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What I'm reading
Mar. 2nd, 2019 07:23 amThis week I finished Artificial Condition, the second in Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries. I'd planned to start another author's book after that, but found myself abandoning it after a couple chapters and downloading another Wells sequel next (and then another, as I'd accidentally grabbed book 4 instead of 3. 'Doh.)
I like the way this character is so consciously aware of the minute-by-minute state of his body, yet still not very self-aware of his emotional and social self. He sometimes realizes after the fact that he's made a distressed face because of the reactions of people around him.
I also like the way he is ready to treat any AI consciousness he comes across as a person. For someone who thinks of himself as an object, that's rather compassionate.
I feel dumb for realizing so late in the game, but... I think he doesn't have a name? The story is told in first person, so it didn't come up right away, and he uses aliases when dealing with new people. I wonder whether this character will choose a name for himself eventually.
Now reading book 3, Rogue Protocol.
ETA: I should add that I'm making an assumption by calling the main character "he". There isn't any real evidence to ascribe gender. Apparently SecUnits are constructed without sex, presumably to keep them from being distracted, unlike ComfortUnits, which are built to be sex bots. The story does nod to alternate pronouns at one point with a character who is only briefly onstage, which... is a relief, because alternate pronouns are awkward and usually bump me out of a story. Though if Main Character wanted to identify as "Te", I would do my best to think of te that way.
I like the way this character is so consciously aware of the minute-by-minute state of his body, yet still not very self-aware of his emotional and social self. He sometimes realizes after the fact that he's made a distressed face because of the reactions of people around him.
I also like the way he is ready to treat any AI consciousness he comes across as a person. For someone who thinks of himself as an object, that's rather compassionate.
I feel dumb for realizing so late in the game, but... I think he doesn't have a name? The story is told in first person, so it didn't come up right away, and he uses aliases when dealing with new people. I wonder whether this character will choose a name for himself eventually.
Now reading book 3, Rogue Protocol.
ETA: I should add that I'm making an assumption by calling the main character "he". There isn't any real evidence to ascribe gender. Apparently SecUnits are constructed without sex, presumably to keep them from being distracted, unlike ComfortUnits, which are built to be sex bots. The story does nod to alternate pronouns at one point with a character who is only briefly onstage, which... is a relief, because alternate pronouns are awkward and usually bump me out of a story. Though if Main Character wanted to identify as "Te", I would do my best to think of te that way.
