All that we see or seem by Ken Liu (2025)

This book is fantastic. Ken Liu combines believable near-future technology with a thriller that never loses sight of its characters. The novel explores advanced AI, synthetic media, identity, and the evolution of the criminal scam-compound industry that has already emerged in parts of Southeast Asia. Unlike many AI novels, the technology feels grounded in current trends rather than speculative magic.

The setting is vivid. The characters are beautifully crafted. The plot moves quickly without sacrificing emotional depth. Liu captures both the promise and the danger of increasingly capable AI systems while keeping the focus on the human consequences of those technologies.

I was particularly impressed by the treatment of modern AI and the plausible extension of today's scam-farm operations (that already use over 100,000 slaves to fake product reviews, scam people, etc.) into the near future. Those elements felt uncomfortably realistic. The central dream-related premise is more speculative, but it never undermined my enjoyment.

I was also happy that Liu largely avoided the fantasy elements that sometimes appear in his fiction. The result is a focused science-fiction thriller with strong technical foundations, memorable characters, and relentless momentum.

This novel is a genuine page-turner. I was engrossed from beginning to end. 5/5 stars.