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Sir Machinery
A mechanical robot with a computer brain is helped by the wizard Merlin to overcome the evil forces encroaching on the earth.
155 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1970
About the author
Tom McGowen
98 books13 followersTom McGowen worked in advertising in the Chicago, Illinois, area until 1969. He then became a senior editor at World Book, Inc. Mr. McGowen now writes and lives in a northwest suburb of Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 21, 2015
UPDATE TO THIS POST/REVIEW (Below):
Sadly, Mr. McGowen passed away September 30th, 2015 at age 88.
He wrote what was perhaps one of the top beloved young adult books of all time -- 'Sir Machinery'.
I absolutely loved this book as a child.
Most of you were probably introduced to it in the 1970's through books promoted by Scholastic's Weekly Reader's club at your elementary or middle school. I was influenced a great deal by that wonderful book and desired for many years to locate and thank Mr. McGowen, personally. Recently I was finally able to talk with Mr. McGowen himself, now aged 86, still living in Illinois. He wrote 73 books for Follett and Scholastic, among other publishers, and was an editor for World Book. His works covered three genres: Young Adult Fiction,Children's Science, and an impressive number of well researched history books ranging from ancient history to the Korean War era. Sir Machinery was about an American scientist, Simon Smith, who leases an old Scottish castle to finalize his work on a small but highly advanced robot. The robot is prematurely awoken by a pair of courageous brownies. They explain that they are on a quest in search of finding a champion that can wield Gallahad's sword and vanquish an ancient evil. They mistake the robot for the only remaining knight in Scotland, and refer to him as 'Sir Mac Hinery' (a 'gud' Scottish name) after seeing the name MACHINERY stenciled on a wooden crate. They enlist a ragtag group of Scots, and the magician Merlin, before marching off for the underworld to assist the robot in battling the demon Urlug and his army of monsterous minions. Fantastic Stuff!
Mr. McGowen was quite surprised that anyone still remembered him or his wonderful stories. All I could think of was that he deserved to know how cherished and impacting his stories were to our generation(kids of the 70's), and in particular, how comforting they were to a boy growing up in the isolated Appalachian mountains in the 1970's (one TV channel, on a farm - lol).
In an effort to boost his spirits and shed light on just how much his books meant to thousands of children, I am trying to gather feedback from his old fans and also encourage them to send him their
experiences about how 'Sir Machinery', or any of his other works, influenced them.
Best Regards,
Rick Conard
Sadly, Mr. McGowen passed away September 30th, 2015 at age 88.
He wrote what was perhaps one of the top beloved young adult books of all time -- 'Sir Machinery'.
I absolutely loved this book as a child.
Most of you were probably introduced to it in the 1970's through books promoted by Scholastic's Weekly Reader's club at your elementary or middle school. I was influenced a great deal by that wonderful book and desired for many years to locate and thank Mr. McGowen, personally. Recently I was finally able to talk with Mr. McGowen himself, now aged 86, still living in Illinois. He wrote 73 books for Follett and Scholastic, among other publishers, and was an editor for World Book. His works covered three genres: Young Adult Fiction,Children's Science, and an impressive number of well researched history books ranging from ancient history to the Korean War era. Sir Machinery was about an American scientist, Simon Smith, who leases an old Scottish castle to finalize his work on a small but highly advanced robot. The robot is prematurely awoken by a pair of courageous brownies. They explain that they are on a quest in search of finding a champion that can wield Gallahad's sword and vanquish an ancient evil. They mistake the robot for the only remaining knight in Scotland, and refer to him as 'Sir Mac Hinery' (a 'gud' Scottish name) after seeing the name MACHINERY stenciled on a wooden crate. They enlist a ragtag group of Scots, and the magician Merlin, before marching off for the underworld to assist the robot in battling the demon Urlug and his army of monsterous minions. Fantastic Stuff!
