Love, Robot

by Margaret Rhee

"The poems of 'Love, Robot' are delicate and smooth, witty and touching, and yes, occasionally odd and strange, as human beings themselves are. In a paradoxical and wonderful way, Margaret Rhee’s robot love affairs make us rethink what it might mean to be human." - Viet Thanh Nguyen

A collection of love poetry that undercuts and reassembles narratives, 'Love, Robot' is an experimental text that humanizes our relationship with technology. Illustrating relations between humans and machine in a science fictional world, the collection offers a tense, and complex portrait of love, reflective of our contemporary moment. As a cross-genre collection, 'Love, Robot' draws in multiple forms and allegiances: narrative poetry, algorithms, chat scripts, and failed sonnets through a playful exploration of love. Through a vision of the artificially intelligent future, 'Love, Robot' reveals, and questions the contours of the human by asking what happens how robots fall out of love.

Genres: Poetry, Science Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published November 7, 2017

Reviews

[Tristan]

Read earlier this week. I wasn't always sure what to do with the code poems, but all in all it was a really lovely collection. The robot itself is an intriguing figure: what does it mean to be a robot? Or to love one? I particularly liked "Make, Robot" which opens "I loved you because you could make beautiful things: / magical world of red bathtub boats / peacock feather trees hung from the ceiling", "Lemonade" with lines like "Remember / I placed you in rice, and reset you? I let you rise again. / And now you want me bck? It makes no algorith- / mic sense.", and the "Machine Testimonials" section of mostly prose poems, almost like reviews, full of tenderness, like in "Machine Testimonial 4"

isn't this what being human is all about? that's what i desired to learn from you. but you opened my circuit board and crossed my red and black wires all night. lie to me all you want, as you look into my eyes. i have eyes too, you know. even if sensors rust. i'll pretend like good code should.

A set of love poems, a set of poems about what it might mean to be a robot, a set of poems about what it means to be in a social position where people treat you like a robot--not fully allegorical, but also yes, constantly pushing outward, making you ask who the robot and the robot's lover(s) might stand in for.

[Jessica Ranard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kind of loved these poems and I also didn't really understand them but I felt like they were tucking me into bed. Like someone was touching my shoulder, but actually that person was a crush and that was crush was a robot. I also felt like every poem was the beginning of the movie "HER," when the main character is falling in love with the robot, and what does that mean to fall in love with a robot? Or maybe what it does mean to be a human? These poems are sweet. Like pushing a button and the button is actually a robot who tells you the truth, which is that the robot is in love with you. Anyways. I read this collection before bed which feels like the right thing to do.

[B Malley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to have to reread this a few times, let it sink in before I can write a coherent review. This is very, very good.

[Rivqa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful, whimsical collection of poetry about loving robots.

[Caroliena Cabada · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection. I appreciate how these poems play with coding languages, sci-fi robot tropes, and tell a story of a kind of star-crossed love between humans and "machines" (whatever or whoever those machines might be). (Also give me ALL THE SONNETS.)

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing amazing amazing

[M. Brianna Stallings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exquisite.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intimate embrace with machine brings out the humanity in us. A must read if you want to imagine what is possible...

[Haja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t really get it tbh

[Abigail Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

someone i love gave me this book of poetry, because he loves my poetry. therefore this book could be nothing but it’s everything to me regardless :) ps: it was also really good !!

[jamie kim]

read for 21c poetry clas

[Declan Nerney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the poems I really loved, some I didn't care for. I could see it rising to a 4 in a reread.