Charlie Robot

by Benedict Martin

It's not easy pretending to be a robot. Just ask Charlie. The very morning his employer was to unveil the world's first artificial human being to a select group of investors, the android in question ran away. Now it's up to Charlie to pose as the robot until the real machine is found. But it’s a nightmare, and as the weeks pass and there is still no sign of the run-away android, Charlie is faced with a difficult decision, continue the deception or come clean. Either way, his life will never be the same.

Genres: Science Fiction

187 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2014

Reviews

[Rebecca McCray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about poor Charlie. He works in a lab that has designed a robot that acts and functions just like a human. The trouble is that the robot goes missing right before a huge press conference. The head of the lab asks Charlie to step in and pretend to be the human-like robot and the story evolves from there.

The story is well-written and well-crafted. The author, Benedict Martin, does a wonderful job of building out the plot and weaving together an entertaining tale. While I can't say I'm fond of all the characters, they are thoroughly developed and I grew to sympathize with Charlie as the story unfolded. Despite being a somewhat fantastic plot, there's a realism to it that helps the reader connect to the character's struggles.

I found the first 20% of the book a little slow for me, but then a hint was dropped that piqued my interest and it really picked up from there becoming a fast and easy read. From the description, I was expecting slap stick style humor (more like Evanovich), but the humor is actually dry, which means there are some great one-liners / phrases that left me chuckling.

In the end, this was a fresh idea woven into an entertaining story.

[Jeremy Croston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Robot does exactly what a book should do; it makes you forget about what you're doing and sucks you in. Benedict Martin had me laughing at the right moments, upset when Charlie was upset, and most importantly kept my captivated until the last moment. Coming in around 200 pages or so, if you need a weekend read or something to keep you preoccupied at work over your lunch break, Charlie Robot would make a great addition to your Kindle library.

[Mark Fine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Entertaining Glimpse into the Future with a Terrific Conclusion. I had just read the scary prognostications of two uber-braniacs, Stephen Hawkins and Elon Musk, who offered that AI (artificial intelligence) "could spell the end of the human race" and be "our biggest existential threat". So with some trepidation I leapt through the plasma veil of my Kindle and met my first artificial person, Charlie Robot. And what a pleasure it was, meeting this delightful creation from the quirky, creative mind of Benedict Martin.

Set in Vancouver (I liked that, a switch from the yawn of Los Angeles or New York) we experience Charlie's journey from his point of view. And Charlie's perspective is vital to the success of this story, as he questions the morality of being a faux android, as a pawn in a con, to shake down some billionaire investors. But like "the man behind the mask" Charlie discovers that his behavior is changing--not always for the good--as he adopts the persona of his alter ego.

As I plunged deeper into the book (and what a wry satisfying read it was), I felt sympathy for Charlie due to the unsustainable tensions that he (or it) was experiencing. And I began to sense a subversive quality to the author's writing: cunningly, disguised within an extremely accessible and entertaining story, he surfaced several profound questions with regard to mankind's future interactions with artificially intelligent androids. Would the "torch and pitchfork" crowd come out to destroy those unlike themselves? Is an autonomous thinking entity capable of great feeling, including pain and sorrow, still just an "it", a thing? Would the willful destruction of such a device, embodied with a thoughtful human mind (and soul?), be a crime? And would humans be prone to behave increasingly badly in comparison to these intelligent robots? As for the creator of such smart devices, would it inevitably be a fiendishly dishonest mind bent on ambition, riches, and nefarious intent?

This reader found the implications interesting but remained with the story, as it was satisfying enough. My final thoughts: the characters are vividly drawn, the story is current, and that it would make a terrific movie or television show.

The Zebra AffaireMark Fine

[A. Moran-Soley · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Charlie Robot' by Benedict J Martin exceeded all expectations. The notion of a man trying to pass himself off as an android promised to be funny, and I was interested to see how he would get out of it in the end. What I actually ended up reading was a witty, intelligent novel that nearly drove me mad as I tried to second guess the various twists.
Unlike some science fiction novels, there were no tedious and inexplicable explanations that you need a degree to understand. Martin manages to be very clever whilst using everyday language. There are moments where the humour reminded me of a British comedy called, 'Red Dwarf', which has a cult following over here (and which I love!), and moments where the writing style was reminiscent of 'A hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy'- Charlie has that everyday-man, Arthur Dent-ish quality that makes the character so appealing and easy to sympathise with.
'Charlie Robot' would make a great movie and will be enjoyed by readers of a wide range of genres from comedy to mystery.

