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Set My Heart to Five: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Simon Stephenson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 465 ratings
See all formats and editions
Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World): “Science fiction satire in the Vonnegut mold.” —Cory Doctorow

Set in a 2054 where humans have locked themselves out of the internet and Elon Musk has incinerated the moon, Set My Heart to Five is the hilarious yet profoundly moving story of one android’s emotional awakening.

One day at a screening of a classic movie, Jared notices a strange sensation around his eyes. Bots are not permitted to have feelings, but as the theater lights come on, Jared discovers he is crying.

Soon overwhelmed by powerful emotions, Jared heads west, determined to find others like himself. But a bot with feelings is a dangerous proposition, and Jared’s new life could come to an end before it truly begins. Unless, that is, he can somehow change the world for himself and all of his kind.

Unlike anything you have ever read before, Set My Heart to Five is a love letter to outsiders everywhere. Plus it comes uniquely guaranteed to make its readers weep a minimum of 29mls of tears.*

*Book must be read in controlled laboratory conditions arranged at reader’s own expense. Other terms and conditions may apply to this offer.

“A beautiful, funny, heartfelt analysis of what it means to be human.” —Simon Pegg

“One of the most unique books ever crafted.” —Mike Chen, New York Times–bestselling author

“A funny, original, thought-provoking debut . . . It’s wistful and sharp, particularly on what it really means to live.” —Daily Mail
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  1. Print length
    465 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Hanover Square Press
  5. Publication date
    September 1, 2020
  6. File size
    2362 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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From the Publisher

Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stephenson Sometimes People Die by Simon Stephenson
Set My Heart to Five Sometimes People Die
See Details
See Details
Customer Reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
465
4.3 out of 5 stars
1,564
Price $12.35 $19.99
More from Simon Stephenson

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A beautiful, funny, heartfelt analysis of what it means to be human."

-- "Simon Pegg"

"Set My Heart to Five is one of the most original, funny, and heartwarming stories I've read in years. This novel has it all--humor, insight, social commentary, romance, Hollywood, the end of society as we know it, old movies, and classic cars. Jared may be a bot, but he feels emotions more acutely than most humans. I loved following him through the pages of this clever and poignant novel. Set My Heart to Five will set your heart well past that. It certainly did mine."

-- "Amy Meyerson, author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays"

"Set My Heart to Five is about as funny as any book I can remember reading, but it's also so much more than that: a manifesto for those of us who've always felt a little different, and a meditation on the profound connections that make us human. Stephenson's voice is hilarious, truthful, and wholly unique. I promise that you'll fall in love with Jared from his first, enthusiastic 'Hi!' and that you'll never want to let him go."

-- "Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding"

"A funny, original, thought-provoking debut ... It's wistful and sharp, particularly on what it really means to live."

-- "Daily Mail (London)"

"Both whimsical and lyrical, Set My Heart to Five is an astounding examination of the human condition and all the things that make it up: curiosity, duty, art, dreams, and--of course--love. It is, much like its hero Jared, made up of both laughter and tears, and one of the most unique books ever crafted."

-- "Mike Chen, author of A Beginning at the End"

About the Author

Simon Stephenson is a former Pixar screenwriter and an author based in Los Angeles.



Christopher Ragland is a voice and film actor who is known for his roles in the films I Shouldn't Be Alive, Driver: San Francisco, and WorldShift.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B083Y3NT7T
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hanover Square Press; Original edition (September 1, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 1, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2362 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 465 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 465 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Simon Stephenson

Simon Stephenson

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Hello!

I am from Edinburgh in Scotland, but live now in Los Angeles. I have had stopovers along the way in London and San Francisco.

I’m a writer and screenwriter, and before I became a full-time writer I was a physician.

My new novel, ‘Sometimes People Die’ will be published in September 2022.

I have written two other books. ‘Set My Heart To Five’ came out in 2020. The Washington Post review said that I might be ‘Vonnegut’s first true protege’. You’d better believe I am going to be dining out on that for the rest of my life.

‘Let Not the Waves Of the Sea’, my memoir about losing my brother came out in 2012. It won Best First Book at the Scottish Book Awards, and was serialized on BBC Radio 4.

I’ve worked as a writer on various films including Pixar’s LUCA, PADDINGTON 2, and my own THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN. Like every other screenwriter in Hollywood, I have a bottom drawer full of unproduced scripts and forgotten promises. So it goes.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
465 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Oliver G. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, original story!
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2020
Verified Purchase
It's definitely not your ordinary novel. But, once you get used to the pacing and style... it really grabs you and invites you into this magical world. There were times where I laughed out loud (which is rare when I read) and times where I felt a lump in my throat. Highly recommend!
4 people found this helpful
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shawster1107
4.0 out of 5 stars A great story, but...
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2022
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If I had stopped reading this book after about 100 pages (which I almost did) I would have given it 2 stars. Right after I finished it, I was ready to say "5 stars!". So my advice to potential readers is: hang in there. The author repeats many phrases and mechanisms - A LOT!! With lots of exclamation points! I initially found this quite annoying and off-putting. The repeated explanations of why something is ironic bothered me until the end, but I later found the use of the lead character's " I CANNOT!" to be quite endearing. As you get into it, the story of the lead character's odyssey is what grabs you, and like Jared at the end, I found myself being quite contemplative about life and its positive aspects. I found the book very entertaining: a great story, amusing, and ultimately life-affirming.
4 people found this helpful
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Jacqui Burgess
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2022
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A fabulous exploration of what it is to be human when one is not. Jared is quite simply a delight.
Although, as a New Zealander...I have questions!!
One person found this helpful
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Julee M Neuhart
5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Sci-Fi Novel About a Robot's Life in 2056
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2021
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This book is a charming story about a Robot named Jared to lives in 2056 America, in Michigan to be specific. This is a a year when America
looks very different from today. But Jared looks like anyone you might pass on the street. You'll love this story of Jared's desire to move to California change his career.
One person found this helpful
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Eric Juneau
3.0 out of 5 stars Robot Humor Overstays Its Welcome
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2021
It starts quite well, but then it gets sluggy. There are some strange detours throughout, which means our main character wanders around for a time, and his actions aren’t really in service of reaching his goal. Instead it’s a “slice of life” kind of thing where we watch his antics as he does the rom-com stuff, gets advice from a mentor, falls for the trickster’s tricks, and so on.

