Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Challenge - Regular
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28 - A book with a robot, cyborg or AI character
If you want classic sci-fi I, Robot or 2001 a space Odyssey would work.
I was thinking of reading Supernova. It has superheroes in it with special powers, including one character who is partially made with the metal Chromium which seemed cyborg-adjacent to me...I already read all the Cinder series and was thinking of bending the prompt a little to make Supernova fit but I'm not sure. What do people think about this?
Would The MaddAddam Trilogy: Oryx and Crake / The Year of the Flood / MaddAddam work for this prompt?I read Oryx and Crake this year and want to fit the next two into my list for 2020!
Sara wrote: "I'll put in another plug for Brightly Burning. I think it qualifies because there's an AI on board the ship."I liked Brightly Burning too. Already read the Cinder books and this, hopefully the new Alexa Donne works.
Also, I have read a few Gail Carriger. Someone posted one of her series in the Listopia. I don't see anything in the discription that says anything about cyborgs. Anyone know about this?
Well I already read the whole Lunar Chronicles so here are my options:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Illuminae
Etiquette & Espionage
Scythe
About Gail Carriger: There is a mechanical / robot dog and mechanical/ robotic servants etc. in the finishing school series.
For anyone that enjoyed 2019's LitRPG prompt, the series that I started for that: Catharsis by Travis Bagwell (the series is called Awaken Online) has an AI character named Alfred that is central to the plot of the series! I really enjoyed Catharsis and gave it 4 Stars! :D The end has a mind blowing twist that has the reader intrigued without feeling the immediate need to pick up the second book of the series!My plan is to use book 3 of that series: Evolution =D
Sheri wrote: "If you want classic sci-fi I, Robot or 2001 a space Odyssey would work."Also the Space Odyssey ones, I forgot--HAL! One of the most well-known AIs of the twentieth century!
Karin wrote: Yes, I Robot works. I keep thinking there is something older, but it won't come to the front of my brain. I r...Perhaps Rossum's Universal Robots (R.U.R.) is what you had in mind? It's considered the grandparent of all robot stories and the first popular work to use the name.
For a lighter read, I really enjoyed A Robot in the Garden. Here's my brief Goodreads review:If, like me, your geeky and too tender heart skips a beat for E.T., the Ewoks, R2-D2, Johnny-Five, Wall-E, Groot, and BB-8, you will certainly adore Tang the Robot. I loved this book! I laughed out loud so many times, and felt a giddy delight. A wonderfully sweet story, a quick read, and a momentary respite from all the darkness. Recommended for ages 12 - 100!
I don't think he deserves the publicity since he was sooo rude about science fiction (of course his book isn't science fiction *roll eyes*) but Ian McEwan wrote a book about androids, if you like his writing. I don't know if it's any good though, I hold grudges!
Shasta wrote: "For a lighter read, I really enjoyed A Robot in the Garden. Here's my brief Goodreads review:If, like me, your geeky and too tender heart skips a beat for E.T., the Ewoks, R2-D2, ..."
This sounds wonderful.
Speaking of dogs, I have Adrian Tchaikovsky's Dogs of War on my TBR (the dogs are cybernetically augmented bioforms)....though I just noticed it's not available on Kindle in the USA, so it might be hard to find. The comments say it's a UK release only.
Nadine wrote: "has anyone read Alex + Ada, Vol. 1 or Defy the Stars? They look like they might work for Cinder fans?"Defy the Stars would definitely work, since one of the leads in an android.
Not sure if this was already suggested but the The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney is pretty good. I think it would work, there are A.I.'s involved in the book.
I would think The Stepford Wives would work for this prompt. Sorry, I didn’t know how to do the link. 🙁
Alex + Ada is ok. It is not as fast moving or a playful as the Cinder series. I would probably steer someone to Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars instead. (It got mixed reviews in my comic book club.)One of the best AI comics is The Vision, Volume 1: Little Worse Than A Man & The Vision, Volume 2: Little Better than a Beast. For those who avoid comics due to the unending stories, the two book series contains a full dramatic arc. An interesting take on the character you met in the Marvel movies. (It got universally good reviews in my comic book group.)
We3 has cyborgs and it will make you cry. Warning, it can be hard for extra sensitive animal lovers. I've read the comic more than once and it still produces tears. (Another universally well received book in the comic book group.)
Eujean2 wrote: "Alex + Ada is ok. It is not as fast moving or a playful as the Cinder series. I would probably steer someone to Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars instead. (It got mixed reviews in my com..."Those Vision comics by Tom King are very good. For something a little less emotionally harrowing, there was a nice 12-issue series I rather like called Vision and the Scarlet Witch that followed their life together for a year.
I'm working on the Lunar Chronicles Series, so I'm going to go with Scarlet for this prompt.The Municipalists also looks interesting.
I'm planning to read Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang. The collection includes his novella "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" which apparently has a prominent AI character. Score! I am so excited to have found this as I was really struggling to find a book that appealed to me for this one, as Ian McEwan's Machines Like Me is so poorly reviewed I was hesitant to give it a try...
I don't like this genre and every list I check, I have 1 book that I have read because I had to do it for last year. I was wondering whether The Time Machine or The Invisible Man by HG Wells would work for this prompt? Thanks for any help you can give.
Therese wrote: "I don't like this genre and every list I check, I have 1 book that I have read because I had to do it for last year. I was wondering whether The Time Machine or The Invisible Man by HG Wells would ..."I highly recommend The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke. It’s very light sci-fi and simply magnificent.
dalex wrote: "Therese wrote: "I don't like this genre and every list I check, I have 1 book that I have read because I had to do it for last year. I was wondering whether The Time Machine or The Invisible Man by..."Thank you, but I'm looking for a book I might already have and/or preferably one that is free or really cheap :-)
Therese wrote: "Thank you, but I'm looking for a book I might already have and/or preferably one that is free or really cheap :-)"A couple free (and short) options:
Meat And Salt And Sparks (short story) - A detective chimp investigates a murder.
https://www.tor.com/2018/06/06/meat-a...