[Deb McEwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is Charlie a robot or is he human?
The book keeps you guessing although the author does drop a few hints. No spoilers but suffice to say the story takes an unexpected direction and is a proper page-turner. I laughed out loud in some parts, and in others I wanted to give Charlie a hug and Doug (and a few other people) a piece of my mind!
Benedict Martin is a talented wordsmith and I love his style of writing. Highly recommended if you enjoy books that entertain but also make you think.

[Carol Piner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Robot that Shows Us a Rousing Good Time
By Carol Piner aka NCcharmeron November 2, 2014


Charlie Robot by Benedict Martin is as easy to give a five star rating to as any I've ever given. He totally bamboozled me and I love when a writer, gifted with a certain irreverance that is both adept and adorable, gets me laughing and trying to frown with concentration all at the same time. I call it the highest and best use of confusion.

Charlie Robot is centered initially around a group of scientists known simply in this review as Doug, Naomi and Charlie. They are dabbling with creating the first completely functioning Artificial Intelligent person that cannot be recognized as a robot. This robot is named Steven and he mysteriously vanishes through a door left open by the lead scientist and fund money raiser, Doug. At the bottom of this particular food chain is Charlie who was responsible for digitizing his brain into Steven. With necessary fund raising scheduled, Charlie is talked into acting like a robot. What a concept! Not a robot acting like a man, as advertised, but the other way around.

This does lead to embarassment, anger, damage and destruction to all concerned especially bullies. Charlie seems to have garnered more strength as Charlie Robot and fights off interlopers at will. Fueling his strength is his anger at being put in the position of being poked and prodded by investors, paparazzi and the public at large. Also, growing are bi-partisan beliefs. One, that he should be put down like a dog, another that science has achieved its glorious robot making purpose. Charlie's nerves are understandably cracking under pressure.

Could this be a house of cards? Will Charlie be stolen by competitors and all revealed? Will Charlie maintain his secrecy and his temper even when Doug starts throwing money at him? Will the quiet Naomi, who only looks people in the nose (what ?), help him? Do yourself a huge favor? Shine your funny bones, sit down, relax and have a rousing good time getting into the whether Charlie Robot will succeed or be put on the shelf.

If Benedict Martin wanted to write a honestly good book and have a totally silly time doing it, I'm all for it. Well done, Mr. Martin, well done.

[Caffee K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun light read with a smooth progression from point "A" to point "B". Though the pacing in the action might have been a tad slow for me, the dialogue kept things interesting.

The plot follows the main group of characters through every day events that could occur just about anywhere in the corporate world when things go wrong. When the "oily salesman" decides to begin the big cover up, the "innocent bystander" is the predictable go-to who gets left holding the bag in the end.

I did manage to figure out the "big reveal" a chapter or two before the plot finally presented the confirmation, which caused some of the pacing to be downright slow for me. However, by then there were a few unexpected gems surfacing which kept me from skipping around. Most of the characters felt just a tad flat - possibly because of the point of view, possibly because they fell into such predictable classifications - so when a few of the secondary characters showed up, I was surprised to see them stealing the scene.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. Especially Mr. Martin's ability to present the mundane, humdrum existence of regular people with a glow of sharp edged newness - definitely an unexpected experience.

[Harmony Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a book quite like this one, and I have to say that I enjoyed it immensely. Charlie is awoken in the lunch room at work one day by his boss, who tells him that their Android-in-progress has run away, and Charlie ends up standing in for the android at an investors meeting later that day. He starts out mortified at having to pretend to be the robot, which over the coming weeks, turns into annoyance and an increasing urge to come clean. At the same time, some other things are becoming clearer ...

The villains are believable, as are the good guys, and of course, there are those plenty who you just struggle to know whether they're good or bad, and these too are written realistically. I cared about Charlie, and could empathise with his daily struggles to get to grips with his life and the lies and manipulation that surround him. At times, the book had me chuckling aloud, and it certainly held my attention the whole way through.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and will be stalking the author now to see what other gems he's written :) A strong and resounding 5 stars from me!

[Jackie Parry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only know Benedict Martin as an author and Charlie Robot as a, well, you’ll have to read the book. But I have no hesitation in rating Martin’s story 5 stars.

