Reluctant Android

by William X. Adams

Andy Bolton, a software engineer in Seattle, feels like just a regular guy but evidence mounts that he is actually a robot. His boss, Lucy, wants to capture him and take him apart for study. On the run, Andy finds his creator and learns he is neither human nor simple machine. He reluctantly accepts that he is something in between, a sentient AI device. He needs to explain this to his nemesis, Lucy, but can a person ever believe in a machine with empathy?"…a fast-paced morality tale, one that blends bleeding-edge science with deep philosophical questions for a high-throttle page-turner." -- WD Judge, 5th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards."The author deftly creates an android that we can care about and it teaches us some wonderful lessons about compassion and leads us to thinking of the future we will one day face. For those Sci Fi lovers and those interested in AI, I highly recommend this book." -- Judge, 2019 Indie BRAG Awards.

322 pages, Paperback

Published July 17, 2018

About the author

I am a cognitive psychologist who left the university classroom for the information technology industry to find out if the mind is like a computer. I write psychological science fiction ("psi-fi") to dramatize what I learned. Contact me at www.psifibooks.com.

Reviews

[Gail Gibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme of a sentient robot on the run from mistrustful humans is not especially new in books and films, with examples from Short Circuit (cute) to Blade Runner (very dark). However, the author is aware and plays with those tropes wonderfully. Star Trek fans should recognize the toaster references. So this book is funny and thoughtful, as well as an exploration into what makes us human. It's enjoyable to watch Andy's efforts to understand human foibles, and seeing the twists and turns along his voyage of self-discovery. A fun and surprisingly educational read.

[Torfinn Ingolfsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it.

[Alice Hatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reluctant Android is one of those rare books that manages to be both cerebral and very entertaining. In a fast-paced novel filled with suspense, Adams explores a range of issues connected to artificial intelligence. I can’t count the number of times I paused in my reading to ponder troubling questions about what, exactly, separates humans from machines, the nature of the ‘self’, and the direction of artificial intelligence research. Adams’ book provides a complete and in-depth lesson in the field of consciousness studies, and what’s more, it’s extremely entertaining. I was surprised and drawn in by the subtle humor woven throughout—humor that makes this a stand-out among both the sci-fi novels I’ve read and, well, works related to consciousness studies. I was also impressed by how Adams manages to make his reluctant android both believable as an artificial intelligence experiment, and sympathetic as a being with needs that aren’t, perhaps, entirely different than our own. Ultimately Adams presented a very compassionate view of a misunderstood machine, and he tells a great story, too. This book should please sci-fi fans and especially anyone interested in AI.

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are proud to announce that RELUCTANT ANDROID by William X. Adams is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells readers that this book is well worth their time and money!