He bought her because she was meant to be perfect in every particular, but even that wasn’t good enough for him. 

 

Annie Bot is a speculative fiction novel that’s a mix of lit fic and sci fi, but it definitely leans more lit fic. If you’re looking for a book that delves deep into the AI aspect of this story then I wouldn’t go looking here: Annie may be an AI robot, but this story focuses far more on the social and moral implications of individuals privately purchasing, owning, and using AI robots as they will than the more technological side of the industry. 

 

Annie Bot straddled the line between two of my favorite micro-genres: sad girl lit and weird girl lit. Annie may be a robot, but she’s remarkably human in many ways. Sometimes she acts more human than the actual humans in the story. Her owner, Doug, originally customized and purchased her to be a housekeeper and cook, but then had her programming switched to “Cuddle Bunny” mode, which essentially turned her into his girlfriend. At the same time, he had her switched to autodidatic mode, so she could teach herself things and evolve naturally over time. 

 

To Annie’s creators and Doug himself, he’s more than generous and a good owner. It’s only after an upsetting and confusing visit from Doug’s best friend that Annie begins to question her dynamic with Doug and look deeper into what her world could possibly be outside of their apartment. 

 

I don’t know about anyone else, but I spent a lot of this book wanting to rescue Annie and wishing I could push Doug into traffic. Annie is smart but naive. She’s a victim just like anyone who is trapped under the thumb of a partner they can’t escape, except she was literally born to please her owner. She’s known nothing else. This book is entertaining, a little weird, a lot sad, and has a satisfying ending. 

 

File Under: Literary Fiction/Sci Fi