Geckos, Automata

by MCalhen, Cove Antonelli

Four years ago, the Lydrian Upheaval devastated the city of Pandion and had a ripple effect on the rest of the world. Ghosts haunt the world in greater abundance. The rich became richer, the poor poorer. Several governments took steep dives toward fascism. Human rights have never been more vital or dismissed.

Mortimer surrounds himself with his projects, tinkering with automatons he first learned to build with his late husband.

Duncan is homeless and struggling to raise a child in a post-apocalyptic world.

Rosalia is a disgraced reporter moonlighting as a ghost hunter.

Their futures intersect when the possibility of trouble stirs anew.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2024

Reviews

[Mattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been looking forward to reading Geckos, Automata since I read the first excerpts that Cal posted online back in 2020-2021. I’m glad that I was finally able to read the novel in full, because I loved it. So many post-apocalyptic stories focus on presenting a badass, macho narrative and setting, one I don’t find myself relating to if I’m being honest. Geckos, Automata takes a completely different approach to the post-apocalyptic genre; it focuses on the struggle of a family, the near constant strife to remain safe, well-fed and accurately dressed. It’s an approach we don’t see often in narratives and it’s one I find far more fascinating than your typical edgy post-apocalyptic story. I also loved characters and rooted for their survival— including Mortimer, Julian and Agatha. If you’re a fan of narratives like A Quiet Place or Train to Busan— stories that focus on the daily trial and family conflict of surviving the apocalypse— I highly recommend Geckos, Automata!

[MCalhen MCalhen]

Hey everyone I wrote a book, check it out! ;)

[Xinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only disappointment in this book, is that it ended.

It truly does leave you craving more WITHOUT it feeling "incomplete" in the sense of a cliffhanger for the sake of having one.

The text/font is a bit on the larger side and it helped make it much easier to read - and hopefully will do the same for others with any sort of negative vision situations.

I can gush about the texture of the book itself and how the only reason I didn't finish it one day is because I had to go to sleep, but instead let me go into why this book is worth the time spent to read it.

It follows multiple characters that have unknown connections to the reader that unravel as the story progresses. Smoothly going from one point of view to another and leaving you able to picture things that are in the environment as well as feeling so many emotions for the different characters presented.

The book opens with a warning of the content within it, and even knowing that it of course holds a lot of emotion to it.

I even found myself tearing up at parts and having to pause - in both the sad and the warm moments.

I love the way the characters are so different from each other, yet also hold some similarities - be it how they grew up, are growing up, or a connected past. How different things affect others and what cycles may or may not be broken.

I definitely recommend reading this book and giving it the chance it deserves.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the dystopian steampunk setting for this book and was easily drawn into the world.