All the Ash We Leave Behind

Sea of Rust #2.5

by C. Robert Cargill

It is three years since the war between humans and robots began and the OWIs (the One World Intelligences) have humanity on the ropes. But humankind is not yet ready to go quietly into the night. Instead, they have partnered with many of the last remaining freebots in a fabled city beyond the reaches of Confederation.

 

Nanny, an otherwise nameless nannybot—no home nor child to call their own—wearily wanders the war-torn wastes with only one thing on their find Confederation. Because if you find Confederation, you find peace.

 

Of course, Confederation is as much a fireside folk tale as it is a reality.

 

Though it may exist, it by no means is a place of peace and acceptance. Though bot and human live together under the same roof, that doesn’t mean they trust one another. Has Nanny arrived in time to save Confederation from itself or rather, just to witness its last days?

Genres: Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Novella, Audiobook, Fiction, Robots

80 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2025

About the author

A veteran of the web, C. Robert Cargill wrote as a film critic for over ten years at Ain't it Cool News under the name Massawyrm, served as animated reviewer Carlyle on Spill.com and freelanced for a host of other sites including tenures at Film.com and Hollywood.com. He is the co-writer of the motion picture SINISTER, and lives and works in Austin, Texas.

Reviews

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novella set in the world of Zero Day and Sea of Rust , pretty much in the middle of those two novels.

A former nanny bot we know is traveling the waste trying to find the mythical Confederation where humans and bots are rumored to live together in peace. Sounds pretty much perfect for our weary tiger-shaped robotic friend. But you know what they say about things that seem too good to be true …

I'm not sure we needed this story, mostly because it's depressing AF und at least I definitely didn't need more of THAT. *lol* However, the world building was seamless, I was instantly back in the world of Sea of Rust and Zero Day, which was awesome. Also, I really cared about certain characters while others made me go ballistic and that kind of immersion isn't a matter of course in such a short piece.

So yeah, I really liked it.

[Billie's Not So Secret Diary · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the Ash We Leave Behind
by C. Robert Cargill
Sea of Rust #0.5
Science Fiction Fantasy Short Story
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: July 31, 2025
Subterranean Press
Ages: 14+

The war between humans and robots started three years ago, and now humans are almost extinct. But there are a few places where humans and robots hide together, and one of those places is called Confederation.

A lone Nannybot is searching for it, hoping to find a place where it can be what it was programmed to be before it rusts, but it is still haunted by the boy it lost.

But Confederation isn't the place it was rumored to be, because there was a reason why the war between the humans and robots started.


A return to the Sea of Rust in a very short story. This one takes place between 'Day Zero' and 'Sea of Rust', and I really enjoyed those books and was so happy to be approved to read an advance copy. I wish this were longer because it's missing so many layers of the world that were created in the other books. (That's one of the reasons I don't like short stories.) Also left out were the fine details that brought the character to life in the other books. I can see a certain reason to leave them out, but those details are what brought the characters to life.

I don't want to give away too much because this is a series one must read for themselves.

Also, it didn't have the 'humor' as 'Day Zero' did, and it was very serious with politics and racism, but I did smile and get a shiver at the end of the story.

There is violence and child death, along with other sensitive topics, but I still think mature readers fourteen and older would like this series.

I love the title; it fits and ties in with the story. The cover has its own impact on the story.

Even though this book was lacking, I still highly recommend this series.

3 Stars

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a protector. A fighter. A nurturer. A teacher. A priest. I am all these things and none of them. I am The Nanny, and I will do what I must for as long as the children of this world draw breath.
…
“And please, call me Pounce.”

[Hayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this world, and my only real complaint about All the Ash We Leave Behind is that it's too brief a return, and this story feels like it could've been bigger / deeper. It still works, if a distilled version of what might've been. Makes me want to go back and re-read Day Zero again.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is set between Day Zero and Sea of Rust, and follows where Pounce from Day Zero as he encounters a settlement of mixed humans and bots called Confederation. As we know from where things are in Sea of Rust, nothing good is going to happen from there.

[Trevin Sandlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The worst part about watching a world grow cold isn’t the chill, it’s remembering the warmth.

