It’s some months ago that I reviewed S.S. Turner’s The Connection Game in a post you’ll find here. I so enjoyed that book that when I heard his new book was out I simply had to ask him to stay in with me to chat all about it.

Let’s find out more:

Staying in with S.S. Turner

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thanks Linda. It’s a pleasure to stay in with a book expert like yourself.

Crikey, I wouldn’t call myself that. I’m just a book lover! Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought along my novel The Last Toll Collector.

I’ve chosen it because it’s the most recent of my books, and it deals with a macro theme we’re all faced with these days: the growing dominance of AI over humanity. I think the arrival of ChatGPT has really highlighted to many that AI is here to stay and it’s already able to outcompete us.

I have a feeling you might be right there! How does AI impact your story?

After the novel’s protagonist Valerie Tobruk spends a full decade of her life being outcompeted by AI for jobs, she reaches the end of her tether.

Eager to escape the tech-dominated world, she moves to a remote part of Iceland where she starts a new nation called Tobruk where people are valued for their humanness. From there, the story grows into something much bigger and more mysterious.

That sounds highly relatable.

In my experience, a lot of people are likely to relate to Valerie’s plight in the tech-dominated world we all live in.

What can we expect from an evening in with The Last Toll Collector?

The first critic review of The Last Toll Collector by To Make Much of Time described the novel as “riveting, smart, and thought-provoking … a true page-turner.”

If it’s anything like The Connection Game I can imagine that’s a highly accurate assessment. 

You can also expect to find yourself embroiled in a story that asks big questions about the state of the modern world. You may well have been asking yourself similar questions in your own life.

I’m always asking myself questions about the state of the modern world. I’d just like a bit more kindness running through it… So, how would you sum up The Last Toll Collector in one sentence? 

Advance readers are comparing the book with Life of Pi and The Magus, so it’s full of surprises, twists, and a cast of memorable characters.

Crikey, that’s some comparison! I’m even more determined to get to The Last Toll Collector as soon as I can.

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’ve brought with me an extract from toward the beginning of the novel when the protagonist Valerie Tobruk is arriving in Iceland to escape from the unhumanness of her life in San Francisco:

From above, Iceland presented as a green and rocky version of the moon where humans were a rounding error rather than the dominant organic species. To reinforce the point, there were thousands of fluffy-maned horses dotted throughout the fields as far as the eye could see—and not a single human.

When Valerie walked into Reykjavík Airport, the arriving planeload of passengers were the only people present beyond a few airport staff. She’d never witnessed such a quiet airport before. It was unnerving. She half-expected official-looking people to emerge from the shadows to create the illusion it was a safe place. Even out-of-work actors would suffice. Valerie recognised her symptoms as the warning signs they were: she’d been living for too long in an over-populated city overrun by over-controlling authorities.

As Valerie walked outside, the crisp, cool Icelandic air caressed her touch-deprived skin with sensory heightening expertise. She stopped in her tracks so she could breathe it all in. As that dose of old-fashioned fresh air reanimated her soul, none of the passers-by asked Valerie to get out of their way, as was the custom in San Francisco. That afternoon, no one even noticed the forty-something-year-old American woman standing in their pathway.

Valerie joined the short taxi queue nearby. Prior to leaving San Francisco, she’d calculated her remaining cash reserves would cover her food and accommodation costs in Reykjavík for a couple of weeks. So when Valerie reached the front of the queue thirty seconds later, she asked a friendly, baby-faced taxi driver with a bald head to drive her to the cheapest hotel he knew of in the center of Reykjavík.

“Are you staying long?” the driver asked her.

“I haven’t got a plan beyond the next two weeks,” Valerie said. “I’d like to get off the beaten track while I’m here.”

“Aha, you’re one of those,” the driver said with a knowing nod.

“One of who?” she asked, not ready to be put into any boxes.

“You’re one of the millions who’ve developed an obsession with Iceland by watching a TV series. Lots of people come here to experience the raw, powerful nature they connected with through their TV screens,” he stated with more than a hint of condescension.

Valerie felt uncomfortable. Was she a misinformed desperado who’d fallen for Iceland’s charms from afar? “I’m not one of those. My Icelandic friend Björn recommended I move here.”

The taxi driver nodded as though she’d confirmed his low opinion rather than contradicted it. “Did he recommend Iceland as the ideal place to become your authentic self?”

Valerie suddenly felt annoyed. “Listen, I’m not a cookie-cutter tourist who’s a replica of every other new arrival you’ve ever met.”

The taxi driver once again nodded, as though Valerie had confirmed his worst suspicions. She willed him silent. Thankfully, he complied.

What a great hook. Of course I now want to know what happens to Valerie! Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about The Last Toll Collector. I think it sounds great. Let me give Linda’s Book Bag readers a few more details:

The Last Toll Collector

What would you do if AI outcompeted you so completely that it negated your role in society?

Welcome to Valerie Tobruk’s life. Her job as a toll collector on the Golden Gate Bridge was made redundant when toll collection was automated in 2013. Since then, she’s failed to find a job which AI can’t do better than her. She feels useless and lost.

To escape from her life, Valerie travels to the Westfjords, a remote part of Iceland where people go to disappear and nature reigns supreme. Once there, she discovers an abandoned herring factory where she decides to reside as the founder of a new independent nation called Tobruk where people are valued for their humanness.

Valerie doesn’t remain alone for long. A cast of lost souls descend upon Tobruk, as do a series of perplexing challenges presented by the outside world. But there’s worse to come. When the darkness of winter descends, the citizens of Tobruk must face up to their deepest fears if they are to survive.

Published by Fortis on 8th November 2024, The Last Toll Collector is available for purchase here.

About S.S. Turner

S.S. Turner crafts thought-provoking stories that explore the profound transformations his characters must undergo to navigate the complexities of modern life. His works are celebrated for their vivid storytelling, and the way his characters intertwine universal themes with personal growth. The author of Secrets of a River Swimmer, The Connection Game, Golden, and The Last Toll Collector he captivates readers with tales that resonate in today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving world.

For more information, visit S.S. Turner’s blog or follow him on Twitter/X @SSTurner7. You’ll also find him on Instagram and Facebook.