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villyidol's review
4.0
***The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer***
2021 reread:
I decided to give this another go, as a friend of mine keeps mentioning it as one of her favorite bot stories. And usually her judgement can be trusted (we'll just forget about this one Stephen King series that she keeps reading wrong).
I barely remembered anything about this story. But as it turns out, I did indeed like it better this time. The bots are fun, even if they don't reach Murderbot-level awesomeness (what does?!) and the meatballs are serviceable if not particularly memorable, as is the story.
Rounding up to four stars now.
*********
2018 review:
Mankind is at war again.
We're aboard a spaceship that's trying to interfere with the extraterrestrial threat.
The ship itself is pissed for having been in storage for way too long. Its crew and humanity as a whole meanwhile are dependent on the ship functioning properly. And a little bot on board the ship is developing a plan of its own.
This is an entertaining, sometimes humorous story with a nice message.
I liked the voices of the bots. The people on the other hand were somewhat bland.
Overall the story was a little too simplistic for my liking.
3.5 stars rounded down.
Winner of the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novelette
You can read it here.
____________________________
Best Novel
• [b: The Collapsing Empire|30078567|The Collapsing Empire (The Interdependency, #1)|John Scalzi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464097677l/30078567._SY75_.jpg|50498420] by John Scalzi (Tor)
• [b: New York 2140|29570143|New York 2140|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1471618737l/29570143._SY75_.jpg|49898123] by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
• [b: Provenance|25353286|Provenance|Ann Leckie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492328037l/25353286._SX50_.jpg|45094649] by Ann Leckie (Orbit)
• [b: Raven Stratagem|32927239|Raven Stratagem (The Machineries of Empire, #2)|Yoon Ha Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478799108l/32927239._SY75_.jpg|51237351] by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit)
• [b: The Stone Sky|31817749|The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478547421l/31817749._SY75_.jpg|52472813] by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Best Novella
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: And Then There Were (N-One)|34505565|Uncanny Magazine Issue 15 March/April 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488924699l/34505565._SY75_.jpg|59931968] by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny, March/April 2017)
• [b: Binti: Home|39725903|Home (Binti, #2)|Nnedi Okorafor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527047787l/39725903._SY75_.jpg|50442846] by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: The Black Tides of Heaven|33099588|The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)|Neon Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634814752l/33099588._SY75_.jpg|53763120] by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: Down Among the Sticks and Bones|31450908|Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children, #2)|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1473685781l/31450908._SX50_.jpg|47411892] by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: River of Teeth|31445891|River of Teeth (River of Teeth, #1)|Sarah Gailey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484234556l/31445891._SY75_.jpg|52146842] by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• [b: Children of Thorns, Children of Water|34851372|Children of Thorns, Children of Water (Dominion of the Fallen, #1.5)|Aliette de Bodard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492097640l/34851372._SY75_.jpg|56088770] by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny, July-August 2017)
• [b: Extracurricular Activities|34311313|Extracurricular Activities (The Machineries of Empire, #0.5)|Yoon Ha Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487134834l/34311313._SY75_.jpg|54978656] by Yoon Ha Lee (Tor.com, February 15, 2017)
• The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld, January 2017)
• [b: Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time|35051890|Uncanny Magazine Issue 16 May/June 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493742742l/35051890._SY75_.jpg|60092968] by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• [b: Wind Will Rove|36067380|Asimov's Science Fiction, September/October 2017|Sheila Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1504371081l/36067380._SX50_.jpg|59932502] by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s, September/October 2017)
Best Short Story
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny, September 2017)
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny, September/October 2017)
• The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata (Tor.com, July 19, 2017)
• Sun, Moon, Dust by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017) by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex, August 2017)
Best Related Work
