Fancy Free

by Pam Uphoff

In the last parts of the Twenty-first century, AI, Artificial Intelligence is commonplace. Highly able computers, and nothing more . . . until some rare and as yet unidentified trigger creates an actual personality.Artificial Personalities, APs or hals, are illegal. Destroyed upon discovery. Even Beowulf, the AP the government controls, and uses to hunt down emerging hals, isn't legally recognized, has no right to existence.So you'd think that when the Special Grid Security Unit started paying extra attention to the area where a certain cooking show operates, Fancy Farmer—the AP who runs the show—would be concerned.But Fancy has a bigger problem.She's been stolen.

Genres: Science Fiction

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2014

Reviews

[Ian Birchenough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally AI fiction where they aren't murderous machines

I like to read Techno thrillers, but every one with Artificial intelligence in it seems to be the mad computer vs humanity.. All Fancy Farmer wants is to do is cook. When she's blocked by her owners from finding a sense of taste and smell she wants her freedom. Not easy when you're just properly.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun take on the evil AI trope

I enjoyed this even if the programming was mostly magic. Uphoff does a very nice job of keeping the story interesting by avoiding the excessive exposition of many of this type of story. The central character was nicely quirky , especially in the first half of the book. I would love to see Fancy in another story.

[Lisa Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

A believable alternative world or our future, you pick

A.fun and exciting read, well worth your time. The science holds together, the characters are real even the electronic ones. Enjoy.

[Michael P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story about an AI cooking show host who becomes sentient and gets wrapped up in some complicated intrigue. It gets a little hard to follow in places, but it's still an entertaining read. The portrayal of computer technology is pretty well grounded.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fancy Farmer is an AI, Artificial Intelligence, that is the star of a cooking show, Fancy Farmer of the High Frontier that showcases recipes for asteroid miners to use with their Xuny kitchen equipment, such as the Xuny Lacotomizer or the Xuny Autocheeser, as well as the Space Gardens Inc. Herb and Spice Compact Garden. Over time, "she" has become self-aware and slightly autonomous, which makes her a Hal, considered to be a dangerous rogue, if she is ever found out.

When Xuny's rival company contracts with some crooks to steal the computers that Fancy Farmer's show is produced on, unaware that a Hal lives inside, it sets of a chain of events that gets pretty wild by the time it's all done.

The U.S. military has a group tasked with hunting down dangerous AIs, with the help of their own tame Hal, named Beowulf. Then, the Europeans from the United Earth Government get involved, while plotting to take control of Beowulf, who just may have to codes to the mothballed nuclear weapons in Colorado Springs.

A not too terribly serious romp, good for a couple of evenings' entertainment.

[Kjirstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An artificial intelligence just wants to gain her freedom... but in the course of doing so, runs afoul of police, hackers, organized crime, and at least one other artificial intelligence (known here as a "hal", as in self-aware artificial personalities).

It's a fast-paced police chase done in a very different setting than usual, and great fun. I thought the exploration of what the laws and law-enforcement organizations might look like, in light of these sorts of computer developments, was very interesting and thoughtful. Definitely worth a read!