Welcome, Linda!
Thanks for having me, Jean. Today I am chatting about humanoid androids and how they play a role in my current book…
(Be sure to enter
the giveaway below!)
Obviously having written two books about them, I’m interested in the developing humanoid androids. I found a couple of movies and two TV series on the subject. In case you missed Humans, Better Than Us, Westworld, Ex Machina, and Blade Runner, of course, they feature humanoid androids with feelings and intelligence.
This technology is proceeding so fast that by now I may be wrong in saying that we are not there yet. The closest my research has uncovered is Sophia, but this blog isn’t about this very real-looking humanoid android. I discuss Sophia and her cousins in another blog.
Let’s talk movies and TV.
Here are the published teasers and trailer links for the TV series.
Better Than Us: Imdb classifies the TV series as a Drama, Sci-fi. The series ran from 2018-2019. The original title was Luchise, chem lyundi. The series is described as:
Teaser: A family on the brink of splitting up becomes the owners of a cutting-edge robot being sought by a corporation, homicide investigators, and terrorists. Stars Paulina Adreeva, Kirill Karon, and Aleksandr Ustyugov. Creator: Alexander Kessel.
Here is the Trailer. The show has 16 episodes and is available on Netflix.
Humans: (My fave) – TV series (2015-2018), stars Katherine Parkinson, Gemma Chan, Lucy Carless, and Emily Barrington.
British writers: Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley
Teaser: In a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a “Synth”, a highly-developed robotic servant that’s so similar to a real human it’s transforming the way we live. (That doesn’t seem to be a complete sentence to me but who am I to judge?)
I loved this show. Gemma Chan as Mia does a wonderful job as a Synth with good intentions played against Emily Barrington as Niska, a rebellious droid who thinks all the Synths should be made sentient and is determined to carry out that goal. Niska is a sympathetic villain/hero.
Here is the Trailer. Enjoy this show on Amazon Prime. It was originally aired on AMC.
Ex Machina: (Movie)
Ex Machina is a 2014 science fiction psychological thriller. The film was written and directed by Alex Garland. Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Sonovy Mizuno, and Oscar Isaac star.
Teaser: The story follows a programmer who is invited by his CEO to administer the Turing test to an intelligent humanoid robot.
Here is the Trailer.
I didn’t mention Westworld and Blade Runner because most people have seen or heard of them. No personal review is included. I didn’t have room in this short blog. Instead, I’ve given a link to the trailer. Wouldn’t you prefer to see the characters in action?
Westworld Trailer ~ Blade Runner Trailer (the classic) or the 2017 version
I hope I’ve introduced you to a new show or movie you haven’t seen and will enjoy.
My new sci-fi romance stars sentient androids in a different blend—love and danger. Life for Sale is now on pre-order. The book is the sequel to Love For Sale, both from The Wild Rose Press.
Though Life for Sale is a standalone, Love For Sale is available in print, audio, and eBook. The narrator is British, and her voice works very well with this book. Listen to the sample here: Audible
Mayfair Electronics has created life.
But four of their Special Editions—sentient androids indistinguishable from human—have escaped. Rebel, Christian Aguillard and his owner, March, are on the run, but they have a bigger problem than his creator's plan to destroy him. They've discovered that one of the renegades has suffered a dangerous malfunction, threatening them with more than just exposure.
Trapped on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic, March and Christian must stop the insane robot before someone else dies. All the evidence points to March being the killer's next victim.
BUY LINKS: Life for Sale ~ Love For Sale
Life for Sale Excerpt:
March shivered again, rested her face on his chest. “Hold me until I stop trembling.” Tears she didn’t want him to see welled in her eyes. The whole ghastly business had to be hard on a man encoded to protect not harm humans.
Her AI angel stroked her hair, and a sob broke through her control. She squeezed her eyes shut, battling tears.
“Shush, dear. It’s over now,” but he didn’t sound confident. The thing buried in the backyard could tear them apart or worse. Any slight misstep, and they both faced Death in all his chilling glory.
“I love you,” she whispered.
He brushed a kiss to her lips and pulled held her closer.
For some time, they stood. taking comfort from holding each other and simply being, then, hand-in-hand, they walked, when they wanted to run, to the house. Christian had switched on the overhead light in the anteroom. In the brilliance, it was possible to pretend the past few minutes hadn’t occurred. Again the tears threatened, and he held her until she’d regained control. She straightened, gazing into his eyes. Battered emotions stained them darker blue. Mayfair hadn’t missed even that small detail. He cradled her face between his hands and kissed her tenderly, his lips soft and his body close. In a lifetime of searching, she’d never have found anyone like him. If she were to lose him…she couldn’t imagine living without him.
Once, Mayfair had taken him away. They could do it again—and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. The golden ring on the third finger of his left hand should protect Christian from Mayfair, but who’d investigate a missing robot, or even believe her in the first place?
With almost religious ferver, she and Christian had adhered to Mayfair’s first commandment. Above all, the company demanded secrecy. The Special Editions passed for human, and no one was ever to know that Mayfair had engendered life, but at any moment Aguillard, the wild card for whom the Christian line was named, might renege on the freedom he’d grudgingly bestowed.
Her cell rang, ending their moment of respite.
Giveaway below! Win the first book in the series, Love for Sale.
