The Toll

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains descriptions of violence and suicide, and instances of bias against people with genderfluid identities.

“The Thunderhead could not remember when it became aware, only that it was, much in the same way that an infant is unaware of its consciousness until it understands enough about the world to know that consciousness comes and goes, until it comes no more.”

Shusterman’s literary style includes deep philosophical observations, such as the Thunderhead’s realization that it has become sentient. The text compares the process of an AI becoming self-aware to that of a baby becoming conscious. The language also invites a comparison to a god waking up to create a new reality, blurring the boundaries between AI, humanity, and divinity.

“‘In the best of worlds, this operation would have happened a long time ago.’

To which Possuelo responded, ‘In case you haven’t noticed, this is no longer the best of worlds.’”

The author uses irony and humor to alleviate the tension in the plot. Here, Possuelo makes a darkly funny joke about their world collapsing into a dystopia, introducing the theme of The Ethics of Immortality and Population Control.

“I have found that building a sandbox around a domineering child, then allowing that child to preside over it, frees the adults to do the real work.”

The novel often discusses how to deal with power-hungry people, illustrating the theme of The Relationship Between Power and Corruption. Here, Faraday uses the metaphor of the domineering child for Bob Sykora; it is best to let Sykora play in his sandbox, while Loriana secretly runs the show. Faraday’s observation suggests that those who often desire power the most are the least suited to actually wielding it.