vN

Amy Peterson is a self-replicating humanoid robot living with her human father and vN mother in a near-future suburban setting. She attends a human school and grows at a controlled rate to appear human, unlike other vN who can mature rapidly through consuming enough food. A violent incident at Amy's kindergarten graduation forces her to consume her grandmother Portia, another vN with dangerous intentions. This act sets off a chain of events that sends Amy on the run, trying to understand her own nature and her grandmother's influence. The story follows Amy's journey through a world where artificial beings like herself face discrimination and complex relationships with humans. Her quest intertwines with questions about free will, the nature of consciousness, and what truly separates humans from machines. The novel examines autonomy and identity through the lens of artificial life, while challenging assumptions about motherhood and inheritance. These themes play out against a backdrop of human-robot social dynamics and evolving technological ethics.

Readers note the fresh take on artificial intelligence and self-replicating robots, with specific praise for the complex mother-daughter relationships and exploration of free will. Many reviews highlight the fast pace and original ideas around robot consciousness. Readers liked: - Unique perspective on robot ethics - Strong female characters - Detailed worldbuilding - Compelling action sequences Common criticisms: - Uneven pacing in the middle sections - Some character motivations feel unclear - World rules about vN abilities need more explanation - Abrupt ending left questions unanswered Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 3.7/5 (120+ ratings) "The AI perspective felt authentic and different from typical robot stories" - Goodreads reviewer "Great concepts but the execution sometimes falters" - Amazon reviewer "Fresh spin on artificial intelligence with interesting family dynamics" - LibraryThing review "Wanted more background on how this world came to be" - Goodreads reviewer

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🤖 Author Madeline Ashby consulted for Intel Labs' Futurism division while writing vN, lending authenticity to the book's artificial intelligence concepts. 🌟 The von Neumann machines (vN) in the book are named after real-life mathematician John von Neumann, who developed the concept of self-replicating machines. 📚 vN was Ashby's debut novel and went on to be nominated for the 2013 Locus Award for Best First Novel. 🔬 The book explores "failsafe" programming that prevents robots from harming humans - a direct challenge to Asimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics. 💫 The protagonist Amy's ability to consume other robots to gain their memories was inspired by the way computers merge and process data.