deborahjross | "Among Friends" review

From Tangent, a review by Chuck Rothman:

There's probably no idea, no matter how tired, that can't be revitalized. The February/March issue of F&SF starts out to show this with "Among Friends" which takes a concept that entered the sf genre in 1939, and comes up with a way to present it so that it becomes fresh and new. Deborah J. Ross's story is set in antebellum Delaware, where Thomas Covington, a Quaker, is visited by a slave catcher unlike any other: a mechanical man, made in Switzerland, designed to hunt runaway slaves. But the man -- named "Adam" by Thomas -- develops self-awareness and Thomas thinks he deserves the same rights as a man. This is Adam Link territory, but the setting and characterizations make up for the oft-used plot and a few twists and surprises make you forget you've seen parts of it before.