<p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">This week I share an amazing lecture Martha Wells gave on AI characters in science fiction stories. Quite often these stories involve the enslavement of sentient beings. She gives us a lot of food for thought and shares a little about the origins of her beloved character, Murderbot. I also talk (very) briefly about the heroine’s journey.</p><p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Links</p><p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Check out my novel, <a href="/criticalbalance"><em>Critical Balance</em></a><em>.</em></p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Have you read <em>Critical Balance</em>? Please<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?asin=B0FMCKXNDG&amp;channel=glance-detail&amp;ie=UTF8"> leave a review on Amazon</a>.</p><p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Links</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Subscribe via <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lexstarwalker.com/lol?format=rss">RSS</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lex-out-loud-writing-science-fiction/id1503935755">Apple Podcasts</a>, or <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3p1KLkgXwkdAnQrP8v7yDr">Spotify</a>.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Support the show on <a target="_blank" href="http://www.patreon.com/lexstarwalker">Patreon</a>.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a target="_blank" href="https://lexstarwalker.com/checkout/donate?donatePageId=5e877bba12a7e1791b0ede1b">Donate</a> to the show.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Follow me on <a target="_blank" href="https://bsky.app/profile/lexstarwalker.com">Bluesky</a>.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Join my <a target="_blank" href="https://discord.gg/YgyH2Q7ybp">Discord server</a>.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="mailto:[email protected]">Email me</a>.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Call My Voicemail: 951-465-5391</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Check out my <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/StarwalkerStudios">YouTube channel</a>.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Join <a target="_blank" href="https://discord.gg/YgyH2Q7ybp">my Book Club</a>, now on Discord.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.vavatch.co.uk/books/banks/cultnote.htm">A Few Notes on the Culture</a> by Iain M. Banks</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Start The Culture series with<em> </em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/Consider-Phlebas-Culture-Novel-Book-ebook/dp/B0013TX6FI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;sr=8-1"><em>Consider Phlebas</em></a><em> </em>or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/Player-Games-Culture-Iain-Banks/dp/0316005401/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1"><em>The Player of Games</em></a></p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Start<em> </em>The Murderbot Diaries<em> </em>with<em> </em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/All-Systems-Red-Murderbot-Diaries/dp/0765397536/ref=sr_1_6?sr=8-6"><em>All Systems Red</em></a></p><p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a target="_blank" href="https://tv.apple.com/us/show/murderbot/umc.cmc.5owrzntj9v1gpg31wshflud03">Murderbot show</a></p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a target="_blank" href="https://a.co/d/3Mo0T3x">Ancillary Justice</a> by Anne Leckie</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a target="_blank" href="https://a.co/d/hiTK5Za">The Heroine’s Journey</a> by Gail Carriger</p>