I felt pretty much the same way about this book - it was a lot more than I expected and I loved the way it handled colonialism, gender identity and the relationship between AI and human. The rest of the trilogy goes deeper with these themes. I think you're going to have a great time with them.
Gender was interesting because from the point of an AI it was pretty much a non issue that most everyone made a very important matter and then marked it by arbitrary, ever-changing cues... which was hilarious in it's accuracy.
The fact that everyone acknowledges AIs have feelings, and that they do because it is a useful thing, surprised me a lot when it came up. And every bit of dialogue between Anaander and Toren was a stab at the measure of humanity.
Colonialism and privilege and class wars and mobility and clientelism... It was pretty savage and I loved it.
The fact that everyone acknowledges AIs have feelings, and that they do because it is a useful thing, surprised me a lot when it came up. And every bit of dialogue between Anaander and Toren was a stab at the measure of humanity.
Colonialism and privilege and class wars and mobility and clientelism... It was pretty savage and I loved it.