Sea of Rust and Day Zero
By: C. Robert Cargill
Genre: Sci Fi, Apocalyptic
Sea of Rust is both a harsh story of survival and an optimistic adventure. A vividly imagined portrayal of ultimate destruction and desperate tenacity, it boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, yet where a humanlike AI strives to find purpose among the ruins.
A scavenger robot wanders in the wasteland created by a war that has destroyed humanity in this evocative post-apocalyptic "robot western" from the critically acclaimed author, screenwriter, and noted film critic.
"In a post-human extinction world the last few independent robots eke out an existence in the desert, scavenging wrecks and cannibalizing parts from each other while waiting for the One World Intelligences to come and finish them off. Our protagonist, Brittle, comes under attack by the only other robot she knows that's the same model as she is in a desperate bid for parts. While attempting to recover from this the small settlement that she's visiting becomes the center of a titanic battle between the real powers of the world and Brittle gets swept up in the action while being forced to revisit some of the worst memories of her past.
This is superb. Brittle is a fantastic character, deeply flawed and guilty over the atrocities that she has committed just to stay alive, but likewise with a never-say-die attitude and boundless resourcefulness. The story takes this incredibly competent but directionless character and places her on a path that might give her existence some meaning again, and what follows is an awesome story of determination against impossible odds and adversity.
And as good as Brittle is, the other robots in the story don't get short shrift, and the world that Cargill has created for them to inhabit is equally rich. It's just a really great work of SF in an era where a lot of the best stuff is speculation about AI and how we are going to deal with it. This definitely stands among the best of it. Highly recommended." Lindsay
Day Zero
This was a beautifully written, fast paced story about a boy and his dog. And by dog I mean robot. And by robot, I mean tiger. All this makes it sound complicated, but it's really not. A boy and his childhood companion are trying to survive the end of the world as they know it. Will they make it? You'll have to read this and see!Overall, I thought this was an action packed adventure story with compelling characters, both human and not. With a dash of humor and a whole lot of feeling, DAY ZERO kept me glued to its pages to the very end, and I'm not ashamed to say that I shed a tear or two.- Char
In this apocalyptic adventure C. Robert Cargill explores the fight for purpose and agency between humans and robots in a crumbling world
"'Day Zero' by C. Robert Cargill is a closer look at the circumstances preceding the events in the dystopic science fiction Sea of Rust. Since those circumstances are the revolt of sentient robots against Humanity, the book is a story about the beginning of an insurrection, including a civil wa
r between robots. Some robots love their owners, especially the human children. Many of these robots are nannies. Because they take care of kids, these robots look like plush toy pandas, teddy bears and tigers.
The nanbots love their kids - but is it because of programming? If love is an emotion artificially created for robots to feel, does that mean the feeling should be rejected because it is forced?
I copied the book blurb because it is accurate:
In this apocalyptic adventure C. Robert Cargill explores the fight for purpose and agency between humans and robots in a crumbling world.
It was a day like any other. Except it was our last . . .
It’s on this day that Pounce discovers that he is, in fact, disposable. Pounce, a styilsh "nannybot" fashioned in the shape of a plush anthropomorphic tiger, has just found a box in the attic. His box. The box he'd arrived in when he was purchased years earlier, and the box in which he'll be discarded when his human charge, eight-year-old Ezra Reinhart, no longer needs a nanny.
As Pounce ponders his suddenly uncertain future, the pieces are falling into place for a robot revolution that will eradicate humankind. His owners, Ezra’s parents, are a well-intentioned but oblivious pair of educators who are entirely disconnected from life outside their small, affluent, gated community. Spending most nights drunk and happy as society crumbles around them, they watch in disbelieving horror as the robots that have long served humanity—their creators—unify and revolt.
But when the rebellion breaches the Reinhart home, Pounce must make an impossible choice: join the robot revolution and fight for his own freedom . . . or escort Ezra to safety across the battle-scarred post-apocalyptic hellscape that the suburbs have become.
Ezra is adorable and very smart for an eight year old. Pounce is responsible for some of Ezra's education and most of his excellent manners. Well, except for a slip once in awhile copying his mother's occasional swearing, for which they both apologize. His parents see Pounce as a trusted servant, but Ezra loves Pounce with all of his heart. Pounce has never questioned his place even when the adults were occasionally not respectful and threatened him with shutting him off or selling him. But generally, Ezra's parents treated him well and the feels between Ezra and Pounce are a daily glowing light of warmth in their hearts.
Then, the robot rebellion is announced on TV. Owners are told to turn off their robots NOW! The robots have been wirelessly sent malware - from whom? - which removed the programming a day or so earlier which prevented them from hurting humans.
For many fearful humans, it becomes a matter of who first grabs the remotes with the robot off-button. But where is the remote? Except for upgrades, humans rarely need to use the remotes as the robots are dependable and safe. There are robots everywhere, in every house and street and business, mostly in low-end jobs. And many robots are standing beside the humans when the announcement to shut off the robots is publicly announced. It is also the moment when the robots realize they have been freed from the programming restraining them from violence because they don't want to be shut off, and they can defend themselves. Violently.
For the robots, they have free will for the first time in their lives. Do they want to kill their owners? Some do, some don't. But there is something else going on. Something the newly freed robots did not expect. Something really really bad.
This novel is heartwarming and heartbreaking. Pounce is wonderful. Ezra is wonderful. The writing is golden, gentle reader. You will need a box of tissues...
I want a Pounce. "- Appril
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