Disclaimer: This book is a participant in the Indie Ink Awards 2023 and I read it as a judge. My personal rating does not reflect its score for the contest.

“We may not have chosen to exist, but while we’re here we have the power to affect others. We can contribute to their suffering or to their joy. It makes a difference.”

It’s a fun and wholesome read, which I’ve found to be a characteristic of Hess’s stories. I dare say the author has an optimistic view of the world and of people, or at least that’s something he tries to convey in his fiction, making sentient AI to feel the most human. This humanity presenting in the form of kindness and empathy.

While being a light read, it also tackles heavier themes like bigotry, classism and consent.

There’s a whole assortment of sentient non-humans that serve as allegories of what makes us human. I loved the conspicuous comparisons of the AI trapped in a physical body with the trans experience. The author has stated he decided to make this explicit due to his own struggles to read subtext as an autistic person.

The trans representation resonated deeply with me and reminded me of how fortunate I am to have easily available and affordable gender-affirming care.

Valentine always puts others first to his own detriment and his best friend uses this to her advantage. They don’t always see eye-to-eye, but I think fighting every day for your own survival can’t make you too picky of company.

Osric is funny and cute when grappling with human interactions and the limitations of his new body. He believes his discharge from his previous job to be a punishment, but it seems too harsh to alienate him from his friends and forcing him into a physical form.

World Running Down is about love and identity, but also about perseverance and community, proving that with love and support battles are easier to overcome.