I picked this up as early as I did because it was teasing me. Specifically, the recommendations I received from a friend listed some readalikes for this book and I was just sure that something was missing – actually I was positive that at least two somethings were missing – and I had to read it to see if I was right.

You know how it is, there’s something on the tip of your tongue, or just out of reach in your memory but you can’t quite grasp it. It was driving me nuts that I just couldn’t remember what one of the books I KNEW this reminded me of was, so I had to read it and find out.

In case you’re wondering, the recommendation said Murderbot, which, well, of course, yes. Because Murderbot is so ‘top of mind’ after the recent release of Network Effect. And there is something to be said for the correlation, although strictly speaking Murderbot isn’t exactly a self-aware AI. Self-aware, absolutely, an AI, not exactly. But the concept of humans creating an enslavable and exploitable underclass is certainly a match. The other readalike was the classic The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov, which I have not read. The ‘so many books, so little time’ conundrum rears its ugly head yet again.

I was thinking of Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport for both the self-aware AI and the specifically created underclass, even though in Medusa they are not exactly embodied in the same person – or at least not all of the time.

But those references felt fairly obvious. The one lurking in the back of my mind turned out to be the steampunk world created in Ian Tregillis’ Alchemy Wars series, starting with The Mechanical. While the ‘mechanicals’ of that series were created through alchemy rather than science, the situation they find themselves in is much the same as it is in An Unnatural Life. They are created to be slaves and they seem to have no recourse towards freedom. But they are self-aware, and they strike out for freedom anyway, in spite of the odds, the laws, and their own programming.

In the end, the story this reminded me of the most was the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Measure of a Man“, where Data is on trial. Not for a crime as the AI here is, but for his right to be a self-determining being in his own right, and not property as has occurred in the world posited in this story. Picard’s speech in Data’s defense echoes many of the abuses that are highlighted in this story, as it is all too clear from humanity’s history that if Data is not considered an autonomous being in his own right that he and others like him will be declared to be ‘property’ and abused as happened in the backstory for this book. Also as did happen in the later history of the universe of Star Trek, as represented in the events of its latest series, Star Trek: Picard.

The story in An Unnatural Life, just like the story in The Measure of a Man, isn’t really about the android, the AI, the ‘grunt’, after all. It’s a story about humans, and about humanity’s inhumanity to humanity. It’s about just how very easy we find it to believe that anyone we define as ‘them’ can be treated as inhumanely as we want, because we’ve decided that the only ones worthy of being considered ‘human’ are ‘us’.

But Walt Kelly’s Pogo had it right all along when he said, “We have met the enemy and he is us”. And he still is.

Escape Rating A-: There are actually two stories in this slim little volume. One is the obvious, the story of Aiya Ritsehrer’s appeal on behalf of the AI 812-3 due to the obvious fact that the AI did not face a jury of his peers, but rather a jury that was utterly prejudiced against the AI, as was the judge and the prosecution. Aiya is convinced the AI did not receive a fair trial, and it’s oh-so-clear that she is correct.

There is also a story tucked in-between the chapters about Aiya, the trial and its result. I think that it was about an expedition to discover whether or not there was already life on Europa when it was settled by humans. But that story is more tantalizing than realized. Which is possibly intended, but left me a bit frustrated by its ambiguity, hence the A- rating.

Back to the story I’m entirely too sure of. One of the things that so frequently gets lost in the gee-whiz sensawunda that science fiction and fantasy often provoke is that no matter who or what is at the center of the story, no matter where or when it is set, all stories are about human beings. Because human beings are the only creatures that we really know. Writers may do their very best to guesstimate what androids or aliens in the far future or the mythic past might think and feel and say and do, but the fact is that the perspective from which all of those ‘otherworldly’ characters are written is the human one in the here and now of the author.

So from one perspective this is a story about a self-aware AI in search of justice on one of Jupiter’s moons. But on the other, the story underneath that, is a story about prejudice and justice. It’s a story about the lengths and depths that humans, following their worser instincts and not their better ones, will go to in order to preserve the status quo that makes them feel safe and comfortable.

It is also a story about one woman fighting, not just for justice for an underdog, but for what is right instead of what is easy, in spite of all of her own prejudices, and in spite of the very real fear that her pursuit of justice will bring her into deadly danger in a situation where no one will stand by her, no one will protect her, and no one will seek justice on her behalf.

Because all of those humans believe that their hatred of ‘the other’ and their willingness, even eagerness to destroy anyone who shines a light on that hatred, is not human either and therefore deserves whatever happens to them. That they brought it on themselves, and that their fate is not the fault of anyone but themselves for standing up for ‘the other’.

And if you don’t see any parallels between the story and both history and current events, you’re not paying attention.

<b>4.0 Stars</b>
This was a fascinating science fiction novella that explored universal themes of personhood and basic human rights through the lens of an AI legal case. In terms of tone and subject matter, this one was very heavy. I can certainly see the comparisons to To Kill a Mockingbird because it addressed similar issues and illustrated the challenges that marginalized people face in prejudice justice systems.

As someone who loves the topic of artificial intelligence, this story immediately appealed to me just from the brief synopsis. Furthermore, I hold a deep fascination with criminal law so I was equally interested in those aspects of the story. I really enjoyed all the legal jargon and details surrounding the case proceedings. I wished more of the novella had involved those aspects, but I understand the logistics of criminal law was not the main focus of the narrative.