A group of scientists are trying to create robot that appears to be human in every way. With human’s acting as Robot’s and Robot’s acting as humans, you are not sure, (neither are the characters) who is what! And that makes this such a thrilling read. Laced with humour that had me indulging in regular chuckling sessions, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Martin manages to weave in the ticklish subjects of AI living amongst humans and how it terrifies people into making threats. He deals with the politics, fear, spying, competitive companies, threats and anger with realistic prose but does not get bogged down in the detail that could slow this story down.

For a story on AI, Martin keeps it real, makes if fun, but best of all, makes you think..... what if...

I highly recommend this book.

[Rochelle Carlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not sure what to expect when I started Charlie Robot by author Benedict Martin. It was not my normal genre but I have just finished it and am so happy I took the plunge and explored a great read that was out of my “norm”.

This is a fantastic story, well written and crafted with professionalism along with a huge helping of imagination.

The story is easy to read, it flows and most of all it keeps you guessing until the end. Charlie Robot is not predictable and there are twists and turns, characters to like and hate and the authors style makes it easy to relate emotionally to each and every person (human or otherwise!)
I would highly recommend this book. It would be an easy read for a wide cross section of people, is entertaining and even a little thought provoking.



Perhaps in the future this story will no longer be considered fiction?

[Traci Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant concept with a smooth delivery by a talented author!


This story began a bit slow for me, but as soon as it grabbed my interest, it didn't let go! The author did a great job of foreshadowing without giving away too much too soon. At times, I thought I knew what was going to happen next, but I was rarely correct. The characters were so believable and well-developed, I could picture them perfectly in my mind.

Toward the end, the language and plot became a little more colorful and graphic than I prefer, but the delivery of it and reasoning behind it made sense with the story ending. Also, the author described the scenes and events without being too grotesque. As a reader who does not enjoy horror, I appreciated that.

The cover drew me in, but the author's obvious writing talent kept me reading. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy Sci-fi thrillers, and I will be reading more from this guy!

[Alexis Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Robot has one of the more creative premises for an Android story that I've come across. In some stories, androids try to pass as people, but can a person pass as an Android? It's this question that adds a good amount of tension and suspense to this light, quirky novel. Some parts did seem a little incredulous - like how easily most characters believed Charlie was actually an android - but the author manages to use those parts to create some unusual situations for Charlie. All of this leads up to an ending that kept me nervously wondering if and how Charlie would escape the predicament he had helped to create.

[Jonathan Dixit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt homage to a Philip K. Dick novel


Charlie Robot is a decently structured, well-written story that is very easy and entertaining to read. While reading it, I had hoped that the clues were going to turn out to be red herrings—that the true nature of the title character’s identity was going to be left ambiguous in the end—but the story concludes predictably. Though its themes and characters’ relationships are a little undercooked, Charlie Robot is a equitable facsimile of—and a heartfelt homage to—a Philip K. Dick novel and his tradition.

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected





I was able to get this title for free thinking it was a comedic tale about a robot. Instead, I found a quick read that had me guessing almost to the end. There was a surprise for me about mid way though. I have to say I enjoyed this story and hope Mr Martin does a follow-up some day.

[Karl Erickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benedict Martin's "Charlie Robot" was a pleasure to read. His style is engaging, and the characters and situations grab and pull you into the story. It will bring a smile to your face! I highly recommend this tale.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small group of genius misfits is working on building an android. When the android runs away, Charlie must pretend to be the android so they can keep their funding. Charlie gets in over his head when the publicity riles people to call for the death of the android. On top of that, there is a secret his boss is keeping from him that he has to uncover. This was a cute story. At first, I did not like Charlie, but he grew on me by the end. Fun read.

[Robyn Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book immensely. The narrative voice was natural, the characters were quirky and amusing, the dialogue perfectly pitched, and the plot very well thought through with just the right amount of breadcrumbs etc. When my suspicions started as to where it was headed, they were easily wafted away because I was completely engaged.

[Greg Spry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this story about a pessimistic scientist who gets stuck having to pretend he's the first artificially intelligent android.

The prose and dialog flowed very well. I whipped through the pages almost as quickly as my fingers could swipe to the next one on my phone. I appreciated how the author avoided info dumps, used straightforward language, and kept things moving at a brisk pace. The viewpoint was also done well. I got a clear sense of the main character's identity and felt his frustration from the way he saw the world around him. Charlie certainly had his flaws and vices.

Based on the different book covers and marketing I'd seen for the novel, I was expecting a comedy, but the story read more like a light-hearted drama about how Charlie playing the part of a robot affected his psyche. In that sense, the novel has a little bit of a literary quality to it.

