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The Automaton
Humanity is on the cusp of extinction. Deteriorating populations threaten the planetary economy and risk the collapse of humanity itself. In desperation, human-like machines are built to serve where man no longer can.
These are the Automata.
Five thousand years later, humankind no longer walks the Earth, but has ascended beyond biology to float above Earth in a hemisphere-spanning supercomputer . When an anomaly arises on Earth that not even a post-biological civilization can comprehend, XR-345x—a long-deactivated top-of-the-line automaton—is awoken in a derelict facility deep within the overgrown jungles of Africa.
With help from Hank—a mysterious holographic A.I.— XR must learn of the advent of the automata and the resulting civil unrest, to a war that destroyed humanity’s trust in their would-be saviors, to racial disparities that divided the globe, to love eventually building a bridge that ultimately saved the human race.
At the same time, a violent automaton faction threatens XR, the anomaly, and what they represent for the future of Earth. Time is one thing the automaton does not have.
These are the Automata.
Five thousand years later, humankind no longer walks the Earth, but has ascended beyond biology to float above Earth in a hemisphere-spanning supercomputer . When an anomaly arises on Earth that not even a post-biological civilization can comprehend, XR-345x—a long-deactivated top-of-the-line automaton—is awoken in a derelict facility deep within the overgrown jungles of Africa.
With help from Hank—a mysterious holographic A.I.— XR must learn of the advent of the automata and the resulting civil unrest, to a war that destroyed humanity’s trust in their would-be saviors, to racial disparities that divided the globe, to love eventually building a bridge that ultimately saved the human race.
At the same time, a violent automaton faction threatens XR, the anomaly, and what they represent for the future of Earth. Time is one thing the automaton does not have.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
332 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2022
17 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 4, 2022
4.0 stars
It's always a delight to find a modern author with a clear love of the science fiction genre. So often I see new sci fi releases using the aesthetics of science fiction without scratching the surface of the intellectual roots of the genre. This is the kind of modern science fiction that will appeal to readers who normally prefer the classics.
Needless to say, I was very impressed by this novel. The narrative was tight, sharp and smart. I appreciate shorter novels because they tend to avoid the bloat that I normally find in longer books.
I love science fiction exploring artificial intelligence so the themes in this one were right up my alley. I could clearly see the author making nods to Issac Asimov's classic works. Furthermore, the narrative structure and time period added another layer of interesting complexity to the story.
I inhaled this story in a day because it was a welcome relief from the mediocre SFF I've been reading recently. I look forward this reading one again and hopefully finding in more layers to the story upon reread.
I would highly recommend this hidden gem to any reader looking for an underhyped science fiction.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author.
It's always a delight to find a modern author with a clear love of the science fiction genre. So often I see new sci fi releases using the aesthetics of science fiction without scratching the surface of the intellectual roots of the genre. This is the kind of modern science fiction that will appeal to readers who normally prefer the classics.
Needless to say, I was very impressed by this novel. The narrative was tight, sharp and smart. I appreciate shorter novels because they tend to avoid the bloat that I normally find in longer books.
I love science fiction exploring artificial intelligence so the themes in this one were right up my alley. I could clearly see the author making nods to Issac Asimov's classic works. Furthermore, the narrative structure and time period added another layer of interesting complexity to the story.
I inhaled this story in a day because it was a welcome relief from the mediocre SFF I've been reading recently. I look forward this reading one again and hopefully finding in more layers to the story upon reread.
I would highly recommend this hidden gem to any reader looking for an underhyped science fiction.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author.
August 7, 2025
I am one of the judges of team Space Girls for the SPSFC4 contest. This review is my personal opinion. Officially, it is still in the running for the contest, pending any official team announcements.
Status: Yes
Read: 100%
When I first started this book, the beginning chapter reminded me all too much of the very first scene of last year's contest finalist Dark Theory. Intelligent robot wakes up through the intervention of an intelligent 2nd character, memories are spotty and the robot is forced to tag along the other character in a post apocalyptic world and starts discovering stuff.
However, both books start diverting as the story progresses. I liked the beginning of Dark Theory a lot, but overall, I am liking the Automaton more. Maybe it is because there's fewer characters and the villains here is due to vague human corruption and not the mystery villain whose identity filled the book with plot holes.
Automaton is awakened to I suppose combat ghosts (seems more like robot freedom terrorists), and so far is being fed carefully curated information about what happened to the humans 5000 years ago. There's quite a few theories formulating in my head about what is really going on. I personally suspect there's still humans everywhere and the info while not false, is only telling part of the story to force the robot into doing something the AI that awakened it wants.
I really liked how the last chapter ends right at the 30% point. While I still feel the book hasn't been set into motion head on so late into the story, I feel quite engrossed with the story of the Wing family of human politicians/free thinkers/troublemakers. Voting Yes for the book to advance in the next stage of the competition.
---
Update: I am continuing with the SPSFC scout phase reads I left partially read to clear my kindle. Since it had been so long between reads, I had forgotten a few parts of the book which made it a bit difficult to recall what was happening. Mostly because this section of the book focuses on the lives of 4 consecutive descendants of the Wing family seen through the eyes of a specific 1st generation Automaton.
