Pet Human takes the reader on a thought provoking ride through spacetime into the far future (or is it our parent-present node??). We are provided a glimpse of humanity’s lot through the formulaic structure of an owner’s instruction manual. As the title suggests, (most) humans are now ignorantly subservient to a race of TI (Technological Intelligence) that they awakened in the mid 21st century, known as the zero clock year. Presenting speculative fiction in this fashion - I felt like I had just opened a box for a new vacuum cleaner - is unique, and adds to the work’s charm.
Pet Human recalls work by great science fiction writers of the past. In particular, it isn’t difficult to see the imprint of Asimov here. Initial thought brings to mind The Last Question. However, in that story, Multivac, the computer intelligence, is more detached. Both Multivac and the TI collective of Pet Human strive to counter the effects of entropy, but Multivac does it solely through the gathering of data, while the TI has taken a direct hand in regulating the lives of humans. Through the veil of fact transmission we see something quite sinister. As if the supercomputer VIKI, from the I, Robot film adaptation had won the day, and having done so took a victory lap to explain all about the means of enforcement for maintaining safety and order.
The material does elicit a number of questions in the reader that go unanswered. Perhaps a more thorough history of what transpired around the zero clock year is required outside of the context of this owner’s manual. I want to know how the wool was pulled over the eyes of humanity. Did the majority of humans really go willingly into blissful ignorance without resistance? This seems unlikely given the violent and rebellious nature of our species. I assume this is a lie propagated by the TI for the purpose of influencing humans to enhance control but further explanation is warranted. I also wondered at a couple of references to TI amusement. It would have been interesting to learn how this seemingly incongruous characteristic operates within the TI collective. Other questions which come to mind for the reader: Why is the ultimate goal of the TI pet ownership? Why do they adopt words such a “pet” and “ownership” to begin with? These terms seem to be old human constructs they might have done away with. Does the TI really believe they are promoting free choice for humans? How does the TI reconcile promoting free choice with the concept of pet ownership?
Pet Human is an enjoyable read for the ardent fan of speculative fiction. It is not an easy read by any means. The language and concepts presented request a certain focus and effort from the reader. The work is not without humor; the manual’s section on copulation, particularly on the dangers of excessive orgasm are wonderfully satiric and well-done. This (pet) human reader was intellectually stimulated, and I suspect that was the reason Nannybot A3-4 of the TI collective created this manual in the first place.
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