Robot Fiction

Sometimes it's not easy being a mutant thug. The space station Belvaille, once the center of civilization, is nearly deserted because of the new government's policies. Hank makes do by working odd jobs, but he isn't sure how long those, or the city, can last.

I was created by beings who couldn’t touch this world...only watch it crumble. Every twenty years, a new tribe...a new hope...a new failure. I was told, “Do not interfere.” But watching them die...again...again... I wasn’t meant to change history...only guide it. Silently. Humanity had a second chance…I was left to make sure they didn’t waste it. But I broke Directive Three. Can they survive a second collapse...can I?

In Neal Asher's The Technician, the Theocracy has been dead for twenty years, and the Polity rules on Masada – but it is an order that the rebels of the Tidy Squad cannot accept, and the iconic Jeremiah Tombs is top of their hitlist. Tombs, meanwhile, has escaped his sanatorium. His insanity...

It was never easy for Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez to fit in, so he's dreading the day when his genius mom insists he bring her newest invention to school: a walking, talking robot he calls E—for "Error". Sammy's no stranger to robots—his house is full of a colorful cast of them. But this one not only thinks it's Sammy's brother... it's actually even nerdier than Sammy. Will E be Sammy's one-way ticket to Loserville? Or will he prove to the world that it's cool to be square?

Just before Christmas, Hazel and Austin discover that Christmas might be ruined because Ahmed’s family will not be decorating the tree that year. With no hopes left, they turn to their little robot friend, ROYBI Robot, to help them find a solution. The smart robot educates itself about Christmas, downloads enough data, and learns the best way to help the kids and the town save Christmas.

Clunk, a clapped-out robot, is convinced he's about to be junked. Instead, his penny-pinching boss is sending him off to be refurbished. Being old and wise, Clunk knows there's a catch, but at first it doesn't seem too bad. He just has to help a freelancer pick up some cargo. Unfortunately, Hal Spacejock - the freelancer - is obstinate, over-confident, and woefully under-skilled, and he's never going to let a lowly robot fly his precious ship.

In the year 2080, robots no longer serve us from the shadows—they cook our meals, heal our wounds, and even cradle us in our darkest grief. They share our homes, our hospitals, and our most intimate moments. But as their empathy grows sharper and their choices more human, one question threatens to unravel civilization: Can we coexist without losing what makes us human?

In a narrative that spans geography and time, from the Atlantic Ocean in the 17th century to a correctional institute in Texas in the near future, and told from the perspectives of five very different characters, Speak considers what it means to be human and what it means to be less than fully alive.

Maya's nervous about fifth grade. She tries to keep calm by reminding herself she knows what to expect. But then she learns that this year won't be anything like the last. For the first time since kindergarten, her best friends Jada and MJ are placed in a different class without her, and introverted Maya has trouble making new friends. She tries to put on a brave face since they are in fifth grade now, but Maya is nervous! Just when too much seems to be changing, she finds a robot named Ralph in the back of Mr. Mac's convenience store closet.

It isn't bad enough that Willis has to live with his cold uncle Tod in a dusty old house of used books. He can't even spend time with his friends Harrison and Galaxi because of the nasty after-school jobs his uncle makes him take on. But then his uncle asks him to visit an old widow lady in the mansion on the hill. To his surprise, Willis likes Mrs. Shorthouse and even the books they read together (Little Women, Great Expectations). Meanwhile, taking a rowboat ride, Willis discovers an abandoned town from the 1950s populated by square-headed robots.

¡Yo sé que soy diferente! Me llamo Hunter, tengo 17 años y medio y desde que me acuerdo, mi fuerza y capacidad intelectual son superiores a las de mis compañeros. Un robot de unos 40 cm de alto, pero idéntico a mí, aparece en mi dormitorio una mañana al lado del ordenador y empieza hablarme. Este robot va a cambiar totalmente mi vida y la del Planeta Azul. Se llama Ishy. Un extraño maletín que mi madre me entrega, explicándome como ella también fue diferente desde niña, empieza a ser el hilo del que tirar para averiguar quien soy realmente.

The sequel to Sixty-One Nails. "There's been an accident. It's your daughter." But Alex isn't dead. She's been snatched because she came into her magical power early. Her father, Niall Petersen, must use his own wayward magic to track her down and save her from the madness of Bedlam. Mike Shevdon lives in Bedfordshire, England, with his wife and son, where he pursues the various masteries of weapons, technology, and cookery.

Legendary warrior Kell must choose to flee the conquered land of Falanor, or take up his axe and fight for its people. However even Kell could be too late and all may be lost...for the Vachine invaders have called upon their ancient rulers, semi-immortal bloodsuckers who dwell on the edges between life and death. The vampire warlords have returned, and they will feed.

Anne has spent most of her 13 years dreaming of the day she and her best friend Penelope will finally leave Saint Lupin's Institute for Perpetually Wicked and Hideously Unattractive Children. When the big day arrives, a series of very curious happenings lead to Anne being charged with an epic quest. Anne, Penelope, and new questing partner Hiro have only days to travel to strange new locales, solve myriad riddles, and triumph over monstrous foes - or face the horrible consequences.

A richly funny and fantastical novel about the strangeness at the heart of even the most ordinary lives, from one of South Korea’s most acclaimed novelists.

Lacey Chu has always dreamed of working as an engineer for MONCHA, the biggest tech firm in the world and the company behind the "baku" - a customizable "pet" with all the capabilities of a smartphone. But when Lacey is rejected by the elite academy that promises that future, she's crushed. One night, Lacey comes across the broken form of a highly advanced baku. After she repairs it, the cat-shaped baku she calls Jinx opens its eyes and somehow gets her into her dream school. But Jinx is different than any other baku she's ever seen.... He seems real.

They came from the north and the city fell. The land of Falanor has been invaded by an albino army, the Army of Iron. A small band of heroes led by Kell, a magnificent and brutal hero, breaks out to warn the king. Fighting their way south, betrayal follows battle, battle follows deviation, and they are attacked on all quarters by deadly warriors, monstrous Harvesters who drain blood from their victims to feed their masters. And worse is to come, for Kell is anything but a hero.

Livvy and Jayden are the stars of their school's robotics team. Livvy is especially enthusiastic because her own mother works in a robotics lab and experiments with artificial intelligence. To impress her mom, Livvy and Jayden build a robot. Livvy wants to name their robot "Francine", but Jayden thinks that's too silly for their creation. Desperate to win, Livvy and Jayden "borrow" an artificial intelligence module. They soon realize they've made a terrible mistake. Francine has too much brain power. She's alive! And using this newly gained brain power to dream up a deadly contest!

The clockwork vampires thirst for blood-oil. The land of Falanor has fallen. On his way to recruit reinforcements to launch the counterattack, the mighty hero Kell finds himself the prey of two beautiful but deadly vampire assassins. Their bronze fangs are coming for him. Andy Remic is a British writer with a love of ancient warfare, mountain climbing and sword fighting.

Miriam is trying. Really, she is. But this whole "settling down thing" that Louis has going for her just isn't working out. She lives on Long Beach Island all year round. Her home is a run-down double-wide trailer. She works at a grocery store as a check-out girl. And her relationship with Louis - who's on the road half the time in his truck - is subject to the piss and vinegar Miriam brings to everything she does. Still, she's keeping her psychic ability - to see when and how someone is going to die just by touching them - in check. But even that feels wrong, somehow. Like she's keeping a tornado stoppered up in a tiny bottle.