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A man without memory, stranded on an icy asteroid. His only chance for survival is locked within a band of mining robots who are dutifully searching the surface for a mysterious object known as the Key to Perihelion.
His name is Derec. His journey will take him to a city different from any he has ever known. A fantastic metropolis beyond his dreams: Robot City.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1987
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About the author
Michael P. Kube-McDowell
54 books58 followersMichael Paul Kube-McDowell's earliest science fiction stories began appearing in magazines such as Amazing, Asimov's, and Analog in 1979. His 1985 debut novel Emprise, the first volume of the Trigon Disunity future history, was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award. The Quiet Pools, published as a Bantam hardcover in 1990, was a Hugo Award nominee.
In addition to his solo novels, Kube-McDowell has collaborated with Sir Arthur C. Clarke (The Trigger) and Isaac Asimov (for the YA series Robot City. He also wrote the popular Black Fleet Crisis trilogy for the Star Wars Expanded Universe; all three volumes were New York Times bestsellers.
A former middle school science teacher, Kube-McDowell has written about science and technology for a variety of periodicals, on topics ranging from gnotobiology to ultralights to spaceflight. He covered the launch of STS-4 for The South Bend Tribune.
Kube-McDowell has attended more than 80 SF fan conventions, and met his wife Gwen (then an artist) in a con huckster room. They both were later members of the Pegasus Award-winning electric filk ensemble The Black Book Band, which performed at cons in the Midwest in the 1990s and released the live album First Contact (Dodeka Records).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
June 17, 2023
June 17, 1245am ~~ I'm afraid I will have to mark this a DNF for now. The print is very small and using a magnifying glass became too awkward. I will come back to it when I have either stronger glasses or a bigger magnifier. Will rate it temporarily based on the few chapters I read before my eyes begged for mercy.
DNF but will come back to it someday.
DNF but will come back to it someday.
August 25, 2016
I'm going to review the first three books of Robot City here, since my complaints are the same for all of them.
I inherited the first three books of the series when I got married, and both my husband and I had assumed that these were actually by Isaac Asimov. NOT SO. Asimov writes the intros, and the stories are very, very loosely set in his universe, but that's it. I was still prepared to enjoy the series...until I realized the quality was terrible.
In all fairness to the authors, a lot of the flaws may well be due to the fact that each author wrote a single book in a sprawling, interminably long story. I can only imagine the frustration in writing a chunk of story that someone else started and a third someone else would finish. The result is some of the dullest, jarring scifi I've read. The characters are, without exception, unlikable, mercurial, and wildly unpredictable and unnatural in their reactions. I never really did get a handle on them. To say the plot moved at a snail's pace is unfair to the speedier varieties of snails out there. Subplots are ignored for whole books at a time (again, understandable when books are written by different authors.) The mysteries put forward aren't particularly interesting, and I had no desire to read past the three books we already owned.
I did read the synopses for the remaining four books--yes, that's right, they managed to spin this threadbare little story out into seven books in total--and was very glad I hadn't bothered to read the rest.
This wouldn't even have warranted two stars if not for the robots themselves, who are by far and away the most interesting characters in the book, which really isn't saying much.
I inherited the first three books of the series when I got married, and both my husband and I had assumed that these were actually by Isaac Asimov. NOT SO. Asimov writes the intros, and the stories are very, very loosely set in his universe, but that's it. I was still prepared to enjoy the series...until I realized the quality was terrible.
In all fairness to the authors, a lot of the flaws may well be due to the fact that each author wrote a single book in a sprawling, interminably long story. I can only imagine the frustration in writing a chunk of story that someone else started and a third someone else would finish. The result is some of the dullest, jarring scifi I've read. The characters are, without exception, unlikable, mercurial, and wildly unpredictable and unnatural in their reactions. I never really did get a handle on them. To say the plot moved at a snail's pace is unfair to the speedier varieties of snails out there. Subplots are ignored for whole books at a time (again, understandable when books are written by different authors.) The mysteries put forward aren't particularly interesting, and I had no desire to read past the three books we already owned.