I don't wish to spoil much, so talking about the book further is a bit tricky due to both past & present timelines beginning to overlap. The writing is solid and I liked how the story advanced as humanity passed through various phases of acceptance and fear of automatons. I felt the ending was a bit taken out of the hat for me with a dose of deux ex machina. If readers suspend belief a bit, they will like how the book ends nonetheless. All major subplots wrap up so there really is no story left for sequels. As a standalone on the shorter side for Sci Fi, I had a fun time reading this book.
Status: Yes
Read: 100%
When I first started this book, the beginning chapter reminded me all too much of the very first scene of last year's contest finalist Dark Theory. Intelligent robot wakes up through the intervention of an intelligent 2nd character, memories are spotty and the robot is forced to tag along the other character in a post apocalyptic world and starts discovering stuff.
However, both books start diverting as the story progresses. I liked the beginning of Dark Theory a lot, but overall, I am liking the Automaton more. Maybe it is because there's fewer characters and the villains here is due to vague human corruption and not the mystery villain whose identity filled the book with plot holes.
Automaton is awakened to I suppose combat ghosts (seems more like robot freedom terrorists), and so far is being fed carefully curated information about what happened to the humans 5000 years ago. There's quite a few theories formulating in my head about what is really going on. I personally suspect there's still humans everywhere and the info while not false, is only telling part of the story to force the robot into doing something the AI that awakened it wants.
I really liked how the last chapter ends right at the 30% point. While I still feel the book hasn't been set into motion head on so late into the story, I feel quite engrossed with the story of the Wing family of human politicians/free thinkers/troublemakers. Voting Yes for the book to advance in the next stage of the competition.
---
Update: I am continuing with the SPSFC scout phase reads I left partially read to clear my kindle. Since it had been so long between reads, I had forgotten a few parts of the book which made it a bit difficult to recall what was happening. Mostly because this section of the book focuses on the lives of 4 consecutive descendants of the Wing family seen through the eyes of a specific 1st generation Automaton.
I don't wish to spoil much, so talking about the book further is a bit tricky due to both past & present timelines beginning to overlap. The writing is solid and I liked how the story advanced as humanity passed through various phases of acceptance and fear of automatons. I felt the ending was a bit taken out of the hat for me with a dose of deux ex machina. If readers suspend belief a bit, they will like how the book ends nonetheless. All major subplots wrap up so there really is no story left for sequels. As a standalone on the shorter side for Sci Fi, I had a fun time reading this book.
January 8, 2024
The Automaton is primarily about very interesting (for me) "what if" ideas, however the other elements such as the writing and the characters were also done really well.
It was a pleasure to read a novel which was this focused on exploring neat ideas front and centre unapologetically, I would also add that the handling of "human vs machine" was very topical.
Minor nitpicks:
- I wished this novel was longer! Wanted to immerse myself more.
- Some of the character interactions felt a bit rushed and too exposition-heavy but I honestly didn't mind because it was really interesting to read.
The Automaton has writing apt for the story, few beautiful reflections and moments, but where it shines is going all-in on the ideas and committing to exploring them throughout.
Nice brain food. 🤓 Would recommend to speculative fiction readers who enjoy "ideas-focused" science fiction.
It was a pleasure to read a novel which was this focused on exploring neat ideas front and centre unapologetically, I would also add that the handling of "human vs machine" was very topical.
Minor nitpicks:
- I wished this novel was longer! Wanted to immerse myself more.
- Some of the character interactions felt a bit rushed and too exposition-heavy but I honestly didn't mind because it was really interesting to read.
The Automaton has writing apt for the story, few beautiful reflections and moments, but where it shines is going all-in on the ideas and committing to exploring them throughout.
Nice brain food. 🤓 Would recommend to speculative fiction readers who enjoy "ideas-focused" science fiction.
November 6, 2023
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I read this book as a judge for the third annual Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), this review is solely my own and does not reflect the opinions of the whole team**
CW: violence, murder, death, discussions of suicide/self-harm, infertility/pregnancy
--
The book basically follows an Automaton who has been awoken after 5 thousand years of being in statis in order to deal with an Anomaly that has arisen on Earth. Through the guidance of a holographic AI, the Automaton XR-345x is led on a quest to uncover the history of the world, from the creation of the Automata, to their fall out with humanity all the way through to humanity’s ascension to a digital consciousness. Only there is a timer to the directive as a rebel Automaton group is hunting XR down to stop it.
This had the feel of a classic sci-fi novel but the story itself is fresh and I really liked the way the narrative was formatted in segments of connected accounts – like a collation of short stories – that lead you through the book. The opening chapters easily hook you in and Young’s writing continues to keep you engaged throughout.
Each of the aforementioned segments focuses on a different moment in history and a different set of characters (though there is a very clever connection) which was a little confusing at first but the further I read the more I realised how well it worked.
The characterisation in general was good though and there is a great balance of humour and emotion which made it easy to get invested in what was going to happen just as much as XR was as it was revisiting the past.
I really enjoyed following the socio-political commentary around AI and humanity and how it was shifting and changing through time. I do feel like sometimes the story dragged a little and this often came down to when the narrator was monologuing fragments of history. These parts provided really interesting context but felt slightly info dumpy. That being said the need to know all of the details and how the events linked up kept me reading just as much as the suspense of the chase from XR’s adversaries and this mysterious Anomaly.
I did manage to catch on to some of the twists and reveals by the end but this didn’t deter my overall enjoyment of the book!
