All Systems Red is the diary of a self-proclaimed murderbot — a part organic, part synthetic construct designed to protect groups of colonists, and peAll Systems Red is the diary of a self-proclaimed murderbot — a part organic, part synthetic construct designed to protect groups of colonists, and perfectly capable of going wrong and killing them all. Hence, Murderbot — although our Murderbot has disabled the system that they think caused them to do that, and manages to take pretty good care of its little group of prospectors while also mainlining a ton of soaps and whatever other entertainment programs come its way.
I found it all very entertaining, but there was a more serious aspect, too: the Murderbot’s misanthropic attitude and even anxiety about interacting with humans, especially without its suit and opaque helmet on as a buffer. Thus the interactions with the team were a little sad as well as funny — if not sad, perhaps the right term would be invested with pathos, especially as they interact more and more with their employers (contractors? not sure quite what the term should be).
I was a little disappointed by the ending, leaving behind the established team. Obviously there’s gonna be more Murderbot, but… with a new cast otherwise? Boo. I was just getting to like ’em.
I’ve gone about things a bit backwards, because I only read Brisk Money after already having read Made to Kill (and Standard Hollywood Depravity, too)I’ve gone about things a bit backwards, because I only read Brisk Money after already having read Made to Kill (and Standard Hollywood Depravity, too). So the twist in this tale was one I already knew. It’s still a fun short story; good set up for the later stories, and a good pastiche of Chandler’s general style — if not quite his flair at coining a phrase. It doesn’t take itself too seriously: honestly, all through it you can feel that the author is having fun. It’s Chandler-esque sci-fi, where Chandler called sci-fi fiction crap, and Christopher takes obvious joy in using the noir setting and bending it to take account of a robot detective.
I can’t promise it’ll blow your mind, but if a noir detective robot story appeals, then I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to have fun. It’s well-structured, too, which is also a delight to me in a short story.
I picked up Alex + Ada because I read some pretty positive reviews, and I’ve always been interested in AI/android stories, ever since my first fatefulI picked up Alex + Ada because I read some pretty positive reviews, and I’ve always been interested in AI/android stories, ever since my first fateful encounter with Asimov’s robots in The Positronic Man. I’m a little irritated now that the library only had volume one, because that barely gets things off the ground: Alex meets his new android companion, names her, and realises that she’s lacking that something that makes her a person. For whatever reason — and this isn’t really covered in depth, which actually kind of makes sense to me — Alex decides that he wants to free her intelligence and make her truly sentience. He hasn’t really thought about it before, even though he’s all wired up to his house, but it just feels right, so he goes through with it.
And that’s… pretty much it. It’s an intriguing enough set-up, but it’s barely the start of a story. I wish the library had the next book; I’d rather just go straight onto that, and hope that it picks up straight away. As it is, I’m not sure when I’ll get to read the second volume.
You might know from my reviews of another Angry Robot alumnus, Chris Holm, that I kind of love the hardboiled pulp mysReceived to review via Netgalley
You might know from my reviews of another Angry Robot alumnus, Chris Holm, that I kind of love the hardboiled pulp mystery fiction by the likes of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. This is basically exactly that… except you add a robot and his equally electronic handler, Ada; the robot has a limited 24-hour memory because his memory’s on tapes; and the electronic handler has a prime directive of “profit” and nothing to keep her on the straight and narrow.
There’s an interesting story in the background, too: Ray discovering what he does during what are essentially blackouts; the whole background with Ada and Ray’s creator; the manipulations of Ray’s memory by Ada; Ray’s discovery that he’s being used as a murder weapon… Wisely, I think, this fascinating stuff is kept as background. It keeps you wondering what exactly Ada’s up to, it means you know about Ray’s limited memory and how he can be manipulated, but it focuses on an immediate mystery and leaves all that background to keep you wondering and coming up with your own red herrings.
Adam Christopher doesn’t quite have the style and originality of Chandler (there’s no phrases like “shop-worn Galahad” to delight the senses), but the writing is slick and functional in the best way. I read the whole thing in just over an hour, without stopping, without ever catching up on a snag that made me want to stop. He uses the robot nature of his protagonist in great ways to add detail, uses the limitations of the character to convey expressions and emotions. The robot technology is also kept at just the right level: sure, Ray can take pictures using his eyes, but they’re stored on film and he only has four rolls of film at a time. Ada runs on tapes. The technology is clunky, old-fashioned.
The plot itself is classic and I’m not gonna spoil it by giving you any clues. There’s some staples of pulp fiction here, though, and it’s good for a knowing smile, makes you want to wear a trenchcoat and a natty hat.
