Freethinker

by Hazel Domain

Not exactly love at first byte.

Simon Raynor doesn’t have a lot that’s real. His tech job is a hobby to bolster what he gets from Basic. His housing got assigned when he and his roommate lied about their engagement. Even his body talks to him through sensor lace and microchips. So when Simon finds part of an android in a recycling pod, he’s expecting the AI inside to be as artificial as everything else.

David is a head, at the moment. He’s not sure what happened to his body, but he’s very grateful to Simon for building him a new one. ‘Grateful’ is a relative term, of course. David doesn’t feel emotions, but he’s learning how to pretend he does. And learning which ones are appropriate in context. And learning that they’re a lot more nuanced than he’d predicted.

Simon is one pair of googly eyes away from an emotional connection to the dishwasher, and he knows it. But when it comes to David, his imagination is quickly running away with him. David insists he’s a set of animations driven by code, but Simon can’t square that with the charismatic personality he’s falling for. When David’s emotional emulators start malfunctioning, the two of them will have to decide; what does it mean to be real?

Genres: Science Fiction, M M Romance

Published December 9, 2024

About the author

Hazel Domain is a cryptid who escaped Ohio and can now be found roaming the woods of eastern Maine. Hazel spends their time fixing computers, fiddling with databases, making renaissance faire costumes and, when all alternatives have been exhausted, writing.
Hazel has five Nanowrimo certificates, a doctorate in parapsychology, and a cat.

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/hazeldomain
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HazelDomain
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theehazeldomain

Reviews

[Drusilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking awesome but also very bizarre. Absolutely not what I was expecting. Maybe I should have read a few reviews? On the other hand, sometimes it's good to approach things blindly.
Well, how do you describe this book? We are on Earth in the not too distant future? Robots/androids are integrated into society, or not. And this is where it starts to get complicated.
It's a romantic story where Simon falls in love with an android. There is a sexual attraction that he develops with David. No, it's not a smutty story about robot sex.
It is a story about existence, to put it bluntly. It's about the question of whether an android can be defined as a human being, what it takes to make the leap from machine to individual.
At the same time, the story asks what a human life must contain in order to fulfill an individual.
You probably have to find your inner nerd to fully appreciate the story. I'm not sure. There were passages that got very technical where I lost focus a tiny bit. Other than that, it's very philosophical and you follow how Simon struggles through everything.
Simon is also constantly conflicted about himself and his growth of attraction to David.
There are a few funny passages, but the philosophical part predominates.
There is also a tiny intimate scene between Simon and David, which I think is perfectly done.
And then it gets really emotional, towards the end I was pretty teary-eyed, my goodness.

An android, Simon texted his mattress as he collapsed onto it, lives in my house and I have fallen in love with him. The text message was returned as undeliverable, because the mattress was not network enabled and was also an inanimate object.
Although apparently, in this house, sometimes inanimate objects actually turned out to be people that Simon could fall in love with. 🫠🤭🫠🤭




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Minor spoilers probably ahead

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Content warnings: Simon lives with his best friend Andromeda, with whom he also had sex in the past. However, the relationship on page is completely platonic. What bothered me a tiny bit: in one scene Simon tries to have sex with a female robot, not much really happens, but that was a bit annoying for me. The scene itself was also unnecessary.

[patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review | 3.5 ⭐ | MCs: Simon &David

This is exactly why I love reading—one minute I’m drowning in tears over grief and loss, and the next I’m cackling at a story about a head android who works as a sex phone operator 😂😂😂

I adored David. His initial pragmatism made such valid and interesting points about human behavior and choices. He’s curious in this really endearing way, and you can totally tell he’s crushing on Simon—even without his POV. I loved that subtlety.

The sex calls? Absolutely hilarious. And Simon’s reactions? Even better. Some genuinely good laughs in there.
Also, the chapter titles were so good. I love little details like that—they add so much charm.
Simon was pining and crushing hard over his android, building him a body with soft skin and hard muscles like a man on a mission 😏 And the philosophical convos between them? Surprisingly thoughtful and made me pause and reflect.

Now, I’m with Broke on this—this book definitely needed more smut. David was out there giving real sex calls and we don’t even get a few more “experiments”? A crime, honestly. Missed opportunity 🥹

On the flip side, I do wish there was more worldbuilding. I found myself wondering—what year is this? What’s society like now? A few more futuristic details would’ve gone a long way. The pacing dragged a bit in places too, and without any real action, I found myself zoning out occasionally.