The book has a handful of twists in which the author tries to keep the reader guessing. While I think he did a good job, I figured things out less than a third of the way into the story. This kept me from being wowed by the big reveal at the end. Thus, I might have preferred that the author either not drop as many early clues as he did or interject a few contradictory hints to throw me off. That said, I did find myself questioning what I thought I'd figured out later on in the story, if only briefly. Ultimately, the scene-to-scene intrigue held my attention enough that my having figured out the plot didn't detract too much from my enjoyment.

My biggest issue with the story had to do with the believability of this average guy as an android. The author did not sell me on this premise, which was a fairly important aspect of the story. Early in the book, investors and other interested parties failed to ask enough of the obvious questions. If someone introduced me to an android who looked exactly like a person, my skepticism would immediately kick in, and I'd ask him to detach his arm, open the compartment in his chest, or do something else to prove his authenticity beyond any doubt. The author eventually dealt with these questions later on in the story, but they needed to be addressed sooner.

As a work of soft science fiction, the book didn't include any sort of explanation how researchers were able to create an artificial being indistinguishable from a human in what seemed like present day or the very near future (the author never mentions a date, which is just as well). Explanations weren't required or necessary for readers to enjoy the story, so the lack of scientific explanation wasn't any problem. Personally, though, I thought some additional world-building might've helped to sell the feat. If the author had set the story a little bit further in the future and included things like advanced prosthetics and smarter machines as a part of every day life, the creation of a sentient android might have seemed more plausible. Hollywood has spun plenty of tales about artificial intelligence achieving consciousness in modern times, but it's going to be some time yet before it happens in reality.

To take the tension and intrigue up another notch, I felt the author could've set some scenes in more interesting locations and had Charlie perform more amazing feats. Too many events in too many stories in general take place in restaurants, coffee shops, parties, and in people's homes or places of business. As a reader, I want to be whisked away from the hum-drum to exotic locales. And to better sell Charlie as an android, I wanted him to be bending steel bars or destroying human geniuses at chess. But of course Charlie is just pretending to be an android, so how could he be shown to seemingly perform superhuman feats when he's only human? That would take some cleverness!

All in all, Charlie Robot was an entertaining read. It's a story that most anyone would enjoy, and I recommend it.

[Robin Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise is a fascinating one. If human ingenuity ever got to the point where it was able to create a conscious, sentient android as fully functioning and aware and as emotional as a biological human being, how might such an android react to finding itself in that situation, and how might humanity react to it? It isn’t difficult to imagine what prejudice such an android might encounter, nor is it difficult to accept Charlie’s early conclusion that “the only way a self-aware Artificial Intelligence could thrive is if it never discovered it was artificial in the first place.” That, of course, then presents the creators of such an android with a difficult situation. How do you present your creation to the world and reap the very considerable benefits of your ingenuity without revealing to the android in question that that is what/who it is?
Ben Martin takes this fascinating conundrum and explores it from the point of view of Charlie, who is persuaded to pretend he’s an android because the android that he was helping his two flawed (and which human being is not) colleagues who happened to be geniuses to create has run away just before it/he – Steven - could be presented to the investors who had poured millions of dollars into its/his creation. Steven, unfortunately aware he was an android and unable to face the consequences, had seized an unlikely opportunity to escape and blend seamlessly and anonymously into the population.
The story is told from Charlie’s point of view, and a sharply observant, self-effacing, and wickedly funny point of view it is. A couple of examples: when talking about his own inability to function without caffeine he says that after three weeks without coffee, things that used to drive him up the wall would fly past him completely unnoticed. He knew something had changed, “but it wasn’t until I found myself nodding in agreement with a philosophy major about the merits of Intelligent Design that I understood just how far I’d fallen.” Think about that.
Much later in the story, when he was shown a photograph of an office in a laboratory and told that the office and laboratory were in Swansea, his first reaction was to dismiss the claim, because he – being Canadian – at first saw nothing in the picture to distinguish the location from any office in any lab across British Columbia. “But then I spied the container of Marmite sitting inconspicuously near the edge of the desk. Marmite, for the uninitiated, is a horrible concoction the Welsh gave to their children to toughen them up before they went to work in the mines.”
Rather like Jonathan Swift’s ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, this is a hugely entertaining book that pretends to explore a hypothetical situation sometime in our future while using the story to present us - in a very funny way - with some biting observations about fundamental flaws in human nature.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories about androids and robots are the Frankenstein stories for the 21st century. "I'm your creator and you will obey me." and "Yes, you're a monster, but you're my monster."