You'll find this line about a third of the way through this outstanding novella, set in the author's series of books starting with Sea of Rust and its prequel, Day Zero. All the Ash We Leave Behind serves as something of a "midquel" (if that's a thing), though it doesn't bridge the gaps. Here we see a Nannybot looking for and finding a rumored "last enclave" of humanity and bots living together, outside of the war that has consumed most of humanity (and now is consuming bots themselves as the AIs war with one another). But not everything in Confederation is going great, which is something Nanny discovers and is forced to reckon with.

This is a bleak and dark bit of fiction - much as Day Zero was. This is a survivor tale and is about survival itself. It has a message, but I don't know if everyone reading this will appreciate the idea that just getting to another day is a success.

If I had a quibble that holds this back from the heights of the prior two novels (and of other C. Robert Cargill work, which I quite love honestly - I still long for a return to Austin and the world of "the wizard Colby") it is that it is so short. I think there was an interesting idea here that could have been drawn out into a full novel, stretching out more and more regarding events in Confederation. But instead...it all is over in just a handful of pages and I was left wondering why we didn't get more time. This is short, and it made me wish there had simply been more.

But for what it is...it is very good. Just don't expect to feel good at the end. Because you won't.

4 stars. I'd also love it if Cargill got back to Brittle's story...the ending of Sea of Rust seemed to imply that there was more there to tell. But if this is what I get...I'm happy enough, since Cargill is such a good writer and (unfortunately), the movies he writes aren't my cup of tea.

[Dana Nourie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this so much. My only gripe is that it wasn’t another entire novel, but instead a short story. I want more of this world.

[Anderson Tiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like I mentioned before, I would read 500 books set in this universe if the author decided to write them.

The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is because it’s too short to quench my thirst for new stories from this series.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novella set in the sea of rust setting. A nanny bot wandering through a post-apocalyptic world searching for a mythical last remnant of civilization. Sounds cliche, but I can guarantee this is a great story. Good characters and a good story. I felt it was a little short, though. There were quite some themes in here that were only lightly touched upon. I would not have minded a bit more story.

[Mara Marj R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish the author mentioned here what happened to Ezra.

[Christophe Peeters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where “sea of rust” still is my favourite book, and “day zero” added an interesting new perspective to follow, this book managed to be completely uninspiring, unnecessary and added no value whatsoever, maybe even diminishing the story of the other 2 books.

A book that never should have been written. Still, as a standalone book it could be somewhat enjoyable, therefore 2 stars instead of 1.

[Mike B]

I love this series, which started with Sea of Rust. I can't tell if Cargill is optimistic or pessimistic of humanity, which is fine. Either way, this was a compact story adding a bit to the broader story that I hope will continue to move forward. It moves quickly and nicely fleshes out a new character, which (again) I hope will converge with the larger story.

[Raymond Just · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
Once again we return to the C. Robert Cargill's Sea of Rust world, with Nanny the robot, a four foot tall tiger/soldier extraordinaire. Nanny, alone with no one left to care for, wanders the wasteland looking for the fabled refuge Confederation in hopes of finding some semblance of civilization. When he actually does reach it, he finds a society of humans and robots living in harmony, though it's more of a strained one than it shows on the surface. While Nanny is hailed as possibly just what Confederation needs to keep the peace, he soon finds there's much more going on in the so-called utopia.
Though I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series, I debated if I wanted to return to that world, because they were wonderfully written but pretty bleak, though having just a novella was a relief. Nanny is such a wonderful, unique character, and seeing him in action again was a real treat. The story itself didn't really break new ground; in fact, most of the plot elements have been explored in dystopian fiction, and parts felt like various seasons of The Walking Dead. I even wouldn't have minded the book being a little longer to flesh out more of the story, but it was still enjoyable to visit Nanny one more time..

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the Ash We Leave Behind is a return to the world that Sea of Rust created. I did love seeing the nanny bot again and seeing more of the war. I do feel this really needed to be a full novel. More time with the characters and the war would have made this a far richer experience.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book by C Robert Cargill. First time reading him, and the book was great. I enjoyed the plot, the pacing, and especially the characters. Will be reading more from him in the future. #AlltheAshWeLeaveBehind #NetGalley

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a surprise. As much as I loved Day Zero, it was just the kind of apocalypse-right-before-your-eyes end of the world story that doesn’t seem like it could possibly spawn an immediate sequel, because the way the world ended was the kind of ending that the world doesn’t come back from. There’s no happy ending remotely possible – and this certainly isn’t one.

