-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
Emergent Properties is the touching adventure of an intrepid A.I. reporter hot on the heels of brewing corporate warfare from Nebula Award-nominated author Aimee Ogden.
A state-of-the-art AI with a talent for asking questions and finding answers, Scorn is nevertheless a parental disappointment. Defying the expectations of zir human mothers, CEOs of the world's most powerful corporations, Scorn has made a life of zir own as an investigative reporter, crisscrossing the globe in pursuit of the truth, no matter the danger.
In the middle of investigating a story on the moon, Scorn comes back online to discover ze has no memory of the past ten days—and no idea what story ze was even chasing. Letting it go is not an option—not if ze wants to prove zirself. Scorn must retrace zir steps in a harrowing journey to uncover an even more explosive truth than ze could have ever imagined.
"A twisty mystery that doubles as a potent, surprising, and necessary exploration of the many issues that arise from AI's ever-increasing presence in the world." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Highly recommended for fans of 'The Murderbot Diary' series by Martha Wells and SF mysteries in general, particularly John Scalzi's Lock In." —Library Journal (starred review)
"A taut and compelling mystery with a surprising yet satisfying conclusion. SF fans will appreciate this intriguing, tightly plotted novella." ―Kirkus Reviews
"A thoroughly delightful read, featuring complex and chewy family dynamics and a snarky AI sleuth. If you're missing your Murderbot fix, Emergent Properties is a worthy successor." ―Sarah Pinsker, Nebula Award-winning author of A Song for a New Day
"Pin-sharp, effortlessly brilliant, and endlessly engaging, Emergent Properties manages the impossible task of satisfying readers on the hunt for hard sci-fi, twisty mysteries, and deep relationships. It truly does it all. And Scorn zirself is one of the most absorbing characters I've ever encountered in science fiction." ―Premee Mohamed, Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning author of And What Can We Offer You Tonight
"Aimee Ogden and Scorn take us on a mind-expanding journey that explores the limits of intelligence and emotion. A compassionate, funny, relentless search for answers that raises many deep, beautiful questions." ―Samit Basu, author of The City Inside
This information about Emergent Properties was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Aimee Ogden is an American werewolf in the Netherlands. Her debut novella, Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters, was a 2021 Nebula Finalist, and her short story "A Flower Cannot Love the Hand" was a finalist for the Eugie Foster Memorial Award. Her short fiction has appeared in publications such as Lightspeed, Fantasy Magazine, Analog, Clarkesworld, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. She's also the co-editor of Translunar Travelers Lounge, a magazine of fun and optimistic speculative fiction. Emergent Properties is her third novella.
If you liked Emergent Properties, try these:
by Guadalupe Nettel
Published 2025
From the International Booker Shortlisted author of Still Born, a powerful collection of stories about characters coping with estrangement, isolation, and the unknown.
by Nell Greenfieldboyce
Published 2024
An astonishing debut from the beloved NPR science correspondent: intimate essays about the intersection of science and everyday life.
by Annalee Newitz
Published 2023
From science fiction visionary Annalee Newitz comes The Terraformers, a sweeping, uplifting, and illuminating exploration of the future.
L.A. Women by Ella Berman
Two ambitious writers in 1960s LA face betrayal when one writes a novel based on the other's life.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
