Set My Heart to Five

June 22, 2020
A humanoid bot specializing in dentistry becomes an unlikely fugitive when he discovers the ability to feel emotions in Stephenson’s lighthearted sophomore novel (after Let Not the Waves of the Sea). By 2054, “the Great Crash” has locked humans out of the internet forever, New Zealand has been nuked by North Korea, and, though bots are productive members of society, they are forbidden from having feelings by the Bureau of Robotics and painted as villains in most pop culture. After a movie unexpectedly moves dentist bot Jared to tears, his human office mate encourages Jared to further explore the complexity of human emotion with the aid of a “Feelings Wheel.” When Jared receives a recall notice from the Bureau of Robotics, he decides to hightail it to Los Angeles, hoping to write his own screenplay and change the narrative surrounding bots with feelings. Of course, nothing goes as planned. But Jared’s mechanical coming-of-age brings to the forefront the things that make life worth living as Stephenson delivers an amusing commentary on logic, love, and feeling. This entertaining and surprisingly poignant story is a charmer.

August 1, 2020
Jared is a bot, engineered from human genetic material and programmed with a powerful biological computer. In a future where Elon Musk has destroyed the moon and airplanes no longer fly, bots perform essential functions so that apathetic humans may refrain from working. Jared works in Ypsilanti, Michigan, as a dentist. Bots aren't supposed to have feelings, but Jared has been experiencing them all the same, especially after he develops a penchant for old movies. When the Bureau of Robotics discovers Jared's rogue actions, he must flee to the glittering world of Los Angeles, where he sets out to become a screenwriter and tell the important story of a bot with feelings. Patrons will flock to this delightful and profound novel, which is already optioned for motion picture development. Jared helps readers see favorite films through fresh eyes, reflects on the idiosyncrasies of human life, and even teaches the core elements of screenwriting. Stephenson, a former Pixar writer, elegantly folds these ingredients into a sweet confection for readers of Graeme Simsion and Gail Honeyman.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

August 7, 2020

Jared introduces himself as a bot, a being engineered from a human body with computer elements, including his brain. Because this future society sees bots as less than humans, he must always introduce himself in this way. They've been created and imported to do the jobs that humans do not want to do. For example, Jared is a dentist. Bots are denied many rights and even feelings in this future world. Any bot who "malfunctions" and openly exhibits feelings runs the risk of being "wiped" or "incinerated." When Jared begins to notice he is malfunctioning, his office-mate, a psychologist, introduces him to old movies, and explains some of the mysteries of emotions. When the authorities send Jared a recall notice, he runs away to experience adventure, life, emotion, and to become a screenwriter. VERDICT Stephenson's (Let Not the Waves of the Sea) novel will appeal to fans of Philip K. Dick or Isaac Asimov. Through frequent allusions to movies and novels, the story is also made accessible to almost anyone who enjoys romance, intrigue, or outsider tales.--Elizabeth Masterson, Mecklenburg Cty. Jail Lib., Charlotte, NC

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