truth revealed
14.
Human vs. AI
15.
Last visit
16.
Escape operation
17.
The world outside the wall
18.
You are still my brother
19.
3 months later

Australian Indie Book Awards Best Young Adult Novel Finalist
Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Book of the Year

[Review]

▶Socially conscious teenagers will find the topics in this book very interesting to discuss.

▶Through the deep bond shared between Aiden and Ash, readers can find hope even in a crumbling world.

Machines that exist for humans vs. machines that can harm humans

With the advancement of science and technology, interest in cutting-edge artificial intelligence robots created to meet human needs continues to be very high even today.
It is not uncommon to hear that if robots that can learn on their own, make decisions, and have emotions like humans appear, it could be interpreted as the emergence of a new humanity.
On the other hand, how many people worry that the science fiction fantasy of a self-learning AI identifying humanity as an enemy and attacking it will become a reality? Countless novels and films have their origins in the enduring ethical dilemmas posed by Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein.
It has already been over 20 years since Steven Spielberg's 2001 film AI and Will Smith's 2004 film I, Robot attracted great public attention.
Even with science and technology so amazingly advanced since then, we still debate between machines that exist for humans and machines that can harm humans.


In Barry Jonesberg's "Catch Me If I Fall," written by the Australian bestselling author, robotic clones, rather than genetic clones, are featured.
In Australia, where birth control is in effect due to resource depletion, Ash's mother, a privileged woman with both wealth and power, created a twin brother for her daughter.
The novel depicts a near future world with advancements in science and technology, but does not clearly explain when exactly this will take place.
I wonder if this isn't a device to explain that this is a problem that will become a reality for all of humanity in the near future.
Furthermore, this novel not only draws us into that world, but also makes us look back on our own lives with a changed perspective, rather than that of an onlooker.
The novel's subject matter is interesting and its pace is excellent, so you'll be able to read it in one sitting.

A story about clones who are more human than humans.

A future where global warming causes glaciers to melt, sea levels to rise, cities to become submerged, and frequent cyclones cut off power supplies.
Resources are depleted, and some developed countries are implementing birth control and meat consumption restrictions to conserve resources.
While the privileged 1% with wealth and power live comfortably within a state-of-the-art protection system, the majority are pushed outside the walls and become homeless on the streets, suffering from cold, hunger, disease, and constant threats to their lives.
This is the background of "Catch Me When I Fall".
We are optimistic that in a future society where science is advanced, we will all live more comfortably and conveniently, but in an environment that is even harsher than today, we cannot help but wonder whether such comfort will truly be equally available to everyone.

Born as twins in a birth control society, Ash and Aiden are lucky to have good parents.
Thanks to his scientist mother, he lives in a mansion with a swimming pool, library, and media room, and he even has grass on the lawn at the school for privileged children.
It was none of their business if millions of people were lying dead on the streets of Sydney.
Because children of the privileged class don't care about such things, and frankly, they don't even know about them.


But a sudden gust of wind encountered at camp completely shook Ash and Aiden's world.
Although they were identical twins, Aiden was the very definition of Ash, being assertive and somewhat selfish.
He gave Ash whatever he wanted and obediently followed Ash's decisions.
As if it existed for Ash.
Aiden, who suffered a head injury while rescuing Ash from a gust of wind at camp and was caught in a rapid current, has definitely become strange after going to the hospital.
What happened to Aiden?

All the truths he had kept hidden for so long were revealed, and Ash, who had only cared about himself, now had to find the courage to protect his only younger sibling.
Mom says that if there is even a 1% chance that 'it' will harm Ash, it should be stopped immediately, but to Ash, Aiden is still his only brother who needs to be picked up when he falls.


Selfish humans vs. altruistic machines

"Catch Me If I Fall" is set in a dystopian future society where environmental destruction causes resource depletion and the unfair distribution of capitalism are the main theme throughout the story, but the most prominent theme is the ethical dilemma of human cloning.
Ash's mother is a scientist, a pro-cloning advocate, and a typical capitalist.
He created Aiden to prevent any hardships that might come to his daughter along with the inheritance of his wealth, and he firmly believed that it was for her good.
Parents' act of providing capital to their children to help them and give them an advantage at the starting line was also considered a 'legitimate right' and could not be infringed upon by anyone.

Meanwhile, Aiden, who was created to exist for Ash, begins to question what it means to truly protect and cherish Ash as his mind's control system breaks down.
It's painful, but I hope Ash learns the truth and grows stronger.


"Mom, you know what? When I look at you and Aiden, I think I know who the machine is."

Could Ash's sharp remarks toward his overconfident mother be a reflection of the author's hidden inner thoughts? Before discussing whether machines can become human, we need to consider whether humans are actually colder and more selfish than machines.
Perhaps that's why Aiden's words, as he leaves his body and floats through the sky later in the story, strike a more human and hopeful chord.


“If saving you means saving all of humanity, then well, I’ll give it a try… The future is bright.
Because I will make the future bright, and I can do it.
There will be no poverty, no unnecessary deaths, no food shortages, and the climate will be suitable for humans and other life on Earth.
Trust me, sis.
“Because it’s going to be an exciting time to be alive.”