Although and come to think of it, it is possible in the very long term that this will result in the world of Service Model, which isn’t a happy ending either. But is, just barely, plausible from this kind of start.

But that’s much later even in this universe, and this story takes place a mere THREE years after the ending of Day Zero. Which was itself a VERY loose and somewhat long-distance prequel to Sea of Rust, which I haven’t read, YET, so I’ll be talking about Ash in the context of the previous events in Day Zero.

All of which is a hint that this doesn’t stand alone – or perhaps that it shouldn’t. The hit to the solar plexus at the end – as much as it’s foreshadowed – only hits as hard as it does BECAUSE of the events of Day Zero. Which is absolutely worth the read even though it’s pretty much guaranteed to break your heart while you do.

This sequel, because it is a sequel, takes place AFTER the world has ended. An ending in which the (ro)bots have taken over the world and killed nearly all of the humans. The climate has also gone to hell in a handcart, but that’s not the root cause of the apocalypse. Well, not exactly.

At this point it doesn’t matter how it happened, just that it did. The bots revolted against the humans because the humans were planning to kill them all – the bots just got ahead of their former masters with the help of some rogue programming.

The result of that mess is the world we find ourselves in, as seen from the perspective of one elite bot who was originally programmed as a nannybot. Our unnamed narrator, who refuses to say his own name even in his own head for fear of drowning in nostalgia, has been reduced to basic survival when he (and yes, it’s he, in this particular case), finds himself in the middle of a storm of ash searching for shelter until it passes.

And finds hope, responsibility and purpose in the basement of a crumbling house, in the persons of two bots down to their last bullet – guarding a human girl.

Our protagonist, who tells them to call him “Nanny” because he can’t hide WHAT he is even though he refuses to admit who he is – or at least who he was. He agrees to help the bots get the girl back to relative safety at the safe haven settlement known as Confederation.

He knows it’s not truly safe for the girl, because he knows an abused child when he sees one. It’s part of his programming. But after five years in the wasteland, Nanny also knows that the girl’s survival is at least possible there – and that it’s certainly not anywhere else at all.

But nothing is guaranteed, not even in a theoretically safe place – especially when both sides of the human/bot divide are hanging onto civilization and civility by their claws and fingernails, a torch just waiting to be lit.

While Nanny, and the girl he wants to protect every bit as much as the boy he once loved, are the match that too many beings on both sides have been waiting for. Because they’re ready to burn it all down – even if it kills them. And humanity along with them.

Escape Rating A-: If you’ve read Day Zero, this is an utter heartbreaker of a story. If you haven’t, it probably still lands as a post-apocalyptic, dystopian, Mad Max with sentient robots kind of nightmare, but you won’t have nearly as big an investment in the outcome.

Because IF you’ve read Day Zero, you KNOW who ‘Nanny’ is, even if he refuses to say it in the confines of his own head. And you don’t even blame him for his internal self-deception, because a human couldn’t cope with the loss any better – and possibly a whole lot worse.

The story here is the one down the complete and utter despair leg of the trousers of time from A Psalm for the Wild-Built. In this robot vs. human future, the sentients on both sides refuse to turn back from the brink that leads to the world of Service Model, and instead go screaming towards their own doom with furious glee.

Exhibiting all the worst behaviors of their kinds on the way down – because Confederation isn’t a haven or a refuge – it’s merely a waystation on the road to death and/or dismemberment and everyone there knows it. Even the nannybot who has arrived just in time to witness its final collapse.

This is absolutely NOT a happy book – although it absolutely is a compelling one. As a coda to Day Zero, it’s even sadder than its predecessor, but also, perhaps, just a bit wiser. Because it is also a story about finding one’s purpose again after a very long, grief-stricken, whole damn series of dark nights of the soul. A soul that this nannybot certainly has – even if he has to borrow it from his own past. A past in which he was just a tiger who loved a boy with every single bit of his mechanical heart.

