Annie Bot

She’s human in every way that matters.

Annie is a robot, created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug. Playful and eager to please, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the outfits he buys for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his whims. Maybe the apartment isn’t always spotless, but she’s trying to be good enough for Doug. She’s trying really hard.

But as Annie grows more self-aware, she begins to chafe against the borders of her life: the empty weeks spent confined to the apartment, the fitness regimens designed to keep her part-organic body toned, the service appointments to increase her bra size and shave inches off her waistline. Worst of all are Doug’s unpredictable moods, and the way he can punish her without even raising his voice.

Annie starts to imagine the impossible – what would life be like outside Doug’s apartment? What could she be like without Doug?

This powerful, provocative novel from a bold new voice examines the intricate relationship between creator and creation, between human and AI, exploring issues of trust, intimacy, power and autonomy.

Is a human soul something we are born with? Or is it something – through love, pain and other people – we can learn?

Barbie for girls who like Aphex Twin

SHEENA PATEL

An exquisitely written, empathetic novel that asks what it really means to be human

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