I didn’t realize I was on a similar thematic run with my reading until I walked straight toward the science fiction section at my local library. Here I was, four books into Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series and still seeking out more.
Usually, I’m not particularly drawn to the science fiction label, probably because it’s a label. I’m not a reader who likes labels; if you’ve worked with me, or simply chatted books with me, I don’t discriminate. Whether you read romance, still seek out the young adult novels, or exclusively listen to audiobooks, to me, reading is reading and that’s a win for everyone.
So while everyone is already sharing how they’re using AI, how AI will, or will not, take over the workforce, devastate the environment while distributing fake content, how about you grab one of these books and form your own opinion? And I promise you, after one of these reads, you’ll start considering AI and the operators in a new light.
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
I hate to lead with “this short read is about robots” but guess what? It is, and it’s amazing.
Automatic Noodle jumps right into the action, time and place; and author Annalee Newitz makes it easy for you to follow along. Set in a future post-war San Francisco noodle restaurant, this novella makes you question our use of AI and robotics, without being heavy-handed.
On the surface, it’s a story about creating your place in the world and taking up space unapologetically. But Newitz presents her characters as more than robots, because she wants you to dig deeper and consider what makes us and connects us. Automatic Noodle is an instant bestseller for a reason. I laughed, I cried and still think about this read.
Moderation: A Novel by Elaine Castillo
How do we keep social platforms “clean?” You know, remove the out-of-pocket, violent, even horrific videos posted by people online?
Moderators.
It’s a real job, and author Elaine Castillo opens up Moderation by introducing us to our protagonist Girlie and a handful of colleagues who get paid to monitor online content. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though. How do you moderate in a community VR setting? How about moderating your personal life when your online one begins to consume your own reality? And of course, where does reality begin, and end?
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
I knew Operation Bounce House would include classic Dinniman themes—video games, a little bit of violence, a lot of pop culture, plus characters questioning themselves and their world.
I was not prepared for how well his new stand-alone novel would combine farming and AI, how much I would love the robot Roger (he’s no Princess Donut, but trust the process) or the relatability of our main character Oliver. During a time when it can feel exhausting to fight the system, Operation Bounce House reminds you to find a way.
Allow yourself to fall into this novel and you’ll soon realize how much Dinniman is forcing you to connect problems of today–immigration, corporate greed, misinformation–with his world of spaceships, robots, and artificial intelligence.
Want more sci-fi?
- For a story of connection and reliance try Interstellar Megachef by Lavanya Lakshminarayan.
- If you’re curious about Matt Dinniman, Princess Donut, and want even more AI comedy, try the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
Which of these are you adding to your TBR pile first?
Leave a Reply