Mr. McGowen was quite surprised that anyone still remembered him or his wonderful stories. All I could think of was that he deserved to know how cherished and impacting his stories were to our generation(kids of the 70's), and in particular, how comforting they were to a boy growing up in the isolated Appalachian mountains in the 1970's (one TV channel, on a farm - lol).
In an effort to boost his spirits and shed light on just how much his books meant to thousands of children, I am trying to gather feedback from his old fans and also encourage them to send him their
experiences about how 'Sir Machinery', or any of his other works, influenced them.
Best Regards,
Rick Conard
December 6, 2014
A guy finds the most deserted Scottish castle he possibly can to work in secret on his robot, and before he even gets a chance to play with it test it out it gets stolen by brownies for a battle with demons. What the heck is this world coming to?
August 3, 2024
The cover captured me. I was 12 or 13 when I came across Sir MacHinery in a used bookstore, and I was intrigued by the eclectic team of characters on that cover. A couple of kilted Scotsmen, one in a constable’s hat and the other toting a machine gun flanked the group, with witch, wizard, and some guy who looked like Gabe Kaplan from Welcome Back Kotter in the middle, being led by a small robot, a brownie, and a cat! Man, I had to read it!
Yeah, it wasn’t exactly Tolkien, but it was simple, fast moving YA fantasy. The Gabe Kaplan dude was an American scientist, Simon Smith, who had come to a remote Scottish castle to finish making his cutting edge robot. (Said castle had no electricity! I missed that plot fail as a kid.) No sooner does he finish his robot than a couple of brownies, mistaking it for a small knight, recruit it to fight an ancient evil. Somehow Merlin pops in, and team science plus magic is off to save the world!
No one will ever add this book to any 100 Best Fantasies list, but as a middle schooler I loved it. It had great atmosphere, a simple plot, and that fascinatingly incongruous crowd of characters. I mean, robots and Merlin, and Scotsmen, oh my! It still makes me smile.
Yeah, it wasn’t exactly Tolkien, but it was simple, fast moving YA fantasy. The Gabe Kaplan dude was an American scientist, Simon Smith, who had come to a remote Scottish castle to finish making his cutting edge robot. (Said castle had no electricity! I missed that plot fail as a kid.) No sooner does he finish his robot than a couple of brownies, mistaking it for a small knight, recruit it to fight an ancient evil. Somehow Merlin pops in, and team science plus magic is off to save the world!
No one will ever add this book to any 100 Best Fantasies list, but as a middle schooler I loved it. It had great atmosphere, a simple plot, and that fascinatingly incongruous crowd of characters. I mean, robots and Merlin, and Scotsmen, oh my! It still makes me smile.
February 11, 2018
I have been thinking and thinking...I think this is the first fantasy novel I ever read. I was in fourth grade, riding on a bus to a field trip. A friend of mine had just finished a book with no covers (He had torn the cover off for some reason.). After he finished it, he handed it to me and said, "You have got to read this book!" So I did. I loved it. I thought about it for 30 years. Today I just finished reading (out loud to my daughter this time) it for the second time in my life. It is no less wonderful now. Maybe it is even better.
My goodreads friends, if you can get your hands on this book, read it. What a delight!
My goodreads friends, if you can get your hands on this book, read it. What a delight!
December 26, 2012
My mom got me this novel when I was a kid, and I fell deeply in love with it. Nearly forty years later, I still remember it very fondly.
The wee folk, the misidentification of MacHinery and everything that transpires in the novel caught my imagination and helped to drag me along with it.
I am so very disappointed that it is out of print and truly wish that it was at least available in e-book format. I hope that someone might mention this fact to Mr McGowen (if he has any control over that, as it's been out of print for long enough that his rights might have reverted to him).
I think it's a wonderful story and a great way to introduce youngsters to the idea of heroic fantasy.
The wee folk, the misidentification of MacHinery and everything that transpires in the novel caught my imagination and helped to drag me along with it.