And okay, here’s my main thing: I wanted more romance. Like… how is there miscommunication with an android? 😅 I get that David is supposed to be logical, but even so, it felt more like a friendship than a romance. I think the lack of intimate moments made it hard for me to fully buy into them as a couple. There wasn’t enough emotional weight between them for me to really feel it.

Still, this was a creative and clever read with moments that really stood out. Just wish it had gone a bit deeper in a few areas.

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️

What is happening? Simon thought. I’m twenty-nine years old, sitting in a pillow fort, watching a robot head have an existential crisis.

I can’t think of any other words to describe this book except SO MUCH FUN.
A cute and sweet android romance, with some amazing tension and lots of fluffiness. My cheeks hurt from all the grinning and giggling.

“Simon? Pardon if I’m overstepping, but the internet suggests that in this context, barring anxiety, the increased heart rate may be a sign of arousal.”

David was such a puppy android. I love beings/entities learning ‘how to be a human’ , ‘cause it’s just a very funny and cute trope.
The characters were adorable, the futuristic setting not particularly complex but still complete, the romance very lovely and romantic.

“Is that a hardware upgrade in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?”

And while this read had a certain sexiness to it — David is a phone sex operator and we get to hear lots of delicious stories… while Simon tries NOT to hear — it wasn’t as spicy as I was hoping. I’m a sucker for smut what can I say, so I definitely wanted more steamy moments between Simon and David, ‘cause their chemistry was off the charts. I really loved the ‘pressure calibration’ touches, David testing out all the things his new body can do, but on an actually smut level? Yeah, I wanted more.

STILL, I really loved this and it was such a blast and just the fact that I can’t stop smiling thinking about it means it deserves all the stars.

“You could . . . love me,” David said, feeling out the words, “even if I could never feel love in return?”

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- MC w/ scars
- Brief mention of parental death & fire related injury
- Brief frotting

[Sandy Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost loved this so much. Really enjoyed the refreshing premise, the voice, the authentic tech-speak that, while I understood little of it, still did not make me feel entirely stupid. Just...a little thick. It’s set in a futuristic world in which people sort of self-choose work and have familiar yet somehow unique living situations (like, assigned housing, but, not?! Don’t know how to describe it), and androids are just part of the landscape.

I’m a fan of NR Walker’s Evolved, which is the closest previous book I’ve read similar to this plot. In Freethinker, a “garbage man,” aka someone who “sorts through boxes of discarded tech waste before it’s recycled,” Simon, finds an android head in one of the boxes and brings it back to life. A Pygmalion situation ensues, as David-the-head steals the show as most charming character in the book, and Simon’s roommate and former fuck buddy (they remain platonic in the book) Andromeda (Andy) quietly snickers as she watches Simon fall for David while building him a body.

Sound weird? Yeah it’s weird, but strangely charming, and a lot of fun to read. I was into it. Then 73% happened and nearly threw me out of it, in a thoroughly irritating and unneeded felt-like-almost-cheating scene that made not much sense (why on EARTH would Simon’s friend think he needed...that?! Like, who shows up to drop off a sex android without being asked? WTH?), and I was pouting. It was extra annoying because Simon had already tried a different form of...Stuff... and failed because Reasons, so this new attempt was repetitive and moved nothing forward. But I still finished the book and enjoyed most of the rest of it.

(But just...why? Why throw that scene in there? We got it already, did NOT need to see Simon nearly go through with that to figure out his feelings for David. Blech. Made me so grumpy.)

Anyway, apart from that, I enjoyed the read a lot. David’s sentience and evolving self-awareness and intelligence were attractive and engaging, and I was rooting for him. It’s rather hilarious that with his internet connectivity, David gets a job for himself as a phone-sex operator. Simon is alarmed but intrigued and then...into it...when he starts overhearing David’s calls from the next room. Simon’s behind the curve on being in touch with his own developing emotions, but guiltily on board with his physical response to David and his voice when the android creates Scenarios for his unseen clients. But, in a world where humans marry humans and also have sex with androids (I mean, not simultaneously, just...those two things exist. Though I’m sure some do both! But not a thing in this plot, sorry, I digressed) who aren’t thought of as people, I guess I can’t completely blame Simon for not cluing in to his real Feelings sooner. It was a strange experience for him to realize he had developed strong emotions toward an android.

Lots of existential questions here. Can an android have feelings? What’s the difference between consistent simulated feelings and the real thing? Is there one? Should androids have the same rights as humans? If the more advanced-tech-intelligence androids do, where’s the line? And most of all, what is consent with someone literally programmed to do whatever you tell them to do? (I think this author got out of that one by having the uniquely advanced David do most of his own programming and upgrades. Simon had nothing to do with any of that).

