“Eager” by Helen Fox
“Eager” by Helen Fox is a wonderful science fiction book that explores the issues of a robot culture.
The story is set near the end of the twenty-first century, in a time when robots care for humans needs. When the Bell family’s faithful fifteen-year-old robot starts to break down they decide that they need a replacement. They want one of the elegant new BDC4 models. The BDC4 is so intelligent that the advertisements all say, “Robot by name, friend by nature.” But the BDC4 is too expensive, so when the family is given a new experimental model called EGR3, they are very grateful. However, they soon find out that the new one-of-a-kind robot, named Eager, is not quite like the BDC4’s, or for that matter, any other robots they are used to. Unlike most robots, which come preprogrammed to perform tasks, Eager is made to learn from his experiences, much as a child does.
At first the family is a little disappointed when they compare Eager to the new high-tech robots, but then strange rumors start to circulate. There is something strange about the new BDC4’s. Robots are acting unusually, and even taking people hostage. The Bells are thrown right into the midst of a frightening adventure, one in which Eager must play a key role.
“Eager” explores the theme of robots in great detail. Helen Fox depicts the relationship between humans and robots and shows the benefits and drawbacks of a robot culture. “Eager” shows us a child who spends more time with her life-like robot than she does with her best friend, and a family who cries over the “death” of their robot, who taught the children to ride bikes and cooked the family’s favorite meals. The book also delves into important issues such as “What does it mean to be alive?” I found “Eager” to be not only entertaining, but also enlightening. I would definitely recommend it as a quality addition to anyone’s reading list.
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