• [b: Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate|28251812|Crash Override How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate|Zoe Quinn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491330884l/28251812._SY75_.jpg|56019319] by Zoe Quinn (PublicAffairs)
• [b: Iain M. Banks (Modern Masters of Science Fiction)|32828220|Modern Masters of Science Fiction Iain M. Banks|Paul Kincaid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487022204l/32828220._SY75_.jpg|53429417] by Paul Kincaid (University of Illinois Press)
• [b: A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison|35125803|A Lit Fuse, The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison|Nat Segaloff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501685063l/35125803._SY75_.jpg|56444054] by Nat Segaloff (NESFA Press)
• [b: Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler|35486346|Luminescent Threads Connections to Octavia E. Butler|Alexandra Pierce|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505389842l/35486346._SY75_.jpg|56884579] edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondal (Twelfth Planet Press)
• [b: No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters|33503495|No Time to Spare Thinking About What Matters|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489159159l/33503495._SY75_.jpg|54264477] by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• [b: Sleeping with Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy|35150266|Sleeping with Monsters Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy|Liz Bourke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498595380l/35150266._SY75_.jpg|56474313] by Liz Bourke (Aqueduct Press)
Best Graphic Story
• [b: Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard Time|34849021|Black Bolt, Vol. 1 Hard Time|Saladin Ahmed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525111221l/34849021._SY75_.jpg|56085777] written by Saladin Ahmed, illustrated by Christian Ward, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Marvel)
• Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President Bitch written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Valentine De Landro and Taki Soma, colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Image Comics)
• [b: Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood|33540347|Monstress, Vol. 2 The Blood|Marjorie M. Liu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1482340459l/33540347._SX50_.jpg|54307440] written by Marjorie M. Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image Comics)
• [b: My Favorite Thing is Monsters|29069374|My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 (My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, #1)|Emil Ferris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580775137l/29069374._SX50_.jpg|49299009] written and illustrated by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
• Paper Girls, Volume 3 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by Jared Fletcher (Image Comics)
• Saga, Volume 7 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
Best Series
• The Books of the Raksura, by [a: Martha Wells|87305|Martha Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397566224p2/87305.jpg] (Night Shade)
• The Divine Cities, by [a: Robert Jackson Bennett|2916869|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328633063p2/2916869.jpg] (Broadway)
• InCryptid, by [a: Seanan McGuire|2860219|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg] (DAW)
• The Memoirs of Lady Trent, by [a: Marie Brennan|105839|Marie Brennan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1277921611p2/105839.jpg] (Tor US / Titan UK)
• The Stormlight Archive, by [a: Brandon Sanderson|38550|Brandon Sanderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg] (Tor US / Gollancz UK)
• World of the Five Gods, by [a: Lois McMaster Bujold|16094|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1623465132p2/16094.jpg] (Harper Voyager / Spectrum Literary Agency)
2021 reread:
I decided to give this another go, as a friend of mine keeps mentioning it as one of her favorite bot stories. And usually her judgement can be trusted (we'll just forget about this one Stephen King series that she keeps reading wrong).
I barely remembered anything about this story. But as it turns out, I did indeed like it better this time. The bots are fun, even if they don't reach Murderbot-level awesomeness (what does?!) and the meatballs are serviceable if not particularly memorable, as is the story.
Rounding up to four stars now.
*********
2018 review:
Mankind is at war again.
We're aboard a spaceship that's trying to interfere with the extraterrestrial threat.
The ship itself is pissed for having been in storage for way too long. Its crew and humanity as a whole meanwhile are dependent on the ship functioning properly. And a little bot on board the ship is developing a plan of its own.
This is an entertaining, sometimes humorous story with a nice message.
I liked the voices of the bots. The people on the other hand were somewhat bland.
Overall the story was a little too simplistic for my liking.
3.5 stars rounded down.
Winner of the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novelette
You can read it here.