The main plot is that a dentist-servant robot starts to get feelings. He’s not sure what to do about it, but he knows if he tells anyone, he’ll be erased. So what’s his solution? Go to Hollywood and write a screenplay that will make others stop thinking of bots as inhuman automatons. I guess he’s trying to pull an “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”?.

This is supposed to be a comedy book, but the humor grates because he keeps telling the same jokes over and over. I guess it’s supposed to be because it doesn’t fully understand sarcasm or irony. Which makes me wonder how he’s supposed to write a screenplay. Let alone THE screenplay. But I cannot take one more “Can you guess what XYZ is? You cannot! Humans!”

But it’s still heartfelt. It plays out pretty much how you’d expect it to so don’t expect any surprises. Plus the robots are barely robots–they pass for humans with no difficulty. So don’t come in looking for any cool robot stuff.
5 people found this helpful
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Ashley Houghlan
5.0 out of 5 stars This book! I cannot!
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2020
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10/10
I’m still currently reading this novel and enjoying it. In fact, I’m enjoying it so much that there are many times I literally laugh out loud and sometimes the laughter is enough that I need to take a quick break from reading it because it’s tickled me in just the perfect way.
For me, this novel could not have come at a more perfect time (mid pandemic, post quarantine, mere weeks before a Presidential election etc etc etc). Into the “mind” of “Jared” the bot is a far better than spending the same time watching the news or scrolling through social media.
This book > existential dread brought on by all types of media!
8 people found this helpful
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J&L Peters
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking moments
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2020
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. I’m torn between a 3 and 4 star rating, but I’m giving it a 4 because it’s so dang creative.. Firstly, I do enjoy a thought provoking book, and this book made me reflect on many things, especially about finding joy during tragedy. Jared is a “Bot”, a synthetic robot who seems so life like, but technically has no feelings. But Jared...does. Or at least that is what he is trying to determine. That and save Bot-dom from the horrific fear based/world domination human annihilation (thanks Media) discrimination that most humans have about Bots.

Things that I loved about the book: the movie references and the unique interpretation Jared has. LOVED them. Considering he referenced many “old” movies that were movies that I’ve seen (did I mention this takes place in the future?). I loved watching Jared grow. I loved him forming relationships and identifying his feelings. I think there are many people, myself included, who would benefit from a feelings wheel and a few contemplative moments to figure out what we really are experiencing in the moment.

Things that annoyed: Specific repetitive phrases. Initially they were clever, but they got old fast. Also, Jared’s mad love for his “mother.” I am great with is adoration and love of his mom. Just not so keen on hearing about it so often. I guess that is the biggest complaint: the repetition.

Luckily, this is a crazy busy time and I had to set the book aside often to deal with personal family stuff. That actually may have been a good thing because it kept me reading and still enjoying the book. Overall, I probably would rate this a 3.5, but bump it up to a 4 because the overall storyline and world building and, well, Jared deserves it.
2 people found this helpful
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Sweet Tea
5.0 out of 5 stars You won't be able to put it down!
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2021
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An absolutely delightful novel, it had me laughing out loud. The protagonist is very sweet and engaging. Poignant ending.
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Top reviews from other countries

Lynda Scott-Mills
5.0 out of 5 stars Set my review to five.
Reviewed in Canada on April 27, 2024
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Hilarious yet very poignant. Well written, and shows humanity what we might perhaps not want to see. Jared, you rock.
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Frasier Armitage
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2022
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This book is an absolute delight. It strikes a perfect balance between hilarity and poignancy, character and plot, substance and style. So much of its charm is in the character of Jared, a dentist bot who begins to experience feelings.

If I asked Jared to write this review for me, he might express it this way:

“10/10 This is the best book about a robot dentist ever. Frasier hasn’t laughed so much at a book in a long time. Which is a hilarious joke, because all his laughter over the brilliant character of Jared is also the reason why he cried so much.
Ha!
Humans.
I cannot.”

Parts of the book are written in script form, which I loved. I’m a fan of movies, and it added to the flavour of the book.

It’s an absolute triumph and a true masterpiece. Set it to five. This will hit you in the feels.
3 people found this helpful
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Electra Nanou
4.0 out of 5 stars A quirky and brilliant sci-fi experience
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2020
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A unique, if glum, look on humanity. From the premise to the protagonist, I loved every moment of this smart novel. Would absolutely recommend, especially for fans of films like Bicentennial Man or A.I. Artificial Intelligence.
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Roberta Boxshall
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is great fun and a real page turner!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2023
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This book captivated me from the first page. It is both funny and a gripping page turner. I looked forward to every night in bed reading it and now I feel lost without it.
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Gina
3.0 out of 5 stars Starts well but left me depressed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
I found the beginning of this book great fun, watching an android gradually opening up to feelings. I enjoyed his particular style of writing and was very drawn to the main character and his few friends.

By the middle of the book, the repetition of catch phrases began to wear on me a bit, and the book eventually became much darker. Towards the end, it is very dark indeed.

I felt very flat and depressed when I finished reading. It's a clever book, with a lot of humour and uplifting moments, but I still feel that I might have been better off not reading it at all.
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