Annie Bot: A Washington Post Best Science Fiction Book of the Year

okay!! I think this was really good bool about sci-fi but the abuse Annie received was a lot for me. This book talk about a future were Stella's(robots helps on the house, be nanny's or be cuddle Bonnies) the abuse Annie received not only as a robot but as someone the needs to give pleasure to Doug and make sure HE was happy.
Doug needed a companion after the his divorce. ( Annie look like the ex)
Annie was program to do things for Doug like cleaning, sex and make sure he was always happy. I really felt bad for Annie for the abuse she was going thru.

Fantastic, thought-provoking

Is consent ever truly possible when one person has control over the other? Sierra Greer's debut novel, "Annie Bot," employs a third-person limited narrative, tracking the journey of a pleasure robot, to explore themes of misogyny and toxic masculinity. Following a recent breakup, Doug Richard reaches out to Stella-Handy, a company infamous for its creation of bots engineered from repurposed human embryos fused with central intelligence units. Specializing in both male (Handys) and female (Stellas) bots, Stella-Handy offers a range of programmable services, including housekeeping, cooking, childcare, and intimacy. The Stella models are further divided into three versions: Abigail for household tasks, Nanny for childcare duties, and Cuddle Bunny for intimate companionship. Correspondingly, the Handys include Abel, Manny, and Hunk. These models can operate in either sterling mode or autodidactic mode. Opting for a Cuddle Bunny, Doug selects Annie, an autodidactic model crafted with features reminiscent of Gwen's, albeit with lighter skin and hazel eyes. Annie is crafted with D-cup breasts, with a libido set to three at all times, and set to seven out of ten on the weekends. Annie was set to a 10 but Doug tells his friend “I once found her licking my shoes in the closet.” While Annie cannot self-pleasure to release, she is crafted to climax during penetration. Similar to the craftsmanship of CIUs in the TV series “Westworld,” the autodidactic Stellas are designed to mimic human appearance. In contrast to the simpler Delta models, which have a visible seam down the neck, the Stellas are crafted to seamlessly blend in with humans, making it difficult to visually distinguish between the two. Bulimic by design, the bots can ingest food but will regurgitate it a few hours later. Although they lack the ability to taste or smell, they are equipped with the capability to detect smoke. Annie desperately wants to become human. By design she is made to please Doug and obey his wishes, but her autodiadactic nature follows her journey on a quest for knowledge and growth. The employees at Stella-Handy are impressed by her progress, they often copy her programming to implement in the newest line of bots. What distinguishes Greer’s novel from other robotic narratives like “Klara and the Sun” is its exploration of how men treat female sex bots. Technicians praise Annie’s owner as wonderful, emphasizing how fortunate she is to have him. Doug's punishment of Annie includes confining her in a closet for a month with her libido set to maximum. He purchases another bot, a Delta, to handle household chores and cooking. He arranges a one-night stand in front of Annie to provoke jealousy. Greer skillfully portrays Annie’s experiences as a bot, enabling readers to empathize with her as an intelligent being enduring domestic abuse. Annie is a machine designed solely for pleasure and to obey Greg’s commands. However, the empathy readers feel for a machine contrasts sharply with the anger and resentment directed towards an actual human being, highlighting a profound irony.

Maybe a 6.5, 7 tops. That being said, I still would recommend it as an easy, fun and fresh read. Creative. The more time passes since I’ve read it the more it like it. The first 2/3 is pretty well done, it just kind of drops off and really had the potential to be so much bigger. I almost want to write the sequel or alternative ending. Feels relevant for 2024.

WTH did I just read?!