(SF Adventure) A tractor beam crashes Amrita on a forbidden planet that she just had to check out. Since no one is supposed to get close to it, she may have a long wait. (7,517 words; Time: 25m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
"The Sum of Her Expectations," by Jack Skillingstead [bio] (edited by Neil Clarke), appeared in Clarkesworld issue 133, published on October 1, 2017.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Amrita figures out that the “presentation” doesn’t have her best interests at heart. It likes being on a planet and has no interest in helping her escape. When she ignores its advice and does things her own way, it abandons her, but she eventually constructs a ship that’ll get her home.
It’s encouraging that the robot makes it clear that it doesn’t have real emotions and that her attachment to it is not rational.
Con: Amrita doesn’t deserve to succeed. She’s the sort of person who thinks rules are for everyone except her.
If the bots are so starved for materials, it’s hard to see why they’re willing to build anything for Amrita. Especially since she’s not from the species that created them.
It’s also a bit convenient that the Kabbhan never explained why that world was off-limits, and yet they don’t care that Amrita has found out and will return with that info.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 133)
Jack Skillingstead Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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It’s encouraging that the robot makes it clear that it doesn’t have real emotions and that her attachment to it is not rational.
Con: Amrita doesn’t deserve to succeed. She’s the sort of person who thinks rules are for everyone except her.
If the bots are so starved for materials, it’s hard to see why they’re willing to build anything for Amrita. Especially since she’s not from the species that created them.
It’s also a bit convenient that the Kabbhan never explained why that world was off-limits, and yet they don’t care that Amrita has found out and will return with that info.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 133)
Jack Skillingstead Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
My first thought when she was shown she could use the builders was that she should build a ship. So it was frustrating waiting for her to come to that same conclusion.
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