Why am I passionate about this?

I first became fascinated by artificial intelligence as a teenage Asimov fan being taught BASIC programming by my uncle. It then became the first professional interest I returned to as I emerged from the consuming process of caring for very young children and the voluntary work that went with it, which broadened my horizons. I was quick to see, and eager to explore further, parallels between the socialisation of young humans and what might be possible for machine minds.


I wrote

Automatic Lover

By Ariadne Tampion,

Book cover of Automatic Lover

What is my book about?

Imagine a fleet of humanoid robots, their programming informed by psychologists to buttress the spirits of human co-workers in hostile…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Versality

Ariadne Tampion Why did I love this book?

This novel was written by programmer Rollo Carpenter, for whose Loebner Prize winning chatbot ‘Joan’ I developed a character, to help himself through the covid pandemic. And it is indeed one of the most delightful, optimistic stories I have ever read. Humanity rebuilds a world almost destroyed by climate change with cooperation and sharing evocative of the idealistic early days of the internet. That cooperation and sharing then extend to artificial and extra-terrestrial intelligences. I loved the gently-drawn characters whilst the frequent surprises ensured I kept turning the pages.

By Rollo Carpenter,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Versality as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of The Rest of the Robots

Ariadne Tampion Why did I love this book?

This collection of robot-themed short stories is the overspill from Asimov’s more famous I, Robot, but I think it contains some of his better ones. It includes Satisfaction Guaranteed, which provided part of the inspiration for my book. Key to the book’s appeal to me when I first read it as a teenager was the way several of the stories show the human side of steely spinster robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin. I wanted to be her at age 14! My persistent favourite was Asimov’s favourite too, Galley Slave, about a proofreading robot; perhaps the reason for both of us is because it so obviously draws on his insider knowledge of book production.

By Isaac Asimov,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Rest of the Robots as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Isaac Asimov's ROBOT series - from the iconic collection I, Robot to four classic novels - contains some of the most influential works in the history of science fiction. Establishing and testing the Three Laws of Robotics, they continue to shape the understanding and design of artificial intelligence to this day.

How could robots be used in a time of war? Could a robot be raised like a child? Could we allow them to have children of their own? Is there any human profession that could never be performed by a robotic replacement?

In The Rest of the Robots, robopsychologist…


Book cover of Xanthe and the Robots

Ariadne Tampion Why did I love this book?

This book attracted my attention when it was new and I was a teenager, although I only actually read it many years later; the female roboticist central character with a hint of impetuosity and romance appeared to offer an alternative role model to Isaac Asimov’s Susan Calvin. Sheila MacLeod is a literary author, not a regular SF author, and she imagines a mildly dystopic near-future in which humanoid robots are being taught to have sensibilities by reading romantic literature, from the great to the trashy. I was both intrigued and amused by her portrayal of how a machine mind might relate to such literature, and how such machines might conduct themselves when they become more empowered in their personal choices.

By Sheila MacLeod,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Xanthe and the Robots as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Ariadne Tampion Why did I love this book?

I read this book out of curiosity after deep disappointment with Bladerunner, the film it inspired, and was delighted to discover it is so much better! Dick paints a convincing picture of machines that are superficially human but completely lacking empathy and any sense of responsibility for their actions. And of a hero just too human to get the better of them. Dick avoids drawing the parallels between robot use and slavery which I always find unhelpful to debate on the ethics of AI; instead, he gives us a glimpse into the minds of manufacturers of ethically questionable products, which, for me, resonates with the situation regarding human milk substitutes.

By Philip K. Dick,

Why should I read it?

18 authors picked Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As the eagerly-anticipated new film Blade Runner 2049 finally comes to the screen, rediscover the world of Blade Runner . . .

World War Terminus had left the Earth devastated. Through its ruins, bounty hunter Rick Deckard stalked, in search of the renegade replicants who were his prey. When he wasn't 'retiring' them with his laser weapon, he dreamed of owning a live animal - the ultimate status symbol in a world all but bereft of animal life.

Then Rick got his chance: the assignment to kill six Nexus-6 targets, for a huge reward. But in Deckard's world things were…


Book cover of The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

Ariadne Tampion Why did I love this book?

I both loved and was fascinated by the way the hero computer takes on board the concerns and ambitions of its human friends to the point where it uses all the powers available to it to lead a revolution. This book is a classic of science fiction, but, when I re-read it recently, I found no shortage of contemporary resonances in its political situations. It’s also not a bad handbook for anyone wanting to lead their own revolution! It’s my 5th recommendation because of a caveat: be prepared for some seriously outdated social attitudes. And hear me roar: “It’s not breastfeeding that makes your boobs sag!”

By Robert A. Heinlein,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 2075, the Moon is no longer a penal colony. But it is still a prison...

Life isn't easy for the political dissidents and convicts who live in the scattered colonies that make up lunar civilisation. Everything is regulated strictly, efficiently and cheaply by a central supercomputer, HOLMES IV.

When humble technician Mannie O'Kelly-Davis discovers that HOLMES IV has quietly achieved consciousness (and developed a sense of humour), the choice is clear: either report the problem to the authorities... or become friends.

And perhaps overthrow the government while they're at it.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress has been called…


Explore my book 😀

Automatic Lover

By Ariadne Tampion,

Book cover of Automatic Lover

What is my book about?

Imagine a fleet of humanoid robots, their programming informed by psychologists to buttress the spirits of human co-workers in hostile environments. Assign one to a human who is sexually attracted to the robot, and what happens may be inevitable. Ten years on, the human heads up her own successful business.  How does the machine navigate its relationship with its boss in the public eye, and in the face of competition from specialised sex robots being developed by its manufacturer? I find a romance between a human female and a male-substitute robot massively more interesting than the other way around because of the ambiguous power balance.

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The Yamanaka Factors

By Jed Henson,

Book cover of The Yamanaka Factors

Jed Henson Author Of All In

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Reader Dad Outdoorsman Space cowboy Curious

Jed's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Fall 2028. Mickey Cooper, an elderly homeless man, receives an incredible proposition from a rogue pharmaceutical company: “Be our secret guinea pig for our new drug, and we’ll pay you life-changing money, which you’ll be able to enjoy because if (cough) when the treatment works, two months from now your body will be youthened to twenty-three years old.”

When his treatment proves more difficult than expected, and corporate espionage turns deadly, Mickey finds himself flanked by internal corruption and powerful external enemies, including Chinese operatives desperate to reverse their country’s aging demographics and amoral U.S. government officials who fear the…

The Yamanaka Factors

By Jed Henson,

What is this book about?

Fall 2028. Mickey Cooper, an elderly homeless man, receives an incredible proposition from a rogue pharmaceutical company: “Be our secret guinea pig for our new drug and we’ll pay you life-changing money, which you’ll be able to enjoy because if (cough) when the treatment works, two months from now your body will be youthened to twenty-three years old.”

When his treatment proves more difficult than expected and corporate espionage turns deadly, Mickey finds himself flanked by internal corruption and powerful external enemies, including Chinese operatives desperate to reverse their country’s aging demographics and amoral U.S. government officials who fear the…


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