Clementine Chang goes to work for the famed roboticist, Dr. Lin. But when Clem meets Dr. Lin’s creation, Kye, her world—and her heart—are turned upside down.
Clementine Chang goes to work for the famed roboticist, Dr. Lin. But when Clem meets Dr. Lin’s creation, Kye, her world—and her heart—are turned upside down.
When Clementine Chang moved to Mars, she was hoping for a fresh start. On top of that, though, she also walked into an amazing opportunity.
You see, Clem landed a job with the famous Dr. Lin, a roboticist and author whose writings inspired her younger self. In fact, Clem’s own doll-sized bot, SENA (short for Sentient Emphatic Neurobonded Animatronic), came into being directly because of Dr. Lin’s research.
However, when the admitted fangirl first meets her idol, she isn’t as wowed by Dr. Lin as she is by the scientist’s creation: Kye. Kye is a custom-built bot, fleshed out in a tall, human-like form. He’s brilliant. He’s personable. And, frankly, he’s flat-out gorgeous.
Yeah, I know, a human isn’t supposed to think about an AI creation like that. But Clem just can’t help it. And she can sense that Kye is dealing with some unexpected things (emotions?), too. In fact, some struggles between Kye and Dr. Lin feel very similar to the turmoil that Clem and her mom went through.
She and Kye seem to have a lot in common. And when Kye reveals that he needs help with something, Clementine and SENA readily agree to do all they can.
The problem is, whether you’re an AI or a human, when you start digging down into your core programming, you can sometimes find unexpectedly dark things there. And they aren’t always easy to look at.
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Even though Kye raises questions about his responsibility to his “creator,” the book takes a very science-focused approach to human existence. Someone states their assertion that humans “came from fragments of stars.” And since they, in turn, created AI, “we are all part of that same system,” the speaker proclaims.
Clem works with a young woman named Nadiya who always wears a Hijab. (Nadiya never brings up her religion or faith.)
The individuals in positions of authority—Dr. Lin and Clem’s Mom—aren’t seen through a very positive lens. They’re both demanding and narcissistic who appear to be emotionally damaged. And they both have painful circumstances in their own past. Power and authority are not pleasant things in their hands.
The tale’s one older figure who is caring and considerate is a former mentor of Dr. Lin’s named Dr. Han. This learned roboticist not only gives aid to Dr. Lin but helps both Clem and Kye with their personal struggles. Dr. Han also suggests that AI can reach a point of consciousness. And she declares that when it does so, humans must be required to give AI its autonomy.
In fact, we see Clem do that with Kye from the moment she meets him, treating him kindly and being sensitive to his needs. “You’re allowed to want things for yourself as well,” she tells him.
Early dialogue entries represent foul language with a group of symbols, such as “$@#&!” But as the story unfolds more real language issues creep in, including the use of an f-word, and repeated exclamations of “h—” and “a–hole.” God’s name is combined with “d–n” once.
Dr. Lin is apparently easily angered. She yells heatedly at people on the phone. And we see that anger aimed at Kye as she makes servant-focused demands of him and openly criticizes his efforts as being less than perfect. The doctor yells out, “Never forget: I made you! And I can unmake you just as easily.”
Dr. Lin’s behavior causes Clementine to flash back to childhood memories of her mother, who was also angry and abusive. We see Mom slap and scream at her daughter. The book uses these instances to point out how destructive and harmful anger and abuse can be.
As Clementine and Kye grow closer, their relationship eventually becomes romantic. They embrace and kiss on several occasions. And in one instance it appears that they are going to become even more intimate before one of them suggests they wait until they can be assured of privacy. By story’s end, they move into an apartment together, with a single bed.
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The Infinity Particle is a science-fiction graphic novel that dives into the idea of human/AI romance. But the story also deals broadly with issues of physical and emotional parent/child abuse, which could be triggering for some readers. The book is definitely aimed at older teens and young adults. Its foul language, though sparse, includes an f-word and a harsh misuse of God’s name.
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Review by Bob Hoose