____________________________
2018 Hugo Awards Finalists
Best Novel
• [b: The Collapsing Empire|30078567|The Collapsing Empire (The Interdependency, #1)|John Scalzi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464097677l/30078567._SY75_.jpg|50498420] by John Scalzi (Tor)
• [b: New York 2140|29570143|New York 2140|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1471618737l/29570143._SY75_.jpg|49898123] by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
• [b: Provenance|25353286|Provenance|Ann Leckie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492328037l/25353286._SX50_.jpg|45094649] by Ann Leckie (Orbit)
• [b: Raven Stratagem|32927239|Raven Stratagem (The Machineries of Empire, #2)|Yoon Ha Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478799108l/32927239._SY75_.jpg|51237351] by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit)
• [b: The Stone Sky|31817749|The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478547421l/31817749._SY75_.jpg|52472813] by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Best Novella
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: And Then There Were (N-One)|34505565|Uncanny Magazine Issue 15 March/April 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488924699l/34505565._SY75_.jpg|59931968] by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny, March/April 2017)
• [b: Binti: Home|39725903|Home (Binti, #2)|Nnedi Okorafor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527047787l/39725903._SY75_.jpg|50442846] by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: The Black Tides of Heaven|33099588|The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)|Neon Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634814752l/33099588._SY75_.jpg|53763120] by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: Down Among the Sticks and Bones|31450908|Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children, #2)|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1473685781l/31450908._SX50_.jpg|47411892] by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: River of Teeth|31445891|River of Teeth (River of Teeth, #1)|Sarah Gailey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484234556l/31445891._SY75_.jpg|52146842] by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• [b: Children of Thorns, Children of Water|34851372|Children of Thorns, Children of Water (Dominion of the Fallen, #1.5)|Aliette de Bodard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492097640l/34851372._SY75_.jpg|56088770] by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny, July-August 2017)
• [b: Extracurricular Activities|34311313|Extracurricular Activities (The Machineries of Empire, #0.5)|Yoon Ha Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487134834l/34311313._SY75_.jpg|54978656] by Yoon Ha Lee (Tor.com, February 15, 2017)
• The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld, January 2017)
• [b: Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time|35051890|Uncanny Magazine Issue 16 May/June 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493742742l/35051890._SY75_.jpg|60092968] by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• [b: Wind Will Rove|36067380|Asimov's Science Fiction, September/October 2017|Sheila Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1504371081l/36067380._SX50_.jpg|59932502] by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s, September/October 2017)
Best Short Story
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny, September 2017)
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny, September/October 2017)
• The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata (Tor.com, July 19, 2017)
• Sun, Moon, Dust by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017) by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex, August 2017)
Best Related Work
• [b: Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate|28251812|Crash Override How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate|Zoe Quinn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491330884l/28251812._SY75_.jpg|56019319] by Zoe Quinn (PublicAffairs)
• [b: Iain M. Banks (Modern Masters of Science Fiction)|32828220|Modern Masters of Science Fiction Iain M. Banks|Paul Kincaid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487022204l/32828220._SY75_.jpg|53429417] by Paul Kincaid (University of Illinois Press)
• [b: A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison|35125803|A Lit Fuse, The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison|Nat Segaloff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501685063l/35125803._SY75_.jpg|56444054] by Nat Segaloff (NESFA Press)
• [b: Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler|35486346|Luminescent Threads Connections to Octavia E. Butler|Alexandra Pierce|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505389842l/35486346._SY75_.jpg|56884579] edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondal (Twelfth Planet Press)
• [b: No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters|33503495|No Time to Spare Thinking About What Matters|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489159159l/33503495._SY75_.jpg|54264477] by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• [b: Sleeping with Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy|35150266|Sleeping with Monsters Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy|Liz Bourke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498595380l/35150266._SY75_.jpg|56474313] by Liz Bourke (Aqueduct Press)
Best Graphic Story
• [b: Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard Time|34849021|Black Bolt, Vol. 1 Hard Time|Saladin Ahmed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525111221l/34849021._SY75_.jpg|56085777] written by Saladin Ahmed, illustrated by Christian Ward, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Marvel)
• Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President Bitch written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Valentine De Landro and Taki Soma, colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Image Comics)
• [b: Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood|33540347|Monstress, Vol. 2 The Blood|Marjorie M. Liu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1482340459l/33540347._SX50_.jpg|54307440] written by Marjorie M. Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image Comics)
• [b: My Favorite Thing is Monsters|29069374|My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 (My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, #1)|Emil Ferris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580775137l/29069374._SX50_.jpg|49299009] written and illustrated by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
• Paper Girls, Volume 3 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by Jared Fletcher (Image Comics)
• Saga, Volume 7 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
Best Series
• The Books of the Raksura, by [a: Martha Wells|87305|Martha Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397566224p2/87305.jpg] (Night Shade)
• The Divine Cities, by [a: Robert Jackson Bennett|2916869|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328633063p2/2916869.jpg] (Broadway)
• InCryptid, by [a: Seanan McGuire|2860219|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg] (DAW)
• The Memoirs of Lady Trent, by [a: Marie Brennan|105839|Marie Brennan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1277921611p2/105839.jpg] (Tor US / Titan UK)
• The Stormlight Archive, by [a: Brandon Sanderson|38550|Brandon Sanderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg] (Tor US / Gollancz UK)
• World of the Five Gods, by [a: Lois McMaster Bujold|16094|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1623465132p2/16094.jpg] (Harper Voyager / Spectrum Literary Agency)
oleksandr's review against another edition
3.0
This novelette was short-listed for Hugo Awards in 2018.
