A review by mar
Emergent Properties by Aimee Ogden

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 "Okay, Scorn. Think like a human.
Gross. But useful."

This novella is SUCH a joy. The premise is simple: an AI reporter with mommy issues essentially investigates zir own death (or, well, the destruction of zir physical body and deletion of 10 days worth of memories), trying to retrace zir own steps and uncover the story ze was following before the unfortunate "accident." It's engaging from the start and incredibly easy to read - between the quick pace, effortless worldbuilding and Scorn's dry humour, following along with Scorn's investigation is a delight. I'm sure I would've swallowed it in one sitting if I hadn't started the book just before work.

Also, I'm generally not one to trust endorsement quotes on book covers, but "If you're missing your Murderbot fix, Emergent Properties is a worthy successor" is, for once, absolutely on point; it hits a lot of the same beats as Murderbot - the snarky AI protagonist, corporate hellscape setting, humorous, fairly light tone - without feeling derivative. Overall, highly recommended for enjoyers of Murderbot, AI characters in general, or just anyone looking for a quick, light sci-fi read :]

Thanks to Netgalley and Tordotcom for the ARC!