I did read the synopses for the remaining four books--yes, that's right, they managed to spin this threadbare little story out into seven books in total--and was very glad I hadn't bothered to read the rest.
This wouldn't even have warranted two stars if not for the robots themselves, who are by far and away the most interesting characters in the book, which really isn't saying much.
July 13, 2009
MAJOR cliffhanger - be prepared to start the next book right away
February 21, 2016
Not quite Asimov but enjoyable none the less.
For some unknown reason I was reminded of the Perry Rhodan (?) books I read over 40 years ago. Now I'm not saying it's as "Space Opera" as they were but for some reason they sprang to mind. Will know more after the next "episode".
For some unknown reason I was reminded of the Perry Rhodan (?) books I read over 40 years ago. Now I'm not saying it's as "Space Opera" as they were but for some reason they sprang to mind. Will know more after the next "episode".
February 9, 2023
This has been in true keeping with Asimov's Robots. I read through this book so quickly that I'm craving more of this story. This was literary candy at its most innocent and pure.
No, you're probably not going to find any dynamic epiphany that'll reshape your view of life. This is just a wonderful escape to a fantastic world of the possible future, including non robot non-human characters that are just an amazing seasoning to the storyline.
No, you're probably not going to find any dynamic epiphany that'll reshape your view of life. This is just a wonderful escape to a fantastic world of the possible future, including non robot non-human characters that are just an amazing seasoning to the storyline.
November 8, 2015
3.5 estrellas
Me es complicado reseñar este libro, ya que ADORO la ficción, pero tengo un pequeño problema con algunos de sus géneros: Denme un libro con 10 razas de dragones y seré capaz de describir con gran detalle cada tipo, denme 2 tipos de robot y seré incapaz de distinguirlos.
Odisea es el primer libro de una saga ambientada en el mundo creado por Isaac Asimov (y el tipo de robot que él creo). Por lo que indiqué antes comprenderán que fue extremadamente difícil para mí lograr seguir la historia, necesité hacer varios descansos para procesar la información, orientarme y entender en qué punto estaba. Además de eso, el libro es muy (MUY!) descriptivo, por lo que a veces estaba en pleno proceso imaginativo de recrear los espacios en mi cabeza, pero eran tantos los detalles que llegaba un punto de colapso, además que los términos técnicos me dejaban igual que si estuviera leyendo en chino.
A lo anterior se suma que podemos dividir el libro en 3 partes iguales, la primera es lenta a morir! Es básicamente el relato de nuestro protagonista que no recuerda ni a su madre y no sabe donde en el universo se encuentra. La lectura de estas hojas es tortuosa, porque estamos "aprendiendo" al mismo tiempo que Derek, y como este lo único que tiene son los sentidos, entonces nos describe donde está ubicado... Uffff! Si logras sobrevivir de la página 70-80 existen altas probabilidades de que termines el libro.
En la segunda parte empieza a haber más acción, básicamente porque Derek comienza a tomar más decisiones sobre lo que debe o no hacer, lo cual engancha rápidamente, y aparecen más persoonajes con los cuales se forman interesantes interacciones. Cuando llegamos a la recta final, el rompecabeza se empieza a armar y muestra la "primera figura reconocible"... Las cosas suceden una tras otra y ya no se puede soltar el libro hasta la última página y... ¡VAYA FINAL! Si a este punto has llegado con sentimientos encontrados, lo más probable es que a pesar de lo anterior desees seguir leyendo el siguiente libro.
En pocas palabras, Odisea empieza siendo un asco de libro, pero llega un punto en que la acción empieza poco a poco a aparecer de una manera ascendente, hasta llegar a un punto en que el libro te atrapa.
Si no fuera por ese inicio, claramente habría merecido 4 estrellas.
Me es complicado reseñar este libro, ya que ADORO la ficción, pero tengo un pequeño problema con algunos de sus géneros: Denme un libro con 10 razas de dragones y seré capaz de describir con gran detalle cada tipo, denme 2 tipos de robot y seré incapaz de distinguirlos.