This story is reminiscent of both Wall-E and Minions from the respective cartoons. It follows the adventures of a small but brave bot, who is ordered to eradicate ‘space rat’ infestation of the space ship while the ship is performing a mission, vital for survival of the mankind.
While the story is easy to read and has its bright moments, the people behave a bit strange (bots are o.k.) and there are some troubles with physics and vacuum. This lowered my final ranking to 3*
This story is reminiscent of both Wall-E and Minions from the respective cartoons. It follows the adventures of a small but brave bot, who is ordered to eradicate ‘space rat’ infestation of the space ship while the ship is performing a mission, vital for survival of the mankind.
While the story is easy to read and has its bright moments, the people behave a bit strange (bots are o.k.) and there are some troubles with physics and vacuum. This lowered my final ranking to 3*
djotaku's review against another edition
4.0
Antarctic Birds: Some kind of science experiment with genetic engineering - I'm a little confused at first about what's going on. My least favorite kind of story - at the end I still barely understood what was going on.
Little /^^^\&- - A very weird story about planet-sized aliens (or planets that have gained sentience?) messing with Earth. Wow, that ending was profoundly weird. It was still a pretty fun read, though.
"The Secret Life of Bots" - A hilarious story about the worker bots (think of the little bot that Chewie yells at in Empire Strikes Back) as well as a metaphor for multi-generational workplaces. Many great paragraphs, but I like this one:
"Bot 9 cycled out through the tiny airlock, and found itself floating in space outside Ship for the first time in its existence. Space was massive and without concrete elements of reference. Bot 9 decided it did not like it much at all."
Pan-Humanism: Hope and Pragmatics - A coming of age story in a post-climate change world. Rather than go super apocalyptic, the world seems to be like ours with a few important differences in social life and how that maps onto opportunities. It's a beautifully written story that constantly upends what I expect will happen and both does and doesn't have the ending I wanted it to have.
Mobius Continuum (translated): A neat story involving a bit of hand-wavy science to explain a time loop.
Bonding with Morry: A story taking place in the not-too-distant future involving a retired man and the robot that is tasked with taking care of him. I've read a few different stories in this emerging genre (probably because so many boomer parents are reaching the age where they need care) and this one still found a way to be touching and different.
Warmth: A kind of sci-fi take on the old Victorian practice of having a nanny completely raise the child rather than the parents. I liked it quite a bit.
Non-Fiction
Artificial Wombs and Control of Reproductive Technology: A non-fiction piece about a new tech that can provide a womb-like environment for super-premies and perhaps help them develop internal organs without any issues. Then a discussion of what SF can tell us about how the tech may affect society as it develops further.
Occult Agencies and Political Satire: A Conversation with Charlie Stross - Mr. Stross discusses the evolution of his main character in The Laundry Files series.
Another Word: The Dream of Writing Full Time - An essay about the myth of being a full-time writer for most writers (ie not the Scalzis and the GRRMs). To summarize: to be a full-time writer requries the author to do so much work in PR and odd jobs to keep the income flowing that it's actually easier to just have a regular job and writing as your side-hustle.
Editor's Desk: Home for the Month - Neil talks of being home for a month an experiencing Worldcon via technology.
Little /^^^\&- - A very weird story about planet-sized aliens (or planets that have gained sentience?) messing with Earth. Wow, that ending was profoundly weird. It was still a pretty fun read, though.