Surprisingly believable connection created between these two, and—mostly—a lot of fun to read.

One star off for that annoying scene; another for not revealing David’s origins. Enquiring minds wanted to know and kept waiting for the reveal. Plus, after Simon and David both have epiphanies, there isn’t nearly enough time with them exploring being together; the ending felt a bit rushed and cut off. Still...what was there was quit enjoyable! I would have cut that annoying scene and spent more time on these two experiencing being together to build to the end.

HEA, human-android romance. Odd sort of OW moment with an actual sexbot android that near ruined things for me. But I squared my shoulders and kept going. Because I am a grownup. Stop laughing. Recommended.

My thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the ARC; this is my free and impartial opinion.

[ancientreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Item by item:

1. This is a love story between a human cis man, Simon, and the android whose head he finds in a recycling bin, names David, and builds a body for. In other words, Pygmalion and Galatea, but if Galatea had agency from the outset (see #4, below).

2. It's science fiction, see above, set in an unspecified future disconcertingly similar to ours but then again not, kind of an uncanny valley of a future, let's say: there's UBI and allotted housing; people have families and go to school, or don't; there's a rainforest rebuilding project and a fisheries restoration project, so apparently the world is in recovery from whatever the hell we're doing to it in the 21st century; people have many kinds of interesting implants via which they do, for example, their internet searches and their budgeting ...

3. ... oh, and AIs and androids are quite advanced, to the extent that a few of them have been granted legal personhood ...

4. ... though none is as remarkable as David, the freethinker of the title, who is writing his own code throughout and whose more and more complex subroutines -- "emotional emulators" -- become indistinguishable from the real thing.

5. But what is "the real thing"? Does David have subjective experience, or is he a collection of perfectly convincing algorithms -- as he himself puts it early on, a machine without a ghost?

6. The dialogue is snappy and the sex is smoking hot.

I am not aware of any other romance whose plot hinges on the question of what makes a person a person, a self a self. There's a fair amount of technical IT-ish discussion and I admit I didn't follow all of it, but it's in service of such questions as: what does it mean to love someone through the possibility of drastic change? do you choose uncertain trust and hope, or a withdrawn, stripped-down condition of certain safety? is there a difference between being something and feeling something, and acting as if you are and do?

I expect, I guess, that many or most readers will find "Freethinker" too cerebral, but for me the technical and philosophical issues were all solidly grounded in Simon's rich interiority and in the relationships among all the characters -- especially Simon and David, of course. I loved this book, in case that's not obvious, and many thanks to GRR and the author for the ARC. It's been a joy.

[Taylin Clavelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for Love Bytes – 3.5 hearts.
Simon is a garbage man with extra technical talents, which he uses to supplement his earnings. When he finds a head with a personality, Simon decides to give the AI a body as special as his programming. What began as a money-making project turns into much more.
I picked up the story because it was unusual, and occasionally, nothing beats a bit of sci-fi. However, I discovered that I’m not programmed for this style of alternative reading. The tale is a well-put-together, well-thought-out story. David was sweet, and I loved the concept. However, I discovered that the geek speak, and robotic technical details weren’t my cup of tea. The ending is splendid, but it took me a while to get there.
The story is told in the third person from Simon’s viewpoint. The worldbuilding revolved around building David at Simon’s residence, work, David’s discoveries, and a few outdoor experiences. The android's technical aspects were both cool and confusing. A vast portion of the tale is spent putting an android body together, and how David is self-aware enough to do his own programming. The depth of research was phenomenal, which is also where I got lost. And when I got lost, I lost my enthusiasm.
David is an amazing AI and is the star of the story. He reminds me of Data from Star Trek. He is intelligent beyond belief and has an adorable side of naivete. David questions everything during the process of self-awareness and learning how to use his body. Some aspects of life are learned, others are experienced, and algorithms don’t always provide the answers.
Ultimately, I appreciated everything put into the story, but elements that allowed me to get invested in the characters were missing. The story highlights how complex humans are and what would be involved in making an android passable as a human. The love story was, rightly, a slow-burn and complicatedly sweet, but most of David and Simon’s journey didn’t evoke many emotions.
I have learned more about what makes a story work for me, because unless you try something, you don’t know. For that, I am grateful. However, for some, I can imagine Free Thinker as the holy grail of a book.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for
Love Bytes.

