The Silver Metal Lover

Silver Metal Lover Series, Book 1

By: Tanith Lee

Narrated by: Gabrielle Baker

Love is made of more than mere flesh and blood....

For 16-year-old Jane, life is a mystery she despairs of ever mastering. She and her friends are the idle, pampered children of the privileged class, living in luxury on an Earth remade by natural disaster. Until Jane's life is changed forever by a chance encounter with a robot minstrel with auburn hair and silver skin, whose songs ignite in her a desperate and inexplicable passion.

Jane is certain that Silver is more than just a machine built to please. And she will give up everything to prove it. So, she escapes into the city's violent, decaying slums to embrace a love bordering on madness. Or is it something more? Has Jane glimpsed in Silver something no one else has dared to see - not even the robot or his creators? A love so perfect it must be destroyed, for no human could ever compete?

©1981 Tanith Lee (P)2019 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The strengths of [The Silver Metal Lover] lie in the vivid vision of [Lee's] world - exotic and a little frightening, but quite believable.... One of Lee's most fully realized creations." (Publishers Weekly)

Robotic love affair

Tanith Lee’s The Silver Metal Lover is a world set in the not too distant future where ‘robots’ along with a degree of artificial intelligence make possible robots that appear as humans wearing metallic body paint. The daughter of a rich and powerful elite becomes fascinated with this development and eventually obsessed to the point of giving up her wealthy lifestyle to be with her robot ‘lover’ and live a more bohemian lifestyle. Her robot lover’s skillset involves music, and they get by busking. Societal backlash due to fear of robots taking away human jobs forces them on the run, but societal imperatives win out.
Lee envisions a future society further splitting into distinct have and have nots. Elite live a sheltered, hedonistic life or else focus exclusively on power and influence. The protagonist rejects both and, in the process, manages to actually grow up.

While the main emphasis is on love and empathy arising to-wards and within artificial intelligence, the lack of detail in societal structure (which seemed culturally stuck in the 19th century) marred what is overall a satisfying tale.

The narration is quite good with decent character distinction. Pacing is smooth.

A delight to slip into her spoiled shoes

Tanith Lee conjures up a wonderfully sheltered and wealthy main character point of view that convincingly colors this narrative. The story could have gone many different directions, proof of the skilled world building on display. While not all side characters were hits with me, I was excited every time her seance conducting male friend made an appearance, and would happily read more of his adventures.

Clever Premise, Okay Reader

The story is a relatively original version of the normal Moorcock-influenced science fiction of the era.

Another classic hiding in Audible's back catalog

Great characters, story and narration. This is the simple standard all Audible audiobooks should meet. Tanith Lee writes simple, crystal clear prose. Gabrielle Baker was an excellent choice of reader. Her delivery is pitch perfect.

Being published in 1981, this fine novel won't be included in modern lists or recommended SF reading. This is unfortunate since this period of time saw the most female SF and fantasy working than any other period, including post-2000 writers.

Among hundreds of lost treasures by female authors, this one survives here. Thanks, Audible! Hope the sequel, an even better story, will be adapted too.

Forty Years Makes a Difference DNF

I first read this book as a freshman at University. I loved it. I related to Jane. I reveled in the melancholy, felt all the first love feels, wondered if I would ever love so hard that I tossed everything I'd ever known to the winds.

Now, I really just want to give myself a good shake and yell "Get over yourself" at me. And Jane. the cringe factor is so real with her. I can't imagine.

The whiny narrator didn't help.

Did not finish.

Narrator: 2 stars.
Story: 2 stars + 1 because Tanith Lee
Total: 2.5 stars