I am so very disappointed that it is out of print and truly wish that it was at least available in e-book format. I hope that someone might mention this fact to Mr McGowen (if he has any control over that, as it's been out of print for long enough that his rights might have reverted to him).
I think it's a wonderful story and a great way to introduce youngsters to the idea of heroic fantasy.
September 8, 2022
One of the first books that I read in my childhood; I enjoyed it from start to finish. Magic meets Science in an exciting and humorous way.
December 30, 2013
Whilst browsing the thrift store book racks this one caught my eye and being a huge fan of 1970's quirky kids fantasy novels like MR MOON'S LAST CASE by Brian Patten and Nina Beachcroft's WELL MET BY WITCHLIGHT, I added it to my stack, then I put it back, then I picked it back up again and found a chair and sat down to get a taste. Here's what I found:
"For almost a full minute they stood, silently staring up at the seated figure. Despite their tiny size, they were perfectly formed and proportioned—although perhaps a trifle chubby about their middles. Their chins were bearded, and they wore short, brown cloaks with tall, pointed hoods and doublets. Each of them wore a tiny kilt, the plaid of which was worked out in shades of brown and green. Their feet were shod in high boots of soft, brown leather.
At last one of them broke the silence.
“Och, he doesna look verra big,” he observed in a hoarse whisper.
The tallest of the three, whose sandy-red beard was heavily streaked with gray, shook his head impatiently.
“It canna be helped,” he whispered sharply. “He’s the only knight that’s been seen in these parts for hundreds o’years.”
“How do ye know he’s a knight?” wondered the third little man.
“Because he’s wearing shining armor, you ninny,” he hissed. “That’s how knights look. They wear metal over their body to protect them in battle. My grandsire told me of this. Knights were common in his time.”
The other little man had tiptoed over to one of the boxes littering the room, which had contained apparatus for the robot’s interior. Simon Smith had ripped away several of the wooden slats, but on one of those remaining the word MACHINERY was stenciled in bold, black letters.
“What does that say, Angus?” called the little man.
The gray-bearded one approached the box. “Like as not ‘tis his name,” he whispered. Squinting, he brought his eyes close to the letters, and his lips worked silently as he painfully spelled out the word. Old Angus, who was an uncertain speller at best, got off on the wrong foot.
“Mac—Hinn—eree” he read, slowly. “Aye, that’s it — Mac-Hinery. It’s a good Scottish name, though I'm not famliar wi’ the clan.”
They all turned back to the robot.
“Still asleep,” old Angus commented. “Ye’ve the strongest lungs, Gowrie, give him a yell.”
Gowrie put his hands up beside his mouth and shouted,
“Waken, Sir MacHinery!”
The robot, of course, not stir.
“Och, he’s a sound sleeper,” Angus said. “Come on lads,let’s all call together.” They did so, with no better result
“Perchance he canna hear us through that steel pot he's wearing,” Gowrie suggested. “Pound his shins, Angus."
“That’ll but bruise my knuckles and perchance make 'im angry,” growled Angus. “I think there’s naught for it but to climb up where we can open his visor and yell in his ear. Let’s be at it....”
Now, astute fantasy readers may be more than a wee bit reminded of Sir Terry Pratchett's Pictsies, the Nac Mac Feegles (The Wee Free Men) featured prominently in the four Tiffany Aching books and minorly in CARPE JUGULUM.
These dimunitive Gaels are called "brownies" in McGowen's tale but the blueprint is there: the red hair, the kilts, the difficulty reading, the accent, the first solution as violence...
Well, I was hooked. Once home, I eagerly read the book and to say the least it was "verra good!" You see, once the world had all types of folk - men, dwarves, elves and a wandering tribe known as the brownies. It was a time of great Magic. Then, a dwarf-sorcerer sought the ultimate knowledge of magic and was twisted by it, and in turn twisted other dwarves and they became demons...A war between the folk and demons (think Tolkien's Orcs here) broke out and lasted centuries until the demons were defeated. Now they are rising again and the folk seek a Knight to rescue Merlin from his deep sleep to fight them. The Knight turns out to be an American scientists robot. This robot is no GORT, but four foot proto-type. The tale that follows is wondrous indeed, mightily entertaining and even (based on the premise) moving.