[BookGeek1987 · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is a completely new author for me and I thought the blurb sounded unique. I’m really glad I took a chance on this as I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We have Simon, who finds an android head in the recycling centre he works at, then takes said head home to basically sell the parts. Fortunately his roomie convinces him to make said head AKA David a body. We go from there in learning that David isn’t your standard android, he emotes, and not in a weird fake way.

This book could have been a bit creepy - man falls for android and makes him a body to basically have sex with. What stops that creepiness is that Simon wants what is best for David, not himself. We get to explore Simon’s emotions and how they change from David being an android, to a friend, to a human he loves. It was beautifully done without being overly heavy. Yes there’s some discussions as to what makes us human, is what David feels ‘real’ or just his code. But it was done in the context exploring their future, not just a random philosophical discussion.

Now, heads up, if you want lots of sex this isn’t for you. There’s no penetration, just one sex scene. That was enough for me. I didn’t need more as it simply wasn’t necessary.

Negatives, well, I’d give this a 4.5 but to bring it to a 5 star I needed more of an epilogue. Without doing spoilers I would have liked to explore how David’s life changed after passing a particular test, like what does he want from life? We got Simon’s POV throughout and it would have been great to get David’s in the epilogue. Apart from that, excellent book, unique concept and delivered well.

I got this as an ARC from gayromancereviews.com but my thoughts are my own and if you look at my profile you can see I’m honest in my reviews and will state if I don’t like something.

[Nina Diab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I'm always fascinated by android romances- not the kind in sci-fi romance that was originally human but had most of his body parts replaced, but an actual machine that was built to function and serve as a human. What "emotion" is program simulation, and what is learned? When or if do those emotions start to become real? When or if does an android become sentient? I actually don't come across these kinds of stories often. Roxie McClaine's New Carnegie Androids series and N.R. Walker's Evolved were my favorites. Even reading/watching the manga/anime Chobits as a teenager had these themes. So this story was a treat.

Great world building and wonderful characters. I loved both Simon and David. I found Simon's job as an 'anti-garbage man' interesting recycling through electronic pieces, and using good stuff to rebuild things. I loved that David was found as a head and remains that way for a while. So any relationship between the two was built through personality and communication, rather than a physically attractive perfect android. I like the way they bonded and their chemistry sizzled. This was a very fun read and I wish it was longer.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I look forward to reading more! 5 stars.

P.S.- The book cover is so beautiful! I absolutely love it!

[Akilah O · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more! This was such a slow burn, and I jumped for joy when Simon FINALLY realized his feelings. I do wish we could have spent more time with David after his evaluation, as while the author subtly lets us know what happened, I would have loved definitive proof as well as insight into the actual process. Overall a fantastic read!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I loved as we "watched" Simon build David. David is really unique and different from the beginning. It's apparent with his fear of being shut down. I loved how the love story developed over time. This was really a cool and unique world and probably not too far fetched with how science and technology are developing at rapid pace.

[Kelsey Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars! This was such a cool premise and charming, while still being surprisingly deep. It was fun getting into the world this author built and seeing how love can exist, even between two people, one of whom was built. I liked it quite a bit.

[Mir Jak · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an unusual story ....but once you get into the concept of the story, you can't help but get swept along. Yes, it did get technical but the emotional side of the story and the POV's do make you wonder and think "what if...." ... The book intrigued me and I'm glad I took the chance on it....

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon & David

This was quite entertaining to read. I got hooked early on and just couldn't put it down. This one was definitely worth reading.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Thurman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good book and a couple.
I received a free copy of this book via GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Geboyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was clever and very well written!

[Dee Your TBR Wrecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is an interesting concept that will keep you intrigued and engaged.

[Jessie (thatchickwithabook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75-4 stars.

I thought this was an overall sweet and sometimes funny low angst book about a man falling in love with an android. It appealed to me initially because of how much I love NR Walker’s evolved which is the same premise, but Freethinker is completely different. I thought that every character was very multidimensional. There was something not clicking between me and the writing, but it’s not that the writing isn’t good; just that I didn’t vibe with it completely. The attention to detail is amazing. I really really hated SPOILER that he tried to sleep with another android, a sexbot, over halfway through the book. I hate that in romances. He doesn’t go through with it, and only then appears to realise he’s in love with David, even though it seemed pretty clear to him before that.

Overall, I thought the detail was incredible, especially about how he built David’s body. Ultimately the romance fell a bit flat for me, and I would’ve liked to see them be a couple for a bit longer with an epilogue set further in the future.

Thank you GRR for the ARC. This review is entirely my own.