Mind Transfer

by Janet Asimov

Adam Durant's experiences with mind transfer and his adventures on both a human space colony and a robot world test the validity of humanity's growth through artificial intelligence.

Genres: Science Fiction, Robots

312 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Also known as: Janet Jeppson Asimov, Janet O. Jeppson, J.O. Jeppson

Janet Asimov was an American science fiction writer, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst. She originally wrote as J.O. Jeppson. She was an accomplished novelist and short-story writer who sometimes worked in collaboration with her husband, the late Isaac Asimov. Among the Asimovs' joint ventures as writers is the series of juvenile novels involving an endearing robot, Norby, and his young owner, Jeff Wells.

Reviews

[Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really creative book, the first book I have read by Janet Asimov, and she does not disappoint as a science fictionalist. The robots in this book are self-aware. They were originally created as much "smarter" robots by humans in order to transfer their own minds to them when their bodies aged,so they could enjoy a "second life." However, as expected, lots of humans are against this.

Humans have colonized parts of space by now, so that is interesting, and at some point in the book they are faced with being cut off from Earth, and just going ahead with the illegal mind transfers. IN the meantime, some of these robots that were intended for mind transfers have become self-aware (AI) and it's fascinating!

It's just, in a word, absolutely fascinating. I wish it was a series.

[Timothy Gretler · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Everything changes, yet this changing moment is eternity." Slow start, but interesting take on robots and the future of humanity. That's pretty much most 80's sci-fi right? The story picked up once the planet Far made its appearance.

[G.A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un po’ una delusione dalla moglie di un genio come Asimov. Ha buttato in mezzo tutta la fantascienza conosciuta, dai robot agli alieni, dal trasferimento mentale (che sinceramente immagino come trasferimento di coscienza e non di registrazione) ai viaggi interspaziali, ma alla fine il libro dice veramente poco.

[Kevyn Amezcua · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does not grab your attention at the start but if you are patient and open minded this book will satisfy the philosophical mind. Janet Asimov in her own right is a brilliant writer and does not shy away from taboo. The novel not only makes you question the possibility of uploading a persons conscience to a robot is possible, it also makes you question sentience of both organic and inorganic, and the the universe itself.

[Vicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Two chapters in, I'm not impressed. The reviews on Amazon.com aren't good either. So I'm not sure I'm going to finish this one. I hope her other books are better.

[Claire Carton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good heavens, but this person cannot write. At all.. if she were not an Asimov nepo baby, I have no idea how anyone would publish this dreck. The dialogue is so stilted. To say the characters are one dimensional would be giving them extra dimensions. Half the time it’s unclear wtf is even going on, much less why. I mean this book is literally painful to read. I’ve read plenty of bad books in my day, but I have to say this one might exceed every one of them in terms of baffling incomprehensibility and unintentional lulz.

[Otto]

A

[alina virgilyn c. brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mind Transfer, ah, what can I say? I suppose that it was a good book overall, and looking back upon the plot it was interesting enough but I can't say that I enjoyed the book while reading it. I was around ten years old, and oh gosh, there's some serious sex scenes between a twelve-year old and fourteen-year old, I believe, that were extremely detailed! The romance and break-ups seemed too soapy for a sci-fi novel, and some of the facts were incorrect (such as the details of photons, all that junk was incorrectly stated). But looking at it without a critical eye, I suppose it wasn't terrible. I've put it in my midteens-present bookshelf simply because I feel that I should have read it, if at all, at a later age where I wouldn't have been so "scarred," by the graphic, smutty sex scenes.

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some things in here that I don't think we're really necessary, but I thought it was pretty interesting overall.