Remember the TV show Scorpion (2014) about a group of "geniuses" (quotes very much intended) who work together as a team to solve problems? Also remember that if you thought very much about the technology they were employing you almost felt embarrassed for them or sick to your stomach? The technology in this book is very much like that. Don't think about it too much. Why would you make a robot who is so emotional? What is its power source? Why can it eat? Does its hair grow? Stop. Madness lies in that direction.

From the second chapter I expected Charlie to discover that he was the robot. This was confirmed by chapter 8 (of 13 chapters). I'm not sure that this spoiled the story at all; it was just something that I was aware of early on.

I liked the setting of the story in Vancouver and wished that it had been a bit more visible. I notice that the Starbucks virus had spread across the border from Seattle into British Columbia.

Very few typos in the Kindle version of the book. That's pleasant to discover someone has employed an editor to cull out all of those distractions.

I liked the author's portrayal of the one Christian in the book.

There was also the irony of the conversion "...I think that in this day and age, for someone to actually believe someone else made them is completely misguided." This was followed by "...that just sounds funny coming from a robot." This was the highlight of the story.

[Elizabeth Horton-Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Charlie Robot” by Benedict Martin starts out as a seemingly cute story about the misadventures of a group of scientists who have created an android. This is not an ordinary android. This is an escaped android. On the very day their creation is to be unveiled to investors, the wily Steven escapes from the lab. The result is one of the inventors of Steven must step up and pretend to be the missing robot. With that Charlie is introduced as the first artificially intelligent android to be as close to human as imaginable. As Charlie is paraded around, his discomfort with the subterfuge increases and his patience grows thin. Suddenly cast into a role he hates, he struggles to maintain a “robot-like” demeanor. When the world is disturbed by this new creation, threats of violence against him increase. As the story progresses there are indications all is not as it seems. The book rises to a neatly constructed ending. It may not be a complete surprise but there are certainly several unexpected twists that leave the reader stunned. Charlie himself is an endearing character, in spite of all his seeming faults. Martin’s use of humor lightens and humanizes a story that still manages to maintain a somewhat dark theme. Is the world ready for Artificial Intelligence? How human can an android be? Beautifully executed, “Charlie Robot” is an engaging read. The subject is broached in a humorous and realistic manner; the characters are vibrant and believable. This is a book not just for sci-fi lovers but for anyone who enjoys a good story.

[S.A. Molteni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Robot by Benedict Martin is everything you would expect and much, much more in a science fiction tale of artificial intelligence gone haywire.

Charlie is one of three scientists who create Steven, the first robot of its kind - one that is self aware and constantly adapting to his environment. Doug, the lead scientist mistakenly leaves a door unlocked and Steven escapes. Naomi, the third scientist allows Charlie to stay at her home, as Charlie's home was destroyed in a fire just prior to Steven escaping from the lab. Doug convinces Charlie that he must pretend to be the robot or their funding will be taken away. Charlie reluctantly agrees and finds himself being poked, prodded and made a spectacle of at various company sponsored events.

All of this leads to Charlie becoming angry and embarrassed. He threatens to expose to the investors and the public that he is a human and that Doug is trying to defraud them, but not before he threatens to go to a competitor and divulge other secrets. Before that can happen, a juicy tid-bit of information is given to Charlie that will shatter his view of reality and stop him from ruining his life.

From the first chapter to the very end of the book, Charlie Robot kept me fascinated and enthralled with the numerous twists in the story line. Some parts were laugh-out-loud funny and some parts were very sad, but overall a very good read.

If you like light-hearted science fiction, I highly recommend Charlie Robot.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Charlie Robot” cleverly pitches the Frankenstein myth on its head. When a robot goes missing right before a major media pitch, Charlie, a business partner of the inventor, must masquerade as an android before the camera so as not to thwart a business deal. Media pressure mounts, and Charlie must maintain his persona throughout awkward and sometimes hilarious circumstances. But sinister notes start to sound, and the reader is drawn into a shifting world of nefarious dealings, double-identity, and increasing uneasiness. Without revealing the plot twists, I can say that this book is not only intriguing and surprising, but also subtle. It raises foundational questions about what it means to be human while being simultaneously wildly entertaining. I highly recommend this novel to all fans of Sci-Fi. But also, I recommend it to anyone seeking to have their perceptions challenged and their funny-bone tickled. Bravo to the clever Benedict Martin! I look forward to more of his engaging work.