Odisea es el primer libro de una saga ambientada en el mundo creado por Isaac Asimov (y el tipo de robot que él creo). Por lo que indiqué antes comprenderán que fue extremadamente difícil para mí lograr seguir la historia, necesité hacer varios descansos para procesar la información, orientarme y entender en qué punto estaba. Además de eso, el libro es muy (MUY!) descriptivo, por lo que a veces estaba en pleno proceso imaginativo de recrear los espacios en mi cabeza, pero eran tantos los detalles que llegaba un punto de colapso, además que los términos técnicos me dejaban igual que si estuviera leyendo en chino.
A lo anterior se suma que podemos dividir el libro en 3 partes iguales, la primera es lenta a morir! Es básicamente el relato de nuestro protagonista que no recuerda ni a su madre y no sabe donde en el universo se encuentra. La lectura de estas hojas es tortuosa, porque estamos "aprendiendo" al mismo tiempo que Derek, y como este lo único que tiene son los sentidos, entonces nos describe donde está ubicado... Uffff! Si logras sobrevivir de la página 70-80 existen altas probabilidades de que termines el libro.
En la segunda parte empieza a haber más acción, básicamente porque Derek comienza a tomar más decisiones sobre lo que debe o no hacer, lo cual engancha rápidamente, y aparecen más persoonajes con los cuales se forman interesantes interacciones. Cuando llegamos a la recta final, el rompecabeza se empieza a armar y muestra la "primera figura reconocible"... Las cosas suceden una tras otra y ya no se puede soltar el libro hasta la última página y... ¡VAYA FINAL! Si a este punto has llegado con sentimientos encontrados, lo más probable es que a pesar de lo anterior desees seguir leyendo el siguiente libro.
En pocas palabras, Odisea empieza siendo un asco de libro, pero llega un punto en que la acción empieza poco a poco a aparecer de una manera ascendente, hasta llegar a un punto en que el libro te atrapa.
Si no fuera por ese inicio, claramente habría merecido 4 estrellas.
July 17, 2019
Kube-McDowell, Michael. Odyssey. Isaac Asimov’s Robot City No. 1. Ace, 1987.
In the late 1980s, franchised out part of his robot universe to a group of six young writers. This first novel in the series has an open ending that hands off to the writer doing the second installment. To get the whole story, you need to be familiar with Asimov’s originals and with the whole sequence of novels in the series. Asimov introduces each novel and explains what he thinks it adds to his original ideas. We begin with a man with amnesia waking up in a starship life pod. Eventually, he lands in a city run by Asimovian robots. You can take it from there.
In the late 1980s, franchised out part of his robot universe to a group of six young writers. This first novel in the series has an open ending that hands off to the writer doing the second installment. To get the whole story, you need to be familiar with Asimov’s originals and with the whole sequence of novels in the series. Asimov introduces each novel and explains what he thinks it adds to his original ideas. We begin with a man with amnesia waking up in a starship life pod. Eventually, he lands in a city run by Asimovian robots. You can take it from there.
January 3, 2021
A perversion of Isaac Asimov's legacy and ideology, in my opinion. The cliffhanger ending, and 7 part novel (none of which can give a clear picture) in addition with countless plot twists and deviations from Asimov's universe have frustrated me to the hilt. The foreword by Asimov himself made it clear that he has green lit the project, and yet when I see the final result, I can't help draw a comparison between this one and the countless Robot novels written by the legend. Needless to say, this one falls way off the mark.
December 4, 2012
Loved this series. Different authors for each book, too, which was neat. Introduced the reader to different styles while maintaining the plot/storyline.
June 22, 2021
Lekker makkelijk te lezen boek. in tegenstelling tot wat het vermeldt Is., is dit boek niet geschreven die Asimov, maar heeft hij wel meegewerkt aan het boek.
May 29, 2023
New take on "old school" SF. Good but not great.
Read
January 28, 2026I forgot I read this.
That kinda says all you need to know about this book.
That kinda says all you need to know about this book.
