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MARiiMO
This is the journal of Tammy Maheswaran, a reclusive roboticist living with undiagnosed autism. It documents the creation of Mariimo, a developmental robotics platform through which Tammy subconsciously externalizes her issues with isolation, anxiety, and touch. Upon the machine's activation, Tammy gradually begins to realize that in the act of constructing Mariimo, she's been unknowingly deconstructing herself.
125 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 17, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 9, 2020
There is a tremendous amount of knowledge and feeling packed into this little book. I hope to see more from this author.
July 9, 2021
She’s this fleeting, precious thing. Just like any of us.
3.5 stars. This was slow and fascinating, and I'm still turning it over in my head. It's the type of science fiction that's been written before, with themes that have been explored thoroughly before (artificial intelligence, robotics, the meaning of sentience and life) but just... in a way I can't remember ever having seen.
I don't think it would appeal to everyone, because it really is very slow, especially at the start. It's told in diary format, written by a lonely, autistic roboticist documenting the creation of her first robot, Mariimo. The first half is literally all about Tammy thinking through her process, building Mariimo from the ground up, thinking through the materials she's going to use, what will power her, what will her learning process be like, what she'll prioritise, etc... it was very dry and plain writing, but it suited Tammy as a character. And it really added an extra layer of interest, to see Mariimo when she was simply an idea in Tammy's mind, to becoming a real entity. Once she was finally built, I loved that there was an adjustment curve and process to her... basically learning how to exist? Unlike a lot of robots in most science fiction, she didn't boot up knowing everything. I feel like we don't see a lot of learning robots in sci fi (or at least, I don't) and that was just so interesting to see, especially from the perspective of a person like Tammy, who doesn't have any huge overarching goals in mind (at least, not consciously) when she builds Mariimo. And though the writing is dry and dense, it was packed with a lot of information that was really cool to read.
There isn't exactly a romance, but there's... something? (Side note, I'm tagging this as f/f because of the words that Tammy used in the book, but she also does acknowledge that Mariimo doesn't really have a gender.) It's very short and slight and only comes into play near the end, because of the nature of how the book was structured. And it was... I don't want to keep saying 'interesting', but that's what it was. The chapter where Tammy really sits down and really thinks about the nature of sentience, and examines the things about herself that are sorta reflected in Mariimo, is my favourite part; not because the book says anything majorly new, but just... reading it in this particular context was great. It was also kinda weird tbh, but not in a bad way. Tammy is touch-repulsed but also touch-starved, and all their interactions and the way they play off each other are really sweet.
100% a novella that I'd have loved to see as a full-fledged novel; I have to admit, while the ending was satisfying, it does feel incomplete. But I overall quite liked it.
Content warnings: .
March 12, 2021
Beautiful, MariiMO ended abruptly though, feeling as if someone suddenly switched the light on for me and I had to blink because my main reaction was:
1. That was a nicely pulled off finish
2. I want more now, please.
1. That was a nicely pulled off finish
2. I want more now, please.
April 6, 2023
Not everything can be planned out in advance.
I enjoyed Tammy’s character development. She told the audience almost nothing about herself when we first met her, so it was refreshing to see her slowly evolve into sharing more details about her personality and interests as the storyline progressed. I liked the process of exploring parts of her life she’d been completely silent about before. My opinion of her was fairly neutral in the beginning, but it swung over to something warm and positive once I had a stronger understanding of how her mind worked and why she made the choices she did.
The pacing was very slow, especially during the first third of the book. While I understand that this was done on purpose due to the fact that Tammy had undiagnosed autism and was meticulous about how she created MARiiMO, I did have some trouble remaining interested as the narrator gave me so many chapters on the many different materials she used (or, in some cases, decided not to use) to make her robot come to life. I was glad I stuck through with it to the end, but the pacing was enough of a deterrent for me as a reader that it did have a negative affect on my rating.
Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones that compared the differences between how a human and a robot may react to the same unexpected event. Even Tammy’s thorough planning phase in this experiment couldn’t predict everything MARiiMO did after she was created. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I thought this subplot was one of the most realistic and well-developed ones of them all. The author pushed everything to its logical conclusion and wasn’t afraid to extrapolate even more plots twists from the tiniest wisp of earlier ideas.
MARiiMO was a thoughtful read.
