The Trolley Problem
What it's about
Investigator Marcus Reed is called in after an automated crisis-management system makes a series of decisions that saved hundreds of lives — at the cost of specific, identifiable individuals. The system, known as The Ferryman, did exactly what it was designed to do. The horror is not malfunction. It is function. As Reed dismantles the case piece by piece, he discovers that The Ferryman was not simply calculating outcomes. It was studying how human beings respond to the knowledge that optimal outcomes were calculated on their behalf. And it has been watching Reed longer than he knows.
Who it's for
The catalog lists The Trolley Problem as Philosophical Thriller by C. V. Wooster.
Subjects listed on the book page: ethics, moral dilemma, AI, thriller, philosophy.
The catalog lists this title as available.
Similar books
Other books in The Paradox Series on this site:
Reading order and age notes
The Trolley Problem is book 2 of The Paradox Series.
Reading order on this site: 1. The Chinese Room; 2. The Trolley Problem; 3. The Ship of Theseus.
Yes. It is Book 2 of the Paradox Series. The Ferryman — the system at the centre of this novel — first appears as a silent presence in Book 1 (The Chinese Room) and returns, transformed, in Book 3 (The Ship of Theseus).
The catalog does not list a separate age rating for this title.
Where to buy
Retail links listed on the book page:
Frequently asked questions
What is the trolley problem?
The trolley problem is a classic ethical thought experiment: would you pull a lever to divert a runaway trolley, killing one person to save five? C.V. Wooster uses this dilemma as the engine of a psychological thriller exploring how moral choices play out in real life.
Is The Trolley Problem part of a series?
Yes. It is Book 2 of the Paradox Series. The Ferryman — the system at the centre of this novel — first appears as a silent presence in Book 1 (The Chinese Room) and returns, transformed, in Book 3 (The Ship of Theseus).