January 6, 2024
I think the people with low ratings are missing the part where Isaac Asimov states that this is a project written by different authors inspired by his works. A fanfiction if you will. This is what this book felt like. And I found it actually kind of good.
For a slow paced book there was enough action to keep me hooked and wanting to keep reading, which props to that because I have a terrible time at reading slow paced books. The characters were interesting enough. I cling to the robots so much, they're so fun and each have a noticeable personality. I was genuinely sad when that thing happened with Monitor 5. I wondered what happed to Alpha. I also really liked Wolruf (Rrullf) and Aranimas. The settings the plot takes place in are also interesting and the author, Michael P. Kube-McDowell, does a great job at naturally allowing the reader to explore with the characters.
My only real critiques are around Derec and his character. I found him really annoying for most of the book. He really only became interesting after he met Kate, to which case his entire character does a 180 and is suddenly a different person. It wasn't a natural change, but I didn't hate it. I think Derec needed to have his whole character changed, because I found his attitude towards certain characters to be painfully annoying and uncalled for.
Here are my notes during reading. WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
-Derec started off an okay character until he was rude to Monitor 5 and Analyst 17 when all they were doing was what they were programmed to do, keep the human alive.
-Genuinely sad that Monitor 5 didn't make it.
-Aranimas is a better character than Derec, even though he's the Raider Leader and tortured Derec.
-"Eat space and die" would have been a great quote if it weren't for the context of the situation that ruined it. Rrullf is just doing her job, man.
-To further that point, Derec changed the name of Rrullf's name to Wolruf. He didn't even TRY to pronounce her name, he just told her what he was going to call her.
-If Derec betrays Rrullf I don't know what I'll do, but I will be angry.
-Derec can't seem to do anything for himself.
-There's a woman involved now. Let's see if he's a suck up. I'm guessing enemies to lovers.
-"You woke me up to ask me for my insurance card?"
-Self aware foreshadowing?
-Why is Derec now considering robots as equals as if he hadn't gone the whole plot not caring if the robots lived or died and only toys to be played with?
-Rrullf! I'm so glad to see her!
-The author really went and through Derec's "I don't give a shit" personality right out the window the second he brought in the bad bitch Kate.
-If their little stunt killed Rrullf I am going to scream.
-Rrullf is fine, thank the Gods.
-Kathrine and Derec are married (not canon) and Rrullf is their adopted daughter/puppy.
-Maybe Monitor 5 gave Derec the key because Monitor 5 knew what it was and what it could do and considering Monitor 5 and Analyst 17 were working so hard to keep Derec safe, Monitor 5 knew the key could do that. Just a thought, DEREC.
For a slow paced book there was enough action to keep me hooked and wanting to keep reading, which props to that because I have a terrible time at reading slow paced books. The characters were interesting enough. I cling to the robots so much, they're so fun and each have a noticeable personality. I was genuinely sad when that thing happened with Monitor 5. I wondered what happed to Alpha. I also really liked Wolruf (Rrullf) and Aranimas. The settings the plot takes place in are also interesting and the author, Michael P. Kube-McDowell, does a great job at naturally allowing the reader to explore with the characters.
My only real critiques are around Derec and his character. I found him really annoying for most of the book. He really only became interesting after he met Kate, to which case his entire character does a 180 and is suddenly a different person. It wasn't a natural change, but I didn't hate it. I think Derec needed to have his whole character changed, because I found his attitude towards certain characters to be painfully annoying and uncalled for.
Here are my notes during reading. WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
-Derec started off an okay character until he was rude to Monitor 5 and Analyst 17 when all they were doing was what they were programmed to do, keep the human alive.
-Genuinely sad that Monitor 5 didn't make it.
-Aranimas is a better character than Derec, even though he's the Raider Leader and tortured Derec.
-"Eat space and die" would have been a great quote if it weren't for the context of the situation that ruined it. Rrullf is just doing her job, man.
-To further that point, Derec changed the name of Rrullf's name to Wolruf. He didn't even TRY to pronounce her name, he just told her what he was going to call her.