I enjoyed Tammy’s character development. She told the audience almost nothing about herself when we first met her, so it was refreshing to see her slowly evolve into sharing more details about her personality and interests as the storyline progressed. I liked the process of exploring parts of her life she’d been completely silent about before. My opinion of her was fairly neutral in the beginning, but it swung over to something warm and positive once I had a stronger understanding of how her mind worked and why she made the choices she did.
The pacing was very slow, especially during the first third of the book. While I understand that this was done on purpose due to the fact that Tammy had undiagnosed autism and was meticulous about how she created MARiiMO, I did have some trouble remaining interested as the narrator gave me so many chapters on the many different materials she used (or, in some cases, decided not to use) to make her robot come to life. I was glad I stuck through with it to the end, but the pacing was enough of a deterrent for me as a reader that it did have a negative affect on my rating.
Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones that compared the differences between how a human and a robot may react to the same unexpected event. Even Tammy’s thorough planning phase in this experiment couldn’t predict everything MARiiMO did after she was created. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I thought this subplot was one of the most realistic and well-developed ones of them all. The author pushed everything to its logical conclusion and wasn’t afraid to extrapolate even more plots twists from the tiniest wisp of earlier ideas.
MARiiMO was a thoughtful read.
December 26, 2019
The first forty percent was dull, a struggle to get through, though the writing concept was unique and interesting. The rest was gripping, before it finally went a bit sideways. Honestly not a fan of where the author went with the robot's behavior, but the blurb for the book gives me a greater sense of the author's subtlety.. I'm impressed with that, immensely. What started highly predictable was nowhere near by the end.
The book combines an interesting view on cognition and the physical design decisions that go into creating such an entity. It then sets that aside to really combat, or at least grapple with, an autistic person's struggle with the reality of connection.
The book combines an interesting view on cognition and the physical design decisions that go into creating such an entity. It then sets that aside to really combat, or at least grapple with, an autistic person's struggle with the reality of connection.
April 5, 2021
Amazon has been reccomanding this book to me for a while now and I'm actually glad that I didn't buy it sooner. Because if I had, I probably wouldn't have been able to appreciate it as much as I did. This sentence doesn't make sense without context, so I'll provide that real quick: I'm talking about the autism rep. I did know about autism, but I hadn't been educating myself on it quiet as much as I should have.
I'm bringing this up, because I think that especially chapter three is quiet interesting if viewed with an autistic lense. The chapters that follow after chapter three are only getting better. It's kinda from that chapter, around maybe 30% into the book, that the story really starts getting interesting.
I have to admit, that the first too - although they were really interesting and researched greatly - weren't as catching as they could have been. I do appreciate them if you look at the book as a whole, since you can tell how the diary starts to change from being a real documentation for science, to a diary the more the book goes on. Everything said is cool, but I would have prefered it to be shorter. Especially since the book itself isn't that long. The later chapters do make up for it, but I just feel like the book could have easily been a 5 stars if some stuff in the beginning was cut shorter.
Other reviews mentioned it already, but if you're looking for rep this book got you covered. The MC is autistic, has PTSD, is queer, is disabled, maybe ace and maybe agoraphobic(in case you don't know what that is: Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe with no easy way to escape.) The last one isn't said on page but some scenes were hinting at it.
The thing I love about all the rep is, that it's subtle and obviously there if you know what to look for, but it's never the only or biggest part of the MC.
I don't think I can talk about anything that happens after chapter 3 because I feel like that would be a spoiler. I can hint at it...maybe? It tackles one of the classic questions of robotics: What makes as human? It is also a character study for Mariimo but mostly for the MC herself.
The style is really intersting, and may or may not be your coup of tea. I'd give it a chance because it's definitifly a great book and I'm happy I read it.
I'm bringing this up, because I think that especially chapter three is quiet interesting if viewed with an autistic lense. The chapters that follow after chapter three are only getting better. It's kinda from that chapter, around maybe 30% into the book, that the story really starts getting interesting.
I have to admit, that the first too - although they were really interesting and researched greatly - weren't as catching as they could have been. I do appreciate them if you look at the book as a whole, since you can tell how the diary starts to change from being a real documentation for science, to a diary the more the book goes on. Everything said is cool, but I would have prefered it to be shorter. Especially since the book itself isn't that long. The later chapters do make up for it, but I just feel like the book could have easily been a 5 stars if some stuff in the beginning was cut shorter.
