Love in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

A Novel

By: Judd Trichter

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Set in a near-future LA, a man falls in love with a beautiful android - but when she is kidnapped and sold piecemeal on the black market, he must track down her parts to put her back together.

Bad luck for Eliot Lazar, he fell in love with an android, a beautiful C-900 named Iris Matsuo. That's the kind of thing that can get you killed in late 21th century Los Angeles, or anywhere else for that matter - anywhere except the man-made island of Avernus, far out in the Pacific, which is where Eliot and Iris are headed once they get their hands on a boat. But then one night Eliot knocks on Iris's door only to find she was kidnapped, chopped up, sold for parts. Unable to move on and unwilling to settle for a woman with a heartbeat, Eliot vows to find the parts to put Iris back together again - and to find the sonofabitch who did this to her and get his revenge.

With a determined LAPD detective on his trail and time running out in a city where machines and men battle for control, Eliot Lazar embarks on a bloody journey that will take him to the edge of a moral precipice from which he can never return, from which mankind can never return.

Judd Trichter's Love in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction is a science fiction love story that asks the question, how far will you go to save someone you love?

©2015 Judd Trichter (P)2014 Audible Inc.

....Am I right?

Where to start. This was a different type of story; One I have never indulged in before. It's weird to not want to cheer for the protagonist. I actually had a strong dislike for him. The things he did were unforgivable and contradictory. His love for one machine gives him the boost he needs when it comes to harming another. He kind of spent the whole story trying to convince ....me ...eh, or himself that what he was doing was "the right thing." It's an interesting story. A twisted, fatal attraction. I liked it.

Do Androids Feel Love?

This story does something that Science Fiction has been doing for a long time. It uses a futuristic setting as a social commentary on some of the issues we are facing today and it mostly does a good job.

The story is compelling and it moves along nicely. The protagonist is a somewhat morally ambiguous person with some rather dark shades of gray but his quest is still noble even if he isn't. My only real issue is that the androids are too human which could be a side effect of the author trying to make them relatable and their motives understandable even if we might not agree with them.

Luke Daniels puts in another quality performance and if you enjoy his other work then you will probably find little fault with his narration here.

Overall I'd say the story is probably not for everyone. The ending might be unfulfilling for some and the protagonist might be too unlikable for others. If you enjoy gritty, near future science fiction with a bit of a cyberpunk feel then you will probably find something to enjoy.

blue balls

The story was interesting and I loved the world the author created but the book was left on a cliff hanger. All the things I was most excited for were left unfinished!

Gritty

This is either the debut of an important new author or a one hit wonder. The story is a dark view of life at the end of this century and the main character is flawed. The narrator, Luke Daniels, as always provides an excellent performance. In the end, I felt disturbed for enjoying a book about an unstable person living in a world of violence, discrimination and inequality.

Interesting, engaging, entertaining

This was really well done, the story kept moving at a good place, was believable and even a plausible window into a potential future of humans and our relationship with robots.

I found the accents of some of the females to be a bit quirky, but aside from that minor nuance, and some cursing, I enjoyed this audio book.

A Civil Rights Moral Philosophy Tale

What started off as a simple science fiction novel turned into a thriller with unexpected plot twists, a sense of humor, and an unexpected thought experiment regarding civil rights now and in the future. A pleasant listen while I was on a few long road trips, but then at Chapter 21, the book hit its stride and it was off to the races. The feel seemed very suitable for a SciFi channel miniseries. I believe this is Trichter's first book, I look forward to seeing what he has in store.

wow!

Would you consider the audio edition of Love in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction to be better than the print version?

have not read print version

What other book might you compare Love in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction to and why?

maybe Orsons Ender's series

What does Luke Daniels bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Took a chance on the the book because of Luke Daniels

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the pivotal moral, ethical and relationship issues and concepts

Any additional comments?

wonder if they reach the ISLAND and what happens next

Old story retold win a futuristic way SpoilerAlert

Our hero is in love with a robot. That is not a good thing in California at his time in the future. There is a lot a prejudice, fear and loathing against robots. There are laws against 'inter-species' romantic relationships. He doesn't care - he's in love.

She is kidnapped, chopped and sold - for parts. He is desperate and will do, and does, anything to collect her pieces and put her back together. After he almost (or does) destroy the California economy, political establishment, the delicately balance(?) between human and robot communities, police forces in a multiple jurisdictions, a Casino, a flying train, numerous robots and humans. Our 'hero' has all her parts and makes his escape in the middle of a riot he has indirectly created, only to caught by the law - or is he?

This is modeled after the way Orientals where treated on the West Coast through WWII and a little beyond. Some pre-war-between-the-states black experiences are tossed in just to add to the, "how could thinking beings treat other thinking beings that way". Of course people are not always (or ever) thinking beings and can be unbelievably cruel whenever they get the chance.

As a point on how timely this book is - here is a story headline from TechRepublic's website, October 21, 2015 7:40 am.

"Academic conference on 'Love and Sex with Robots' abruptly cancelled
after being declared illegal

Malaysian authorities deemed the second annual Love and Sex with
Robots Conference, slated for November, illegal."

I did like the way he correctly dropped in Yiddish phrases.

Luke Daniels is a narrator you can count on to produce a quality product and he did.

love this story

I could not stop listening. it was the best sorry ever I have listened to by a male voice. I loved the storyline.

Excellent Sci-Fi Noir

It's Chinatown crossed with Bladerunner, Laura, & DOA. Cagey & plausible analysis of how capitalism would shape a world teeming with credible humanoid androids, whose enhanced work abilities & need for power becomes the foundation of their exploitation. The ensuing nightmare love/hate conflict between "Heartbeats"(human) & "Spinners"(robots) is extremely well-rendered aided mightily by the wonderful narration of Luke Daniels who handles the entire cast with talent & aplomb.