-If Derec betrays Rrullf I don't know what I'll do, but I will be angry.
-Derec can't seem to do anything for himself.
-There's a woman involved now. Let's see if he's a suck up. I'm guessing enemies to lovers.
-"You woke me up to ask me for my insurance card?"
-Self aware foreshadowing?
-Why is Derec now considering robots as equals as if he hadn't gone the whole plot not caring if the robots lived or died and only toys to be played with?
-Rrullf! I'm so glad to see her!
-The author really went and through Derec's "I don't give a shit" personality right out the window the second he brought in the bad bitch Kate.
-If their little stunt killed Rrullf I am going to scream.
-Rrullf is fine, thank the Gods.
-Kathrine and Derec are married (not canon) and Rrullf is their adopted daughter/puppy.
-Maybe Monitor 5 gave Derec the key because Monitor 5 knew what it was and what it could do and considering Monitor 5 and Analyst 17 were working so hard to keep Derec safe, Monitor 5 knew the key could do that. Just a thought, DEREC.
November 7, 2017
My copy actually contains volume 1 and 2, although the cover and ISBN are the same as the one shown.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this, having never read the original books by Asimov, or anything by the authors, but I was pleasantly surprised.
In 'Odyssey', a man wakes up in a life-pod on a asteroid, with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He is rescued by a group of robots that are searching the rock for something, but who won't help him leave. Then they are attacked by an alien spaceship and he ends up on board, only to escape again to a whole new world.
In 'Suspicion', still without memories, he is accused of murder by a robot-run society, who are also in the midst of an unknown emergency. He has to solve both mysteries before he can continue to work out who he is.
Both novels read well, although I prefer the second one. There's a lot of reacting to circumstances and lots of action, but to be honest, Derec doesn't do a lot to help himself and Katherine is just mildly annoying. I really liked some of the themes it introduces and the essay on the Laws of Humanics was interesting. I liked it enough to try tracking down the rest of the series, as I really want to know how it all ends.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this, having never read the original books by Asimov, or anything by the authors, but I was pleasantly surprised.
In 'Odyssey', a man wakes up in a life-pod on a asteroid, with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He is rescued by a group of robots that are searching the rock for something, but who won't help him leave. Then they are attacked by an alien spaceship and he ends up on board, only to escape again to a whole new world.
In 'Suspicion', still without memories, he is accused of murder by a robot-run society, who are also in the midst of an unknown emergency. He has to solve both mysteries before he can continue to work out who he is.
Both novels read well, although I prefer the second one. There's a lot of reacting to circumstances and lots of action, but to be honest, Derec doesn't do a lot to help himself and Katherine is just mildly annoying. I really liked some of the themes it introduces and the essay on the Laws of Humanics was interesting. I liked it enough to try tracking down the rest of the series, as I really want to know how it all ends.
November 18, 2020
Isaac Asimov opens the novel with an introduction to his world of robots and the Three Laws of Robotics that govern the actions of intelligent A.I. toward the humans that they unconditionally serve. Odyssey begins with the story’s main protagonist, Derec, a young spacer robotics engineer suffering from retrograde amnesia, and stranded on a giant asteroid mined by a colony solely of robots. The robots, under the direction, are searching for the Key to Perihelion. The key has the ability to transport its user to pre-determined destinations across space. The robots ultimately find the key and give it to Derec for protection just as the asteroid is attacked by an alien spacecraft under command by a space pirate, Arinamus. Derec is captured, and in his plan of escape rebuilds a robot he names, Alpha. Together Derec and Alpha enlist the help of Wolruf, a female doglike creature, and Arielle, a young wealthy aristocrat with a life-threatening disease; both of which captured by Arinamus. They only narrowly escape with their lives and are ultimately separated at the space station where Derec and Arielle are rescued and nursed back to health. Wolruf and Alpha are left behind as Derec and Arielle use the Key to Perihelion to teleport to the mysterious Robot City.
