A Literary Robots Reading List
Sentient AI are nothing new in literature, and this chronological reading list takes you on a tour of some of the evolving practical and philosophical issues surrounding artificial intelligence.
1907: Ozma of Oz
Dorothy discovers the copper-and-clockwork Tic-Tok abandoned in a cave.
1909: The Machine Stops
E.M. Forster’s dark futuristic vision paints a world where technology has completely replaced experiences.
1950: “There Will Come Soft Rains”
A fully automated house outlives its human occupants.
1950: I, Robot
Almost all our modern-day AI fiction comes from Asimov’s original vision.
1968: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
In Philip Dick’s futuristic dystopia, artificial intelligence has become so sophisticated that it’s hard to tell robot from reality.
1989: Hyperion
Think Canterbury tales, but with pilgrims focused on the uneasy alliance between man and machine in a sci-fi future.
1996: Excession
Iain Banks’ Culture series explores the question of what it means to be human in a post-scarcity world run by hyper-intelligent AI.
2012: Cinder
The first of the Lunar Chronicles features a cyborg mechanic who gets caught up in dangerous political intrigue.
2013: Ancillary Justice
Ann Leckie’s collective-individual AI is a fascinating, gender-exploding twist on the traditional robot genre.
2014: House of Robots
In this middle grades sci-fi comedy, Sammy’s mother’s robot inventions do everything from tutoring Sammy to handling the housework.
2015: Speak
Louisa Hall’s novel follows generations of people involved in AI development from the 17th century to the future.
2016: The Wild Robot
A surprisingly tender middle grades fairy tale about a lost robot stranded on an island focuses on the ways we construct identity.
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