by John Chu
First published 2020
A century has passed since Karel Capek first gave robots their name. Now these artificial beings populate every corner of storytelling, from books to games. The seventeen tales in this collection position robots as mirrors for humanity's most vulnerable populations. These mechanical characters face discrimination and exploitation, yet their struggles illuminate paths toward hope. The more human-like these robots become, the more their stories resonate with our own experiences of disadvantage and resilience. Contributors include Vina Jie-Min Prasad, Peter Watts, Ken Liu, Sarah Pinsker, and Alastair Reynolds, among others. Each story uses robotic protagonists to examine what it means to be marginalized, to fight for dignity, and to find optimism despite systemic oppression. The collection transforms familiar science fiction tropes into vehicles for exploring contemporary social issues through the lens of artificial consciousness.
Genres: fiction, science-fiction, social-issues
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-commentary
Period: 21st-Century
349 pages · Paperback · Solaris
Content warnings: racism