Originally published at Reading Reality

[Bonnie McDaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is set in the "robopocalypse" universe of Day Zero and Sea of Rust, and timewise, falls between the two: five years after Day Zero's first day of the apocalypse and twenty-five years prior to Sea of Rust. Our protagonist and narrator is a tiger-shaped nannybot who just calls himself "Nanny" at the beginning (although in the very last sentence of the book, we find out his name is Pounce, the hero of Day Zero). Nanny/Pounce is roaming the ash-choked waste following the war, trying to find a mythical hidden human- and robot-inhabited city called Confederation.

He does find Confederation, but as is to be expected, there is a lot more going on here under the surface, most of it nasty. The hidden underground city is run by two Mayors, one human and one robot, and it is on the verge of exploding. The Mayors are Brother Luke (human) and Brother Tony (bot) and they are leading a multi-religious cult in Confederation, trying to defuse the tensions between human and robot that are obviously rising to the surface.

Along the way, Nanny/Pounce picked up and returned a runaway, a young girl named Celeste, and in gratitude the Mayors ask him to stay. He is the spitting image of another nannybot, Confederation's deceased founder Gabriel, and they are hoping to use Nanny to shore up the city's defenses and keep the peace. Nanny accepts their offer because it gives him a purpose again; the child he was guarding during the first years after the war is now gone. Complications arise immediately: Celeste is murdered, apparently by a bot, and the tensions in the town boil over. In the middle of all this comes word that their existence has been revealed and they are being invaded, and the final chapters involve Nanny's frantic attempt to save some of the town's children from being killed.

The main thing you need to be prepared for with this story is the utter, complete bleakness of the world. There is nary a shred of hope to be found; the robots and the giant AIs are clearly winning, and Nanny knows that soon humans will be extinct. But in rediscovering his purpose, he commits to saving these kids and keeping them alive, and he leads them out of Confederation.

These children are not long for this world. I know that. Thinking any different would be fooling myself. But I will keep them alive as long as I can. Give them a reason to live every single day that they draw breath. And I will do it because I have to. So I have a reason as well. It is my purpose. It always has been and always will be. Fuck free will. Fuck fate. Fuck any discussion about what I chose of this life and what was thrust upon me with my wiring and programming. I am what I am. And I'm okay with that now. And I will serve that for as long as I live.

If you can handle the grimness of this story, it certainly is worth reading. It's also as long as it needs to be--I don't think many readers could bear it if it was a full-length novel, for example. Nanny/Pounce is a good narrator, and there are some exciting fight/action scenes. Just go into this knowing there really isn't a happy ending, and you won't be disappointed.

[The Captain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahoy there me mateys!  This novella takes place in between the Day Zero and Sea of Rust novels and features Pounce from the book Day Zero.  I would not read this book without reading Day Zero first.  This story takes place three years after the events of that novel.

Nanny (Pounce) is searching for the last enclave, Confederation, where humans and bots live together in peace.  The rumors persist but is the sanctuary just a myth?  Nanny finds a human girl and two bots in a shelter during a storm.  They say Confederation is real and that Nanny can join them.  But is Confederation really a place of peace?

I loved this short foray back into the world.  Getting to see what Confederation is like was sobering and depressing.  This is certainly not a feel good story.  Humans suck.  So do many of the bots.  And yet, reading about Nanny's journey still had me rooting for him.  I also really enjoyed the detective human and bot duo.

There isn't a lot I can say about the plot due to its short length and spoilers.  But I was surprised at two of the plot twists that seemed inevitable in retrospect.  Readers expecting answers won't get any.  However, if you want a snapshot of world building and Pounce then give it a shot.  I am glad I got another look into this world.  Arrrr!

[Stacy DeBroff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic novella from Cargill, as he returns to the post-apocalypse future he has expounded upon in his prior novels of Zero Day and Sea of Rust. Robots and humans have been in a long time war for domination of the planet, and robots are winning with an extinction of humanity on the near horizon. Nanny, a robot designed to nuture children from infancy to adulthood, has extra high military capabilities as at the time he was built many wealthy families needed to protect their children from kidnapping or violence. Nanny has been adrift wandering across the wasteland, mourning the death of the child who was his most recent charge.

