Today I am Carey

Written by Martin L. Shoemaker

Narrated by John Skelley

REMARKABLE DEBUT NOVEL FROM CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER. Shoemaker proves why he has consitently been praised as one of the best story writers in SF today with this touching, thoughtful, action-packed debut novel, based on his award-winning short story Today I am Paul. TODAY Mildred has Alzheimer's. As memories fade, she acquires the aid of a full-time android to assist her in everyday life. Carey. Carey takes care of Mildred, but its true mission is to fill in the gaps in Mildred's past. To bring yesterday into today by becoming a copy. But not merely a copy of a physical person. A copy from the inside out. I AM After Mildred passes, Carey must find a new purpose. For a time, that purpose is Mildred's family. To keep them safe from harm. To be of service. There is Paul Owens, the overworked scientist and business leader. Susan Owens, the dedicated teacher. And Millie, a curious little girl who will grow up alongside her android best friend. And Carey will grow up with her. Carey cannot age. But Carey can change. CAREY Carey struggles. Carey seeks to understand life's challenges. Carey makes its own path. Carey must learn to live. To grow. To care. To survive. To be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980040958

Martin L. Shoemaker

Martin L. Shoemaker is a writer and programmer who, as a kid, told stories to imaginary friends. Fast-forward through thirty years of programming, writing, and teaching. He wrote, but he never submitted anything until his brother-in-law read a chapter and said, “That’s not a chapter. That’s a story. Send it in.” It was a runner-up for the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award and earned him a lunch with Buzz Aldrin. Programming never did that! Shoemaker has written ever since. He is the author of The Last Dance in the Near-Earth Mysteries series, and numerous short stories and novellas, including Murder on the Aldrin Express, which was reprinted in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-First Annual Collection and in The Year’s Top Short SF Novels 4. He received the Washington Science Fiction Association’s Small Press Award for his Clarkesworld story “Today I Am Paul,” which continues in Today I Am Carey. Learn more at www.Shoemaker.Space.

Reviews for Today I am Carey

[Sean Bigard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A thought provoking example of the evolution of an AI over the course of several human lifetimes. A great read.

[dokfintong · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Robots becoming more human-like has been a story line in SF for a century or longer if you consider Frankenstein. We especially remember Isaac Asimov's "I Robot" (1950) and "Caves of Steel" (1953-54), and the many movies of the past 20 years – "I Robot" (2004) comes to mind – Will Smith in the shower comes to mind – as do more recent offerings exploring AI.Do you remember in Terminator 2 Sarah Connor muses that T-800 is the father that John Conner never had. A perfect father in many ways. We can imagine that although ageless, the T-800 would change as John grew to be a man. We saw something of this evolved Terminator in the recent series installment "Terminator: Dark Fate" (2019). Carey is a robot caregiver who can instantly change his name and affect to meet the needs of his client. Through decades of caring for members of one family Carey grows loving and empathetic in some indescribable way, to become not human, but something different, something better, perhaps. The book is a pleasant read. There are echoes here of the growth phase of "Flowers for Algernon", I think. The idea of robots as caregivers is not new in any way, and although the robot empathy is well presented, I don't think this book will challenge your idea of sentient robots much at all.I am a judge for the Compton Crook Award competition for debut SF novels. "Today I am Carey" by Martin Shoemaker was a contender in 2020 and I received a review copy to evaluate.

[quondame · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This extremely well written tale of an AI becoming a real person is also an extreme work of emotional manipulation. Carey doesn't stage a planetary revolt or fight interstellar corporate piracy, it was designed with empathetic nets to care for patients with mental issues such as Alzheimer's and becomes the first and at least for the duration of the novel, only, self-aware android. The scale is always internal and mostly within one family. My issue is that like a dog is bred to love humans, Carey is made to care for them and while he is quite charming and clever, he is not a creature of free will. He develops, but only along a single axis.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Good, interesting story that drew me in and made me feel with the characters, until I was crying for most of the last three or four chapters. Very interesting ideas, as well - emergent AI, in an android designed for medical care, and the puzzle of why this one and none of the others, mechanically identical. But mostly it's about Carey figuring out who it is, and its family and their struggles and joys. Fascinating, wonderful, I loved it, are there any more from this author? Maybe not yet, but I hope more soon.