Other reviews mentioned it already, but if you're looking for rep this book got you covered. The MC is autistic, has PTSD, is queer, is disabled, maybe ace and maybe agoraphobic(in case you don't know what that is: Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe with no easy way to escape.) The last one isn't said on page but some scenes were hinting at it.
The thing I love about all the rep is, that it's subtle and obviously there if you know what to look for, but it's never the only or biggest part of the MC.
I don't think I can talk about anything that happens after chapter 3 because I feel like that would be a spoiler. I can hint at it...maybe? It tackles one of the classic questions of robotics: What makes as human? It is also a character study for Mariimo but mostly for the MC herself.
The style is really intersting, and may or may not be your coup of tea. I'd give it a chance because it's definitifly a great book and I'm happy I read it.
April 24, 2019
Oh My Goodness!!! I'm Completely Floored by This Story!
I've never seen or read anything quite as mind-blowing or profound as this book before, and I doubt if I ever shall again!!! At first I was simply fascinated by the development and execution of creating a sentient robotic being with the ability to feel, experience, process information, sort out the flotsam and garbage, and develop on it's own into a uniquely human-like, self-actuating device with it's own personal responses to various stimuli and emotions, preferences, and personality. It could've gone off on a billion different tangents in it's self-awareness, personality, "affection," and reactions. It had the ability for development the same way that a human child would. I was flabbergasted, fascinated, mesmerized, and caught up in every little nuance. I fell in love with MARiiMO, with the same pride that her developer felt. She didn't feel like a robot, she seemed like a beloved sister, child, mother, nurtured, best friend, guardian, companion, family member. To say that the ending of this story knocked me for a loop, and surprised the daylights out of me would be a gross understatement. I never saw it coming, and it hit me like a freight train! Day became night. Light was twisted into darkness. Something beautiful and special somehow became twisted and distorted into something disturbing and slightly chilling depending on your independent perspective and personal parameters.
I've never seen or read anything quite as mind-blowing or profound as this book before, and I doubt if I ever shall again!!! At first I was simply fascinated by the development and execution of creating a sentient robotic being with the ability to feel, experience, process information, sort out the flotsam and garbage, and develop on it's own into a uniquely human-like, self-actuating device with it's own personal responses to various stimuli and emotions, preferences, and personality. It could've gone off on a billion different tangents in it's self-awareness, personality, "affection," and reactions. It had the ability for development the same way that a human child would. I was flabbergasted, fascinated, mesmerized, and caught up in every little nuance. I fell in love with MARiiMO, with the same pride that her developer felt. She didn't feel like a robot, she seemed like a beloved sister, child, mother, nurtured, best friend, guardian, companion, family member. To say that the ending of this story knocked me for a loop, and surprised the daylights out of me would be a gross understatement. I never saw it coming, and it hit me like a freight train! Day became night. Light was twisted into darkness. Something beautiful and special somehow became twisted and distorted into something disturbing and slightly chilling depending on your independent perspective and personal parameters.
May 10, 2022
This book is told in the form of a journal kept by an autistic (undiagnosed) roboticist named Tammy Maheswaran. Tammy is a reclusive, independent, self educated scientist. She has decided to build a robot with a high level artificial intelligence with the ability to learn. The first quarter of the journal entries deal with Tammy’s thought processes and problem solving. We get to know how Tammy relates to her environment and emotions. We follow her decisions on the design, production elements, specifications and programming. This shows us how Tammy deals her own issues of isolation, anxiety, touch and connection. Tammy names her creation “Mariimo” (from marimo, a form of green algae). “To me, marimo represent the beauty hidden in things that most would overlook. It’s my hope that when Mariimo is activated for the first time, her curiosity and unique perspective will allow her to find beauty in things that even I had never considered.”
As Mariimo learns about her environment, masters sitting up, standing, walking. She also imprints on Tammy as the most interesting part of her world. The pace of the book is slow, meditative, thoughtful. The plot premise is intriguing. Character development is unusual in that Tammy is the character and by reading her journal, we learn what she thinks, feels, hopes, and dreams. The ending was satisfying but left the final resolution unknown. Overall a very good read with some discretion regarding sexual content.