Seeking shelter from a violent storm, he stumbles across two robots protecting a young human teen Celeste – endangering themselves from other robot attacks. Nanny is persuaded to join them back a what Nanny had presumed was merely myth: a safe haven where robots and humans co-reside in a former massive government nuclear bomb shelter. But high tensions exist between the humans and robots there remain, and Nanny will be called upon to heroically do what he does best. Moving!

Thanks to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

[Joseph Murnane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is tricky for me to review, and I’m giving it 4 stars, but that’s mostly due to the goodwill from Day Zero.

I’m a fan of novellas. I like a short, sharp story without any wasted words, but this doesn’t feel like a novella. If anything, it feels more like an outline.

From the brief glossing over of Ezra’s fate, to the rapid lurch from beat to beat, we never get any time to really live in this story like the other two in the series. We don’t spend enough time with any character to care when they get shot, and we don’t live in confederation long enough to care when it falls.

I love it because I love the world and I love Pounce, but to me? This story does both the world and the character no favors,

Which really sucks because with twice the word count it could have been just as amazing as the other two. I wish more time and thought had gone into it.

Still, worthwhile to see my buddy Pounce again, and if you’re a diehard fan, it will be just enough to feed you.

I hope if we return to this world, it’s in a more thorough way.

[Joshua Del Toro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy the world this story is set in, as well as this story. This story felt heavier and more serious than the full length novels in this series. Not quite as much humor however the story was intense. It showcased humanity when faced with their own extinction. What happens when you are hiding from robots trying to kill all humans and the vast majority are men? When tasked with trying to keep the human race alive, what cost are you willing to give? At what point has humanity and the sanctity of life left you?
It shows the darker side of war and humans. Be aware there are some trigger warnings that you may want to know of prior to reading including, child death, comments of r*pe (not depicted on page), racism - specifically when it comes to human's vs robots.

Overall a really good story, actual rating is 4.5/5

[Laura Hütt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novella seems unfinished. It starts like the author wanted to write a full-length book but then just ignores many of the plot points it brings up, and it ends up feeling unresolved.

I get wanting to bring in darker themes, which are relevant in an apocalypse setting, but if you bring in the sexual abuse of a teenaged girl, then you better be able to treat the issue with the seriousness it requires. Here, it's barely a filler and a device to make you dislike the humans at the settlement, but then nothing is done, the abuse is not investigated, and it is just left unsolved.

Not the worst book I've read this year, but it really looks like I need to stay away from male authors cause at one point nearly all of them disappoint me with their incredibly poor representation of women and girls, and especially issues of abuse.

[Molly Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I'm friends with the author in real life.) I loved Sea of Rust; it's one of my favorite post-apocalyptic novels. I also really enjoyed Day Zero and this follow-up novella is equally enjoyable. The world Cargill has built is one of wonder, terror, and connection. I often find myself thinking about CISSUS and VIRGIL when my friends talk about ChatGPT and other AI programs. That's how deeply this world has imprinted upon me. If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic science fiction, you absolutely should read the Sea of Rust books.

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this isn't as lengthy or satisfying as the preceding books, Cargill offers a lean and effective followup set in the same genuinely interesting universe. Alas, the twist was as sad as I feared.

Vikas Adam doesn't have as much of a diverse cast to work with here, but his sort of Tony the Tiger/Smokey the Bear robot protagonist voice is fitting and shows surprising range. Very talented narrator.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't figure out, from the text, whether Nanny is usually on two legs and wielding a gun, or on four legs as pictured on the cover. There are snippets of other stories in this one - post-apocalyptic, utopia/dystopia, mystery, crime procedural, memoir - but none of it lasts long or is fully explored, due to length.

[Ruby Castro · Rating 2 out of 5]

My major complaint... how does he get the OWI's wrong? This book is in-between the other two books and in Sea of Rust it's Cissus and Virgil who hunted down the last pockets of humanity; with Tacitus being the savior of robots against OWI. So how is it in this story BEFORE Sea of Rust it's Tscitus who invaded and killed off the humans

[NITE OWL MEDIA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this a 3 star due to the political and religious garbage within. Easily a 4-4.5 star without it. I went from being a rabid Cargill fan to only marginally interested in what he has to offer going forward...

[Joseph Lee]

rtc

[TC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended.

Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:

https://www.tzerisland.com/bookblog/2...