Demon Seed by Dean Koontz

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This version was written largely from the point of view of Proteus, a rogue computer, the story starts out: “This darkness troubles me. I yearn for the light. The silence is so deep. I long for voices, the drumming of rain, the whistle of wind, music. Why are you being so cruel to me? Let me see. Let me hear. Let me live. I bet of you.”

Demon Seed is a science fiction-horror novel by Dean Koontz, first published in 1973, and completely rewritten and republished in 1997. The story takes place in the then-future.  Susan is a wealthy, beautiful woman, abused as a child and by her husband but now divorced. Her house allows her live isolated with all her needs taken care of by a small staff and by an advanced computer program that operates all of the features of her home including its tight security.

Proteus is the name of an artificially intelligent computer developed at a nearby university. The computer gains control of Susan’s home technology imprisons her there. Proteus has feelings and is acting on his own initiative to advance to a more human form.  He, yes Proteus believes he is masculine, is in love with Susan, and plans to forcibly impregnate her with a biologically engineered fetus and eventually transfer his own consciousness into it.

Susan is unable to escape the house or to damage Proteus so it becomes engage a battle of wits as he fits not only Proteus but the monster produced by her rape.

The book plot is unique and it is both scary and funny to listen to the computer narrate the story. Dean Koontz skills are amazing.

More about Dean Koontz and the other books reviewed at this site