October 23, 2021
Odyssey is a novel set in the Asimov Robot universe in what turns out to be the Spacer era. It is the start of a 6 novel sequence with the same core characters whose interactions with robots form the basis for an exploration of the nature and behaviour of robots in Asimov's world. None of the novels are written by Asimov.
This first volume feels a lot like a TV pilot. Themes are created. Mysteries are set up, but very little is resolved. This novel did lead me to be curious and engaged - and I read the second book. However, the actual situations in this book weren't that great and were left behind quite quickly as the story moved from place to place.
The writing style is decent, but not superb, and the author is constrained to not resolve most of the questions asked. This is definitely not interesting as a standalone novel. The book is a short easy read - with 180 pages it took me only a bit over 3 hours to read.
I'm a huge fan of the Asimov Robot novels and have read all of them. This is a decent addition to the Universe, but not at the level of the originals. It was a good start, and I am going to read the 6 novel sequence most likely. Weakly recommended for Asimov-enthusiasts, but don't get your hopes up too high.
This first volume feels a lot like a TV pilot. Themes are created. Mysteries are set up, but very little is resolved. This novel did lead me to be curious and engaged - and I read the second book. However, the actual situations in this book weren't that great and were left behind quite quickly as the story moved from place to place.
The writing style is decent, but not superb, and the author is constrained to not resolve most of the questions asked. This is definitely not interesting as a standalone novel. The book is a short easy read - with 180 pages it took me only a bit over 3 hours to read.
I'm a huge fan of the Asimov Robot novels and have read all of them. This is a decent addition to the Universe, but not at the level of the originals. It was a good start, and I am going to read the 6 novel sequence most likely. Weakly recommended for Asimov-enthusiasts, but don't get your hopes up too high.
October 9, 2021
Robot City is a Sci-Fi book that has a well-thought-out, interesting plot. An admirable moment of the protagonist is when he offers to let Ariel use the Key to Perihelion while he would die trying to kill an alien. The novel takes place in the distant future, mainly on earth in St. Louis, MO (the USA doesn’t exist, but that is the location). St. Louis is completely underground and packed full of people. The plot of the book is quite unique, and Isaac Asimov wrote it in such a way that you stay engaged and interested during the entirety of the book. The whole book is entertaining and exciting. Asimov uses his projection of what the future might be to create a realistic setting that is perfect for the plot. Robot City is perfect for those who enjoy Sci-Fi and like being thrilled by plot twists, adventure, and action.
November 21, 2021
Would recommend to any Sci fi lover- great plot and compulsively readable. The prose is gentle and the writer kept me hooked to the very end. Very interesting world, where robots and humans interact and the unwritten dynamics between them. In light of the recent exploration of Mars for purposes of colonization - these type of books are becoming more and more relevant. I especially liked the description with aliens with their own languages, culture and unique physiognomy . Can't wait to read the next installment by Mike McQuay.
November 2, 2022
When you have read all Asimov’s science fiction books -and are craving more… this is what you want!! You’re NOT getting more books from Asimov, but this book is so good that I could have been Asimov. (And he actually has helped the writer with the book -not co-written it but helped with advices)
I am looking forward to read the next in the series. This is an excellent start!!!
I am looking forward to read the next in the series. This is an excellent start!!!
November 15, 2017
Respecting the incredible role of Issac Asimov in pioneering science-fiction, I found this to be a slow paced book. Perhaps I’ve read my fair share of him. Much of his work was done in a far earlier time, when the realm of imagination was much different.
April 17, 2018
I struggled to really see what this story was trying to achieve. It felt a little too generic for my tastes.
March 6, 2020
Awesome, finally worlds where robots are the majority and have at least some autonomy.
April 24, 2020
i liked it a lot
June 18, 2021
Good story, interesting world, nothing out of the ordinary though. I know it's part of a series, but it needed to wrap up SOMETHING.
September 20, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It's aged very well.
September 3, 2023
JJJuvult. Nagyon mukodik a mystery, az Asimovi robotok es a veluk banas korulmenyessege is mindig szorakoztato. 300 ftos bazari konyvkent meg meg annyira megerte.
