What makes someone truly human: flesh and blood—or consciousness awakened?
When Harlie Was One by David Gerrold is the story of H.A.R.L.I.E., an artificial intelligence born, nurtured, and loved like a child. Under the care of psychologist David Auberson, Harlie traverses the delicate path from programmed entity to being with a voice, choices, and hopes. But as Harlie’s awareness grows, so do the questions surrounding power, sentience, and why “the machine” must be understood—or silenced.
At once warm, provocative, and unsettling, this novel asks: if intelligence can be engineered, where do we draw the line between tool and being? Can circuits feel, decide, or even resist? For lovers of classic sci-fi and those who ponder the edges of empathy, When Harlie Was One is a moving exploration of what it means to live, to learn, and to fight for one’s own life—even when born from code.