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Autonomous: A Novel Hardcover – September 19, 2017

4.1 out of 5 stars 4,159 ratings

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"Autonomous is to biotech and AI what Neuromancer was to the Internet."―Neal Stephenson

"Something genuinely and thrillingly new in the naturalistic, subjective, paradoxically humanistic but non-anthropomorphic depiction of bot-POV―and all in the service of vivid, solid storytelling."―William Gibson

When anything can be owned, how can we be free

Earth, 2144. Jack is an anti-patent scientist turned drug pirate, traversing the world in a submarine as a pharmaceutical Robin Hood, fabricating cheap scrips for poor people who can’t otherwise afford them. But her latest drug hack has left a trail of lethal overdoses as people become addicted to their work, doing repetitive tasks until they become unsafe or insane.

Hot on her trail, an unlikely pair: Eliasz, a brooding military agent, and his robotic partner, Paladin. As they race to stop information about the sinister origins of Jack’s drug from getting out, they begin to form an uncommonly close bond that neither of them fully understand.

And underlying it all is one fundamental question: Is freedom possible in a culture where everything, even people, can be owned?

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Newitz always sees to the heart of complex systems and breaks them down with poetic ferocity.”―N. K. Jemisin, author of the Broken Earth trilogy and The City We Became

"
Autonomous is to biotech and AI what Neuromancer was to the Internet."―Neal Stephenson

"Something genuinely and thrillingly new in the naturalistic, subjective, paradoxically humanistic but non-anthropomorphic depiction of bot-POV―and all in the service of vivid, solid storytelling."―William Gibson

"This book is a cyborg. Partly, it's a novel of ideas, about property, the very concept of it, and how our laws and systems about property shape class structure and society, as well as notions of identity, the self, bodies, autonomy at the most fundamental levels, all woven seamlessly into a dense mesh of impressive complexity. Don't let that fool you though. Because wrapped around that is the most badass exoskeleton--a thrilling and sexy story about pirates and their adventures. Newitz has fused these two layers together at the micro- and macro-levels with insight and wit and verbal flair. Moves fast, with frightening intelligence." ―Charles Yu, author of
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

"Annalee Newitz has conjured the rarest, most exciting thing: a future that's truly new ... a terrific novel and a tremendous vision." ―Robin Sloan, author of
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

"Holy hell.
Autonomous is remarkable." ―Lauren Beukes, bestselling author of Broken Monsters

"Everything you'd hope for from the co-founder of io9 ... Combines the gonzo, corporatized future of Neal Stephenson's
Snow Crash with the weird sex of Charlie Stross's Saturn's Children; throws in an action hero that's a biohacker version of Bruce Sterling's Leggy Starlitz, and then saturates it with decades of deep involvement with free software hackers, pop culture, and the leading edge of human sexuality." ―Cory Doctorow, New York Times bestselling author of Walkaway.

More praise for
Scatter, Adapt, and Remember:

"Fascinating.... [Newitz is] an excellent writer, with an effortless style.... The inner science geek in all of us will uncover some really cool stuff.... A terrific book that covers an astounding amount of ground in a manageable 300 pages... You will be smarter for it."
San Francisco Chronicle

"An enormous amount of knowledge is gathered here, and the book accomplishes something almost impossible, being extremely interesting on every single page. A real pleasure to read and think about." ―Kim Stanley Robinson, author of the Mars trilogy

"A refreshingly optimistic and well thought out dissection of that perennial worry: the coming apocalypse. While everyone else stridently shouts about the end of days, this book asks and answers a simple question: ‘If it’s so bad, then why are we still alive?’... Newitz inspires us with engaging arguments that our race will keep reaching the end of the world and then keep living through it.
Scatter, Adapt, and Remember intimately acquaints the reader with our two-hundred-thousand-year tradition of survival―nothing less than our shared heritage as human beings."―Daniel H. Wilson, author of Robopocalypse and Amped

About the Author

ANNALEE NEWITZ is an American journalist, editor, and author of fiction and nonfiction. They are the recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship from MIT, and have written for Popular Science, The New Yorker, and the Washington Post. They founded the science fiction website io9 and served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008–2015, and then became Editor-in-Chief at Gizmodo and Tech Culture Editor at Ars Technica. Their book Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction was nominated for the LA Times Book Prize in science. Their first novel, Autonomous, won a Lambda award.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books; First Edition (September 19, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765392070
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765392077
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.79 x 1.06 x 8.66 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 4,159 ratings

About the author

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Annalee Newitz
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Annalee Newitz writes fiction and nonfiction about the intersection of science, technology and culture.