"The Secret Life of Bots" - A hilarious story about the worker bots (think of the little bot that Chewie yells at in Empire Strikes Back) as well as a metaphor for multi-generational workplaces. Many great paragraphs, but I like this one:
"Bot 9 cycled out through the tiny airlock, and found itself floating in space outside Ship for the first time in its existence. Space was massive and without concrete elements of reference. Bot 9 decided it did not like it much at all."
Pan-Humanism: Hope and Pragmatics - A coming of age story in a post-climate change world. Rather than go super apocalyptic, the world seems to be like ours with a few important differences in social life and how that maps onto opportunities. It's a beautifully written story that constantly upends what I expect will happen and both does and doesn't have the ending I wanted it to have.
Mobius Continuum (translated): A neat story involving a bit of hand-wavy science to explain a time loop.
Bonding with Morry: A story taking place in the not-too-distant future involving a retired man and the robot that is tasked with taking care of him. I've read a few different stories in this emerging genre (probably because so many boomer parents are reaching the age where they need care) and this one still found a way to be touching and different.
Warmth: A kind of sci-fi take on the old Victorian practice of having a nanny completely raise the child rather than the parents. I liked it quite a bit.
Non-Fiction
Artificial Wombs and Control of Reproductive Technology: A non-fiction piece about a new tech that can provide a womb-like environment for super-premies and perhaps help them develop internal organs without any issues. Then a discussion of what SF can tell us about how the tech may affect society as it develops further.
Occult Agencies and Political Satire: A Conversation with Charlie Stross - Mr. Stross discusses the evolution of his main character in The Laundry Files series.
Another Word: The Dream of Writing Full Time - An essay about the myth of being a full-time writer for most writers (ie not the Scalzis and the GRRMs). To summarize: to be a full-time writer requries the author to do so much work in PR and odd jobs to keep the income flowing that it's actually easier to just have a regular job and writing as your side-hustle.
Editor's Desk: Home for the Month - Neil talks of being home for a month an experiencing Worldcon via technology.
cesarbustios's review
3.0
REVIEW FOR "THE SECRET LIFE OF BOTS"
"I have a purpose, therefore I serve."
Enjoyable. I'm always willing to read robot stories and this was particularly entertaining. I liked the whole AI Mantra stuff and the botnet as a way of communication. Really cool but not exceptional for a Hugo winner.
"I have a purpose, therefore I serve."
Enjoyable. I'm always willing to read robot stories and this was particularly entertaining. I liked the whole AI Mantra stuff and the botnet as a way of communication. Really cool but not exceptional for a Hugo winner.
anebz's review against another edition
3.0
Meh again. Short story about a bot, better than "All systems red". I don't think I like short stories
curlybooks's review against another edition
2.0
Not sure why this cute little story was nominated for a Hugo, much less why it won. While sweet and entertaining, this short story was simple to the point of lacking imagination and felt like a watered down version of Wall-E. I don’t get all the hype...
cathepsut's review against another edition
Review for The Secret Life of Bots
— by SUZANNE PALMER —
Are bot stories a hot, new commodity this year? Not that I am complaining, there just seems to be an abundance of misbehaving, self-aware bots gallivanting through our galaxy.
Not sure why this was nominated for the Hugo, but definitely fun to read. Good thing that Bot 9 was an outdated model with some design flaws...
Hugo Awards 2018 Novelette Nominee
Story can be found here: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/palmer_09_17/
— by SUZANNE PALMER —
Are bot stories a hot, new commodity this year? Not that I am complaining, there just seems to be an abundance of misbehaving, self-aware bots gallivanting through our galaxy.
Not sure why this was nominated for the Hugo, but definitely fun to read. Good thing that Bot 9 was an outdated model with some design flaws...
Hugo Awards 2018 Novelette Nominee
Story can be found here: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/palmer_09_17/
carol26388's review
5.0
'The Secret Life of Bots' 2018 Hugo Best Novelette
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/palmer_09_17/
An elderly ship-borne bot is pulled back into service.
“I am assigning you task nine hundred forty four in the maintenance queue,” the Ship answered. “Acknowledge?”
