AdamCollings June 2nd 2022, 6:50 pm
I'll probably be able to answer this question better once I've finished it. So far, there is nothing that is especially asking the reader to invest in the robot's personhood. Other than the fact that the protagonist, and all other characters encountered so far are robots. KL-404 will sometimes be described as laughing, and emotions are sometimes ascribed to him. Whether those emotions are real of simulated is kind of up to the reader to decide so far.
One character is a ComPanion. Basically a smart phone designed to be an artificial "friend" to a person. It seems pretty clear to me that this is an advanced AI but not intended to be a person. It's clever programming. But that doesn't stop me enjoying the interplay between "him" and K-404. The big thing driving me through the book is the mystery of what happened to this world? Where are the humans? How long was K-404 lying in that junk yard before he powered up?
I'll check back in with you when I'm done. I plan to do a review in written, video and audio formats. I'm part of Kerry's street team for this book.
As for your tastes, you might actually be interested in a book called "Alpha Redemption". (BTW do you know how many naked man chests you see when you search Amazon for this title?)
https://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Redemption-P-Baines-ebook/dp/B08YNW3RJP/ref=sr_1_1
It explores the question "Can an AI be saved?"
Here's my review from back in 2012
Adam wrote:
Hard science fiction, a deeply dramatic character arc, lots of spiritual metaphor, and exploration of the interesting questions. This book has it all. Brett is a broken man. He's never been the same since the death of his wife and children. He has turned away from his faith in God. With nothing left to lose, he takes on a dangerous job - being the first human to travel beyond light-speed on an interstellar journey to Alpha Centauri. Along the way, the ship's computer - Jay - begins to show signs of artificial intelligence - of sentience.
This book deals with questions that some Christians might find controversial. If there were such a thing as AI, could a machine have a spiritual aspect to them? Could they have a soul? But isn't that what good science fiction always does? It asks questions. It asks "What if?"
The structure of the book is atypical. It alternates between the present-day story on the spaceship and glimpses from Brett's past. I hesitate to call these flashback scenes back story, because they are intrinsically part of the tale being told. In much the same way as the television series Lost, each chapter features a story from a different part of Brett's life. Scenes alternate between the present and flashbacks. These flashbacks are linked to the present-day part of the chapter on a thematic level. Each new chapter takes the back story further back in time - so we see Brett's life in reserve. This structure takes a little concentration at first, but I figured out the pattern quite early, and then I just left myself get swept away by the story. I don't want to give too much away, but there are important reasons for using this particular structure. Trust me - it works.
This story doesn't just use space as a setting. It is a genuine science fiction story that has some interesting concepts and mysteries - many of which are never fully explained. This just adds to the feelings of wonder.
As a character drama - the book is filled with heartache and hope. You can't help but feel for these characters.
This book deserves to be remembered as a classic. A true Christian Sci-fi.