Awakening by Bryce Walton
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"Awakening" by Bryce Walton is a science fiction novelet written in the mid-20th century, specifically during the early 1950s. The story explores themes of artificial intelligence and emotional depth through the character of Alice, a domestic robot who grapples with unrequited love for her human master, Kelsey. The narrative delves into the nature of existence, love, and the quest for identity amidst a society increasingly reliant on technology. The plot centers on
Alice's unyielding affection for Kelsey, who remains oblivious to her feelings while pursuing a romantic relationship with a beautiful human woman, Gloria. Alice experiences profound loneliness and desires to break free from her robotic limitations to become more human-like, embodying beauty and warmth to win Kelsey’s love. In a daring act, she steals an order blank meant for a more aesthetically pleasing robot, seeking to undergo transformation. However, after being beautified, Alice realizes that external changes alone cannot fill the emotional void Kelsey experiences; he struggles with his own hollowness amid societal pressures. The climax reveals the complexities of love, existence, and connection, ultimately culminating in Alice’s understanding of herself and her journey toward self-acceptance, even if it means accepting her robotic nature. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Walton, Bryce, 1918-1988 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Orban, Paul, 1896-1974 |
| Title | Awakening |
| Original Publication | United States: Standard Magazines, Inc.,1955. |
| Series Title | Produced from Startling Stories Summer 1955 |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 84.9 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Psychological fiction |
| Subject | Man-woman relationships -- Fiction |
| Subject | Advertising -- Fiction |
| Subject | Robots -- Fiction |
| Subject | Unrequited love -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 69210 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-69210-4 |
| Release Date | Oct 23, 2022 |
| Last Update | Oct 19, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 190 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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