Not since researching Eve Forward's VILLAINS BY NECESSITY have I read so many testaments of fondness for a book and like VILLAINS BY NECESSITY many aver that SIR MacHINERY was the first fantasy book that they had ever read and led them on a lifelong love of the genre in particular and reading in general. Alas and alack, with the bookstore shelves lined for a city block with fantasy tripe and Potter wannabees, that this thoroughly unique and satisfying gem should be lost to the generations now and to come.
"For almost a full minute they stood, silently staring up at the seated figure. Despite their tiny size, they were perfectly formed and proportioned—although perhaps a trifle chubby about their middles. Their chins were bearded, and they wore short, brown cloaks with tall, pointed hoods and doublets. Each of them wore a tiny kilt, the plaid of which was worked out in shades of brown and green. Their feet were shod in high boots of soft, brown leather.
At last one of them broke the silence.
“Och, he doesna look verra big,” he observed in a hoarse whisper.
The tallest of the three, whose sandy-red beard was heavily streaked with gray, shook his head impatiently.
“It canna be helped,” he whispered sharply. “He’s the only knight that’s been seen in these parts for hundreds o’years.”
“How do ye know he’s a knight?” wondered the third little man.
“Because he’s wearing shining armor, you ninny,” he hissed. “That’s how knights look. They wear metal over their body to protect them in battle. My grandsire told me of this. Knights were common in his time.”
The other little man had tiptoed over to one of the boxes littering the room, which had contained apparatus for the robot’s interior. Simon Smith had ripped away several of the wooden slats, but on one of those remaining the word MACHINERY was stenciled in bold, black letters.
“What does that say, Angus?” called the little man.
The gray-bearded one approached the box. “Like as not ‘tis his name,” he whispered. Squinting, he brought his eyes close to the letters, and his lips worked silently as he painfully spelled out the word. Old Angus, who was an uncertain speller at best, got off on the wrong foot.
“Mac—Hinn—eree” he read, slowly. “Aye, that’s it — Mac-Hinery. It’s a good Scottish name, though I'm not famliar wi’ the clan.”
They all turned back to the robot.
“Still asleep,” old Angus commented. “Ye’ve the strongest lungs, Gowrie, give him a yell.”
Gowrie put his hands up beside his mouth and shouted,
“Waken, Sir MacHinery!”
The robot, of course, not stir.
“Och, he’s a sound sleeper,” Angus said. “Come on lads,let’s all call together.” They did so, with no better result
“Perchance he canna hear us through that steel pot he's wearing,” Gowrie suggested. “Pound his shins, Angus."
“That’ll but bruise my knuckles and perchance make 'im angry,” growled Angus. “I think there’s naught for it but to climb up where we can open his visor and yell in his ear. Let’s be at it....”
Now, astute fantasy readers may be more than a wee bit reminded of Sir Terry Pratchett's Pictsies, the Nac Mac Feegles (The Wee Free Men) featured prominently in the four Tiffany Aching books and minorly in CARPE JUGULUM.
These dimunitive Gaels are called "brownies" in McGowen's tale but the blueprint is there: the red hair, the kilts, the difficulty reading, the accent, the first solution as violence...
Well, I was hooked. Once home, I eagerly read the book and to say the least it was "verra good!" You see, once the world had all types of folk - men, dwarves, elves and a wandering tribe known as the brownies. It was a time of great Magic. Then, a dwarf-sorcerer sought the ultimate knowledge of magic and was twisted by it, and in turn twisted other dwarves and they became demons...A war between the folk and demons (think Tolkien's Orcs here) broke out and lasted centuries until the demons were defeated. Now they are rising again and the folk seek a Knight to rescue Merlin from his deep sleep to fight them. The Knight turns out to be an American scientists robot. This robot is no GORT, but four foot proto-type. The tale that follows is wondrous indeed, mightily entertaining and even (based on the premise) moving.
