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Paragon
In the middle of the Arizona desert, a hundred feet underground, the United States military is illegally developing the first emotionally sentient android. Classified top secret, the mission has failed to successfully awaken the first two androids created in the lab.
When brilliant neuroscientist Chal Davidson is called in to assist, the third android is just hours from being awakened. By the time she realizes the vast implications of her work, it's too late to stop the prototype's development. Torn by her moral and scientific responsibilities, Chal is even more confused by the emotional connection she is starting to feel with the newly-created man. The only hope she has is escape--for her and the android--and time is running out...
EXCERPT:
He floated now in the tank, attached with an IV to the liquid that would wake him from his unconscious rest. It was remarkable how much he looked like a normal human. Chal knew that, physically at least, he was as human as she was. It was just a matter of making sure his mind could weather the transition into consciousness. His dark hair waved in slow motion in the water. She watched him, for the first time taking in his appearance.
Alan.
He was handsome, and this was something that she had not prepared herself for. His body was perfect, chiseled and lean, and his facial features were decidedly masculine, dark eyebrows slanting across his brow, an aquiline nose.
His naked body bobbed slightly in the saltwater, and Chal adjusted the padding around the sides, not wanting him to bump his head on the tank walls. She moved slowly, carefully, but her hand accidentally touched the prototype's limb. She let her fingers move on his skin. He felt warm to the touch, and Chal let his wet skin glide under the pads of her fingers.
Smooth. Like a baby. Yet full-grown, a man already on the outside. It was strange, and as Chal examined him she felt a mixture of emotions surge forward under her skin. Curiosity surpassed all of the rest, but it wasn't a clinical curiosity as it had been in the past. Every animal she had worked with had been on the very low end of the Freitas consciousness spectrum. The difference between a baby rat and a full-grown rat had more to do with size and mobility than with intelligence. They could both run mazes, after all. But a human man is so different from a human infant that Chal trembled at the thought of waking the prototype up.
Her hand traced the line of his shoulder, his neck. She was curious who he would be once he woke up. Would he be a conscious person? Really? His mind would be an infant's, although not for long. She would have to remember that, to make a point of remembering.
His face was calm as her hand made its way up to his cheek and rested there. Chal's fingers stroked the skin at his temple absentmindedly.
What will you think when you wake up?
When brilliant neuroscientist Chal Davidson is called in to assist, the third android is just hours from being awakened. By the time she realizes the vast implications of her work, it's too late to stop the prototype's development. Torn by her moral and scientific responsibilities, Chal is even more confused by the emotional connection she is starting to feel with the newly-created man. The only hope she has is escape--for her and the android--and time is running out...
EXCERPT:
He floated now in the tank, attached with an IV to the liquid that would wake him from his unconscious rest. It was remarkable how much he looked like a normal human. Chal knew that, physically at least, he was as human as she was. It was just a matter of making sure his mind could weather the transition into consciousness. His dark hair waved in slow motion in the water. She watched him, for the first time taking in his appearance.
Alan.
He was handsome, and this was something that she had not prepared herself for. His body was perfect, chiseled and lean, and his facial features were decidedly masculine, dark eyebrows slanting across his brow, an aquiline nose.
His naked body bobbed slightly in the saltwater, and Chal adjusted the padding around the sides, not wanting him to bump his head on the tank walls. She moved slowly, carefully, but her hand accidentally touched the prototype's limb. She let her fingers move on his skin. He felt warm to the touch, and Chal let his wet skin glide under the pads of her fingers.
Smooth. Like a baby. Yet full-grown, a man already on the outside. It was strange, and as Chal examined him she felt a mixture of emotions surge forward under her skin. Curiosity surpassed all of the rest, but it wasn't a clinical curiosity as it had been in the past. Every animal she had worked with had been on the very low end of the Freitas consciousness spectrum. The difference between a baby rat and a full-grown rat had more to do with size and mobility than with intelligence. They could both run mazes, after all. But a human man is so different from a human infant that Chal trembled at the thought of waking the prototype up.
Her hand traced the line of his shoulder, his neck. She was curious who he would be once he woke up. Would he be a conscious person? Really? His mind would be an infant's, although not for long. She would have to remember that, to make a point of remembering.
His face was calm as her hand made its way up to his cheek and rested there. Chal's fingers stroked the skin at his temple absentmindedly.
What will you think when you wake up?
- GenresScience Fiction
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 30, 2016
I was surprised at the amount of science fiction compared to romance. While there is physical attraction and a sex scene, as a romance it is sparse. However, for those that want more story than love, this kept me entertained and brought up ideas I hadn't thought of before. I would read it again.
A few editing mistakes. I thought the H was sweet, but a little shallow as he is a super learner and discovering the world and himself.
A few editing mistakes. I thought the H was sweet, but a little shallow as he is a super learner and discovering the world and himself.
March 21, 2019
I was expecting this book to be more I, Robot, but this is much more Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Monster Men. When comparing it to Monster Men, it falls disappointingly short, as TMM deals with the heart and soul, Paragon was way more focused on the science. I really would have liked to see the story pursue the psychology and development of the "android". I didn't feel that the science was too much, I just wish the story was longer and continued to develop after they leave the lab, which it really didn't.
It was interesting, thought provoking, and fairly well written, it just felt like the author was so focused on the science that she forgot to really develop the characters.
It was interesting, thought provoking, and fairly well written, it just felt like the author was so focused on the science that she forgot to really develop the characters.
May 31, 2013
This has been difficult to rate.
The writing per se would have made it a 3* book, there were some weaknesses, but the prose is relatively fluent, there were very few SPaG issues, the plot was mostly making sense and some of the tech-speak made sense enough.
However, I bought this as a romance, or at least as an erotic scifi, and that is is quite patently not. The romance felt entirely tacked onto what was mainly a philosophical discourse on AI and inherent ethical problems. On top of that, the development of the "robot" or android made not enough sense, couldn't be empathised with, and Alan was far too humanoid to qualify as different enough to be interesting. So the romance part ended up with 1*.
As it is, I was majorly disappointed, and I can't give this more than 2*. That is, by the way, a pity--had this been distributed 50:50 I'd have willingly stayed with the 3*.
The writing per se would have made it a 3* book, there were some weaknesses, but the prose is relatively fluent, there were very few SPaG issues, the plot was mostly making sense and some of the tech-speak made sense enough.
However, I bought this as a romance, or at least as an erotic scifi, and that is is quite patently not. The romance felt entirely tacked onto what was mainly a philosophical discourse on AI and inherent ethical problems. On top of that, the development of the "robot" or android made not enough sense, couldn't be empathised with, and Alan was far too humanoid to qualify as different enough to be interesting. So the romance part ended up with 1*.
As it is, I was majorly disappointed, and I can't give this more than 2*. That is, by the way, a pity--had this been distributed 50:50 I'd have willingly stayed with the 3*.
January 9, 2017
3.0 - 3.5
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews