Play Book Tag discussion

I'm enjoying my brief foray into the sci-fi genre. This is one of two books I finished last week that feature artificial intelligence. In both cases the AI characters have emotions and personality, rather than a strictly logical if-then mindset that I would expect with AI. (I feel like a gender stereotype with a preference for "feminine" sci-fi.)

This is a sequel to The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, which I didn't read yet. I think this second book stands alone quite nicely. This book is reportedly less adventurous than the first, and focuses on fewer characters. I liked the personal, intimate feel of this book, and the similarities and contrasts between the two female main characters. I liked the psychological changes that they went through, and how they navigated their world.

One character was the AI for a ship, and she was loaded into a shell that looks, speaks and acts like a human body. This is a big adjustment for her. Her whole perspective literally changes from having a 360 view of an entire ship, to being able to only see what's in front of her. Pepper helps her to adjust to her new world and try to find a new purpose. Pepper's childhood was a grueling survival story. She was partly raised by an AI, but lived for years alone as a child in a futuristic garbage dump with junk yard dogs. (I won't tell you what she had to eat.) I really enjoyed following these women's lives and relationships.

I love Chambers's writing. All three books in this "series" can stand alone, the only thing linking them is that they are set in the same universe. They are all set in different planets, with different characters, so you can read them in any order.

Good to hear it. I like her writing too. I have one more book by her on my TBR.