Reviews

An Unnatural Life by Erin K. Wagner

xmagicanderson's review

4.0

This is a novella about 812-3, a cyborg accused of murdering a human. The story revolves around his lawyer, Aiya, trying to get him a fair trial that includes the true facts of the case and being judged by the right peers, possibly including other cyborgs as part of the jury. Take note - during a time and at a place (moon) where artificial life-forms have no established legal rights yet.

Very interesting premise and themes on what it is to be a person and a being who deserves individual rights and freedom. The execution, however, was not as satisfying as I hoped, especially since the whole idea was super intriguing and thought-provoking. I still enjoyed reading it, just not too excited to recommend it. Though, if you are a fan of all things robot and AI like myself, try it for sure.

neridah's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

tony_t's review

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I hadn’t read anything by Erin Wagner before so eas unsure what to expect. I found “An Unnatural Life” to be compelling and consistent with some of the issues we face today. Casting robots as the new immigrant class with all its attendant discrimination was all too easy to believe. I also enjoyed the turmoil in Aiya’s head as she provides legal help to 812-3. Recommended.

gatonolivro's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

samwise's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

sarahlou79's review

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ineffablebob's review

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Decent story but it feels unfinished, like an excerpt from a larger work. (Which I suppose it might be, haven't looked for more.) As it is, the message of the eternal nature of racism is awfully heavy-handed.

emjayreads's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

luminositylibrary's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

eric_robert_campbell's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.0