Autonomous
- 203
- Pages
- about 3.5 h
- Reading time
- Lambda Literary Award
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About the book
Autonomous is a 2017 science fiction novel by Annalee Newitz. It is Newitz's debut novel and was published by Tor Books on September 19, 2017. Set in a near future Earth, the book describes a world where both humans and intelligent robots can be owned as property. The events of the novel follow Jack, a "drug pirate" who manufactures illegal versions of patented drugs, and Paladin, a combat robot who is owned by the law enforcement agency searching for Jack after one of the drugs she reverse-engineered turns out to have dangerous side effects.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.3 across 234 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 56% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Rankings average of 7.8. That is how 7.5 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.2 | 10 | 4% |
| Hardcover | 7.3 | 224 | 96% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“I have to say that ultimately I was disappointed with this one. I'd heard a lot of good things about it, but it didn't quite pan out that way for me. It started promisingly, with an intriguing world set up, but for me at least, it just ran out of steam in the second half. The background to the novel is right up my street, all plucky anarchists versus big corporate power, and I found the pharma stuff and background about biodegrable organic tech really cool. In the end though, the characters are nothing like as interesting as the set up warrants - I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more…”
Frequently asked
What is Autonomous rated?
7.5 out of 10, from 234 reader ratings across 2 independent sources.
Is Autonomous worth reading?
Readers give it 7.5/10 from 234 ratings in open sources.
How long does it take to read Autonomous?
About 3.5 hours at an average reading pace — 203 pages.