I've always liked Asimov's work -- one of my favourites has always been the expanded version of one of the short stories in this volume, The PositroniI've always liked Asimov's work -- one of my favourites has always been the expanded version of one of the short stories in this volume, The Positronic Man -- and so this was a nice familiar read for me. I've read some of the stories, while some were less familiar, but it is a bit like comfort eating: with Asimov, I know exactly what I'm getting. It'd be a bit much to start here with Asimov, I think, and read all the short stories start to finish. I'd pick a smaller collection, rather than a collected one. But if you're a fan of Asimov's robot stories, then this is definitely worth picking up -- there're some in here I wasn't really aware of.
I think what's really great about these stories is that Asimov set up some rules, and then he bent them until they became almost meaningless within the constraints of the story. You can program a robot to never harm a human being, but if it decides you are not a human being, that rule no longer applies. Who is the judge of humanness? Or the stories where the hierarchy of rules fights against itself, with a robot trapped between compulsions. I love the way Asimov explored that. He didn't just come up with a clever idea and then write robots you could sympathise with all the way; he liked stories that sympathised with robots, and he also saw how our society would really react to robots, and he got to work and told us stories that fit with what he saw.
I find it hard to talk about character or anything in Asimov's stories, about not portraying women properly, etc, because I don't think he portrays anything truly except robots. That's what he was interested in, and that's what he achieved. I can understand not liking them for that reason, but to me as a reader, it's irrelevant....more
Robopocalypse is basically World War Z, but with robots instead of zombies. I'm afraid that's probably a spoiler. That's the way it's told and the tonRobopocalypse is basically World War Z, but with robots instead of zombies. I'm afraid that's probably a spoiler. That's the way it's told and the tone of it and everything else, except it's not quite as global as World War Z. At first I was quite absorbed -- I was especially interested in Mr Takeo Nomura and Mikiko, but most of the story revolved around the USA, which gets... wearing. To its credit, it did involve Native Americans in a prominent role, though I have no idea how well those aspects were handled.
I've also seen a more subtle robots-achieve-awareness-and-their-creators-are-frightened-and-try-to-kill-them storyline fairly recently, where things aren't as morally clear cut. It's called Mass Effect, and the third game is particularly relevant, and it is well worth playing. (Except, for my lights, just turn the game off before the end of it. There's a reason I own this shirt.) The issue of the geth vs. the quarians is one I was very glad to explore because the game allowed subtlety: this book sort of does, in that you end up with part-robot people and robots who achieve a separate state of awareness and can oppose the evil bad robots, but the fact that you clearly have evil bad robots kind of ruins that.
Also, this isn't really a novel. The only characters I really cared about were Mr Takeo Nomura and Laura Perez's family, and even then, the style of the book makes it difficult to be really invested....more
Zelazny is really, really good at short stories. I preferred his shortest stories to the longest stories in here, I think, but all of them are good, wZelazny is really, really good at short stories. I preferred his shortest stories to the longest stories in here, I think, but all of them are good, with the perfect little twist or sting in the tail. Well, not all of them: I suppose there were some that made little impression on me, but mostly my impression is of a strong collection.
I liked Dismal Light a lot, and The George Business made me smile; Recital was powerful and sort-of sad but not quite, a nice mix of feelings... There are so many stories in this collection, I don't think I could really pick and choose....more
I've had this book vaguely on my mental list of books that might be interesting for a long time, but I picked it up on pure whim. I'm interested in hoI've had this book vaguely on my mental list of books that might be interesting for a long time, but I picked it up on pure whim. I'm interested in how many low reviews it has: I think the problem is that people expect something great and marvelously written from the book that inaugurated such a huge cultural phenomenon as steampunk. It's not that. It's fun, silly, often ridiculous, and in no way intended to be taken too seriously, I think.
It's a juxtaposition of ideas, written very much in the tradition of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and with a protagonist that reminds me very much of the common mental image of bumbling, unintelligent John Watson. (Which usually ignores that he is a doctor, an army man, and capable of handling fire arms, not to mention trusted by Holmes who is obviously no idiot. He has a certain lack of imagination, yes, but he's not as stupid as the stereotype would have you believe -- and certainly not as stupid as the protagonist of this novel.)
I thought it was fun, and actually pretty absorbing. Not convincing as anything serious, but fun. I'm glad Angry Robot republished it, it's been a nice diversion from waiting for the slow wheels of the NHS to turn....more
Eros, Philia, Agape is lovely. It's available, like the other short stories by Rachel Swirsky that I've been reading, on Tor.com, here. It's a lovely Eros, Philia, Agape is lovely. It's available, like the other short stories by Rachel Swirsky that I've been reading, on Tor.com, here. It's a lovely story, which reminds me a little of Isaac Asimov's The Positronic Man -- except more emotional, more evocative, more tender and more sad. Despite how short it is, it creates a world and characters I fully believe in, and the writing is lovely. My heart was in my throat while reading parts of it, just for the aching tenderness in it.
