Comments on: Robot-themed sci fi recommendations?

Question: Robot-themed sci fi recommendations?

olinerd — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:25:31 -0800

What are some good sci fi novels/short stories that focus on robots? Difficulty: no Asimov.

I'd love to read some recent sci-fi -- books or short stories -- centered around the theme of robots and AI. I'm less interested in Asimov or Philip K. Dick and more interested in more modern stuff that hasn't been made into movies. For reference, "classic" authors I like are Asimov, Niven, and Vonnegut. More recent types I like are Octavia Butler, Neal Stephenson, and Douglas Adams. I'd like to stay away from Crichton-esque beach reading unless it comes highly highly recommended.

So what have you got? I need some reading material!

By: DarkForest

DarkForest — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:32:31 -0800

The Cyberiad - Stanislaw Lem

By: escabeche

escabeche — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:42:57 -0800

Part of (in my view, one of the best parts of) Cloud Atlas.

By: Justinian

Justinian — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:02:12 -0800

This is an incredibly broad question that covers an incredibly broad range of books; from stuff like Charlie Stross' SATURN'S CHILDREN which was just published a few weeks ago to Gibson's NEUROMANCER and BURNING CHROME (hey, it's more recent than the Adams!).

I'm having trouble narrowing it down to a manageable level; the thread is likely to turn into a "name your favorite SF novels!" thread. Are there particular themes you're interested in more specific than "robots" (which isn't actually a theme)? Are you looking for things like BICENTENNIAL MAN or more adventure-y stuff that happens to have robots or AI in it?

By: octothorpe

octothorpe — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:05:33 -0800

Time and Again by Clifford Simak

By: Cranialtorque

Cranialtorque — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:06:23 -0800

Cloud Atlas was a fantastic book, I can't recommend it highly enough. Funny, though, I thought the characters in the future segment were heavily bioengineered humans, not robots.

Cory Doctorow has two short stories about 'droids in Overclocked, one that is an answer to Asimov's laws and the other is a charming story about a self-ware rowboat. (His stories are available for free download on his site.)

Also, Rudy Rucker's robot novels are fun fun fun. (Software, Freeware, Wetware, Realware; no longer all in print, and I may have the order wrong.)

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:09:26 -0800

Can't think of AI without thinking of Greg Egan. Permutation City and Diaspora as novels, and a raft of short stories.

By: scruss

scruss — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:11:49 -0800

Pretty much anything by Sladek: Roderick (a kid robot grows up in the Midwest), The Reproductive System (fine 1960s paranoia as a DNA based computer goes berserk) and The Müller-Fokker Effect (human-memory storage hijinks) are just some that I've enjoyed. You do have to have a tolerance for obscure humour and the occasional rancid pun to manage Sladek, though.

By: electricinca

electricinca — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:11:52 -0800

You'd pretty nearly stumped me with the no Asimov coda to your question until I recalled the Culture series of books by Iain M. Banks.

Whilst not featuring robots in the traditional Asimov idea The Culture does have two forms of AIs, drones which are about as intelligent as humans and kind of physically resemble floating footballs and superintelligent AIs known as Minds most of whom are massive starships but occasionally have other physical forms.

I'd recommend all of The Culture novels but especially Excession.

By: adrianhon

adrianhon — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:20:52 -0800

Seconding The Cyberiad - it's without doubt a masterpiece.

By: olinerd

olinerd — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:43:02 -0800

Justinian: I'm looking for stuff that specifically focuses on the "what-if" for robotic technology in society; Asimov's stuff is a good example (it's just that I've read it all multiple times and the 3-laws concept has been done to death in mainstream lit/movies). Stuff that just happens to have robots in it -- like Star Wars -- is less interesting.

These are good recs, guys... keep 'em coming :)

By: infinitywaltz

infinitywaltz — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:49:20 -0800

Tanith Lee's The Silver Metal Lover is about a woman and a robot falling in love; if it were a film, I'd describe it as a crossover between science fiction and a "chick flick."

The Brian Aldiss short story, "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long," is the basis for Speilberg's film, AI. You can get that, as well as two accompanying short stories, in the collection of the same name, or just read it online here.

By: infinitywaltz

infinitywaltz — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:52:51 -0800

Also, David Gerrold's When H.A.R.L.I.E. Was One is about a psychologist helping to "raise" an artificial intelligence from childhood into adulthood.

By: crios

crios — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:58:48 -0800

Dan Simmons' Hyperion novels.
Sea of Glass by Barry B. Longyear

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:59:30 -0800

While not technically "robots" David Brin's Kiln People features dittos, short-lived artificial clay reproductions of people. It's also a damn good read.

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:02:24 -0800

Oh and Robert Silverberg's Tower of Glass.

By: Quietgal

Quietgal — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:03:40 -0800

Dunno if you'd consider 1985 "recent" (I would, but I'm old enough to be your mother), but you might enjoy The Adolescence of P-1, about an AI that goes through a rebellious and unruly, well, adolescence.

I'm pretty sure this was never made into a movie, but I have a feeling it might have been a TV special or something - sorry if fails that criterion.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:36:47 -0800

There's also Greg Bear's Queen of Angels, /, and Moving Mars.

By: kindall

kindall — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:40:40 -0800

John Sladek is a good recommendation. I also suggest his sequel to Roderick, titled Roderick at Random, and also Tik-Tok, which is about what happens when a robot's Asimov circuits go haywire. ("Paint!

M.E. by Thomas T. Thomas is about an AI becoming sentient, much in the vein of Gerrold's H.A.R.L.I.E.. (Usually listed as Me, but the title is actually an acronym.)

The Turing Option by Harrison and Minsky.

The Phoenix Code and Alpha by Catherine Asaro. (I think she has a couple of other novels with robots in, too.)

By: idiotfactory

idiotfactory — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:07:38 -0800

Currently re-reading The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey.

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:24:12 -0800

The most chilling robot story I've ever read is Alfred Bester's Fondly Fahrenheit. It's in Virtual Unrealities.

By: Confess, Fletch

Confess, Fletch — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:39:32 -0800

Code of the Lifemaker by James P. Hogan

Opening scene here.

By: creepygirl

creepygirl — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:38:35 -0800

Shelter by Susan Palwick is an amazing book that involves AIs, robots, and the ways they test our definition of humanity. I can't recommend it highly enough.

By: Gorgik

Gorgik — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:50:32 -0800

I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream is a cheerful little story by Harlan Ellison that features a giant AI. It's old, but hasn't been made into a movie.