As Mariimo learns about her environment, masters sitting up, standing, walking. She also imprints on Tammy as the most interesting part of her world. The pace of the book is slow, meditative, thoughtful. The plot premise is intriguing. Character development is unusual in that Tammy is the character and by reading her journal, we learn what she thinks, feels, hopes, and dreams. The ending was satisfying but left the final resolution unknown. Overall a very good read with some discretion regarding sexual content.
September 5, 2024
A fcking rollercoaster
It starts so slow, technical and geeky. It took a long time to read those parts because it was like reading a robotics manual (it was very interesting, but also very technical). But once I got to the activation, everything was suddenly happening too fast and invoking too many emotions.
The philosophical analysis at the end really threw me into a loop. The thought process was so logical and intuitive and leaves you understanding exactly what Tammy was feeling.
It brings up an interesting comparison between a human baby and an AI that's going through almost the same steps of learning her surroundings and her effects on other people. Especially the discussion around pavlovian conditioning - how we react when a parent scolds us, or hugs us, or laughs at our jokes. The selfishness of making others happy. This story brought it all up using diary entries, great writing and there wasn't even need for a full novel.
Sheer genius.
It starts so slow, technical and geeky. It took a long time to read those parts because it was like reading a robotics manual (it was very interesting, but also very technical). But once I got to the activation, everything was suddenly happening too fast and invoking too many emotions.
The philosophical analysis at the end really threw me into a loop. The thought process was so logical and intuitive and leaves you understanding exactly what Tammy was feeling.
It brings up an interesting comparison between a human baby and an AI that's going through almost the same steps of learning her surroundings and her effects on other people. Especially the discussion around pavlovian conditioning - how we react when a parent scolds us, or hugs us, or laughs at our jokes. The selfishness of making others happy. This story brought it all up using diary entries, great writing and there wasn't even need for a full novel.
Sheer genius.
October 5, 2023
A wonderful book of you don’t mind a VERY slow burn.
The first portion of the book is dedicated to the protagonist’s efforts into building Mariimo. This portion may turn readers off, as it’s very technical, detailed, and reads very much like an engineer’s work journal. It’s important, however, as we get to learn pieces about the protagonist in the process. The second portion is where more of the story blossoms as Mariimo is activated and moving about. This portion is a sweet reward for sticking through the less energetic beginning.
While this book won’t be for everyone, as a robot enjoyer, I LOVED it. This is a perfect read for someone who enjoys robots in relation with humans, especially ones with more one-on-one personal connections. This is one I love rereading when I’m in a certain mood.
The first portion of the book is dedicated to the protagonist’s efforts into building Mariimo. This portion may turn readers off, as it’s very technical, detailed, and reads very much like an engineer’s work journal. It’s important, however, as we get to learn pieces about the protagonist in the process. The second portion is where more of the story blossoms as Mariimo is activated and moving about. This portion is a sweet reward for sticking through the less energetic beginning.
While this book won’t be for everyone, as a robot enjoyer, I LOVED it. This is a perfect read for someone who enjoys robots in relation with humans, especially ones with more one-on-one personal connections. This is one I love rereading when I’m in a certain mood.
January 21, 2021
I am not sure how I even acquired this book as I have no receipt of it and it just turned up on my kindle. Regardless, I enjoyed the story and found the unusual way in which it is written to be easy to follow. The behavioral characteristics and thoughts that Tammy shares are very relatable to me and this, along with the way in which the story is written made me feel almost like I had created the robot and written the diary myself. The only reason I've knocked a star off is that for me personally there were too many details focussed on the robot development and not enough on what happened after Mariimo was switched on.
January 20, 2022
"I can’t stand being touched. It hurts. Like an electric shock, shooting through my nerves. Clenching my muscles. I can’t help but recoil from it. It’s a reflex.
Yet at the same time, I crave touch. I fantasize about it. I see others being touched and I feel this aching need. As if there’s this awful void in my chest, this thirst woven into my skin, and the only thing that could possibly provide relief is an affectionate, intimate touch.
But I can never find relief. Because for me, it hurts.
How am I supposed to reconcile that?"
-
holy shit
Yet at the same time, I crave touch. I fantasize about it. I see others being touched and I feel this aching need. As if there’s this awful void in my chest, this thirst woven into my skin, and the only thing that could possibly provide relief is an affectionate, intimate touch.
