"God in the Machine" has an interesting premise.  However, it’s not unique.  Self-awareness in machines, whether robot or computer, is a major theme in science fiction.  And it’s fast becoming a factor in real science, as the future unfolds.

I find reading "GITM" a chore, unfortunately, no matter how much I like science fiction or the premise.  The text spills down the page without formatting, making it difficult to read.  And, more jarring than a fixable technical detail, is my inability to suspend disbelief and get immersed in the story world.

From the very first, the robots are too human.  Their understanding of concepts, their feelings and concerns, sound like an adult’s.  For beings that have just come into self-awareness, they take a cosmic leap forward in their understanding, without baby steps.  But all that’s inside their mechanical brains, is what they’ve been programmed to do.  They are engineering robots, so that’s all they should know.

Concepts like fear and death should be alien to their awareness.  The apparent source of their "life" is an electromagnetic cloud—so, unless it’s magic (which defeats the sci-fi purpose) the thinking of "Max and Loeb" (who named robots this way?) seems way too human.  They speak in contractions, and of friendship.

Worse, as the story progresses, the other robots speak the same way.  On a ship full of robots.  Why should programmed, unfeeling robots, react to each other like human coworkers?  How come they know Loeb and Max are different, when everyone talks the same?  Why do they care?

My point is, if I’m asking all these questions as I read, I’m distracted from the story itself.  I can’t get into it.  And I wish I could, because a new take on an interesting premise is something I’m always interested in checking out.

Having done so, there’s not enough here for me to want to see the mysteries explained.

0 of 0 members found this review helpful.
Help us improve!  Register or log in to rate this review.