**I read this book as a judge for the third annual Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), this review is solely my own and does not reflect the opinions of the whole team**
CW: violence, murder, death, discussions of suicide/self-harm, infertility/pregnancy
--
The book basically follows an Automaton who has been awoken after 5 thousand years of being in statis in order to deal with an Anomaly that has arisen on Earth. Through the guidance of a holographic AI, the Automaton XR-345x is led on a quest to uncover the history of the world, from the creation of the Automata, to their fall out with humanity all the way through to humanity’s ascension to a digital consciousness. Only there is a timer to the directive as a rebel Automaton group is hunting XR down to stop it.
This had the feel of a classic sci-fi novel but the story itself is fresh and I really liked the way the narrative was formatted in segments of connected accounts – like a collation of short stories – that lead you through the book. The opening chapters easily hook you in and Young’s writing continues to keep you engaged throughout.
Each of the aforementioned segments focuses on a different moment in history and a different set of characters (though there is a very clever connection) which was a little confusing at first but the further I read the more I realised how well it worked.
The characterisation in general was good though and there is a great balance of humour and emotion which made it easy to get invested in what was going to happen just as much as XR was as it was revisiting the past.
I really enjoyed following the socio-political commentary around AI and humanity and how it was shifting and changing through time. I do feel like sometimes the story dragged a little and this often came down to when the narrator was monologuing fragments of history. These parts provided really interesting context but felt slightly info dumpy. That being said the need to know all of the details and how the events linked up kept me reading just as much as the suspense of the chase from XR’s adversaries and this mysterious Anomaly.
I did manage to catch on to some of the twists and reveals by the end but this didn’t deter my overall enjoyment of the book!
December 27, 2024
Did not expect so much heart and occasional humor. What a beautiful book!. Inhaled it in almost one sitting.
November 28, 2023
I definitely appreciate that Mr. Young is trying to emulate classic science fiction authors, and we need more of that in the genre, but The Automaton feels very much like the self-published book that it is. There is some decent writing here and the structure of the story is paced pretty well, but the numerous spelling and grammatical errors that I encountered would pull me out of immersion. As for the characters and story itself, there is good amount to enjoy here and it will feel very familiar for anyone who's dabbled in some classic sci-fi dealing with androids or artificial intelligence. Asimov comes to mind, and Clifford Simak's City even more so. I got a lot of City vibes on this one, particularly with the part of the story that's being told generationally.
My main issue with The Automaton is that I didn't really spend enough time with any one character to really get invested in them. The main robot, XR, barely got any page time before he starts experiencing the history of the world in flashbacks. Those flashbacks cover multiple characters spanning generations and have a sort of short story feel, which is fun. But... because of this, I also don't get particularly attached to any of those characters or their plights either, at least not until close to the end.
The conclusion of this story wraps up pretty nicely and I felt like the author had a definite plan from beginning to end with the story he wanted to tell. I am reminded of another indy published book I'd read recently, Our Lady of the Artilects. The premise of that one was so intriguing and I was so excited to read it, but it ended up losing me about halfway through when it felt like it started trying to be multiple books at the same time and was doing way too much. The Automaton has a tighter focus than that and a story that flows much better, but maybe suffers a bit from feeling too familiar, at least for me and maybe anyone else who's dabbled in a lot of sci fi. We've had a lot of stories about the rise of automatons and the fall of humanity. I was hoping for maybe a little more innovation and a little more pushing of the genre boundaries.
I think with some more editing and another revision, this could have been great. As it is, it's a good sampling of what I hope is the beginning of a successful sci-fi career.
2.5/5 (rounded up to 3)
My main issue with The Automaton is that I didn't really spend enough time with any one character to really get invested in them. The main robot, XR, barely got any page time before he starts experiencing the history of the world in flashbacks. Those flashbacks cover multiple characters spanning generations and have a sort of short story feel, which is fun. But... because of this, I also don't get particularly attached to any of those characters or their plights either, at least not until close to the end.
The conclusion of this story wraps up pretty nicely and I felt like the author had a definite plan from beginning to end with the story he wanted to tell. I am reminded of another indy published book I'd read recently, Our Lady of the Artilects. The premise of that one was so intriguing and I was so excited to read it, but it ended up losing me about halfway through when it felt like it started trying to be multiple books at the same time and was doing way too much. The Automaton has a tighter focus than that and a story that flows much better, but maybe suffers a bit from feeling too familiar, at least for me and maybe anyone else who's dabbled in a lot of sci fi. We've had a lot of stories about the rise of automatons and the fall of humanity. I was hoping for maybe a little more innovation and a little more pushing of the genre boundaries.
I think with some more editing and another revision, this could have been great. As it is, it's a good sampling of what I hope is the beginning of a successful sci-fi career.
2.5/5 (rounded up to 3)
September 26, 2023
The story opens when XR, an Automata, awakens with the expectation of strolling through bustling city streets packed with busy people, but instead finds himself five thousand years into the future in this post-biological world, where humans no longer exist. Now, it is up to him, with his severely outdated knowledge, to unravel what went down during those missing five millennia before it's too late. Too late for what? It is also for him to figure out.
Highly engaging and very well drawn out AI novel. It has just the right amount of excitement, depth and complexity woven into a well-structured narrative, making it a worthwhile read. I enjoyed this very much!
Highly engaging and very well drawn out AI novel. It has just the right amount of excitement, depth and complexity woven into a well-structured narrative, making it a worthwhile read. I enjoyed this very much!