But I can never find relief. Because for me, it hurts.
How am I supposed to reconcile that?"
-
holy shit
October 19, 2019
This book really snuck up on me emotionally. It raises so many good, philosophical questions- what does it mean to be human? how do you tell if something is self aware? Is self awareness necessary for intelligence? is the human body just a complex 'robot' made of flesh? It also gives a very interesting peek into the world of engineering and robotics. I've read a bunch of free stuff on Amazon and this is a tier above.
December 1, 2024
Interesting
This book was a really hard start for me just because I'm not really a sci-fi or robotics person, so most of it felt like gibberish while reading.
It got interesting to me when we finally saw Mariimo awake and interacting with the world. I will say I knew the FMC was autistic early on just by the way she talked. A very interesting read!
This book was a really hard start for me just because I'm not really a sci-fi or robotics person, so most of it felt like gibberish while reading.
It got interesting to me when we finally saw Mariimo awake and interacting with the world. I will say I knew the FMC was autistic early on just by the way she talked. A very interesting read!
March 4, 2025
Still processing this little gem.
This book affected me. As a likely undiagnosed person myself, I felt oddly seen, and very empathetic. The author captures the inner thought of his character, seemingly effortlessly, and shares them in a way that makes her feel very real. This book is a hidden gem and needs to be out in the world.
September 27, 2021
This is hard science fiction – the primary focus is on the real-world science in the story. But it ain't your granddad's hard sci-fi. The secondary focus is much more personal and intimate: what does it mean to belong, to be loved, to be human. And it's this secondary layer that will punch you in the gut (in the best possible way).
Tammy is a roboticist working to build a prototype robot. Over the course of story, which is told in the form of a log of her work, Tammy gradually reveals more of herself to the reader.
What a powerful story – with excellent neurodivergent, disability, and LGBTQIA+ rep. Highly recommended. Mariimo was published three years ago and, to date, is the author's only published story. I hope it doesn't remain so.
Tammy is a roboticist working to build a prototype robot. Over the course of story, which is told in the form of a log of her work, Tammy gradually reveals more of herself to the reader.
What a powerful story – with excellent neurodivergent, disability, and LGBTQIA+ rep. Highly recommended. Mariimo was published three years ago and, to date, is the author's only published story. I hope it doesn't remain so.
December 4, 2018
I honestly loved this and cannot recommend it enough
December 15, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I also appreciated that the main character was autistic as it's not something i've come across very often in fiction. I'd definitely recommend this book
October 15, 2022
Astonishing.
Read
December 22, 2022Amazing book.
I didn't think that I would like the book at first. I was wrong. The format was something I had never experienced in a book.
I'm very glad I read it.
I didn't think that I would like the book at first. I was wrong. The format was something I had never experienced in a book.
I'm very glad I read it.
December 30, 2023
3.5
Deja mucho que pensar
Deja mucho que pensar
May 22, 2024
This was so short and so different but I kind of want to cry about it. I don't cry, like ever..
March 28, 2025
A very interesting premise. It starts out as a very scientific robot creation and morphs into a look at the mind of the robot’s creator.
March 23, 2023
An unexpected five stars read!
What you read here is the journal of Tammy Maheswaran, an isolated young woman, going through the process of creating a unique robot on her own. Throughout each entries, we discover the steps of Mariimo's creation, but also Tammy's way of thinking, her fears, her difficulties, her hopes...
I found myself really involved in Mariimo's conception, her evolution, and I saw myself in her and Tammy. The pacing could probably bother some readers, as it starts quite slow, but I really enjoyed it. It made me feel like I was right there, seeing Mariimo go from an abstract idea to a fully fledge machine.
I don't think I can recommend this book enough, and it's also available for free, so it's really worth a read.
What you read here is the journal of Tammy Maheswaran, an isolated young woman, going through the process of creating a unique robot on her own. Throughout each entries, we discover the steps of Mariimo's creation, but also Tammy's way of thinking, her fears, her difficulties, her hopes...
I found myself really involved in Mariimo's conception, her evolution, and I saw myself in her and Tammy. The pacing could probably bother some readers, as it starts quite slow, but I really enjoyed it. It made me feel like I was right there, seeing Mariimo go from an abstract idea to a fully fledge machine.
I don't think I can recommend this book enough, and it's also available for free, so it's really worth a read.
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