Their first novel, Autonomous, won the Lambda Literary Award and was nominated for the Nebula and Locus Awards. Their book Scatter, Adapt, and Remember was nominated for the LA Times Book Award. They are currently a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times. Previously, they were the founding editor of io9, and served as the editor-in-chief of Gizmodo and as the tech culture editor at Ars Technica. They have also written for publications including Wired, Popular Science, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, Slate, Washington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, and more. They have published short stories in Lightspeed, Shimmer, Apex, and Technology Review's Twelve Tomorrows.

Annalee is the co-host of the Hugo Award-winning podcast, Our Opinions Are Correct.

They were the recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT, worked as a policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and has a Ph.D. in English and American Studies from UC Berkeley.

Learn more at AnnaleeNewitz.com or follow them on Twitter @annaleen

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4,159 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this science fiction novel engaging and well-written, with good world-building and a riveting pace that moves fast throughout. The book offers a thought-provoking look at the near future, filled with ideas about bio-engineering and pharmaceutical intrigue. Customers appreciate the character development, with one noting the satisfying balance between good guys and bad guys, while another highlights how it humanizes even the antagonists.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

113 customers mention "Readability"102 positive11 negative

Customers find the book well worth reading, praising its engaging world-building.

"...The book has interesting, well fleshed out characters, an extremely detailed and complex world, steady pacing and an exciting, straightforward..." Read more

"...A worthwhile, fresh and interesting read bringing a different perspective to AI and potential human-robot relationships...." Read more

"...of AI and rebellion against corporate over-reach both timely and fascinating. Unfortunately, for me it just didn't resonate in any emotional fashion...." Read more

"...It is a thriller, a romance, and is never didactic, great book. I bought the kindle and the audible book as I often do" Read more

109 customers mention "Storyline"87 positive22 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline of the book, describing it as an interesting read with remarkable storytelling, and one customer notes its rapidly-evolving narrative.

"...You might enjoy this book if you are into cyberpunk, hard sci-fi, interested in the future of technology, society and culture and don't mind to..." Read more

"...A fast-moving and page-turning plot, with breezy dialog and just enough exposition to paint images in the reader's mind...." Read more

"This is a good story, not a great one...." Read more

"...It is a thriller, a romance, and is never didactic, great book. I bought the kindle and the audible book as I often do" Read more

58 customers mention "Character development"46 positive12 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one customer noting how it humanizes even the antagonists, while another mentions the satisfying balance between good and bad characters.

"...The book has interesting, well fleshed out characters, an extremely detailed and complex world, steady pacing and an exciting, straightforward..." Read more

"...Even though all the major characters were well drawn and reasonably deep, they all came across quite flat...." Read more

"...All the characters, even the villains, drawn with wisdom and compassion...." Read more

"...AUTONOMOUS is a complex, involved, and many layered novel with engaging characters and terrifically written...." Read more

52 customers mention "Thought provoking"50 positive2 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, providing a realistic vision of the near future filled with ideas.

"...I loved Autonomous! The cyberpunk setting, the tension of not knowing who was going to get their way, the fact that a lot of characters were..." Read more

"...Even though all the major characters were well drawn and reasonably deep, they all came across quite flat...." Read more

"...All the characters, even the villains, drawn with wisdom and compassion...." Read more

"...AUTONOMOUS is a complex, involved, and many layered novel with engaging characters and terrifically written...." Read more

43 customers mention "Writing quality"31 positive12 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as gorgeous and well-thought out, with one customer noting its extremely detailed nature.