“Acknowledged,” the bot answered. Nine hundred and forty-four items in the queue? That seemed extremely high, and the bot felt a slight tug on its self-evaluation monitors that it had not been activated for at least one of the top fifty, or even five hundred.
As it works, it learns more about the current state of the ship and the humans piloting it. The little machine is equipped with Improvisation sub-routines, as well as governing Mantras which give it loads of character. Fans of Murderbot and ART will likely enjoy it (although the robot is nothing like Murderbot).
Read before, no idea where/if there's a review. Re-read after reading Finder by Palmer.
“Please! We all wish you great and quick success, despite your outdated and primitive manufacture.”
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/palmer_09_17/
An elderly ship-borne bot is pulled back into service.
“I am assigning you task nine hundred forty four in the maintenance queue,” the Ship answered. “Acknowledge?”
“Acknowledged,” the bot answered. Nine hundred and forty-four items in the queue? That seemed extremely high, and the bot felt a slight tug on its self-evaluation monitors that it had not been activated for at least one of the top fifty, or even five hundred.
As it works, it learns more about the current state of the ship and the humans piloting it. The little machine is equipped with Improvisation sub-routines, as well as governing Mantras which give it loads of character. Fans of Murderbot and ART will likely enjoy it (although the robot is nothing like Murderbot).
Read before, no idea where/if there's a review. Re-read after reading Finder by Palmer.
“Please! We all wish you great and quick success, despite your outdated and primitive manufacture.”
spacenoirdetective's review
5.0
A complete home run of a story. I will be rooting for this story to win the Hugo. It was completely enjoyable.
The hero of our story is a tiny bot on a ship whose mission is crucial to the survival of humanity itself. The humans and their reactions during this dire time are too busy to consider the sentience and personalities emerging among the tiny bots that navigate the ship. Our main bot, bot 9, was one of the first commissioned on a ship with thousands of bots. And due to the fact that he still has an Improvisation routine, it has some amount of free will.
This story has everything: an alien monster, an alien civilization bent on destroying Earth, cute robots with adorable interactions and a hard as nails human crew. The fun part is seeing how those two worlds really contrast, with the hard nosed captain especially centered on stopping the alien ship heading towards Earth at any cost. The sentient Ship and its bots are really more like characters from some kind of video game, happily going about their jobs and politely expanding on a game plan to help the humans. It's really difficult to find an author that understands hard scifi and humor in equal parts. This story encompasses the best of both writing worlds and brings them together.
The best short stories or novelettes are able to capture me with their characters right away and keep me interested in them. I think that this is a very big challenge with AI characters. It's such an easy trap to make them staid or boring. This story really took advantage of the science fiction genre. It's exciting, has a countdown, and as you are watching everything get down to the wire, you find yourself just as on the edge of your seat as anyone in the story. I love that feeling in fiction. It's really not the easiest thing to do, and this story pulls it off really well.
The hero of our story is a tiny bot on a ship whose mission is crucial to the survival of humanity itself. The humans and their reactions during this dire time are too busy to consider the sentience and personalities emerging among the tiny bots that navigate the ship. Our main bot, bot 9, was one of the first commissioned on a ship with thousands of bots. And due to the fact that he still has an Improvisation routine, it has some amount of free will.
This story has everything: an alien monster, an alien civilization bent on destroying Earth, cute robots with adorable interactions and a hard as nails human crew. The fun part is seeing how those two worlds really contrast, with the hard nosed captain especially centered on stopping the alien ship heading towards Earth at any cost. The sentient Ship and its bots are really more like characters from some kind of video game, happily going about their jobs and politely expanding on a game plan to help the humans. It's really difficult to find an author that understands hard scifi and humor in equal parts. This story encompasses the best of both writing worlds and brings them together.
