The Year's Top Robot and AI Stories

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.