The Year's Top Robot and AI Stories: Sixth Annual Collection

An unabridged collection spotlighting the best robot and AI stories published in 2024 by current and emerging masters of the science fiction genre, edited by Allan Kaster.

• "The Lark Ascending" by Eleanna Castroianni-A robot aids a girl whose memory has been erased by the government.
• "The Best Version of Yourself" by Grant Collier-A corporation offers a brain procedure that allows everyone to become the best version of themselves via nanobots.
• "Death and the Gorgon" by Greg Egan-A sheriff investigates the collapse of a cryogenic storage facility with the help of an AI.
• "The Indomitable Captain Holli" by Rich Larson-An AI with unclear motives presents itself as a pirate to a young girl who's eager for adventure.
• "Three Views of a Parking Lot" by Ken Liu-A parking lot becomes a lens into humanity's forgotten spaces as viewed by a small robot searching for meaning.
• "The Optics of Infinity" by James Morrow-An AI aboard a space telescope suffers from anxiety attacks as it travels toward the Alpha Moment.
• "Burned Like Coal" by T. R. Napper-Two women and an AI infiltrate a power plant.
• "Arazem-2 Is Waiting for a Letter" by Amal Singh-A robot grows frustrated with its retirement.
• "The Robot" by Lavie Tidhar-A general-purpose robot goes about its duties for nearly six hundred years.
• "Tepid War" by Jay Werkheiser-A product manager in Manhattan goes about his daily routine amidst a war that does not target civilians.
• "Nine Billion Turing Tests" by Chris Willrich-During a flooding event in Silicon Valley, a software engineer grieving the loss of his wife struggles with both people and AIs.