A Masterpiece.

Can an artificial intelligence have a soul? Read on...

A beautiful book. I cried at the end, and I'm not generally such a sucker for books. It's a great book, thanks for lending it to me, Phillip!

another excellent book from PDB11!wow, can he pick good books!
I don't want to give too much of the plot away,or put people off reading it, so...
Well, it made me cry at the end, so it has to be good!!!
I have always liked Tanith Lee, but i've never read this book before, and i'm very glad i have now!

I'll be sending this back to PDB11, now I've finished with it!!

I'm offering this book up for a Perpetual Book Ray.

Please PM me with your BC screen name, your location, and where you're prepared to send things (e.g. "I'm PDB11, I live in England, and I'm prepared to send it anywhere in the world").

The ray will never close. I'll put together an initial list next week (all being well!); after that, any new requests will be put as near the end as possible while still keeping the shipping route sensible. (So I might add someone in Germany after the Brits but before any Americans)

Finally, the perpetual bit: if the book finally gets to the very end, the last person must offer the book up for another ray.

Here is the provisional list of participants in the ray. I haven't observed a strict first-come-first-served order, but have tried to give the book fairly short hops. I couldn't avoid two transatlantic crossings, though.

This list may well change as time goes on. The ray never closes! Watch this space...

Theresa-A, Nottingham
talkland, Sussex
Guinneth, New Hampshire
Raysyn, New York
sarajenni, New York
ALIVE, Florida
pchemphd, Florida
Tracyshannon, Alabama
Clawdette, Louisiana received June 25
Kymberlie, Texas
kellyhp, Texas
magicwritinggal, Arkansas
spark, California
bookwormmom2, Canada
WistfulDragon, London
Ench, Germany
Lisa-B, Germany
BlossomU, Portugal
tho, Portugal
jennysbkpgs, Sweden

The following are late entries (even if only by an hour or two!). People in this list will definitely be getting the book; when I decide how they best fit into the order, I shall move them to the main list. (If there are any more Europeans, I'd like to fit them in before the book goes transoceanic again...)

starbytes, Malaysia
Rendiru, California
Bkwrm23, New Jersey
Lorelei03, New York
Jag624, Virginia
Jalna, North Wales
Loonybanana, Gloucestershire
Mytilusgirl, Devon
Cloggy, London.

Each person will be responsible for PMing the next person on the list for a shipping address and sending the book on. If possible, please make a journal entry when you receive the book so that we can all track its progress.

Enjoy the book!

PS The book ring has grown so long that some people have given up waiting and bought their own copies. Or just given up waiting.... Much as I'd like to see journal entries on my book, I actually thoroughly recommend buying your own copy! Dropped out so far:

cjsewpink, Australia
jas330, Washington

Thanks PDB11, 'The Silver Metal Lover' has arrived. I'm looking forward to reading it :-)

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but this certainly wasn't it!! I really enjoyed 'The Silver Metal Lover' - it was so unrealistic, yet so real at the same time. I thought it might be a bit difficult to get into, but the story very quickly had me hooked. I would have preferred a different ending, but I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you, PDB11, for giving me this opportunity :-)

'The Silver Metal Lover' is on his way to talkland. Happy Reading :-)

Sorry I didn't journal I had received the book before now, I have been offline for a few days due to a family emergency. I will write again when I have finished the book.

Did anyone get frustrated that Jane was such a cry-baby? I think she spent a fair portion of the book in blubbering, she definitely bursts into tears at a drop of a hat. Very tiresome! That little moan out of the way, and I can say that I enjoyed the book very much [apart from all the weeping Jane did].

It is a beautifully told story where the writing flowed and the descriptions of the world in the future didn't get too technical like some science-fiction novels get. It is told by Jane a sixteen year girl who falls in love with Silver who is an artificial life-form. [I not going to call him a robot as it conjures up an image of 'Robbie The Robot'.] Silver looks and behaves in a very human way and apart from a slightly silverish cast to his "skin" passes as human very easily.