The best short stories or novelettes are able to capture me with their characters right away and keep me interested in them. I think that this is a very big challenge with AI characters. It's such an easy trap to make them staid or boring. This story really took advantage of the science fiction genre. It's exciting, has a countdown, and as you are watching everything get down to the wire, you find yourself just as on the edge of your seat as anyone in the story. I love that feeling in fiction. It's really not the easiest thing to do, and this story pulls it off really well.
mikewhiteman's review
3.0
Antarctic Birds - A Brym **
The vagueness and uncertainty of this story of rebellion and genetic engineering make it difficult to connect, but the love and sacrifice at its heart are there to be found. A little more background - there are people with birdlike modifications, linked-consciousness experiments with children, Masters and Makers - might have brought things into focus.
Little /^^^\&- - Eric Schwitzgebel *
The punctuation-as-names conceit grated hard and the overall cutesiness of this story dragged down a mildly interesting tale of planetary-sized intelligences trying to communicate and interact with Earth. Even that ultimately boiled down to a general rooting for the underdog against the government/God.
The Secret Life Of Bots - Suzanne Palmer **
A bit too quirky and muddled in its anthropomorphising of the titular bots, but has fun with itself in a small adventure for the robots nested within a suicide mission for the humans of the ship, bringing them together in the end.
Pan-Humanism: Hope And Pragmatics - Jess Barber & Sara Saab ****
Interweaves the central love story with the recovery and development of the world following mass water shortage and climate change. The balance of the title phrase in both strands complements each delicately. Doesn't shy away from the sacrifices required in life but celebrates the sweet moments, however long they last.
Möbius Continuum - Gu Shi (trans. S. Qiouyi Lu) ***
The title and structure leads you on where this one is going but the build up is well done and fleshes out the situation well. The adaptation to quadriplegia and gradual leaving-behind of the body is familiar, but takes a neat additional step here and fits itself appropriately back into the expected structure by the end.
Bonding With Morry - Tom Purdom ***
Interesting take on using robot caretakers, with the title character learning to appreciate his while maintaining his conviction that it remains a thing and has been programmed to act as it does. Some sweet moments and the ending finds emotion in its situation.
Warmth - Geoff Ryman ****
Another story of robot caretakers, this time focusing on childhood rather than the end of life. Again, the bond between the child and its mother-surrogate leads to both trauma and genuine feeling between the human and an entity they recognise as artificial but are nonetheless attached to. Ryman's writing is bittersweet and finds the heart of the story.
The vagueness and uncertainty of this story of rebellion and genetic engineering make it difficult to connect, but the love and sacrifice at its heart are there to be found. A little more background - there are people with birdlike modifications, linked-consciousness experiments with children, Masters and Makers - might have brought things into focus.
Little /^^^\&- - Eric Schwitzgebel *
The punctuation-as-names conceit grated hard and the overall cutesiness of this story dragged down a mildly interesting tale of planetary-sized intelligences trying to communicate and interact with Earth. Even that ultimately boiled down to a general rooting for the underdog against the government/God.
The Secret Life Of Bots - Suzanne Palmer **
A bit too quirky and muddled in its anthropomorphising of the titular bots, but has fun with itself in a small adventure for the robots nested within a suicide mission for the humans of the ship, bringing them together in the end.
Pan-Humanism: Hope And Pragmatics - Jess Barber & Sara Saab ****
Interweaves the central love story with the recovery and development of the world following mass water shortage and climate change. The balance of the title phrase in both strands complements each delicately. Doesn't shy away from the sacrifices required in life but celebrates the sweet moments, however long they last.
Möbius Continuum - Gu Shi (trans. S. Qiouyi Lu) ***
The title and structure leads you on where this one is going but the build up is well done and fleshes out the situation well. The adaptation to quadriplegia and gradual leaving-behind of the body is familiar, but takes a neat additional step here and fits itself appropriately back into the expected structure by the end.
Bonding With Morry - Tom Purdom ***
Interesting take on using robot caretakers, with the title character learning to appreciate his while maintaining his conviction that it remains a thing and has been programmed to act as it does. Some sweet moments and the ending finds emotion in its situation.
Warmth - Geoff Ryman ****
Another story of robot caretakers, this time focusing on childhood rather than the end of life. Again, the bond between the child and its mother-surrogate leads to both trauma and genuine feeling between the human and an entity they recognise as artificial but are nonetheless attached to. Ryman's writing is bittersweet and finds the heart of the story.