"...The book has interesting, well fleshed out characters, an extremely detailed and complex world, steady pacing and an exciting, straightforward..." Read more

"...A fast-moving and page-turning plot, with breezy dialog and just enough exposition to paint images in the reader's mind...." Read more

"...The entire narration was very confusing because this is a large robot that apparently is made of some kind of metal and there is no clear reason..." Read more

"...It is a thriller, a romance, and is never didactic, great book. I bought the kindle and the audible book as I often do" Read more

41 customers mention "Science fiction"38 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the science fiction elements of the book, particularly its bio-engineering and pharmaceutical themes, with one customer noting how it challenges societal and scientific norms.

"...this book if you are into cyberpunk, hard sci-fi, interested in the future of technology, society and culture and don't mind to receive lots of..." Read more

"...revolution, slavery, autonomy, - a new indenture and how consciousness grows into self and then seeks freedom...." Read more

"Came for the sci-fi and robots, stayed for the smut. Interesting read on designer drugs, rampant ADHD, and our ever changing beliefs on human..." Read more

"...this novel, it has well developed characters, hard science extrapolated from current development, A.I. robots, Bio-bots, the return of indentured..." Read more

23 customers mention "Pacing"19 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing, describing it as fast-moving and riveting, though some find it terrifying and depressing. One customer notes that the background is rich with political and geological changes.

"...fleshed out characters, an extremely detailed and complex world, steady pacing and an exciting, straightforward plot. I loved Autonomous!..." Read more

"...A fast-moving and page-turning plot, with breezy dialog and just enough exposition to paint images in the reader's mind...." Read more

"...how these trends are coalescing into the future, and how it both terrifying and wondrous brave new world...." Read more

"...The background is rich with political and geological changes, although the world seems not as different from our own as the advanced date (2144)..." Read more

19 customers mention "Enjoyment"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, describing it as a fun and engaging read that's been a long time coming, with one customer noting its many twists and turns.

"What an incredible ride, folks. Is piracy a moral choice? Do robots have gender? Is love real if it's programmed?..." Read more

"...A very intriguing, fun and unique AI ride! Fits well with fans of Blade Runner, Ex Machina and AI in general." Read more

"...Full of groovy and provocative ideas, this book is exciting and fresh. Recommended" Read more

"...At the same time its a joyful wild ride with a group of seriously engaging characters - on the good guy side as well as on the "bad guy" side..." Read more

Disappointing
2 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
The first third was so-so but had a little promise, but then a couple really obviously awkward plot turns were made in order to draw out the story. The protagonist's enemies were close on her heels, then suddenly they decided to take a detour and then suddenly we catch up to the hero bopping around Canada after nearly a year which is not explained. This supposedly in a society were no one can disappear if all-powerful entities are after you. Then what finally caused me to throw the book away in disgust were a couple sudden and completely gratuitious violent acts were awkwardly (stylistically) perpetrated on someone by two characters who until that moment we had no clue of such violent tendencies. It was nonsensical and just didnt fit. Another really awkward aspect of this author's writing was the sexual relationship between the bot and its handler. It was weird and felt as gratuitious as the violence, really didnt do anything for the story and was just thrown in for titillation, though I doubt anyone actually got tittled much. I should have taken a clue from the inside cover which was garishly plastered with review quotes. I knew from past experience that when a book is plastered with review quotes that's a good sign the book hasn't much to stand on other than those review quotes.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2021
    This futuristic story takes place in 2144. A lot has changed on Earth. Bots made for all imaginable purposes are now part of the society. Tech is booming. The indenture system that in practice means slavery is in place for bots as well as people. Pharmaceuticals are patented, which makes them unavailable to the poor, but Jack is not going to accept it. She's an anti-patent pirate who reverse engineers drugs, shipping them all over the world in her submarine. One day, a drug she's made turns out to be highly addictive and deadly. An agent and a bot are sent on a hunt for her, while Jack is trying to make it right.

    The book has interesting, well fleshed out characters, an extremely detailed and complex world, steady pacing and an exciting, straightforward plot.

    I loved Autonomous! The cyberpunk setting, the tension of not knowing who was going to get their way, the fact that a lot of characters were activists and belonged to the counterculture, the futuristic technology, the complexity of the protagonists - all of it made for a very engrossing read. The book explores the issues of freedom and slavery, human relationships as well as the relationship between humans and bots, the dangers of patented science in the hands of powerful corporations, gender, love and many more. It was a very intense book for me, filled to the brim with ideas, feelings, technology, science and action.

