Saturn's Children

Stross himself calls this novel a "space opera and late period Heinlein tribute", referring to Heinlein's Friday. A Charles Stross sci-fi novel is always an entertaining read, and the cover of Saturn's Children suggests the same with an attractive, shapely android gracing the front cover. Though the cover would suggest a pulpy sci-fi piece (and I don't deny a healthy dosage of sexuality in Saturn's Children, given the protagonist is a sex-bot), this novel seamlessly mixes intelligent issues of ethical robot existence, constant thematic references to the works of Heinlein, Asimov, and Asimov's Law of Robotics. The novel follows Freya Nakamichi-47 (a nod to Heinlein's Friday) in the future where humanity is extinct and android society lives in an aristotic/feudal state throughout the solar system. Freya is a courtesan, and without the human race that she has been designed and trained to satisfy, she becomes a courier for the Jeeves Corporation, learning of a conspiracy against the android society. Freya becomes embroiled in this conspiracy that uses detailed world building, and clever technology to highlight the difficulties in socio-economics. Saturn's Children was nominated for the 2009 Hugo Award and was a finalist for the 2009 Prometheus Award. A sequel to Saturn's Children is due for release on July 2, 2013, called Neptune's Brood.