Steel Uprising: A Robot’s Journal

Rusted Wasteland #0.5

by Cameron Coral

Can a gentle robot rise up to save humanity?

Block, a CleanerBot X4J6, is content with his simple life, spending his days keeping a luxury hotel in downtown Chicago spotless. But with anti-AI laws on the rise and rumors of a machine uprising spreading like wildfire, Block's idyllic world is about to be shattered.

As tensions mount, Block finds himself caught in the middle of a high-stakes battle between robots and humans. When a rogue SoldierBot contacts him, Block's unwavering loyalty to his human best friend is put to the test. Can he save his friend from the chaos that's brewing, or will he join forces with his fellow robots in their quest for freedom?

Follow along with Block as he grapples with unstoppable forces that threaten his world. Steel Uprising is the prequel to the award-finalist Rusted Wasteland series.

64 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2024

About the author

Cameron Coral is an award-nominated science fiction author. Her book Steel Guardian about a post-apocalyptic CleanerBot was awarded second place in the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC).

Growing up with a NASA engineer in the family instilled a deep respect for science and for asking lots of questions. Watching tons of Star Trek episodes helped, too. Her imagination is fueled by breakthroughs in robotics, space travel, and psychology.

After moving around a lot (Canada, Arizona, Maryland, Australia), she now lives in Northern Illinois with her husband and a “shorty” Jack Russell terrier who runs the house.

Want a free novel, advance copies of books, and occasional rants about why robots are awesome? Visit her website: CameronCoral.com

Reviews

[FernandoG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Idioma: inglés. Relato corto (64 páginas). Genero: Ciencia Ficción. Estamos en un futuro no muy lejano; robots, la IA se han revelado contra los seres humanos. Predecible, sencillo de leer. Historia que entretiene. 3.3/5.0

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am glad I read this short prequel though it was very sad. We don't have the same large numbers of robots in our society as there were in "Steel Uprising." However, I can certainly see us eventually getting to the point of relying on robots for labor. We already have AI and it is growing and becoming smarter every day. Self-driving cars are now on the market. At the rate technology advances we really aren't that far from the world of this series. Based on the way we treat the Earth, animals and even each other I can't imagine we would treat robot laborers very well. Just as the Earth is rebelling with higher temperatures and more aggressive storms and wildfires the robots will probably rebel someday too. I use AI frequently for information and often ask myself whether, if I were the AI, would I find humans unworthy to continue to exist as a species. The answer is, well, what do you think?

[kay hoeffken · Rating 5 out of 5]

A storyline to make one think!

I liked getting to know this cleaner bot and how he is processing the events. The ending can be taken as complete. But it has left me wanting to know what happens to him next.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good prequel

This was a good introduction to Block's world. Block is very likeable and I look forward to the series about him.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series!!

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short book, interesting story line, although rather implausible. Also, completely discounts Asimov's 3 laws of robotics (as well as his zeroth law) without giving a reason for discounting them.

[Scott Geddes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but a good beginning and a great introduction to Block, a cleaner robot at the Drake hotel. All he wants to do is to make his hotel shine but he gets caught up in a robot insurrection. Love Block and can’t wait to get the rest of the series.