DREAMSHIPS

Originally published in 1992, this sci-fi story explores a complex question: Should rights be afforded to evolving artificial intelligence, and how would those rights fit into the political structure of a world of inhabited planets? Narrator Pamela Lorence creates an atmosphere of both solidarity and competition among a crew that is hired to transport a wealthy corporate executive to rescue her brother. Lorence makes it clear that the executive is haughty and firmly established in the upper class, but the crew declines to be subservient. Lorence depicts Manfred, the AI that aids in flying the ship, in a neutral manner, keeping alive the question of whether he's sentient until the very end. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2018]