Artificial Intelligence and Murder
Donna Andrews is best known for her mysteries with birds. But, did you know she has an excellent series of four books with the sleuth Turing Hopper, AIP (that’s Artificial Intelligence Personality). Yep, she’s a mainframe computer who became sentient. When she’s faced with murder, she engages her “Miss Marple” brain to solve the mystery. And, throughout the four books she solves more mystery, but digs herself deeper into a dangerous situation. She’d cloned herself, to be in two places at once, but what happened to the clone? Unfortunately, that mystery has never been solved. Evidently, not enough readers were as delighted as I was. With traditional publishing, the publisher has the final say, so the series wasn’t continued. The first in the series, Click Here for Murder, won the Agatha and Anthony Awards. (I still have my four paperbacks, awaiting for a sequel.) In the meantime, read Donna’s other mysteries. Visit the Donna Andrews page here.
Digital Dick is not a series, but it is another mystery with a mainframe heart and human emotions. (John Edward Mullen has written two books so far.) Digital Dick learns how to solve mysteries while wishing he had hands so he could plug in his own electricity. He runs rings around the bad guys, as well as the good guys who just don’t understand him. Oh, yes, he has a human sister as well. Visit the John Edward Mullen page here.
I’m on the lookout for similar books. Do you know of any such books? I’d love to hear about them. (I’m not talking military intelligence here, really, although I might be convinced.)