Autonomous (2017)

Autonomous is a 2017 science fiction novel by Annalee Newitz. It is Newitz's debut novel and was published by Tor Books on September 19, 2017. Set in a near future Earth, the book describes a world where both humans and intelligent robots can be owned as property. The events of the novel follow Jack, a "drug pirate" who manufactures illegal versions of patented drugs, and Paladin, a combat robot who is owned by the law enforcement agency searching for Jack after one of the drugs she reverse-engineered turns out to have dangerous side effects.

Autonomous received generally positive reviews from critics. Critics in particular found the novel's coverage of intellectual property compelling and connected the book's fiction to Newitz's prior work in journalism covering science and technology. It won the 2018 Lambda Literary Award for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror and was nominated for several other awards, including the Nebula Award for Best Novel.

Plot

In 2144, Jack Chen is a chemist who reverse engineers patented pharmaceuticals to manufacture generic versions which she sells on the black market. She lives on a submarine in the Arctic Sea, outside of the Free Trade Zone, an economic union which covers the majority of North America. Jack steals an experimental drug called Zacuity, a "productivity enhancer" which causes the user to experience a pleasurable sensation while working. Jack discovers that the drug has addictive properties intentionally engineered by Zaxy, the corporation that created it. After several hospitalizations and deaths are connected to black market Zacuity, Jack finds herself on the run from legal authorities. She is joined by Threezed, an escaped indentured human.

Paladin is a newly activated combat robot owned by the International Property Coalition, or IPC, an international law enforcement organization that handles patent infringement. They are assigned to handle the Zacuity case alongside Eliasz, a human agent who enjoys the violent aspects of his work. Paladin is indentured to Eliasz and incapable of acting autonomously. While at a shooting range with Paladin, Eliasz becomes aroused. Eliasz berates Paladin using homophobic slurs after they question him about it, as he perceives Paladin as male and is ashamed by his arousal.

Flashbacks reveal that 30 years ago Jack was in a relationship with Krish Patel, a fellow bioengineer and anti-patent activist, but they had a falling out which led to Jack's turn to piracy. In the present, Jack and Threezed head to Krish's lab in Saskatoon. They pass through Yellowknife, where they meet Med, an autonomous robot who has been independently researching the Zacuity cases. Med joins Jack and Threezed at Krish's lab, where they develop a drug called RetCon intended to be a counteractive to the addictive properties of Zacuity. After publishing RetCon for public use, Med and Threezed find out that it cures Zacuity addiction but people who were addicted for too long become somehow averse to working.

Meanwhile, Eliasz is drugged while undercover at a party in Casablanca, and Eliasz and Paladin have sex. Paladin tells Eliasz that their brain came from a female soldier, and Eliasz begins to refer to Paladin as female. Eliasz travels to Las Vegas and sends Paladin to Vancouver. In order to go undercover in Vancouver's community of autonomous bots, Paladin is given a temporary "autonomy key". While autonomous, Paladin examines their own programming and learns that they are programmed to feel a strong sense of attachment to Eliasz.

Eliasz arrives in Vancouver and reconnects with Paladin. Eliasz and Paladin find Krish's lab and confront Krish and Med. Eliasz tortures Krish and kills him after learning Jack's location in Moose Jaw. Jack sets a trap and manages to hold Paladin and Eliasz off long enough for Med and Threezed to arrive. Paladin is gravely wounded in the ensuing fight, and Eliasz has the opportunity to shoot Jack but chooses instead to go back for Paladin.

Jack is officially presumed dead after the firefight. Med publishes her research into Retcon and the drug becomes a widespread treatment for Zacuity addicts. Zaxy conducts a successful PR campaign denying the claims that the black market drug was the same as Zacuity. Paladin recovers from their damage with their autonomy intact but is no longer recognized by the IPC, and Eliasz and Paladin depart together for Mars.

Background, style, and themes

Newitz has a background in journalism. They founded io9, a science fiction and futurism blog that was part of Gawker Media, in 2008 and remained editor of the publication until they left in 2015. Newitz's non-fiction coverage at io9 included stories that focused on themes they would later incorporate into Autonomous, such as medical technology and the changing landscape of intellectual property.

Though some events take place in Las Vegas and Casablanca, the majority of the events of the novel are set in present-day Canada. Newitz was raised in California but had family members in Canada and spent holidays in Saskatchewan. According to Newitz, they chose Saskatchewan as the setting for the novel in part because they felt that it was "the kind of place that often gets forgotten" in favor of major metropolitan cities in depictions of the future. They noted the irony that many science-fiction television programs are filmed in Vancouver but depicted as taking place in the United States or other countries.