March 1, 2025
What a great story! I instantly had to re-read when I finished it, which doesn't happen often. If you like expansive science fiction with a twist, you'll like this book.
February 1, 2025
"𝘽𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚. 𝘽𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙨, 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩. 𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚.” - Ian Young, The Automaton
I discovered The Automaton at the Twin Cities Con and was drawn in by the cover. I don’t typically read Sci-Fi so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. We start off the book after the fall of humanity with XR-345x, a reawakened automaton who must learn the past through a series of memory files. The intricate world building and the way all the individual character stories weaved together by the end was so fascinating. My favorite part of this story is even after so much destruction, battles, and loss there was always an underlying sense of hope.
I discovered The Automaton at the Twin Cities Con and was drawn in by the cover. I don’t typically read Sci-Fi so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. We start off the book after the fall of humanity with XR-345x, a reawakened automaton who must learn the past through a series of memory files. The intricate world building and the way all the individual character stories weaved together by the end was so fascinating. My favorite part of this story is even after so much destruction, battles, and loss there was always an underlying sense of hope.
September 4, 2024
Successful debut by an author who is clearly a sci fi fan himself.
structured similar to robopocolypse that could easily be turned into a tv show, We follow a recently awoken automaton who under duress is rushed through artifacts of the past that allow him to experience snippets of history that lead to the rise of the automatons, the fall of humanity and eventually will reveal his role in this new world.
This book’s strength was the ideas and especially the exploration of legislation and politics on generations to come. However, nothing is perfect and the second half of the book was much weaker with some plot holes and science that doesnt quite hold up. Most of this was easy to look past but i couldnt quite give it my full 4 stars because of the all too convienent overly happy ending that cheapened the struggle the story started us with.
Would still recommend as a fun adventure read.
structured similar to robopocolypse that could easily be turned into a tv show, We follow a recently awoken automaton who under duress is rushed through artifacts of the past that allow him to experience snippets of history that lead to the rise of the automatons, the fall of humanity and eventually will reveal his role in this new world.
This book’s strength was the ideas and especially the exploration of legislation and politics on generations to come. However, nothing is perfect and the second half of the book was much weaker with some plot holes and science that doesnt quite hold up. Most of this was easy to look past but i couldnt quite give it my full 4 stars because of the all too convienent overly happy ending that cheapened the struggle the story started us with.
Would still recommend as a fun adventure read.
March 1, 2025
XR-345x awakens to find itself apparently the last of its kind. According to his holographic AI helper Holographic Automaton Navigation Console (Hank for short) humans left the surface of the earth around five thousand years ago, and the other automatons eventually followed suit. But an anomaly has arisen on Earth that requires hands-on action, so before the remnants of humanity take off for the starts, XR has been reactivated to deal with it.
The storage facility turns out to be in coastal Africa, near Scalia Prime, capital city of the Veryxian Confederation that became the world government after the collapse of North America’s societies. Hank directs XR to a larger facility, where all the artifacts humanity deemed worthy of preserving just in case are stored. According to Hank, XR needs to download certain information triggered by specific items within the facility. Oh, and they’re being pursued by Ghosts.
These memories turn out to be mostly connected to the Wing family, whose members participated in the history of the Automata (basically self-aware robots) from the initial vote to authorize building them to deal with an underpopulation crisis, through a bloody war, to humanity deciding to move on.
So this science fiction novel turns out to be a generational saga covering centuries of history. As such, it touches on a lot of ground. Whether automata have rights as sapient beings, and what that means after the humans have abused those rights. The ethics of technological advancement and biological research. Prejudice, forgiveness, and love. And of course family connections.
As XR studies its new memories, it develops a personality and begins to understand its purpose in existence.
As you might expect, the future history of the automata and the humans they were created to serve wind up echoing many moments in past history. It might have been a bit too on the nose to name one of the main villains of the story “Hayt” though.
One of the main “twists” of the story is easily figured out by the genre-savvy, though others require more thought to see coming. And the ending…I am pretty sure that’s not how it works, but it is a fitting coda.
I noticed a scattering of typos, but not as bad as some other small press books.
Content note: fantastic racism, murder and torture. Older teens should be able to handle it, but it’s aimed at a more experienced audience.
Overall, some interesting ideas with readable prose. Most of the characters are interesting enough for their portion of the story. Recommended for those who enjoy generational sagas and the “thinkier” side of science fiction.
The storage facility turns out to be in coastal Africa, near Scalia Prime, capital city of the Veryxian Confederation that became the world government after the collapse of North America’s societies. Hank directs XR to a larger facility, where all the artifacts humanity deemed worthy of preserving just in case are stored. According to Hank, XR needs to download certain information triggered by specific items within the facility. Oh, and they’re being pursued by Ghosts.
These memories turn out to be mostly connected to the Wing family, whose members participated in the history of the Automata (basically self-aware robots) from the initial vote to authorize building them to deal with an underpopulation crisis, through a bloody war, to humanity deciding to move on.
So this science fiction novel turns out to be a generational saga covering centuries of history. As such, it touches on a lot of ground. Whether automata have rights as sapient beings, and what that means after the humans have abused those rights. The ethics of technological advancement and biological research. Prejudice, forgiveness, and love. And of course family connections.
As XR studies its new memories, it develops a personality and begins to understand its purpose in existence.
