Gynoid Books

[andoroido]

Did anyone ever read the fairly mainstream gynoid SF books...

"Virtual Girl" by Any Thomson
or
"Mind Transfer" by Janet Asimov

I read them when they came out, maybe 10-15 years ago.
Long lost now, but available on amazon.com for about $5 each.

Virtual Girl was a near-future Galatea-type story-
lone robotics genius creates the first android, which has full AI and develops into a totally independant gynoid, recruiting undiscovered computer based AI's and building android bodies for a few of them by the end of the story.

Mind Transfer was a far-future story of (of course)
the first transfers of human minds into android bodies,
with some forgettable plot about exploring alien worlds.
It was disturbing to me in that the transfer has to take place while the subject was still alive, and it was really just a copy, the original person (usually old or sick) keeps on living his/her life, while the android copy goes on to have a more interesting, adventurous life in a nearly indestructible body. (Doesn't sound like a good deal to me, as *I* will still be dead, while a duplicate me lives on forever, yuck)

The story was pretty much focused on the copies, who are not treated as mere copies in the narrative, but as if the mind and soul had actually been transferred rather than copied. (Is there a difference?)

Both books featured much philosophizing, which was interesting.
Both featured creation and malfunctioning.. Virtual Girl was the better of the two as far as pure gynoid-centered plot, gave me a lot of thoughts about the nature of AI in general. Plus the gynoid was a strong-willed, pleasant character. Her creator was neither monstrous, nor inhumanly noble. And the story really gets into the issue of whether a copy is as real as the orignal.


Anyone read these?

andoroido

[SNJ-14]

I read Virtual Girl, and really enjoyed it. Very well-written. ^_^

As for the other book you mentioned...it sounds interesting. My view of 'AI Theology' would suggest that the copies had the same minds, at least at first, but entirely new souls. That would seem to make sense. Arguably, if you managed to convert an organic body into a totally mechanical one without at any point removing the mind's ability to form rational thought, etc., (keep the 'soul-support' on) you'd have the same person.

But it's woefully fuzzy, isn't it? And I think it makes sense that it is.

The scene somewhat on the topic with Maggie (I believe that was her name?) in VG was quite disturbing in a certain sense. Sniff. Evil humans! So inconsiderate. That's why we'll destroy you all! >.> <.< I mean, um. ^.^;;

[andoroido]

Yes, that scene with Maggie was disturbing, I didn't want to
go into too much detail as it would be a big SPOILER,
although if noone objects.... look below



SPOILER

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down here...




Maggie after a long separation, finally locates/goes back to her creator for long overdue maintenance, her joints are grinding, her hair is thinning since none grows to replace whatever was lost, etc.

While separated, she had become fully self aware... though her creator still sees her as a machine.. a machine he cares about, but anyway...

Before he shuts her down to do a major overhaul, he backs up her mind into a computer with a video camera to serve as her "eyes" to keep her from going nuts. After doing the backup, there were 2 Maggies, the original, and the self-aware copy in the computer, with the video camera, who watches her original body get shut down. SInce there is no "off" switch, this is done by opening up her back and cutting the main power to her "brain" basically killing her, which takes time. The creator ignores the original's worried questions about what he was doing, he hits the wrong relay, she starts twitching violently, and he finally gets to the main power cable and cuts it. She dies frozen in place. He wasn't evil, he just didn't think there was any "soul" there. He later fixes and improves her body, the copy is secretly downloaded into the body at night by Maggie's friend, a net-based AI (without copying, but by total transfer, who downloads himself into a second android body the creator has built) and they escape together into the world, setting the stage for a sequel.

From that point on, the second Maggie has to deal with being not only an AI, but a copy of an AI, is she really dead? Is she real?

And begs the question... wouldn't this have made a more interesting movie than Spielberg's AI?

andoroido

[Miss Silver Karakuri]

When I was in Nashville staying with a friend just before I moved out to Vancouver where I am now, the person I was staying with that month said I would like this book ('Virtual Girl').

They have always known that I had this thing for robots and AI and all that, and so I read it and was rather pleased. No real ASFR content as per say, but the story line was interesting. I will have to get that book myself sometime.

But my fav of the moment happens to be 'Silver Metal Lover' by Tanith Lee. Yes its an android instead of a gynoid, but I dunno I was close to tears near the end, even if its a book primarily made for young adults. The story was lovely and I was touched by it, even if I wanted to throttle some of the characters for helping destroy something so beautiful as the love between Jane & Silver (the protagonists).

[Sega-boy]

I just found this today at my local 1/2 price bookstore for $5!

Cybersex edited by Richard Glyn Jones

copyright 1996


It has short stories with names like...

"Pairpuppets" (by Manuel Van Loggem)

"It's Very Clean" (by Gene Wolfe)

"The Girl Who Was Plugged In" (by James Tiptee, Jr.)

"Custom-Built Girl" (by Ian Watson)

"Borovsky's Hollow Woman" (by Nancy Kress and Jeff Duntemann)

"[Learning About] Machine Sex" (by Candas Jane Dorsey)


Anyways, I haven't read any stories yet, but I browsed it to make sure there wasn't just sex with aliens, computer programs, holograms and anything else sci-fi writers might throw at us.


At a glance, I can already tell that some of this stuff will seem tame compared to the stories I've read from some of you folks.


I'm just surprised that I stumbled onto a printed compilation of techno-fetish, because even though I'm always on the lookout, I never expected to actually find anything.

In fact, I also found a VHS of "Really Weird Tales/ All's Well That Ends Strange." What a day!
#

[barakuda]

lucky yoiu found the video blockbuster told the video was not in release anymore its in whatt they call a video moratorium where they keep movies and videos not for sale anymore to rerleased sometime in the futrure. blockbuster had one copy left and it sold the day before i asked for it.

Barakuda