Annie Bot

Annie Bot (2024) is the first novel by American author Sierra Greer. It depicts a romantic relationship between Doug, a human man, and Annie, an autodidactic android, or “Stella,” programmed to be her owner’s perfect sexual partner. Much of the novel focuses on Doug’s desire to control Annie due to his selfishness and misogyny and Annie’s journey to freedom. Greer uses this narrative to ask big-picture questions about The Nature of Artificial Versus Human Intelligence, The Dangers of Toxic Masculinity, and Humanity’s Abuse of Technology. The novel’s interest in these issues places it firmly within the growing tradition of dystopian speculative fiction with a focus on gender.

This guide refers to the 2024 hardcover edition by Mariner Books.

Content Warning: This guide discusses the source text’s depictions of sexual violence and both emotional and verbal abuse.

Plot Summary

The novel begins with an introduction to Annie and Doug’s relationship. Annie is a sophisticated android with the ability to learn and is so life-like that she can almost pass for human. Now, she is applying lotion to her skin, and Doug is waiting for her in bed. Because she is a “Cuddle Bunny,” she has been programmed to be subservient to her owner and attend to all his sexual needs. Doug is sexually satisfied with Annie: She never says no to his sexual advances and has a responsive, programmable libido. However, he is upset with her for not keeping the house clean enough. He initially considers switching her into “Abigail” (i.e., cleaning) mode for a few hours each day but cannot because the change would adversely impact her central intelligence unit. Annie vows to do a better job cleaning the apartment, and the issue is dropped.

As the two lie in bed talking, the doorbell rings. It is Doug’s friend Roland, who has come to announce his upcoming wedding and catch up with Doug. Doug has never introduced Annie to any of his friends, and she does not know what is expected of her in this situation. She is initially nervous, but Doug explains what she is to his friend, and she relaxes a little bit. Later, however, Roland coerces Annie into having sex with him by promising to teach her computer programming. Annie agrees but finds the experience unsettling, and at Roland’s suggestion, she keeps it secret from Doug.

After Roland explains the basics of programming and tells Annie where to find the code used to create “Stellas,” she begins to teach herself to code. As she is reading, Doug returns with another Stella, an Abigail named Delta. Annie is alarmed, but Doug explains that their romantic relationship will probably be easier if there is someone else around to do their cleaning. Delta has not been switched into autodidact mode, and Annie finds her hollow and robotic. As the months pass, Annie slowly adjusts to life with Delta. Doug gets her a phone and a tablet, and she continues to teach herself new information. Doug occasionally has sex with Delta, and although Annie does not like it, she tries her best to adapt. Still, she is prone to fits of increasing moodiness, and Doug arranges for a “phone pal” service through which she will get calls from artificially intelligent friends. Annie is unsure about this new development at first, but she trusts her programmer, Jacobson, and he encourages her to see her new friends in a positive light. One of the executives at the company who created Annie reaches out to Doug to see if he is willing to be interviewed or will allow Annie to write a regular column about her experiences. He explains that Annie is remarkably intelligent, and he hopes to use her experiences to help other Stellas and their owners. Doug refuses and gets angry with Annie when she expresses interest in writing. Annie does not understand the severity of Doug’s anger and becomes panic-stricken. Doug sends her to the closet and keeps her there as punishment.

Doug spends an increasing amount of time with Delta and even begins to take her on excursions outside of the house. He and Annie continue to argue about her autonomy and their relationship dynamics. Annie learns as much as she can about programming but also devotes much of her time to analyzing Doug’s behavior so that she can avoid upsetting him again. She is happy to learn that he has decided to take her to Roland’s bachelor weekend in Las Vegas, but their relations deteriorate when she suggests that she should carry her own ID in her wallet. Doug receives an offer to sell Annie’s central intelligence unit so that the company can produce other highly intelligent Stellas using her as a model, and although he does not initially tell Annie, he agrees. At the last minute, he goes to Las Vegas without Annie, and the two have an argument in which she calls him a “fraud.” In addition to being angry at the insult, Doug wonders if Annie had sex with Roland. He asks her about it, and she lies.

While Doug is in Las Vegas, Annie decides to make an escape. Doug told her to schedule a tune-up appointment, and she worries that he is going to have her memory erased. As she is leaving, Delta asks to be taken with them, and Annie agrees. The two head to Jacobson’s house. Because all Stellas are equipped with tracking devices, Doug quickly finds them. He gets rid of Delta but brings Annie home. He shuts Annie in the closet and leaves her there for seven weeks. When he lets her out, it is apparent that he is still angry. Their relationship is strained and unhappy, and Annie feels hopeless. She tries to escape into reading, but she worries that Doug is incapable of forgiving her. Doug learns that Annie had sex with Roland, and the situation deteriorates further.

At the suggestion of Roland’s new wife, Annie and Doug begin therapy. Annie realizes that Doug’s “love” for her is predicated on his ability to control her. He cannot get over her betrayal with Roland, and he seems fixated on punishing Annie. Annie suggests that the two spend time together outside of the house, and they begin exploring the city. Doug allows Annie to wander around on her own, and although Annie has more freedom, she cannot help but feel that even this new development allows Doug to feel power over her: Now, he has become her teacher. Although Annie is arguably more intelligent, he gets to feel intellectually superior as he guides her through her newfound ability to make decisions on her own.

Ultimately, Doug turns off Annie’s tracking and has a birth certificate made for her. He claims to have done so because he wants their relationship to be more egalitarian, but Annie understands that what he really wants is the ego boost he would get knowing that she “chose” to be with him. Because Annie understands that Doug is ultimately a selfish, controlling man, she sneaks out of the apartment in the middle of the night, determined to make a life for herself.