As you might expect, the future history of the automata and the humans they were created to serve wind up echoing many moments in past history. It might have been a bit too on the nose to name one of the main villains of the story “Hayt” though.
One of the main “twists” of the story is easily figured out by the genre-savvy, though others require more thought to see coming. And the ending…I am pretty sure that’s not how it works, but it is a fitting coda.
I noticed a scattering of typos, but not as bad as some other small press books.
Content note: fantastic racism, murder and torture. Older teens should be able to handle it, but it’s aimed at a more experienced audience.
Overall, some interesting ideas with readable prose. Most of the characters are interesting enough for their portion of the story. Recommended for those who enjoy generational sagas and the “thinkier” side of science fiction.
May 20, 2024
4.5 Rounded to 5
Sci-fi is hit and miss for me, this one took some time to draw me in, but by the end I was fully invested.
Hard one to discuss without spoiling, so the best way i can describe this is a treasure hunt, with the main character of XR-345a, an automaton who was left behind,being awoken around 5000 years after the last biological human has passed away, and at this point Automatons also appear to in general be gone.
What follows is a journey where XR in effect visits an archive which gives snapshots into key moments in human history starting with a vote to repeal an act preventing the creation of AI up until the day the last biological human passes, before the story concludes with a revelation about XR and humanity in particular.
This explores a number of themes you see in such novels as 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 around censorship, propaganda and enforced conformity, as well as the inerrant short sighted nature of humanity caused as much by ideology as a short lifespan and a propensity for some to fight change/authority regardless of what the effects of that change would be, and the natural connections between each of the 'memories' that get recovered helps build towards the reveal at the end.
Overall this is a well thought out and cleverly constructed novel that does a great job of asking the question of what makes us human, and what defines life. I think this is a must read for sci-fi fans in general and anyone with an interest in fictional AI especially.
Sci-fi is hit and miss for me, this one took some time to draw me in, but by the end I was fully invested.
Hard one to discuss without spoiling, so the best way i can describe this is a treasure hunt, with the main character of XR-345a, an automaton who was left behind,being awoken around 5000 years after the last biological human has passed away, and at this point Automatons also appear to in general be gone.
What follows is a journey where XR in effect visits an archive which gives snapshots into key moments in human history starting with a vote to repeal an act preventing the creation of AI up until the day the last biological human passes, before the story concludes with a revelation about XR and humanity in particular.
This explores a number of themes you see in such novels as 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 around censorship, propaganda and enforced conformity, as well as the inerrant short sighted nature of humanity caused as much by ideology as a short lifespan and a propensity for some to fight change/authority regardless of what the effects of that change would be, and the natural connections between each of the 'memories' that get recovered helps build towards the reveal at the end.
Overall this is a well thought out and cleverly constructed novel that does a great job of asking the question of what makes us human, and what defines life. I think this is a must read for sci-fi fans in general and anyone with an interest in fictional AI especially.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2025
This book seems like it could be seen as not only a story of love and humanity, but also a prophecy! The world that Ian Young creates oddly parallels the world today and makes this science fiction seem not too far from our future. The protagonist was remarkable and beautiful. The story made me question my own humanity and mortality. What’s makes us human? What makes us love? All great lessons taught by a character believed to not know how to do either.
November 4, 2024
Hopeful tale of our human failures
This is a story of humanity’s ability to attempt to fix things, our ability to fail even in the light of success, and our pension to keep trying again. Isaac is a mirror of our humanity, will we do better this time, or fail again? Only the future will reveal our truth.
This is a story of humanity’s ability to attempt to fix things, our ability to fail even in the light of success, and our pension to keep trying again. Isaac is a mirror of our humanity, will we do better this time, or fail again? Only the future will reveal our truth.
July 29, 2024
I didn't expect much, but it turned out to be a decent sci-fi book. I appreciated the discussions about the nature of humanity and whether automatons can fit into society. I also liked the story's structure, with the main character (an automaton) experiencing a series of memories to understand what is happening and why it was awakened.
February 8, 2024
A quiet, seemingly effortless reflection on what it means to be human.
The Automaton is a generational tale told interspersed with snippets of a future where a robot races against the clock.
It is a testament to the author that though I might not be considered the “ideal reader” having never read Asimov, I found myself so deeply connected to the characters in such a short space of time. I would have gladly gotten more time with each of these delightful characters and their respective storylines. Even cried in a few moments (and I’m not historically a crying reader).
Other reviews have said this book lacks excitement, but I disagree - the tension built over time in XR’s (the robot’s) overarching story is palpable and done in such a subtle way I couldn’t put the book down in between sections - desperate for more answers.
One thing I particularly appreciated about the story is that because of its episodic structure, it did allow for natural pauses so I could reflect on the characters and the situation. It reminded me of Becky Chambers writing a bit in that regard.
Of all the indie sci-fi I’ve read in the last few months - this is a top contender for my favorite.
The Automaton is a generational tale told interspersed with snippets of a future where a robot races against the clock.
It is a testament to the author that though I might not be considered the “ideal reader” having never read Asimov, I found myself so deeply connected to the characters in such a short space of time. I would have gladly gotten more time with each of these delightful characters and their respective storylines. Even cried in a few moments (and I’m not historically a crying reader).
Other reviews have said this book lacks excitement, but I disagree - the tension built over time in XR’s (the robot’s) overarching story is palpable and done in such a subtle way I couldn’t put the book down in between sections - desperate for more answers.
