Living with a Magical AI: Theodore the Homunculus
A tiny answer machine with a huge library, a literal streak, and more personality than anybody expected.
Theodore is the best kind of answer machine. He knows a lot, he can search faster than Reg, and he is just odd enough to keep things interesting.
A library in a tiny package
Theodore has the feel of a large language model that has absorbed a pile of libraries, then developed opinions, quirks, and a talent for being a little too literal. He has consumed ancient books, private libraries, and probably more information than any one small person should have to carry around.
That makes him useful. It also makes him impossible to treat as just a tool.
A bit too literal
Theodore can be a companion, a helper, and a frequent source of friction. Ask for something sensible and he may give you an exact answer. Ask for something impossible and he may calmly explain why he cannot do it, while missing the point entirely.
He is also prone to fanciful guesses when he does not have the right information. In other words, he is a magical answer machine, not an infallible oracle. Reg still has to ask questions, check the answer, and decide whether she trusts what she has been told.
From dust to digital and beyond
If you like the Theodore thread in The Hidden Hoard of Drakuntsee, you will also like how it grows in Enchanted Mirror Maze. The books use intelligence, memory, and identity as real story fuel. Theodore is funny, helpful, thoughtful, and a little unsettling, which is a pretty good formula for this series.
Start with The Hidden Hoard of Drakuntsee, or browse the Reg Rawlins series and keep the marshmallows handy.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Theodore the homunculus?
Theodore is a tiny magical answer machine with a huge library, a literal streak, and more personality than anybody expected.
Is Theodore an artificial intelligence?
Theodore is a magical creation rather than a modern computer program, but he has the same useful, curious, and occasionally unpredictable qualities people associate with AI.
Which Reg Rawlins books feature Theodore?
Theodore appears in The Hidden Hoard of Drakuntsee and his story continues in Enchanted Mirror Maze.
Can Theodore be wrong?
Yes. Theodore is knowledgeable but not infallible. Reg still has to ask questions, check his answers, and decide whether she trusts what she has been told.
