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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This novella was about the very earliest stages of hard AI. The main conflict owes to the creators trying to find a niche for their AI to fill, after their "digients" turn out to be more like a fad than an actual revolution. I was expecting it to be like the first half of Flowers for Algernon, but it turned out more like what I imagine child rearing must be. The interpersonal relationships are pretty bare bones. There's a lot of telling, not showing, but the themes and ideas explored are interesting enough to carry the plot. One of the biggest recurring questions is that of the digients' own autonomy, especially as it relates to having sexual relationships and whether they should be allowed to edit their own motivations.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There's depth to this that I want to think on but I think my main objection is going to sound extremely stupid: for a book where THE theme is the practicalities of "sapient
ai as software", it feels like I'm constantly thinking "this is ludicrously impractical"
ai as software", it feels like I'm constantly thinking "this is ludicrously impractical"
A lovely, accessable, brief, and most impressive, plausible story about one potential evolutionary path for AI. Got me thinking a lot about DAO's and virtual and augmented reality.
the questions it raises are interesting but the story itself was boring and disappointing
maybe i'd be more engaged with the thematic questions this novella explores - about the humanity of sentient robots, the ethics of artificial intelligence, the real differences between humans and sentient non-humans - if it weren't for this strange, shocking and honestly awful little paragraph the author decided to drop that seems to lean towards justifying bestiality:
"as she did at the time, ana again tries to pin down exactly why nonsexual relationships with animals can be healthy while sexual ones can't, why the limited consent that animals can give is sufficient to keep them as pets yet not to have sex with them. again she can't articulate an argument that isn't rooted in personal distaste, and she's not sure that's a good enough reason."
yeah. and this particular so-called "argument" is never brought up again afterwards, this is all we're left with: our protagonist wondering just why is bestiality so wrong after all.
i'm sorry but what is this absurd sickening garbage??? surely we can discuss the ethics and rights of sentient AI creatures without drawing parallels to actual real life animals and bestiality???? (and maybe that was the point, that sentient AI creatures deserve the same care and respect that animals and humans do but then WHY is ana pondering on bestiality as if it's a legitimate two-sided argument???). i'm honestly at a loss for words. apart from this nasty bit of work, the novella was kind of interesting but personally, i simply can't get past this.
"as she did at the time, ana again tries to pin down exactly why nonsexual relationships with animals can be healthy while sexual ones can't, why the limited consent that animals can give is sufficient to keep them as pets yet not to have sex with them. again she can't articulate an argument that isn't rooted in personal distaste, and she's not sure that's a good enough reason."
yeah. and this particular so-called "argument" is never brought up again afterwards, this is all we're left with: our protagonist wondering just why is bestiality so wrong after all.
i'm sorry but what is this absurd sickening garbage??? surely we can discuss the ethics and rights of sentient AI creatures without drawing parallels to actual real life animals and bestiality???? (and maybe that was the point, that sentient AI creatures deserve the same care and respect that animals and humans do but then WHY is ana pondering on bestiality as if it's a legitimate two-sided argument???). i'm honestly at a loss for words. apart from this nasty bit of work, the novella was kind of interesting but personally, i simply can't get past this.
Great ideas about raising/teaching artificial/virtual life. However no real conclusion. And I didn't particularly like the style of writing. But mostly this was a swing-for-the-fences that didn't quite hit its mark. This was the worst of the Subterranean Press novellas though - clearly this is a great series of books.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
reflective