Not since researching Eve Forward's VILLAINS BY NECESSITY have I read so many testaments of fondness for a book and like VILLAINS BY NECESSITY many aver that SIR MacHINERY was the first fantasy book that they had ever read and led them on a lifelong love of the genre in particular and reading in general. Alas and alack, with the bookstore shelves lined for a city block with fantasy tripe and Potter wannabees, that this thoroughly unique and satisfying gem should be lost to the generations now and to come.
March 13, 2016
This is a current family read-aloud that Jeffrey loved when he was a boy. I got this copy for him as a present one Christmas. The only time he had seen the book since fourth grade was at the Library of Congress, but it has been in his mind all these years. He was so excited to have his own copy. I knew it was going to be great because it was a Weekly Reader Selection. Now we are reading it as a family, and at two chapters in, it is delightful.
We finished it last night and all of us loved it. It's pretty hard to end a book well; especially an adventure story. McGowen did a fine job. It was fantastic!
We finished it last night and all of us loved it. It's pretty hard to end a book well; especially an adventure story. McGowen did a fine job. It was fantastic!
July 13, 2014
I loved this book at age 10. And at age 12. And even at 15. Maybe I'd still love it today.
Time travel. Desperate for a hero, a few dwarves enter a castle and open a shipping box. It's labeled "machinery" and contains a "man" covered entirely in metal. A knight in shining armor, they decide, and dub him "Sir MacHinery" (hah!). Can this robot help the dwarves find Merlin and destroy the evil that threatens their world?
A robotics engineer. A witch. Brownies. An old war vet. Scotland Yard, maybe.
Vivid characters. Great team bonding. Good plot. Some humor.
Still makes me feel good, decades later. Good conquers evil.
Time travel. Desperate for a hero, a few dwarves enter a castle and open a shipping box. It's labeled "machinery" and contains a "man" covered entirely in metal. A knight in shining armor, they decide, and dub him "Sir MacHinery" (hah!). Can this robot help the dwarves find Merlin and destroy the evil that threatens their world?
A robotics engineer. A witch. Brownies. An old war vet. Scotland Yard, maybe.
Vivid characters. Great team bonding. Good plot. Some humor.
Still makes me feel good, decades later. Good conquers evil.
November 4, 2015
This book was my favorite book when I was a kid. So much so that I made my mother retrieve it after it ended up in a collection of books she donated. I'm glad to see so many people still remember it as fondly as I do. I still have the original hardcover book that I read, although it's seen much use over the last 45 years! I recommend this to anyone, child or adult.
October 31, 2020
I’ve had this book since I was in elementary school as part of a book club. I loved it back then, soooo much. I recently reread it and it has absolutely stood the test of time. It’s still as exciting, thrilling, funny, and imaginative as it was way back then. Very Lord of the Rings-esque, with wizards, dwarves etc but with a modern tone. A scientist makes a robot that brownies of Scotland mistake for a knight. They need that knight to fight off a great evil that is coming over the land. A little science a lot of magic and a very bad bad-guy make this a truly exciting and even a bit scary chapter book for young adults (and even old ones!)
September 2, 2020
This was the last book anybody ever read to me as a child (11), and I loved it so much that I read it to my kids when they were young.
The premise is charming: An inventor retreats to a Scottish castle to finish his robot, only to have it co-opted by a couple of Brownies who believe it to be a knight named Sir MacHinery. What follows is a campaign against a horde of demons with forest creatures, dwarves, ghosties, etc., which it seems like no young boy could NOT love.
The premise is charming: An inventor retreats to a Scottish castle to finish his robot, only to have it co-opted by a couple of Brownies who believe it to be a knight named Sir MacHinery. What follows is a campaign against a horde of demons with forest creatures, dwarves, ghosties, etc., which it seems like no young boy could NOT love.
