Booklist: In a spiraling saga of obituaries, sixty deaths slowly unravel the fate of Poppy and her AI mother, Peregrine. It is no surprise, then, that this grand scheme begins with grief: when “Computer Doctor” Matth Fletcher’s old friend dies, he decides to create a program with their messages. This leads to creating a humanoid body for the messages, crafted with the help of his sculptor husband, whom he eventually divorces to marry the AI. Even after Matth dies, the questions surrounding this controversy fail to disappear: How did Peregrine have the child, and where did they go? Separated by the occasional etymology guide, poem, or letter, the newspaper articles construct a timeline that jumps from the 1700s to the 2100s. Readers must repeatedly sift through the lives of scientists, artists, and actors, laid out in such detail that the pieces of the overarching puzzle can get lost. Provocative but at times meandering, author Robins’ second novel (after When Franny Stands Up, 2022) examines what remains after death: technology, art, and nature. An intriguing read for those who enjoy sf and innovative storytelling.
Sep 102024