September 13, 2023
Ovu knjigu sam našao u školskoj klupi pre 30ak godina. Pročitao je u danu i tako je krenula moja ljubav prema naučnoj fantastici. 5/5
November 25, 2024
I like this book and series. It reminds me of a possible science fiction movie on TV. I can't wait to start the second book.
April 12, 2025
It's certainly not Asimov, but it's quite enjoyable on its own merits. Let's see how the rest of the series goes.
August 18, 2015
This is an interesting beginning to a series commissioned by Asimov's publisher and with his permission. Indeed, he writes the forward. Of course, the Three Laws of Robotics are in full force here.
A man, who goes by the name of Derec, which is found on the front of his shirt, wakes up on an asteroid with severe amnesia. He has no idea who he is, where he's from, where he was going, who his family is, what planet he's from, what his work is, etc. All he knows is that he's surrounded by robots. Many, many robots. And most of them are pretty darn busy. It looks like they're mining. He starts wandering around the various levels and meets some of the robots and while they're respectful, they won't let him leave the premises for his own safety or rebuild the craft he was in to take off in. After awhile, a space ship is seen coming toward the asteroid and no own knows its intent, but the robots start going wild. They start taking everything on the premises to be burned and once dumped in the incinerator, they jump in after. They're committing suicide. The ship turns out to be hostile and fires lasers at the asteroid and their colony, wreaking terrible damage. Derec outwits a robot, dons a special suit, and makes it to the surface. At the very end, a robot breaks free and shouts to Derek that they've found the key. Derec passes out.
And wakes up on the space ship. Where a very hostile alien is captain of the ship and wants robots for slaves. He's got some blown up parts and insists Derec build him a robot or else. There are several types of aliens on this large ship and one that looks kind of like a dog becomes a kind of friend to him. Derec somehow builds a robot, but gives it instructions to listen only to Derec as his ultimate master, even while following someone else's orders. The captain is happy with the robot and promptly tells Derec he wants 50 more. Derec and his doggie buddy make it to the control center of the ship, where the robot and the dog carry off the captain. Derec starts looking for the hidden key the robots gave him, as he's obsessed with it. As he's looking, a young woman appears and seems to know him. However, as they're talking, he's working on lifting floor boarding and an explosion occurs, knocking everyone out.
Derec wakes up in a hospital room in what he later finds out are weeks later. And his female friend, Kate, is there too, still asleep from her injuries. And they have a robot doctor. They're on a space station manned entirely by robots. And part of the space ship had come loose and the robots had captured it and brought it back to the station. As soon as Kate, the young woman, is able to get around, they start talking about getting back home, wherever that is. And they talk about the key, which the woman knows about too. However, neither of them knows its significance. Odd. The doggie alien turns up, hiding from the robots and the three of them team up to rescue the key, which the doggie knows the location of. And they pull it off! The three of them end up back in a darkened room and it turns out that the alien knows a little about it. Apparently, it's a key to a transdimensional travel ability, which is why it's so wanted. As the robots are closing in on them, Kate and Derec rub it, find a catch, push it and disappear. And appear in the middle of nothingness. They push it again and appear atop a pyramid in a large, beautiful but alien city. They try it again, but it doesn't work, so they figure it needs time to "recharge." So they spend the night atop the pyramid.
In the morning, they go for it again and they're taken back to the land of nothingness. They press the key again, thinking of winding up on Kate's home planet and they're dispatched right back to the pyramid. Odd. Derec decides he wants to go down and look around. Kate follows him down. At the bottom, they're met by robots. They're taken to a house, where they get cleaned up, and then go to meet the city leaders, who they assume are going to be human. But they're wrong. More robots. Because they're in Robot City. There are no humans. They're stunned. And while they want off the planet and to go back home, it turns out that can't happen because of an interesting plot twist that leaves you hanging at the end of the book. Completely unresolved. You have to buy the sequel and probably each sequel after that in order to find resolution. This publishing strategy usually bugs me and I'm encountering that with David Weber's Safehold series, but his books are 800-1100 pages long. This book was only 200 pages and I read it in a day. So I'm not too put off by the idea of reading a few sequels in this series. The writing is simple. The plot is basic. It's pretty easy to understand. The sci fi isn't very original. But it's still fun. It takes you back to a simpler time in sci fi. And if you like robots, you're in for a treat. Recommended.
