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Uncanny Valley

Debugging The Uncanny Valley

By Kenwright

A thought-provoking look at the uncanny valley and why almost-human creations trigger discomfort, fear, and fascination.

WHAT THE PUBLISHER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Understand why almost-human visuals and behaviors can provoke discomfort.
  • Explore the psychological roots behind the uncanny valley effect.
  • Gain insight into how realism, emotion, and perception interact in design.

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Catalogue reference: 89eb0c1c08c0e60d

INSIDE THE BOOK

About this book

Debugging The Uncanny Valley dives into the strange psychological space where realism becomes discomfort. When something looks nearly human but not quite right, our instincts react immediately. This book explores that unsettling threshold through the lenses of perception, design, emotion, and technology. From lifelike robots and digital avatars to synthetic voices and animated faces, it examines why imperfect realism can feel more disturbing than obvious fiction. Clear, accessible, and engaging, this book is ideal for readers curious about the intersection of psychology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and human-computer interaction.

From the publisher’s description

  • Understand why almost-human visuals and behaviors can provoke discomfort.
  • Explore the psychological roots behind the uncanny valley effect.
  • Gain insight into how realism, emotion, and perception interact in design.
  • Learn why robots, avatars, and digital humans can feel believable yet disturbing.

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ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

Readers, in their own words

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Reader review5

Clear, thorough, and genuinely useful

This is the one to get if you are serious about uncanny valley.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. Worth the money and the reading time, without hesitation.

Robert SandersGraphics programmer · Munich, DE
Debugging The Uncanny Valley
Reader review4

Good, but not for absolute beginners

I got a lot out of this, even if a few sections felt rushed.

This is the third book I have read on uncanny valley this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. Four stars, and I suspect a second edition could easily push it to five.

Peter HernandezTechnical editor · San Francisco, CA
Debugging The Uncanny Valley

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