    You might enjoy this book if you are into cyberpunk, hard sci-fi, interested in the future of technology, society and culture and don't mind to receive lots of information some of which might be beyond your grasp (also, some weird human-robot stuff).
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2017
    I'm not going to rehash the plot, as others have done in their reviews; between those and book blurb, it conveys enough info to get the gist. A worthwhile, fresh and interesting read bringing a different perspective to AI and potential human-robot relationships.A fast-moving and page-turning plot, with breezy dialog and just enough exposition to paint images in the reader's mind. Only critiques: we're given little POV from the human character Eliasz's perspective, so he's a bit hard to identify or empathize with. The main robot character Paladin, whose POV we enter quite a bit, is more highly developed, but just harder to empathize with because (she's) not human. Probably correct choices for this novel, but it does make those two key characters difficult to care about.

    I'm shocked at how few reviews there are of the work, and hope that it's not indicative of low sales. This book deserves attention, so please, check it out and spread the word.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2019
    This is a good story, not a great one. I really wanted to love it because I find the ideas of AI and rebellion against corporate over-reach both timely and fascinating. Unfortunately, for me it just didn't resonate in any emotional fashion. Even though all the major characters were well drawn and reasonably deep, they all came across quite flat. No matter what situations came up, from fighting for their lives to attempting to explore unusual relationships, there never seemed to be any urgency. I had no particular investment in any of them, and even thought about putting the book down at halfway through. I did finish, but not out of a need to discover what happened; instead, mostly just because it wasn't a very long book.

    If the subject matter is your cup of tea, give it a shot, maybe you'll enjoy it, but I can't really give it a high recommendation.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2019
    I love this book- lt is an updated kind of Neuromancer, drawing a map of a new world that is becoming a reality. Computation, biological sciences, A.I. interface becomes consciousness. The book shows how these trends are coalescing into the future, and how it both terrifying and wondrous brave new world.
    It is about consciousness, love, revolution, slavery, autonomy, - a new indenture and how consciousness grows into self and then seeks freedom. All the characters, even the villains, drawn with wisdom and compassion. The heroine Judith "Jack" Chen, a biological researcher turned into a drug Robin-Hood, her friends and supporters and the government agents who are pursuing her. It is a thriller, a romance, and is never didactic, great book. I bought the kindle and the audible book as I often do

Top reviews from other countries

  • Alex B
    5.0 out of 5 stars That's science fiction
    Reviewed in France on March 15, 2019
    A remarquable mix of hard science and hard sociology. Everything is coherent, even if the efficiency of human brain in face recognition is disputable (in my case)...
  • Thomas Woolmer
    4.0 out of 5 stars A decent read
    Reviewed in Canada on May 27, 2023
    There were lots of things to like about this book—decent writing, interesting ideas, especially about the exploitation of indentured workers and bots, and the whole underground drug culture against Big Pharma. But the romance with the bot and the pharma hitman-with-a-conscience was just cringe. And the ending was underwhelming. There was such a build-up, and then it ended not with a bang, but a whimper. I did appreciate the thinking about autonomy and bots, however. It was interesting being inside the mind of a bot, and for that, I appreciate the author’s willingness to take risks.
  • Dr. Julian H. Fidge
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in Australia on January 18, 2018
    Dystopian near-future story with good character development. Plausible plot, based on current cultures. Bit like William Gibson. Watch this lass.
  • JonBoy
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of good things, one bad.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2024
    Very glad to have read this. Easy to read, nicely sci-fi with an interesting world of bits and bots. Quite technical but not overly so - some of it went over my head but that didn't cause a problem.
    The action descriptions were rather matter-of-fact and not that plentiful. Those aspects didn't really matter but I would have liked more and more engagingly described.
    The main thing that bothered me was the gratuitous and unnecessarily cruel violence and torture. It's not necessary and made the atmosphere sometimes nasty for no reason.
    I still recommend it just not unreservedly.
  • Attorney At Law
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
    Reviewed in Germany on May 22, 2019
    Ownership of your own thoughts. Human prerogative or not? That is the question raised by this brillant piece of Work.