One of my favorite movies as a kid was Flight of the Navigator, directed by Randal Kleiser in 1978. Though its release was nearly a decade before my time, it still seemed futuristic enough to me in 1994. What if a mysterious, silver-y ship liked me enough to let me climb aboard and fly around together? Great, pass the Dramamine.
FotN (and my local SciWorks, a now-closed kids’ science museum) became the launch pad for my love of science fiction, where weirdos are not only accepted, but welcome. To be an interesting character in a good science fiction story, you don’t have to be human. The ship AI playing a major role in FotN was one of my favorite aspects for a few reasons:
- I wanted to ditch my human form and be a ship instead! I still do. If not a ship, then at least something less attached to this mortal coil. Fun increases, IBS decreases—what’s not to love? (Oh my god. Why hasn’t someone written a story about a sentient ship with IBS???)
- Strange, unexpected, creative things are pretty much the only captivating subjects to my lil neurodivergent brain. Regular humans interacting as a form of entertainment can only hold my attention for so long. I need the weird.
- When I was growing up, personal computers with a dial-up internet connection were still uncommon. (It’s a long way to say It Was the Nineties.*) I petitioned for our family computer ad nauseam, and, as you can imagine, I was beyond stoked when my dad finally caved. Communicating with people through an interface rather than my actual face was appealing due to my bad perm, ugly glasses, braces, and generally not knowing what to do with my arms when other people were looking at me. A computer—with internet!!!—stored in a spare room attached to my bedroom was a huge daydream expansion pack. What if I could live inside a ship with a sentient computer? My many physical needs could be supported by ship tech! I could still have a social life via online communication! Perfect fantasy, no notes. (Ah, to be too young to know that social media within a capitalist global framework = unregulated nightmare!)
My brother, Ben, and yours truly all decked out for Easter church service. This was pre-braces but, as you can see, I already had a lot going on.
*It Was the Nineties is a phrase I will forever hear in my head as a little autotune ditty thanks to Kevin James Thornton’s TikToks. This one is relatable due to my Southern Baptist upbringing. We totally did that kind of shit.
Naturally, sentient ships became a special interest in my reading life as an adult. (Oops, is my On The Spectrum showing?) If you haven’t read these, here are my faves:
The Imperial Radch Trilogy by Anne Leckie
These books blew my mind. They demand full attention, but it’s worth the time. Before this series, I’d never thought about a human and sentient ship essentially having a romantic, asexual relationship—any relationship more than friendship, really. That dynamic adds such a unique heart to the rest of this very complex, political, action-filled, moral-examination of a story.
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
ART (an acronym I won’t spoil) is not the main character, but it plays a crucial role throughout the novellas. ART has that winning combo of high levels of intelligence and snark. I also loved how ART and Murderbot’s relationship strengthened in turmoil and eventually evolved into something that ranks high on feelings charts. My feelings, anyway.
The Protectorate Series by Megan E. O’Keefe
At first, this series reminded me of The Imperial Radch, but with a lighter (perhaps cornier) touch. I love a good sibling story (A+ family dynamics amidst chaos)—and smartfunny AIs on emotionally fraught journeys of self discovery and human bonding. And a little murder. I crunched through this series like popcorn. The second and third had me hooked even more than the first.
Honorable Mentions
It doesn’t have to be an all-time favorite to be great. I really enjoyed these, too!
- Wayfarers Series by Becky Chambers
- Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove
- Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson
My TBR
I’m still making my way through an ever-growing list of books with sentient ships. Not seeing your favorite on this list? Send me a recommendation.
- The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
- The Ship who Sang by Anne McCaffrey
- The Reality Dysfunction, Part 1: Emergence by Peter F. Hamilton
- The Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
- We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
- Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell
- Nophek Gloss by Essa Hansen
- Odyssey One by Evan Currie