I think perhaps my favourite detail is that little Rose wants to be a robot like her father. Of course she does, it makes so much sense, and the way she insists on it is just -- ouch, my heart.
Oh, and I love that there's a gay couple in the background, matter of fact and loving.
(A warning, though: there are brief descriptions of childhood abuse and rape. They're very brief and not explicit.)...more
I know I read this when I was quite young -- ten or so -- but I found I remembered very, very little of it. I used to read Isaac Asimov obsessively, aI know I read this when I was quite young -- ten or so -- but I found I remembered very, very little of it. I used to read Isaac Asimov obsessively, at that age: the library wouldn't let me take the books out myself, so my mother did it. I racked up an amazing fine for her by keeping The Positronic Man for months.
Anyway, so it's partially nostalgia that makes me love The Caves of Steel so much. And partially my new appreciation for crime novels. Asimov's short mystery stories were very easy to guess; The Caves of Steel, not so much. I had a feeling about the culprit, after a while, but mostly because his innocence kept going unquestioned.
I'm really quite fond of Elijah and Daneel. There's enough of characterisation and personal investment there for that, and for me to be eager to read more of their adventures. I got quite embarrassed for Elijah when he kept getting things wrong -- but it led to the eventual conclusion, so that was nice. Asimov's pretty good at pulling everything together like that....more
I don't remember this very well, I'm going to have to reread it. I know the movie is compleeeeetely different, although I haven't seen that, either.I don't remember this very well, I'm going to have to reread it. I know the movie is compleeeeetely different, although I haven't seen that, either....more
I can't remember why I first picked up this book, but I read it twice very soon after getting it (and believe me, it's another of those on the "to reaI can't remember why I first picked up this book, but I read it twice very soon after getting it (and believe me, it's another of those on the "to read again" list). There's something of the detective novel in it, and it's certainly sci-fi -- not quite sure if it goes into cyberpunk, because I'm no good with genres. There are two parallel stories in this that converge, and the best you can hope for is a bittersweet ending. I read the whole book in about half a day because I really didn't want to put it down. In-world politics, amusing little anecdotes (overly intelligent control systems formed fungi on the ocean into the shape of a rude gesture, if I recall rightly), some near inevitable commentary about the evils we're inflicting on earth... There's also an element of time travel, and alien intelligences, and the sense that there's something bigger hanging around outside the story... As I said, I loved it.
(I gave my copy to my sister, who despite not being much of a reader, loved it madly.)...more
It's a sci-fi book, and tosses around words like singularity and wetware and all kinds of words that seem to be required knowledge for reading sci-fi It's a sci-fi book, and tosses around words like singularity and wetware and all kinds of words that seem to be required knowledge for reading sci-fi (since I recognise them from Ken MacLeod's books). To be honest, I'm rapidly discovering I'm out of my depth with a lot of sci-fi. I'm alright with Le Guin, Alastair Reynolds, Tad Williams and Asimov, but a lot of the rest is beyond me.
Most of the book basically flew right over my head. The characters weren't that special, either. About half way through the book I got more interested in it all -- perhaps because I finally got into the world and characters a little.
I'm pretty sure that for someone who reads more sci-fi, or maybe does physics and also knows a bit about business/law, it would have been a really, really interesting book. Some of the ideas intrigued me. It felt very, very fast paced -- which makes sense, considering the speed of the world its set in -- and felt to me like a succession of ideas, none of which were fully realised.
Really, I was left with the overwhelming feeling that I am not the target audience for the book. It's not keeping me from picking up one of Charles Stross' other books, Singularity Sky, but that's only because I already have it. I don't think I'd buy it....more
I know I read this, but I don't really remember what it was about, and it made no real impression on me. I think I found it confusing.I know I read this, but I don't really remember what it was about, and it made no real impression on me. I think I found it confusing....more
I loved this book when I was about nine or ten. My mum got it out from the library for me and I read it over and over and over again, refusing to let I loved this book when I was about nine or ten. My mum got it out from the library for me and I read it over and over and over again, refusing to let her take it back to the library for me. My girlfriend got me a copy of my own, eventually, and I still love it. Andrew's progression from robot to human is touching and the reactions of the characters in the background are believable and realistic -- from acceptance to disquiet to hate....more
I enjoyed the first couple of books, but I disliked the way the last book ended -- it made the rest of the series seem really, pretty pointless. The bI enjoyed the first couple of books, but I disliked the way the last book ended -- it made the rest of the series seem really, pretty pointless. The books got less funny as they went along, too....more
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