A man, who goes by the name of Derec, which is found on the front of his shirt, wakes up on an asteroid with severe amnesia. He has no idea who he is, where he's from, where he was going, who his family is, what planet he's from, what his work is, etc. All he knows is that he's surrounded by robots. Many, many robots. And most of them are pretty darn busy. It looks like they're mining. He starts wandering around the various levels and meets some of the robots and while they're respectful, they won't let him leave the premises for his own safety or rebuild the craft he was in to take off in. After awhile, a space ship is seen coming toward the asteroid and no own knows its intent, but the robots start going wild. They start taking everything on the premises to be burned and once dumped in the incinerator, they jump in after. They're committing suicide. The ship turns out to be hostile and fires lasers at the asteroid and their colony, wreaking terrible damage. Derec outwits a robot, dons a special suit, and makes it to the surface. At the very end, a robot breaks free and shouts to Derek that they've found the key. Derec passes out.
And wakes up on the space ship. Where a very hostile alien is captain of the ship and wants robots for slaves. He's got some blown up parts and insists Derec build him a robot or else. There are several types of aliens on this large ship and one that looks kind of like a dog becomes a kind of friend to him. Derec somehow builds a robot, but gives it instructions to listen only to Derec as his ultimate master, even while following someone else's orders. The captain is happy with the robot and promptly tells Derec he wants 50 more. Derec and his doggie buddy make it to the control center of the ship, where the robot and the dog carry off the captain. Derec starts looking for the hidden key the robots gave him, as he's obsessed with it. As he's looking, a young woman appears and seems to know him. However, as they're talking, he's working on lifting floor boarding and an explosion occurs, knocking everyone out.
Derec wakes up in a hospital room in what he later finds out are weeks later. And his female friend, Kate, is there too, still asleep from her injuries. And they have a robot doctor. They're on a space station manned entirely by robots. And part of the space ship had come loose and the robots had captured it and brought it back to the station. As soon as Kate, the young woman, is able to get around, they start talking about getting back home, wherever that is. And they talk about the key, which the woman knows about too. However, neither of them knows its significance. Odd. The doggie alien turns up, hiding from the robots and the three of them team up to rescue the key, which the doggie knows the location of. And they pull it off! The three of them end up back in a darkened room and it turns out that the alien knows a little about it. Apparently, it's a key to a transdimensional travel ability, which is why it's so wanted. As the robots are closing in on them, Kate and Derec rub it, find a catch, push it and disappear. And appear in the middle of nothingness. They push it again and appear atop a pyramid in a large, beautiful but alien city. They try it again, but it doesn't work, so they figure it needs time to "recharge." So they spend the night atop the pyramid.
In the morning, they go for it again and they're taken back to the land of nothingness. They press the key again, thinking of winding up on Kate's home planet and they're dispatched right back to the pyramid. Odd. Derec decides he wants to go down and look around. Kate follows him down. At the bottom, they're met by robots. They're taken to a house, where they get cleaned up, and then go to meet the city leaders, who they assume are going to be human. But they're wrong. More robots. Because they're in Robot City. There are no humans. They're stunned. And while they want off the planet and to go back home, it turns out that can't happen because of an interesting plot twist that leaves you hanging at the end of the book. Completely unresolved. You have to buy the sequel and probably each sequel after that in order to find resolution. This publishing strategy usually bugs me and I'm encountering that with David Weber's Safehold series, but his books are 800-1100 pages long. This book was only 200 pages and I read it in a day. So I'm not too put off by the idea of reading a few sequels in this series. The writing is simple. The plot is basic. It's pretty easy to understand. The sci fi isn't very original. But it's still fun. It takes you back to a simpler time in sci fi. And if you like robots, you're in for a treat. Recommended.
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