The novel can be read on many different levels. It is a classic love story where a girl falls for someone different from expected. It is about growing-up and Jane like Silver developing beyond the programming of her creator [her mother]. It is also about questions and ideas and the book throws up many interesting ones. Is Jane as artificial as Silver? She was made by technology just as Silver was and programmed too. Can Artificial Intelligence achieve sentience? What are emotions? Are they just programmed reactions? Can an artificial life-form such as Silver have a soul? These are huge philosophical questions which the book poses and these are the reasons the novel is a great piece of science-fiction writing. It is greatly helped by Tanith Lee's style where one isn't bludgeoned into thinking about issues but rather subtly nudged.

Released on Monday, October 06, 2003 at fellow bookcrosser in Eastbourne, England United Kingdom.

Off and away to the USA

Got it! SML is safe & sound with me, and I'm starting in on it immediately.

I first read The Silver Metal Lover almost two decades ago, and I think it affected me even more today than it did then. I *adore* this book. Tanith Lee has the ability to draw you in to a world of her creation so completely that when you stop reading you feel like what you see around you is the non-reality. SML is no exception: the post-asteroid world, the characters, everything is so fully realized that it seems as though you are actually there. And, of course, the important part: one of the most beautiful love stories ever told, imo. Tears? I probably rivalled Jane (Jaen, Jain) herself during the last third of the novel. I stayed up very late to finish this last night! Thank you so, so much for sharing this book, PDB11. I am very grateful to have rediscovered this old friend, and will almost certainly have to hunt down a copy of my own now.

Mailing this off to Raysyn tomorrow.

This came while I was home for the holidays. I have one other book to finish first, but I can't wait to read it.

I enjoyed this book more and more as I read, I think because I like the main character more and more. She evolves. She's a totally different person at the end of the book, someone I'd like to be friends with, which was certainly not true of her at the beginning. Thanks PBD11 for letting me read it.

I've sent out the book on. Happy reading.

I received The Silver Metal Lover today,January 21.Thank you Sarajenni for sending it along to me.Thaks also for the nice note you sent.
Thank you to PDB11 for starting this book as a perpetual bookray.I really think I will enjoy this book.
Will journal and make release notes when finished.

Vickie

P.S. Thank you for the postcard PDB11, that will continue to travel with the book.I think it's nice to see where others live.

PDB11,I can't thank you enough for offering this book as a perpetual book ray.This is a masterpiece.I don't want to spoil this book for anyone so I keep this short.This is the most beautiful of any love story I have ever read.I cried and cried.For a book to hit me so emotionally is a sure sign of its greatness.
I will send it on to pchemphd when I receive her address.
Vickie

Released on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 at Given to another bookcrosser in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Released to pchemphd.I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.Sending this book is like letting a friend go.It was that good.
I forgot to mention in my journal notes that Guinneth sent along a postcard with this book of Portsmouth,New Hampshire,beautiful picture.Thanks,I will leave it in the book to pass on along with PD11 postcard with participants in this perpetual bookray.
Vickie

Found! (I'm catching up big time.) I'm reading it right now.

A very interesting book. Reminded me somewhat of Bladerunner. Thanks for sending it my way.

This book is going out in the mail today. Hope TracyShannon enjoys it!

Hi All! SML is safe & sound in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. I plan to get started reading it tonight. The postcards are a nice touch! I hope to find a nice one from this area to enclose. Thank you for including me PDB11. :) More later...

Great book! Yeah, I cried! I think sci-fi is at its best when it can take you to a totally fantastic place and yet the human condition remains the same--which this book did. As different as Jane's world is from mine, I could relate to her teenage angst and being obsessed with your first love. (Mine certainly was not as nice as Silver!)

Off to PM the next on the list!

recieved this yestercday..will journal when read

released to Kymberlie on 11/10...great book! I"m not much into sci fi or fantasy but I really enjoyed this book.

I am officially declaring this book lost in the post. I shall transfer the remaining participants on the book ray to a new ray

Since the book got lost in the USA and the new copy is back here in England, the participants will be in a different order, so if this copy does turn up again, it can safely be sent to the next person.