One thing I particularly appreciated about the story is that because of its episodic structure, it did allow for natural pauses so I could reflect on the characters and the situation. It reminded me of Becky Chambers writing a bit in that regard.
Of all the indie sci-fi I’ve read in the last few months - this is a top contender for my favorite.
November 22, 2024
This story is so good!!!! The narrative is done in a really interesting way, the characters have depth, and it’s fast paced. I enjoyed the scientific concepts in it as well. Have tissues nearby for this one!
I wanted to move right onto Ad Astra which would be the reasonable book 2, but I don’t see it yet!!!!!
I wanted to move right onto Ad Astra which would be the reasonable book 2, but I don’t see it yet!!!!!
January 24, 2023
A fun fresh take on science fiction! I thoroughly enjoyed every page and was surprised by several twists throughout the story. I can’t wait to see what else Ian may be working on
January 6, 2023
I was so excited to get my hands on this after getting to know Ian as a coworker, and I could not be more happy for him and proud of the work he's done! His wit, creativity, thoughtfulness, wisdom, and humor are wonderfully reflected in his writing. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.
The Automaton is a wonderful reflection of the human condition - my favorite thing to read about. "History repeats itself"...and it gets worse further down the line. But there is hope - that and our disposition toward creation being where out beauty truly lies. Each chapter held a new surprise, and I found myself delighted by absolutely everything I read. I could go on and on about everything I love being contained in this novel; a beautiful, incredibly creative celebration of human life but with a warning. Instead I'll just say support an indie author and READ THIS BOOK!
The Automaton is a wonderful reflection of the human condition - my favorite thing to read about. "History repeats itself"...and it gets worse further down the line. But there is hope - that and our disposition toward creation being where out beauty truly lies. Each chapter held a new surprise, and I found myself delighted by absolutely everything I read. I could go on and on about everything I love being contained in this novel; a beautiful, incredibly creative celebration of human life but with a warning. Instead I'll just say support an indie author and READ THIS BOOK!
December 12, 2023
The Automaton by Ian Young might be one of the best science fiction books I've read in many years. It's won awards, including the 2023 Best Indie Book Award for Science Fiction, so to say this book is merely good, is an understatement to the 'nth degree. I think it was phenomenal! I devoured this book in three sittings, that's how much I enjoyed it.
I'm gonna be blunt, I have found it really difficult to write this review because it is nearly impossible to describe this book without giving away major spoilage. But I will try my best because this book needs to be read by the lot of you. You'll have to read between the lines here to figure anything out. (That said, the less you know, or think you know, about the plot, the more enjoyable it becomes as you read).
What I really enjoyed most about The Automaton was its storytelling structure and style. For authors to tell a story via flashback well, it takes considerable skill, that's why you don't see this style used very often. It's not everyday you see someone come out swinging like Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, but Mr. Young roundly succeeded. And with a twist! As you might have gathered from the title, the main character is an automaton and this unit, aptly named like an automaton should, XR-345x is awakened some five thousand years after humanity has physically left planet Earth to float in the air like a supercomputer of misty blue stuff called Ad Astra (how this unfolds is part of the plot, so just take it and run). XR-345x is told there is an anomaly on the planet that must be dealt with, but before XR can do so, the history of automata and humanity must be learned.
Now, you're probably thinking, that's neat, an automaton for a main character, but how will this work? I'm here to tell you, this is where the flashback style kicks in, but not in which manner you might think. This program, called Hank, leads XR to a museum housing the physical remnants of humanity that has been beamed up to Ad Astra via binary code. So once XR gets to said museum, Hank leads the automaton to certain items, and these items generate these flashbacks that starts with the rise of AI, to the first automaton, to the sowing of a resistance against automata, to a great war between humans and automata, to attempted assimilation between the two, to the end of humanity itself, before finally settling on the future of mankind. But what is neat about this is that each section is told via a member of the Wing family throughout this history (from parent to child on down). The Councilor, The Reporter, The Professor, The Soldier, The Ambassador, The Companion, The Analyst, The Departed, and The Anomaly (glean what you can from these titles). Using a singular family to tell this history was pretty compelling and drew me in right away, but what really sealed the deal for me was how a single automaton from the earliest of days became so entwined in the Wing family's arc. It truly was engrossing to read how this automaton called XR-29 became Isaac, and to see Isaac's life play out until the very end was quite satisfying. And oh what an ending it was! I had an inkling to what the anomaly was, but didn't see the woods surrounding the path, that was a treat.
None of that structure/style would have worked if not for the amazing plot and the philosophical questions raised throughout each section. Questions that are currently raised today in the real world. Such as: How far is too far with artificial intelligence? When does the machine become better than humanity? Is humanity forever doomed to be shitty to one another? Will greed ever be put aside or will there always be a wannabe dictator out there? Can a machine love? Among others. This book makes you think but not in a Socrates or Nietzsche way too deep sort of way, but more in a 'oh crap, that makes a lot of sense' way as the story unfolds. It doesn't hit you in the face, but makes your brain start turning like a neural-sphere. And it doesn't get into crazy hard science stuff, so for someone who just wants to read a good science fiction story but not feel like a numpty who doesn't understand the hard sciences' mumbo jumbo, this book fits that bill as well.
