In 'vN' by Madeline Ashby, the story revolves around Amy, a von Neumann machine living with her human father and vN mother. The plot kicks off with Amy's vN grandmother Portia attacking humans, triggering a series of events that lead Amy to go on the run, suddenly grown up and with Portia on a partition of her hard drive. The book explores themes of self-replicating machines, the relationship between humans and AI, and the complexities of family dynamics in a futuristic world where robots coexist with humans.

Characters:

Characters in the story are well-developed, with Amy at the forefront as a complex and evolving figure, supported by diverse characters that challenge or assist her journey.

Writing/Prose:

The style is engaging, merging emotional depth with philosophical inquiry, often utilizing vivid descriptions to enhance the narrative.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative starts with Amy, an android, eating her grandmother at a graduation ceremony, which triggers a series of events leading to her escape from human authorities. The plot unfolds as she explores her identity and encounters different characters, culminating in a chase with unexpected outcomes.

Setting:

Set in a near-future society, the book explores a world where androids and humans interact, presenting a backdrop rich with ethical and societal dilemmas.

Pacing:

Pacing is initially leisurely but quickly shifts to a fast-paced narrative filled with action, maintaining momentum until a fulfilling conclusion.

Amy woke on the floor of a cage that hummed. She tried moving her legs and kicked the fencing nearest her feet, igniting a spark that jolted up from her toes to her teeth and left her so rigid even he...

Notes:

The novel is set in a future where androids, called vNs (von Neumann machines), exist alongside humans.

The protagonist, Amy, is an android raised in a mixed family of a human and an android.

Amy's growth is intentionally stunted by her parents to resemble a human child's development.

During her kindergarten graduation, Amy eats her grandmother after she attacks her mother, integrating her personality into Amy's mind.

The vNs have a failsafe programming designed to prevent them from harming humans, similar to Asimov's laws of robotics.

The book explores themes of identity, freedom, and the complexity of android emotions.

Javier, another android character, serves as a companion to Amy and has special abilities related to his design.

The story features elements of cannibalism and intense violence, which are used to portray the struggles of vNs as sentient beings.

The androids were originally created by a religious group expecting a future after a rapture, intended to care for human survivors.

Amy's conflict includes dealing with her grandmother's memory within her, leading to struggles over self-identity and autonomy.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of violence, cannibalism, exploitation, as well as mentions of pedophilia and familial abuse, making it suitable for mature audiences.

Has Romance?

While there is romance in the book, it is not the central focus of the story, but it influences character relationships significantly.

From The Publisher:

Amy Peterson is a self-replicating humanoid robot known as a VonNeumann.

For the past five years, she has been grown slowly as part of a mixed organic/synthetic family. She knows very little about her android mother's past, so when her grandmother arrives and attacks her mother, Amy wastes no time: she eats her alive.

Now she carries her malfunctioning granny as a partition on her memory drive, and she's learning impossible things about her clade's history - like the fact that she alone can kill humans without failsafing…

File Under: Science Fiction [Von Neumann Sisters | Fail Safe Fail | The Squid & the Swarm | Robot Nation]

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vN

Madeline Ashby

Book 1 in the series:The Machine Dynasty