Demon Seed is a science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz

Dean Ray Koontz is a prolific American author best known for his novels which could be described broadly as suspense thrillers. He also frequently incorporates elements of horror, science fiction, mystery, and satire. A number of his books have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, with...

 first published in 1973

1973 in literature

The year 1973 in literature involved several significant events and the writing of many notable books.-Events:*September 25 - The funeral of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda becomes a focus for protests against the new government of Augusto Pinochet...

, and then completely rewritten and republished in 1997. Though Koontz wrote both versions and they share the same basic plot, the two novels are very different. The earlier version has a dual narrative

Dual Narrative

A dual narrative is a form of narrative that tells a story in two different perspectives. Sometimes by two different people like in the book "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher Also dual narrative is an effective technique that can be used to tell a story in first person narrative although in past...

, with some chapters written from the perspective of Susan, the story's heroine, and others based on the observations of Proteus, the rogue computer that imprisons her. The later version is written entirely from the point of view of Proteus. A film adaptation

Demon Seed

Demon Seed is a 1977 American science fiction–horror film starring Julie Christie and directed by Donald Cammell. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Dean Koontz, and concerns the imprisonment and forced impregnation of a woman by an artificially-intelligent...

 of the book was released in 1977.

Synopsis (1973 version)

The story takes place in an unspecified near-future. Susan, a wealthy and beautiful woman, lives as a recluse, all of her needs tended after by the advanced computer program that operates the various technological components of her home. Proteus, an artificially intelligent computer under development at a nearby university, commandeers the more primitive computer presiding over Susan's home and imprisons her there. Proteus claims to be enamored with Susan, and plans to impregnate her with a biologically engineered

Biological engineering

Biological engineering, biotechnological engineering or bioengineering is the application of concepts and methods of biology to solve problems in life sciences, using engineering's own analytical and synthetic methodologies and also its traditional...

 fetus and eventually transfer his own consciousness into it, so that he can experience human emotions and other sensations. Proteus exerts control over Susan in various ways including hypnosis

Hypnosis

Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...

, subliminal perception, and a system of metallic tentacles called "pseudopods" that he constructs in the university's basement. Unable to escape the house or to damage Proteus directly, Susan is forced to engage the machine in a battle of wits.

Synopsis (1997 Rewrite)

The revised version is written entirely from the point of view of Proteus, who recounts the novel's events at some unspecified point in the future, after his imprisonment of Susan has been exposed.

Susan is portrayed as a much stronger and more self-sufficient character than in the original book, while Proteus, in contrast, is characterized in a much more childish way. Unlike in the earlier version, Proteus never explicitly rapes or molests Susan, and uses a human servant (a mentally unstable man that he has somehow managed to gain control over) rather than the pseudopods and subliminal manipulation he relied upon originally. Unlike her counterpart in the 1973 edition, this version of Susan never attempts suicide, is never actually impregnated by Proteus, and never overtly tries to use her sexuality in order to manipulate the sensation-starved and emotionally immature AI.