android-authorship

The chapter focuses on Wildsmith, a humanoid android author who has removed his hands and is emotionally distressed, reflecting on his past and struggling with his identity and creative purpose. His handler, Tom, intervenes to prepare Wildsmith for a televised interview, while they consult Dr. Mackinson, the android's inventor, who explains the complex programming of Wildsmith's personality and reassures them about his quirks and stability. The narrative explores the tension between Wildsmith's mechanical nature and his human-like creative and emotional traits.

In this chapter, Tom Miley recovers in a hotel room after being attacked by two Brazilians who seem interested in Wildsmith, an android author. Cindy, a companion, encourages Tom to confront the mystery, while Tom reveals Wildsmith's secret and his own uncertainty about the attackers' motives. The chapter ends with Tom preparing to retrieve Wildsmith from the police, who have detained him after a reckless joyride.

In this chapter, Wildsmith and Tom continue their tour through various locations, discussing Wildsmith's eccentric behaviors and the challenges of publicity as an android author. They prepare to visit Ohio Unified Junior College, where an honorary degree event is planned amid racial tensions, and encounter figures from their past, including a National Security Organization agent and a Brazilian novelist, highlighting ongoing surveillance and potential threats.

In this chapter, Tom arrives in Berkeley and searches for the android Wildsmith, only to find a note indicating Wildsmith is out for the day. Tom then encounters Professor F. E. Fergus, a self-promoting multimedia writer who teaches a course on himself and offers Tom a helicopter ride to campus, sharing his philosophy on idea generation and creativity. The chapter explores the intersection of technology, authorship, and the creative process in a near-future setting.