Machine Learning

New and Collected Stories

De: Hugh Howey

Narrado por: Gabra Zackman, Scott Aiello, Hugh Howey

A collection of shockingly prescient stories covering topics from aliens to AI, including some that have never before been seen, from the New York Times best-selling author of the Silo trilogy

Hugh Howey is known for crafting riveting and immersive page-turners of boundless imagination, spawning millions of fans worldwide, first with his best-selling novel Wool, and then with other enthralling works such as Sand and Beacon 23.

Now comes Machine Learning, an impressive collection of Howey’s science fiction and fantasy short fiction, including three stories set in the world of Wool, two never-before-published tales written exclusively for this volume, and fifteen additional stories collected here for the first time. “Glitch” asks what happens when a battle bot refuses to fight. “The Automated Ones” introduces ideas of discrimination in a world populated by both humans and AI, and its sequel “WHILE (u > i) i –;” explores the challenges a human woman and an android face after falling in love. In “Select Character” a new mother who is bored with being stuck at home starts playing her husbands’ video game according to her own rules—and makes a surprising discovery. These stories explore everything from artificial intelligence to parallel universes to video games, and each story is accompanied by an author’s note exploring the background and genesis of each story.

Howey’s incisive mind makes Machine Learning: New and Collected Stories a compulsively readable and thought-provoking selection of short works—from a modern master at the top of his game.

©2017 Hugh Howey (P)2026 Blackstone Publishing

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Each story is followed by insightful author’s notes. A thoroughly engaging collection with a dark sense of humor but its finger always on the pulse of genuine human concerns.”

“Howey’s writing is taut and immersive, and his characters’ perspectives will fascinate, no matter how inhuman they are.”

Brilliant stories

So far, I have read the first section of the book, Aliens and Alien worlds, containing four stories. It's excellent!

Hugh Howey is at his core a short story writer. Even the Silo books were originally published as short stories, now compiled into novels, so he is in his element here. (Isaac Asimov did the same, and even Charles Dickens published his works as serials, so he's in good company.)

Howey is a master of the gut-punching sci-fi twist. The stories are gripping and thought-provoking. The author's afterword on the stories gives extra context on what they mean to him. We are off to a great start, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the stories, including the conclusion of the Silo saga.

(I'm writing this early review because Audible re-created the audiobook for some reason, and all the reviews were lost. I will update my review when I finish it.)

After Wool, big disappointment

Too much sex, defecation and foul language. The stories may be ok, but I want to read a higher class author, with enough creativity to not use cheap tactics. Ugh!