English language
Published 2024 by HarperCollins Publishers.
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? …
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?
The men in this novel are 100% believable, which was infuriating. Good book, though, the themes of consent and power didn't stop it from being a fast and engrossing read.
Bizarrely, this is the second sex bot novel I've read this year. It's better than the other one, "The Hierarchies". As is normal, there is no sex in these books.
Annie's developing sentience makes you feel sorry for her predicament - trapped with a controlling narcissist in an apartment with little to no stimulus. The novel feels claustrophobic because of it and the few times outside are euphoric moments when you get to feel alive, just like Annie.
Even with all the advances of technology, I hope we never have these things in our lives. Men are terrible enough anyway...Without actual consequences to their actions, men with sexbots would seriously set back society.
Good, could have been better but I enjoyed it.
