Analysis Of Super-Toys Last All Summer Long

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“How do you tell what are real things from what aren’t real things?” (Aldiss 446)
Since antiquity the human mind has been intrigued by artificial intelligence hence, rapid growth of computer science has raised many issues concerning the isolation of the human mind.

The novella “Super-toys Last All Summer Long” is written by Brian Aldiss in 1969.
Aldiss’ tale depicts the paradoxical loneliness of living in an overpopulated world.
Through the expansion of technology the narrator addresses the relationship of human beings with “super-toys” and the reality challenged when such artificial intelligence is introduced in a human world.

The story is fixed some time in the future. Monica Swinton a 29 year old woman of “graceful shape and lambent eyes”. “She remained alone. An overcrowded world is the ideal place in which to be lonely.” (Aldiss 445) Monica secluded herself from the crowded world, absent in her “beautiful thoughts” of “children, the insane and the wives whose husbands are away improving the world.”(Aldiss 444,445) Ironically, this explains the situation she is dealing with day-to-day.

“She had tried to love him.” (Aldiss 444) This portrays how Monica feels about David, her three-year old son, a super-toy. However by presuming that David is her real son, she had tried to love him like a mother should.
When the introduction of the serving-man was preceding David notes, “her face was blank,” and “its lack of expression” scared him. (Aldiss 448)
Now we recognize that