A review by sizrobe
The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang

5.0

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.