Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

Robot VS Android
We just got some feedback from our beta readers, as usual, it was constructive and insightful. Thanks beta readers.

I have two questions and I’m hoping for some comments from the Goodreads book club members.

The book is futuristic, there are humanlike house helpers and then there are the “mechs” who definitely don’t look human, they can be spiderlike or snakelike, etc. A beta read thinks we should call them all androids, we are calling them all robots.

1 – Would it be confusing to you, the reader if we called some robots (the mechs) and some androids (the humanlike)?

2 – Is the term android as popular/recognizable a term as robot for the general reader?

The book is the Neuromorphs [http://dennismeredith.com/the-neuromo...] and please note I do not add the link for promotion, just if you need/want more information.

Regards,

Joni
Joanne Meredith
[email protected]

1) I would not find those separate terms confusing: it seems to me that the objects they describe are sufficiently different.

2) My limited understanding of android is that of a machine which can simulate, or be taken for an actual human; whereas a robot I would expect to have a more machinelike appearance, even if it was generally shaped like a human.

3) Perhaps the machines which appear humanoid would be considered companions, or helpers, or aides, by a society; whereas other automatons might just regarded as tools (robots, bots, skyhooks). I believe that as long as the people within the society are comfortable with it, that can help the reader be accepting of it, as well.

Just a thought. I hope it helps.

Respectfully,

J. A. Stubbs

J. A.,
Thanks, that is really helpful. Here is a further question then:

the story involved three types of "creatures"

-- Humanlike ones that we can call "androids"

-- Human-shaped, plastic-clad Helpers that we can call "mechs."

--Then, there are spiderlike military Defenders. Should they be called "robots"?

Regards,
Joni
Joanne Meredith
[email protected]

To my mind, robot is a very generic term. There are so many types of robots which are possible, that the term does little to narrow down the kind of machine you wish to indicate.

In fact "androids", and "mechs" are like different classes, or types, of robot. I would suggest that how the people in the story refer to them could be influenced by how they feel about them.

If they are military then perhaps they should be called mechs, or tanks, or skrags, or any type of designation that denotes creatures which are dangerous, or powerful, or aggressive, or defensive.

The idea being that a more individualized kind of name, or class, could help to add a distinctive feel to the story. It could also help to give a sense of how, and how well, these machines fit within a community.

Respectfully,

J. A. Stubbs