Ana Alvarado, a former zookeeper, is hired by a software company to train digients, digital creatures who live in a virtual world and are designed to learn like animals or children. Along with Derek, an animator, she raises them over many years, as the company that made them goes out of business and the virtual world they live in becomes obsolete. Ted Chiang's novella follows the long process of caring for the digients, the arguments about whether they deserve rights and the practical question of what it takes to bring up artificial minds.
Readers who enjoy thoughtful science fiction about artificial intelligence, and who care about the ethics of making sentient beings, will find a patient and humane treatment. It suits anyone who likes a story that takes the long view of technology.
Deep; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2010
- Language
- EN
