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A review by timinbc
Emergent Properties by Aimee Ogden
4.0
Hmm. I often write that an author chose well in going novella length. Here I am not sure.
In some ways I like the idea that we are given an idea, led through an exploration of what would follow from the scene presented, then given a quick resolution and left to think about what a multi-chassis life does to the Meaning of Everything.
Scorn is good, and zir pronouns were presented so smoothly, as if everyone has used them for a long time, that it's easy to think that an embodied AI would need zir own pronouns.
The two moms were quick sketches, which is OK in a novella, but that helps distract us from the unlikelihood of their existence as a couple, and especially as a couple that (details withheld) Scorn.
I will remember this one for the naturalness of Scorn dealing with the challenges of being multi-bodied, backed up, and sometimes with very limited resources.
We owe a lot to Martha Wells, Neal Asher, Iain M Banks, and many others for developing the sassy, competent AI. And of course Isaac Asimov for getting it started. OK, and Karel Capek, and ....
In some ways I like the idea that we are given an idea, led through an exploration of what would follow from the scene presented, then given a quick resolution and left to think about what a multi-chassis life does to the Meaning of Everything.
Scorn is good, and zir pronouns were presented so smoothly, as if everyone has used them for a long time, that it's easy to think that an embodied AI would need zir own pronouns.
The two moms were quick sketches, which is OK in a novella, but that helps distract us from the unlikelihood of their existence as a couple, and especially as a couple that (details withheld) Scorn.
I will remember this one for the naturalness of Scorn dealing with the challenges of being multi-bodied, backed up, and sometimes with very limited resources.
We owe a lot to Martha Wells, Neal Asher, Iain M Banks, and many others for developing the sassy, competent AI. And of course Isaac Asimov for getting it started. OK, and Karel Capek, and ....