Silently and Very Fast (novella) - By Catherynne Valente. A dreamy mix of fairytale and science fiction, in which a smart house becomes a smarter house. I think I rec'd this earlier but didn't provide the links. (it's split into 3 parts, each one also links to the next)
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/valen...
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/valen...
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/valen...
Drakeryn wrote: "Speaking of dogs, I have Adrian Tchaikovsky's Dogs of War on my TBR (the dogs are cybernetically augmented bioforms)....though I just noticed it's not available on Kindle in the USA, so it might be hard to find. The comments say it's a UK release only."
No problem.
https://www.bookdepository.com/Dogs-W...
Therese wrote: "I don't like this genre and every list I check, I have 1 book that I have read because I had to do it for last year. I was wondering whether The Time Machine or The Invisible Man by HG Wells would ..."I haven't read The Time Machine, but I can tell you that The Invisible Man doesn't have any robot/cyborg/AI characters...it's just a man who drinks a potion, becomes invisible, and then wreaks havoc.
If you just want something quick and painless, you could read The Steadfast Tin Soldier. The tin soldier is in love with a music box ballerina, which is sort of like a robot.
No robots in The Time Machine either.I'm listening to The Clockwork Dynasty now and it definitely fits.
@Theresa- what don’t you like about this category? That it implies science fiction? I’d wager there’s a thriller or two out there with AI characters. It never said the AI has to have a POV.
Brandon wrote: "Karin wrote: Yes, I Robot works. I keep thinking there is something older, but it won't come to the front of my brain. I r...Perhaps Rossum's Universal Robots (R.U.R.) is what you had in mind? It..."
No, I don't know that one but wish I'd read it when I was in that mode! At least I have zero memory of it, and the description doesn't ring any bells. It was probably something after that.
I thought of one that definitely has a robot or android character but feels more like fantasy than science fiction!The Just City by Jo Walton - I’ve read the whole series and adored all of it. I think if Science Fiction is not normally your thing this is a great option.
The Kraken Project by Douglas Preston looks more like a spy thriller type novel but definitely seems to have an AI character called Dorothy.
And if we want to call upon early robots: The Wizard of Oz by Frank L Baum might count the tin man as a robot.
I hope that helps a little. I don’t know if you are a Prime member, but I believe Blake Crouch wrote a short story Called Summer Frost that is available for free to prime members, even the audio version is included. I enjoyed the story but I think it’s heavier sci-fi then you are looking for. That being said- it’s free, and you can listen and tune out as much as you want.
poshpenny wrote: "No problem."Thanks!
One of the later Oz books also has Tick Tock, who is a clockwork man if I recall. That’d count too, I’d think.
Sarah wrote: "@Theresa- what don’t you like about this category? That it implies science fiction? I’d wager there’s a thriller or two out there with AI characters. It never said the AI has to have a POV."I'm just not a fan of robots although I have read some science fiction. I will have to do some more searching on this. Thanks for all your responses. They really are appreciated.
Therese wrote: "Sarah wrote: "@Theresa- what don’t you like about this category? That it implies science fiction? I’d wager there’s a thriller or two out there with AI characters. It never said the AI has to have ..."I would ignore the robot and cyborg part of the prompt and go for something with AI (artificial intelligence) then. I’d also avoid the GoodReads lists and maybe just plug it straight into Google “books with AI”. A lot of the lists you’ll find from maybe Pop Sugar or Book sellers of libraries may appeal to broader audiences.
Okay, I put AI into Google and came back here to Goodreads and found a couple of lists, well more than a couple and actually have a book on one of them. How about Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges.
Therese wrote: "Okay, I put AI into Google and came back here to Goodreads and found a couple of lists, well more than a couple and actually have a book on one of them. How about Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew ..."I would count it - it talks about AI even if it isn't strictly a "character" in the book. I bend prompts all the time to fit what I want.
If you aren't having fun with this- or meeting whatever your goals for participating are, then it's just a chore.
Sarah wrote: "Therese wrote: "Okay, I put AI into Google and came back here to Goodreads and found a couple of lists, well more than a couple and actually have a book on one of them. How about Alan Turing: The E..."I have bent the rules on more than one occasion, so I don't have any problem doing it again especially when I get a thumbs-up from a fellow book club member. I may end up doing it on a few others and/or will continue to look. Who knows? Thank you.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet would work well for this task - the shipboard AI has a very good story arc.
Tracey wrote: "You could use the In Death Series by J.D Robb for this maybe. She has service workers in the form of robots that are life-like. They're not main characters but they exist throughout the series."Thank you. I haven't read any by this author before. I will check it out.
Mod
The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa ColeI stumbled on this book this morning. The title would have caught my attention even without this prompt. I have to admit, I'm intrigued. The ARC reviews are good. If you like romance, but not science fiction, this might work for you.
This is available only as an audiobook from Audible.
Anyone robots, cyborgs or AI characters in Dune?
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No, they are children and not cyborgs or robots, etc. Too bad, because it's a good book. I did a quick ..."
Thank you so much for taking time to look! Worth a try :-) I try and read from my tbr list first. And do like to use the challenge to reach out of my normal genres, but I just feel every year there is a sci-if prompt so.... I may read the second in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe. And still hoping I could find something like a classic or 1001 books that might not be on my tbr but I can still check off. Or maybe read long way to a small angry planet - I do most of the monthly reads but skipped this one this year because - ugh. Like the computerized prosthetic limb idea too. Hmmmm. This one is challenging me!