The fourth annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC4) has advanced to the semifinals, where my team’s two semifinalists will join four others in one of the competition’s two semifinal groups, each of which will be read by multiple judging teams in order to select a top three to advance to the finals. For my second read of the stage, I dove into Proliferation by Erik A. Otto. 

Proliferation takes place in the Pacific Northwest after some sort of disaster that has left Seattle deadly and the Pacific Northwest fractured. There are pirates on the waters, various clans holding the mountains, an uneasy alliance between anti-tech environmentalists and Japanese military forces in much of the lowlands, and a tech-enhanced group that won’t blink at defending their interests with violence. It’s widely believed that there once were a handful of smart cities in the region, but the stories have mostly been of interest to academics—plus the occasional scam to drum up tourism. At least until one of those AI-run cities rises, and suddenly everyone wants a piece of the technology inside. 

Proliferation is mostly split between two major perspective characters. A lonely academic with a tragic past is suborned by the Japanese to add his insight to an expedition to the new city, and a pirate finds herself similarly coerced into joining with what she sees as a tech-enhanced cult who wants to ensure the city AI doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. It’s structured in three parts that each consist in a slow build towards a major climax, with little falling action before the beginning of another slow build. And while it’s a structure that’s clearly well thought-out, it’s also one that left me wanting more insight into the aftermath of the climactic moments. They’re clearly game-changers from a story perspective—and often bringing with them fresh philosophical quandaries, particularly around AI and ethical decision-making—but instead of digging deep into the problems raised, the story begins again with a new normal after a brief time skip. It doesn’t shirk its major themes entirely, instead building toward a further exploration in the final conclusion of the third act. It’s a sensible way to tell the story, but at the same time, it does feel like something of a missed opportunity to more deeply explore some of the most fascinating elements.

Those missed opportunities feel bigger than they otherwise might have simply because of the trouble I had really investing in the characters or politics. Both leads feel realistic enough, but neither really catches the eye. Every faction feels bad in their own special way—not unrealistic for the setting—and the reader is generally tossed into a world that the characters understand and is asked to sort it out. And again, it’s all competently done, but it does make it difficult to really get behind any one of the factions. The picture becomes clearer as the story progresses, but in the early stages, the reader needs to be invested just for the sake of seeing what happens, because there’s not a lot to generate pathos. 

On the whole, Proliferation is technically proficient, delivers a satisfying narrative arc, and explores some interesting themes. But it also doesn’t offer the reader much up front to aid immersion in the story, and the way the plot builds to a climax and then skips the falling action in order to set up another build can make it difficult to sustain reading momentum. The result is a story that makes sense and does a few things pretty well but that doesn’t fully capitalize on its potential. 

Can I use it for Bingo? It’s hard mode for Self-Published, and it also fits Parents, Book in Parts, Pirates, and Hidden Gem.

Overall rating: 12 of Tar Vol’s 20. Three stars on Goodreads.

SPSFC score: 6/10 for my personal score. The official team score will be determined in concert with my teammates.