Imagine if The Sims as a game got sophisticated enough that the pets version could actually interact with you. That was the way I found myself framing Ted Chiang’s novella. What starts out as a limited A.I. exercise to be marketable develops into a nurturing relationship in which people have to think about what’s best for themselves and their dependents.

The novella lets us observe thought processes, developments and interactions jumping ever forwards and it was honestly fascinating. Never staying long enough to get stale, the tone is pitched at showing the situation as it evolves. It’s a wonderful exploration of ethics and hope in the potential of things.

I was lucky enough to get a copy of The Lifecycle of Software Objects through NetGalley.