August 13, 2021
I regret that I’ve never been able to find this book for purchase. It was a childhood favorite that I checked out from the library multiple times, but I’ve never seen a copy in a bookstore. Is it out of print or something?
Anyway, for people who love lighthearted, action packed fantasy this is a must read.
Anyway, for people who love lighthearted, action packed fantasy this is a must read.
June 12, 2022
A fantastic book, that should be much more popular than it is. It manages to get Scottish folklore, Arthuriana, and robotics together in a seamless whole. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of any or all of those genres.
December 7, 2019
One of my favorites as a child. Out of print, but I still have my forty-year old copy!
February 22, 2025
I love this book. It should be made into a movie.
November 14, 2025
My dad said this was his favorite book as a kid so I decided to read it to mine. Was great! Sure there are some massive plot holes (but LOTR had plenty of those) but the premise was a lot of fun!
Unfortunately it’s not in print any longer. Should you find this at a used book store grab a copy!
Unfortunately it’s not in print any longer. Should you find this at a used book store grab a copy!
October 15, 2022
I picked up this book only because of the two Trina Schart Hyman illustrations. I figured anything that she illustrated couldn’t be that bad, which turned out to be the case.
March 6, 2024
I took this from my dads old room at my grandparents, and nearly 15 years later I'm still regularly saying sir mack hinnery in a scottish accent in my head so its had a profound effect on me
January 2, 2026
A great book, wonderful to read to young children.
Brilliant title, easy to read but great for the mind's imagination.
Brilliant title, easy to read but great for the mind's imagination.
July 17, 2024
Bedtime Reading stream: August 19, 2020 -- September 16, 2020
This is a blend of fantasy and science fiction, written before such things were cool or commonplace. One glance at the cover will give you all the hints you need.
Gowan brought us an early F/SF blend. An engineer builds a robot who is mistaken for a knight by a gnome. They take it to Merlin to fight the Dark One, who's on the move.
I didn't rate this one quite as high, for a Bedtime stream, because of a few quibble I have with the story. One in particular, the witch Maggie is lured away from the quest by a fountain of youth - when she's turned into a young girl, she no longer cares about such serious things. I found this to be a double-slap on both women and yound people.
Even so, worth a read, especially if you can do a Scottish accent.
Tom McGowen's book is out of print. There's no audio and no movie.
This is a blend of fantasy and science fiction, written before such things were cool or commonplace. One glance at the cover will give you all the hints you need.
Gowan brought us an early F/SF blend. An engineer builds a robot who is mistaken for a knight by a gnome. They take it to Merlin to fight the Dark One, who's on the move.
I didn't rate this one quite as high, for a Bedtime stream, because of a few quibble I have with the story. One in particular, the witch Maggie is lured away from the quest by a fountain of youth - when she's turned into a young girl, she no longer cares about such serious things. I found this to be a double-slap on both women and yound people.
Even so, worth a read, especially if you can do a Scottish accent.
Tom McGowen's book is out of print. There's no audio and no movie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2015
A nice solid 1970s middle grade fantasy with a touch of science fiction. What happens when brownies looking to save the world from a great evil incursion mistake a brand new robot for a Knight in Shining Armor? Will the robot and his creator join forces with the magical creatures to save the world?
The story makes references to the Arthurian legends though the origin story is pre-Arthurian as we know it. Merlin as well as sketched in characters to reflect other mythic figures (Lancelot gets mentioned) are incorporated. Technology can sometimes win over magic, but as the roboticist physicist and Merlin agree, there are curious correlations between magic and physics.
Could have been more funny, and more fleshed out, but hey, it's also illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman and it's a good read.
The story makes references to the Arthurian legends though the origin story is pre-Arthurian as we know it. Merlin as well as sketched in characters to reflect other mythic figures (Lancelot gets mentioned) are incorporated. Technology can sometimes win over magic, but as the roboticist physicist and Merlin agree, there are curious correlations between magic and physics.