The prose is very clean, the pace is quite consistent, and the characters are well-done. I mean, we are essentially meeting a new Wing character plus supporting cast every few chapters but it never felt like a character was short-changed or lacking. And even though we are journeying through this plot with an automaton, it never felt robotic or lacking depth. XR-345x and Hank had the correct mix of machine and human interaction, which was integral for the plot as a whole. And Isaac's growth from XR-29 to the climax is nothing short of magnificent.
There's something to be said about a book told from a machine's point of view, and it's this: when does a machine become too human to still be a machine?
I'm gonna be blunt, I have found it really difficult to write this review because it is nearly impossible to describe this book without giving away major spoilage. But I will try my best because this book needs to be read by the lot of you. You'll have to read between the lines here to figure anything out. (That said, the less you know, or think you know, about the plot, the more enjoyable it becomes as you read).
What I really enjoyed most about The Automaton was its storytelling structure and style. For authors to tell a story via flashback well, it takes considerable skill, that's why you don't see this style used very often. It's not everyday you see someone come out swinging like Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, but Mr. Young roundly succeeded. And with a twist! As you might have gathered from the title, the main character is an automaton and this unit, aptly named like an automaton should, XR-345x is awakened some five thousand years after humanity has physically left planet Earth to float in the air like a supercomputer of misty blue stuff called Ad Astra (how this unfolds is part of the plot, so just take it and run). XR-345x is told there is an anomaly on the planet that must be dealt with, but before XR can do so, the history of automata and humanity must be learned.
Now, you're probably thinking, that's neat, an automaton for a main character, but how will this work? I'm here to tell you, this is where the flashback style kicks in, but not in which manner you might think. This program, called Hank, leads XR to a museum housing the physical remnants of humanity that has been beamed up to Ad Astra via binary code. So once XR gets to said museum, Hank leads the automaton to certain items, and these items generate these flashbacks that starts with the rise of AI, to the first automaton, to the sowing of a resistance against automata, to a great war between humans and automata, to attempted assimilation between the two, to the end of humanity itself, before finally settling on the future of mankind. But what is neat about this is that each section is told via a member of the Wing family throughout this history (from parent to child on down). The Councilor, The Reporter, The Professor, The Soldier, The Ambassador, The Companion, The Analyst, The Departed, and The Anomaly (glean what you can from these titles). Using a singular family to tell this history was pretty compelling and drew me in right away, but what really sealed the deal for me was how a single automaton from the earliest of days became so entwined in the Wing family's arc. It truly was engrossing to read how this automaton called XR-29 became Isaac, and to see Isaac's life play out until the very end was quite satisfying. And oh what an ending it was! I had an inkling to what the anomaly was, but didn't see the woods surrounding the path, that was a treat.
None of that structure/style would have worked if not for the amazing plot and the philosophical questions raised throughout each section. Questions that are currently raised today in the real world. Such as: How far is too far with artificial intelligence? When does the machine become better than humanity? Is humanity forever doomed to be shitty to one another? Will greed ever be put aside or will there always be a wannabe dictator out there? Can a machine love? Among others. This book makes you think but not in a Socrates or Nietzsche way too deep sort of way, but more in a 'oh crap, that makes a lot of sense' way as the story unfolds. It doesn't hit you in the face, but makes your brain start turning like a neural-sphere. And it doesn't get into crazy hard science stuff, so for someone who just wants to read a good science fiction story but not feel like a numpty who doesn't understand the hard sciences' mumbo jumbo, this book fits that bill as well.
The prose is very clean, the pace is quite consistent, and the characters are well-done. I mean, we are essentially meeting a new Wing character plus supporting cast every few chapters but it never felt like a character was short-changed or lacking. And even though we are journeying through this plot with an automaton, it never felt robotic or lacking depth. XR-345x and Hank had the correct mix of machine and human interaction, which was integral for the plot as a whole. And Isaac's growth from XR-29 to the climax is nothing short of magnificent.
There's something to be said about a book told from a machine's point of view, and it's this: when does a machine become too human to still be a machine?
November 16, 2023
I picked up The Automaton based on a booktube recommendation (and frankly, because it had a nice price point on Kindle!) as I had been hankering for a sci-fi read, and this one did not disappoint. The reader experiences this story unfolding right alongside the main character, an automaton who is awoken from a "sleep" state at a time of crisis having no memory of what came before. Humanity is gone, and through a series of historical vignettes, we get to unravel the events leading up to the present. This one was engrossing, had a surprising amount of emotional and character depth, and many original ideas (though the author clearly draws from Asimov in many ways). It's a robot book, sure, but I found it was perhaps more of a commentary about the relationship between humanity to things we have created, the nature of being human, our emotional ties, and ultimately, a pondering of our future. I'd call this one sci-fi drama!
What I Liked:
- The structure follows connected generations by providing us with pivotal related moments in each of those character's lives, and I think it really worked in this novel. I enjoyed discovering who we'd meet next, how they fit together and how it would map into the larger story.
- The book had a surprising amount of heart and commentary on what it means to be human (considering it's about automatons). I applaud the author -- it was unexpected but highly enjoyable.
- I think the book is pretty ambitious to have been self-published. Hats off to Young.
What I Didn't:
- There were quite a few typographical issues throughout and they became a bit distracting at times. There were also a few made-up words that were definitely not intentional and I had to chuckle about that (being self-published, though, I can forgive a little).
What I Liked:
- The structure follows connected generations by providing us with pivotal related moments in each of those character's lives, and I think it really worked in this novel. I enjoyed discovering who we'd meet next, how they fit together and how it would map into the larger story.