Even though this story was set on another planet and dealt with artificial intelligence, there was very little focus on the science and technology of this future. Instead, this was really a story about humanity at its core. Therefore, I would widely recommend this one to readers who do not normally venture into the science fiction genre. This novella can (and should) be read by anyone looking for a powerful story that reflects the inhumanities and injustices of modern society.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher.

Tor once again hitting homeruns in their selection of SFF authors and production of novellas that wring your heart clear of blood and then put the remainder into a blender. This was gripping and beautifully written, and really hit home for me on the themes of injustice and equality based on status and race - or in this case, humanity! Highly recommend this clever and heart wrenching novella.

The tagline of "Murderbot meets To Kill a Mockingbird" is actually a very good description of An Unnatural Life. It isn't often comparisons like this work so well, but this one did. I also enjoyed reading this a lot.

An Unnatural Life follows Aiya Ritsehrer as she tries to appeal the case of prisoner 812-3, a 'cybernetic organism' that was convicted of murder. Europa's legal structure is basic at best, without even an appeals system in place, and they are highly biased against AI. Aiya has an uphill battle on her hands, starting with her own prejudices.

I did really enjoy reading this, even if I had to crowdsource the pronunciation of 812-3. Though I do think that the fact that this was a novella took something away from the story. Which is not an uncommon feeling for me, to be fair. I always feel a little bit unsatisfied reading novellas. I did have a larger issue related to the way the story played out, which is related to spoilers so I won't get too far into it. But thinking about it, though, I'm not certain that issue is related to the format at all, though it could be.

I really enjoyed the characters and their stories in An Unnatural Life. It was just that this was incredibly predictable, especially if you know To Kill a Mockingbird. I had dreams and aspirations for the ending to this novella that I didn't actually get, but I think what I did get was equally as good.

Also there were these little bits of a story told between chapters that felt completely out of place. They didn't connect to the story. They didn't do anything. They were a mystery that didn't really get solved. It was just odd and didn't add anything to the story.

In the end, An Unnatural Life succeeded in telling the story that the author wanted to tell. And it was a good one. It was also, as of writing this in early June 2020, incredibly topical with certain real life events. 812-3 and his fellow robotniks being seen as less than human is something that packs a big punch.

ARC received from Tor.com on Netgalley. This did not affect my review.

Highly recommend this book. While a short read, it is not an easy one - reading it will prompt lots of issues to think about and discuss, This story is one that will stay with me for a long time. I will recommend that my library purchase a copy of this book when it is published.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor.com for providing an early copy for me to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
<blockquote>"Either they're machines or we're monsters."
"Well, the latter's a given."</blockquote>
<b>4.5 stars rounded up to 5. This is a quiet and painful SF novella about humanity.</b> And yes, you've probably read this story before. Sci-fi is littered with books that question the lines between human and non-human, while revealing just how terrible humankind can be.

<b><i>An Unnatural Life</i> unfolds like a tragedy.</b> I'm warning you. My heart is so heavy. There's no action here, no original worldbuilding. But I don't remember ever reading SF about lawyers defending androids. Most striking is how Aiya's life rolls downhill once she does the right thing. Everyone hates her for daring to defend an android criminal in court. Yes, humans are prejudiced against robots. But they're also prejudiced against their own kind.

I can't say much because it's short but packs a big punch.

I really enjoyed this mature read. <b>I recommend this to anyone who likes more philosophical stories.</b>

Who enjoys the full protections of the law? Can an AI have a jury of its peers, if no AIs are represented? Can humans make objective choices if they need to decide the fate of an artificial being? All these and more are the questions asked by Wagner’s interesting novella.

In An Unnatural Life, Wagner gives readers a brief, tightly-written examination of how the introduction of AIs might affect our justice system. Aiya takes on the case of 812-3, who has been found guilty of murder. An AI, he wants to appeal because there were none of his peers (i.e., fellow AIs) on his jury. As Aiya gets to know him, she comes to learn what really happened. Unfortunately, I can’t really go into it much more without spoiling the whole novel… Which makes reviewing An Unnatural Life rather tricky.

Wagner’s writing is very good throughout. The characters feel real, even if we don’t really have time to get to know them particularly well. There’s a fair amount left unsaid and unshown, but the story packs a decent punch at the end.

I enjoyed the questions the novella asks, and the realistic issues it suggests. Some of the questions are clear allusions to contemporary questions about who is protected by the law, and the fact that everyone should enjoy the same protections, regardless of who or what they are. In addition, there are questions related directly to the AIs. How much free will can AIs actually have? How much freedom do we humans have to control them, even if they supposedly have free will? Should human rights supersede theirs, even if humans are in the wrong? If free will can be usurped, who is responsible for the action?

“We make them. We manufacture them. We should control them. We can’t have it both ways. Give them human rights and still treat them like slaves.”

“So better we strip the rights?”

Peri’s back trembles. She is angry or she is crying. Or both. “Either they’re machines or we’re monsters.”

I would have preferred it if the book had been a little bit longer. I would have liked to get to know the characters and settings a bit more. The emotional payoff at the end was, I think, blunted by the slim length of the story. It’s a tricky preference, though, as I recognize that keeping it short gave the revelations a bit more punch — although, even here, some things felt skated over. The short snippets of information related to events elsewhere seemed disconnected from the main events (unless I missed something), which made me wonder why they were included.

Overall, An Unnatural Life is a very interesting and engaging novella. It poses interesting questions, but doesn’t suggest there are easy answers. I’m certainly looking forward to reading more by the author in the future.

Recommended.