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A review by goblinhearted
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
3.0
This is about a man who purchases a sentient sex doll and enters a kind of weird, toxic, and abusive relationship with her.
This was a very quick and easy read. However, something vital was missing for me. It seems that the whole first half, maybe even the first ¾ is building up towards something that never (or barely) pans out. We get to know Annie, who wants more than anything to please her owner, Doug (it’s how she was coded). Throughout the entire story, she strives to achieve this - but it’s difficult, because her owner is a piece of shit misogynist who views her as barely more than property. I’ve seen others call this story an allegory for abusive relationships. I think, in a lot of ways, it is.
However, after reading everything that Doug puts Annie through, I feel like, for me at least, there is a desire for revenge, for something to even the scales.
But I get it. At the end of the day, she’s not human. She’s a highly advanced robot, essentially. However, it’s made quite clear that she is much more autonomous than the average bot. At times it’s easy to forget that she’s not actually human. But it’s clear that she is meant to seem human; the lines are being blurred on purpose. And regardless of whether or not she is actually human, I think it’s deeply uncomfortable to see her just accept his treatment from someone that she loves.
She only becomes angry toward the end, and after a time that fades. Eventually,she manages to escape . But it happens so fast, so quietly, that it doesn't feel satisfying or gratifying to read. It felt lukewarm. I just wanted more.
This was a very quick and easy read. However, something vital was missing for me. It seems that the whole first half, maybe even the first ¾ is building up towards something that never (or barely) pans out. We get to know Annie, who wants more than anything to please her owner, Doug (it’s how she was coded). Throughout the entire story, she strives to achieve this - but it’s difficult, because her owner is a piece of shit misogynist who views her as barely more than property. I’ve seen others call this story an allegory for abusive relationships. I think, in a lot of ways, it is.
However, after reading everything that Doug puts Annie through, I feel like, for me at least, there is a desire for revenge, for something to even the scales.
But I get it. At the end of the day, she’s not human. She’s a highly advanced robot, essentially. However, it’s made quite clear that she is much more autonomous than the average bot. At times it’s easy to forget that she’s not actually human. But it’s clear that she is meant to seem human; the lines are being blurred on purpose. And regardless of whether or not she is actually human, I think it’s deeply uncomfortable to see her just accept his treatment from someone that she loves.
She only becomes angry toward the end, and after a time that fades. Eventually,