- The book had a surprising amount of heart and commentary on what it means to be human (considering it's about automatons). I applaud the author -- it was unexpected but highly enjoyable.
- I think the book is pretty ambitious to have been self-published. Hats off to Young.
What I Didn't:
- There were quite a few typographical issues throughout and they became a bit distracting at times. There were also a few made-up words that were definitely not intentional and I had to chuckle about that (being self-published, though, I can forgive a little).
December 10, 2023
I read The Automaton as part of a judging team for the third annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3), where it is a quarterfinalist.
This is an ambitious book with a classic sci-fi, telling a generational story centering around the development of sentient automatons over time, with both human sentiment and the human population ebbing and flowing through the generations.
As a generational story that’s relatively short, each segment feels very much like a short story, with the central family providing a through line. There is a frame story taking place years after the rest, in which an automaton pursued by strange villains studies history to provide context to understand a mysterious anomaly. But the frame is essentially just another short story on the stack—it doesn’t necessarily feel like the *main* story.
And each of the stories are professionally written and easy to engage with, but I’m not sure there’s a one of them that reaches out and truly grabs the reader. They’re not bad reads, they’re just not great reads either. And without the individual stories providing the selling point to the novel, it falls to the overarching story and its handling of humanity and AI through the generations. But again, this story is fine. It’s engaging, but it’s not really one that shines a new light on a topic that’s pretty common in the genre.
First impression: 12/20. Full review and SPSFC score to come at www.tarvolon.com
This is an ambitious book with a classic sci-fi, telling a generational story centering around the development of sentient automatons over time, with both human sentiment and the human population ebbing and flowing through the generations.
As a generational story that’s relatively short, each segment feels very much like a short story, with the central family providing a through line. There is a frame story taking place years after the rest, in which an automaton pursued by strange villains studies history to provide context to understand a mysterious anomaly. But the frame is essentially just another short story on the stack—it doesn’t necessarily feel like the *main* story.
And each of the stories are professionally written and easy to engage with, but I’m not sure there’s a one of them that reaches out and truly grabs the reader. They’re not bad reads, they’re just not great reads either. And without the individual stories providing the selling point to the novel, it falls to the overarching story and its handling of humanity and AI through the generations. But again, this story is fine. It’s engaging, but it’s not really one that shines a new light on a topic that’s pretty common in the genre.
First impression: 12/20. Full review and SPSFC score to come at www.tarvolon.com
Read
December 17, 2023I found this an engaging and entertaining read. There were issues but despite all that, it remains an entertaining read. It did get a bit boring at times, but to me the ending was really unsatisfactory. It feels like the author set things up to fool the reader.
This was another of the SPSFC quarterfinalists, and while I see the appeal, I'm not too impressed. Ultimately, there are no stakes, and most of the book is basically flashback and the present and the anomaly that was built up earlier turns out to be something that gets resolved very quickly and something that, to my mind, doesn't even need all that build up.
I would rate this a 6/10 in the SPSFC scale. The rating and review represents my views, and not the team's overall view.
If you like dystopian sci fi, future worlds with AI that doesn't destroy the world, you might enjoy this. All the issues apart, it is an entertaining read.
This was another of the SPSFC quarterfinalists, and while I see the appeal, I'm not too impressed. Ultimately, there are no stakes, and most of the book is basically flashback and the present and the anomaly that was built up earlier turns out to be something that gets resolved very quickly and something that, to my mind, doesn't even need all that build up.
I would rate this a 6/10 in the SPSFC scale. The rating and review represents my views, and not the team's overall view.
If you like dystopian sci fi, future worlds with AI that doesn't destroy the world, you might enjoy this. All the issues apart, it is an entertaining read.
June 5, 2024
The general plot i enjoyed it was Arthur C Clarke type sci fi - over thousands of years and on the scale of populations and evolution. I enjoyed the ending but there where too many unanswered questions like how Thomas and Issacs wife just happened to be there when both died.
The problem with the book was the basic science of the plot - i am normally someone who just goes with the flow and gives the author the power of a God to change physics or create devices that we need to make the plot more interesting but this was so bad which was a real shame.
I would like to read more from the author.
The problem with the book was the basic science of the plot - i am normally someone who just goes with the flow and gives the author the power of a God to change physics or create devices that we need to make the plot more interesting but this was so bad which was a real shame.
I would like to read more from the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2023
I like the ideas in the book but the dual storylines just broke up the narrative for me and the story itself about the crumbling empire and corrupt leaders and civil war was very childish.
"There's corruption in our one world government!?!"
It just lacked bite and direction.
"There's corruption in our one world government!?!"
It just lacked bite and direction.
November 12, 2023
Ian’s story is so compelling! He’s a thoughtful writer who creates a unique structure to best serve the story. It’s science fiction that gets to the core of humanity. The Automaton is thrilling and filled with the heart. Highly recommend!
June 27, 2024
We are proud to announce that THE AUTOMATON by Ian Young has been honored with the B.R.A.G. Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.
March 20, 2025
This was surprisingly good, the structure of the story was very unexpected and it makes sense as you get deeper into the plot. It’s a very easy book to read, enjoyable characters and interesting ideas.
July 8, 2024
Didn't quite hit home for me like I thought it was going to do.
October 4, 2024
Good once it got going.
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