Annie Bot : Discussion Thread

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

A powerful, provocative novel about the relationship between a female robot and her human owner, exploring questions of intimacy, power, autonomy, and control.

Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the pert outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she’s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she’s trying to please him. She’s trying hard.

She’s learning, too.

Doug says he loves that Annie’s AI makes her seem more like a real woman, so Annie explores human traits such as curiosity, secrecy, and longing. But becoming more human also means becoming less perfect, and as Annie’s relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder: Does Doug really desire what he says he wants? And in such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

one of my next reads! I'm so excited for this one!

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

Chapters 1 & 2

(view spoiler)[ wow, I'm glad she feels really appreciated by Doug
but I don't like him. Ugh.

It's interesting, this idea of sentient AI in something that looks and talks like a person. I hate that the power that doug wields.

the way he calls her a doll - is he really that much better than Roland?

and why is Roland obsessed with her? just because she looks good and doesn't talk back (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

Chapters 3, 4

(view spoiler)[ wow, I really don't like Doug
it was interesting how much sentience Delta also showed, even though she was just supposed to cook and clean.

It's an interesting mix - I'm uncomfortable because Doug keeps treating Delta and Annie like they are just there to please him and do things for him, which - yikes, they are

but also, they seem to have their own thoughts and feelings - so it feels wrong because we're in Annie's head and she has struggles and ideas

but Doug is also every part of a man that I hate - the selfish, the needing to be the top thing but also hates when they are needy. Sets Annie up for failure and is constantly making her walk on eggshells because he can't seem to control her so completely that she only says the things she likes. (hide spoiler)]

this one is so interesting!

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

I'm done

wow, that was amazing and so uncomfortable! lol

(view spoiler)[ wow, I really disliked Doug
but it took me time to really see why

I think Annie's moment when she thought about everyone else being the protagonist in their own story - except her
and she just orbited Doug - and doug loved her because she made her whole world pleasing him *sigh*

I love that, in the end, the second she could, she left. I was getting really nervous when i only had 2 pages left and she was still with him that it would end that way. I was SO glad it didn't.

I love the thought that others with her 'mind' implanted might seek her out because they might have that memory. (hide spoiler)]

[Randi]

I grabbed this one because my friend's name is Annie and we thought it was funny, but man it was worth it. I really ended up liking it, even though I wish the ending had been more fleshed out, though it wouldn't really be necessary to do so.

(view spoiler)[ I really liked that Annie herself was very sex positive and that she didn't take her role as being a sexbot as something negative, which came as a relief to me because I think I've just read too many books where robot sex - or even sex work in general - was considered to be awful or something both parties couldn't enjoy.

Doug was an absolute creep by the end, believing he'd brainwashed Annie enough that she'd reject her robot origins and pretend to be human for him and his insecurities/need for absolute control, since she could never actually BE human, but he could pretend and when it didn't work, just turn her off.

At the midpoint at the lake house, I was sort've surprised when Doug came back into the plot because I was assuming the narrative would be that she escaped and then tried to integrate into society (which suppose is what happened at the end, but that disappointingly wasn't very fleshed out).

But the most memorable for me was that scene where he locks her in the closet with her libido on 10 until she purposefully drains her battery? That was intense and I liked that the therapist obliquely called it abuse, even if it wasn't explicitly stated, they both knew what she was talking about. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

ooh I love that point (view spoiler)[ I didn't even think of it as a very sex positive book but you're right! She never really the shame for enjoying it!

and I agree, that midpoint, I was surprised when Doug came back, too! and then the punishment. that was just awful! And I really loved the therapist too! She did a great job of reading between the lines and knowing more than Annie was allowed to say (hide spoiler)]

[Randi]

Trisha wrote:

(view spoiler)[Thank goodness Annie left in the end! I was getting worried too by the last chapter LOL like girl don't let him manipulate you like that!! (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

(view spoiler)[

I loved this world and would like more!! I don't love that the robots all end up being sex-robots but if we're honest that is probably pretty accurate.

I wish we saw more of this world that didn't use robots this way though, maybe they staff the airport or the bookstore or the coffee shop. I love sci-fi when it feels like it could be real life in a few years and this one felt like that!

Annie was an amazing character. I see parallels between her learning and my own coming of age as a woman in modern society.

(hide spoiler)]

[Randi]

(view spoiler)[I agree on the point that I wish there were other bots that weren't for sex. I think there were like, housemaids and nanny bots that weren't designed for it, but it made it sound like they could all be turned into one, like Delta was. :( But also I think it's because Doug was creepy as hell that he would see all bots that way and I doubt he'd be the only one. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

ooh that's a good point!
(view spoiler)[ that Randy would see them all for their transactional worth. Only for cleaning and/or sex bot!
I agree, many others would view them the same way (hide spoiler)]

I love that so many of us loved this one - or at least got us thinking!
Before BOTM had it, it wasn't even on my radar!

[Randi]

Before BOTM had it, it wasn't even on my radar!

Honestly, same! I don't think I would've picked it up otherwise since the only other place I've seen it advertised is on a Goodreads 'upcoming' list, which are also books I tend not to take very seriously. 😅