[Linda Crowder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Charlie Robot because I thought it was a cute premise. Man pretends to be robot, then can't convince people he really is a man after all. How can you beat that?

What I got was not a cute book - it was a crazy, wild, funny roller-coaster ride through what it is to be human and what it means to be artificial. Before you emerge at the other side, you will find yourself asking some wonderful questions about what is real and what is only what is most convincingly presented as real.

Running through it all is Charlie, a thoroughly charming man turned android. Around him swirl a host of characters who seem to be on his side, only to leave you wondering - do they care about anyone beyond themselves? Poor Charlie is batted this way and that until....well, I won't be a spoiler except to tell you that I found myself smiling as I reached the book's conclusion.

I wonder if Mr. Martin has a sequel up his sleeve?

[Dave Adair · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you told me I was going to read a book about a man who may or may not be a robot, I would have told you that you were crazy. If you then told me I would love the book, I would have been even more emphatic that your turnips had long been dumped from your cart.

But it did read it. And I did love it. Benedict Martin spins a futuristic yarn set in modern times so realistic that by the end of the movie you begin to wonder what is real, what is imagined and what actually was built by human hands and minds. You will think you know all along what is going on, but you won’t. You will think you understand each of the characters, but you will not. You will think this is an implausible plot, but you will wonder if it is your own view of the world that is implausible.

Charlie Robot is a fun and fast read that grabs your attention from early on and holds it throughout, the whole time leaving you with a feeling that something weird is going on. And you would be right about that.

[Ulla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling read, clever and witty

I had been looking for an uplifting book, humorous and clever, when “Charlie Robot” by author Benedict Martin was suggested to me. I wasn’t sure that a story about an android would do it, but…why not. It didn’t take me long to realize I had a gem in my hand. I was swept away, lost in the story for hours. The main characters, scientists Charlie, Doug and Naomi were well drawn and three-dimensional. The plot about a man who was talked into passing himself off as an android to fool investors was a novel idea cleverly crafted with wonderful imagination and humor. Charlie Robot had me wrapped around his little finger from chapter one. The villainous Doug was despicable in the way he used Charlie. Every aspect of the story; pace, twists and turns kept ticking over in fluent writing that never bogged you down in unnecessary detail. I loved the ending, a surprise to me. I highly recommend this wildly entertaining book. Bravo, Benedict Martin!

[D.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've ever read by Benedict Martin so I had no idea what to expect at all, I liked the idea of the story and so thought I would give it a read. Written in the first person we follow Charlie and his constant battle to play the convincing robot, an act which was merely embarrassing at first but slowly grew more and more annoying and inconvenient as he realises half the world want to own him while the other half want to see him destroyed. I thought I had worked out the twist in this story quite early on, what I didn't expect were the extra twists and turns that Benedict weaved throughout this book.

This was a cleverly constructed little story with some interesting characters and I have to say a very satisfying conclusion.

This my have been my first book by Benedict but I don't think it will be the last :)

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book intrigued me from the outset and I was really pulled in by the premise and the odd situation that Charlie found himself in. That wore off for me about half way through when the book deflated my enthusiasm with it's liberal and consistent use of profanity that really did nothing to advance the plot or add depth to the characters. The story then took on a repititious tone when Charlie was put in situation after situation in which (in addition to the foul language) bad and repulsive behaviour became the norm for Charlie and the other characters. The ending completed the deflation of my interest as it seemed to me to be the book just limping off into the sunset. Overall, I was very dissapointed by this book. It wasted an excellent premise.

[Maggie Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good story. The concept was interesting, the robot takes off and another guy has to stand in to pretend to be that robot. Which in the beginning brought up several questions for me as to why some things were or weren't happening. But I kept reading and those answers became clear. I started to get an idea of where the story was going but was not really sure. There were some twists I wasn't expecting. Charlie was an interesting character - rather an angry dude but I guess when you're pretending to be a robot, you might have reason. I did find the secondary characters a bit hard to connect to or to understand. 3.5

[P.S. Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this story. A trio of people at a lab creat a robot named Steven, but he runs away and one of the partners, Charlie has to take Steven's place. Pretending to be a lifelike Android Charlie is shown to the public and the adventure begins. This tale is suspenseful, mysterious and very humorous. As readers follow Charlie on his adventures and how people treat him because he is so life like and what they consider a threat, you will feel empathy for this guy. The ending is great and readers are really going to love this story.