Could have been more funny, and more fleshed out, but hey, it's also illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman and it's a good read.
July 10, 2009
This book was recommended to me by a friend who remembered it fondly from childhood. I did not discover it when I was a child, but as I was reading, I kept glimpsing myself as an avidly reading ten-year-old and I knew I would have adored this book. I think it was one of the Weekly Reader book club selections, it looks like one of them, anyway, that I used to subscribe to as a kid. It has the same feel--well written stories that dared to challenge kids with unfamiliar vocabulary and sophisticated plots. In other words, it doesn't patronize young readers by assuming that they're incapable of discerning meaning from context and appreciating subtle humor. It kept this adult entertained as well. Too bad it's out of print now, I wish more kids could enjoy the story today.
April 14, 2026
Masterfully paced, original, and compact without being simplistic - with an amazing and beautiful twist at the end (woe betide any who reveal it!!!). From 1970, it’s 150 uplifting pages of kid-friendly font that today’s writers would bloat to three 400 page volumes with no room for imagination. The other top-rating reviews here are on the money and worth reading, so I won’t repeat.
This book is among my prized possessions, and it’d rewrite well today with few updates (though it’d risk getting over-written). In a short span it treats AI in a cool-handed way and gets Scots right. In an amazing early crisis Merlin struggles to understand “graphite”, then “carbon”, but just can't The book is full of such gems.
This book is among my prized possessions, and it’d rewrite well today with few updates (though it’d risk getting over-written). In a short span it treats AI in a cool-handed way and gets Scots right. In an amazing early crisis Merlin struggles to understand “graphite”, then “carbon”, but just can't The book is full of such gems.
November 20, 2010
I wish this book was still in print. I would love to own a copy.
It is a variation of the story of Arthur and Merlin. A scientist from America rents a castle in Scotland, bringing his robot with him. Most of the book is from the point of view of the robot, who has artificial intelligence. The robot is first stolen by small people, and taken to the lake where Merlin is imprisoned. The small people think he is a knight, since he is made of metal, and have him fight the dragon guarding the lake. They continue on with Merlin to try to save the world from an invasion of goblins. The book is a fun kids book.
It is a variation of the story of Arthur and Merlin. A scientist from America rents a castle in Scotland, bringing his robot with him. Most of the book is from the point of view of the robot, who has artificial intelligence. The robot is first stolen by small people, and taken to the lake where Merlin is imprisoned. The small people think he is a knight, since he is made of metal, and have him fight the dragon guarding the lake. They continue on with Merlin to try to save the world from an invasion of goblins. The book is a fun kids book.
May 10, 2012
It's this awe-inspiring Children's book that is just as enjoyable to a child or child at heart as an intellectual looking for light reading, I assume. It's willing to get violent, which is fun, but still remains kid-friendly. The dualism of science and magic in this book really makes one think deeply. The book doesn't take itself too seriously either. It's whimsical fluff that is simultaneously old school and contemporary. It's something you wouldn't expect from 1970. I absolutely loved it!
March 8, 2013
I love this book found it years ago and read it on a cross country road trip to my young boys. But recently read it aloud to an adult friend and my young adult son read it to his girl friend and her family. Funny with elements of mystery, magic and of course the timeless battle between good & evil.
February 24, 2016
There are only two authors who caused fights between my brother and I over who would get to read their books. One is JK Rowling. The other is the author of this book. Well, this book in particular. (Sorry for the HP comparison.) I just want to make it clear that THAT is how much we enjoyed these books.
October 12, 2010
A fun children's fantasy novel. Some good suspense and the story constantly moves forward.
The characters were a little dry and their setbacks didn't seem insurmountable but for a children's book, it is great.
The characters were a little dry and their setbacks didn't seem insurmountable but for a children's book, it is great.
February 17, 2008
I loved this book when I was a kid.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews