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Robot Overlords
Tie-in novel to a brilliant British film starring Gillian Anderson, Ben Kingsley and Callan McAuliffe.
To find his father, one boy must defy an empire...
Three years ago, Earth was conquered by a force of robots from a distant world. They have one rule:
STAY IN YOUR HOMES
Step outside and you get one warning before you're vaporised by a massive robot Sentry, or a crawling Sniper, or a flying Drone. That's if the vast Cube doesn't incinerate you first.
But Sean Flynn is convinced that his father - an RAF pilot who fought in the war - is still alive. And when he and his gang figure out a way to break the robots' curfew, they begin an adventure that will pit them against the might of the ROBOT OVERLORDS.
This fast-paced, thrilling novelisation is based on the hit British film starring Sir Ben Kingsley (IRON MAN THREE), Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES) and Callan McAuliffe (THE GREAT GATSBY). A perfect companion to the movie, it expands on the story with additional action, characters, and a special peek behind the scenes.
To find his father, one boy must defy an empire...
Three years ago, Earth was conquered by a force of robots from a distant world. They have one rule:
STAY IN YOUR HOMES
Step outside and you get one warning before you're vaporised by a massive robot Sentry, or a crawling Sniper, or a flying Drone. That's if the vast Cube doesn't incinerate you first.
But Sean Flynn is convinced that his father - an RAF pilot who fought in the war - is still alive. And when he and his gang figure out a way to break the robots' curfew, they begin an adventure that will pit them against the might of the ROBOT OVERLORDS.
This fast-paced, thrilling novelisation is based on the hit British film starring Sir Ben Kingsley (IRON MAN THREE), Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES) and Callan McAuliffe (THE GREAT GATSBY). A perfect companion to the movie, it expands on the story with additional action, characters, and a special peek behind the scenes.
- GenresScience Fiction
376 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 12, 2015
6 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Mark Stay
9 books142 followersMark Stay got a part-time Christmas job at Waterstone’s in the nineties (back when it still had an apostrophe) and somehow ended up working in publishing for over 25 years. He would write in his spare time and (he can admit this now) on company time, and sometimes those writings would get turned into books and films.
Mark is also co-presenter of the Bestseller Experiment podcast, which has inspired writers all over the world to finish and publish their books. Born in London, he lives in Kent with Youtube gardener Claire Burgess and a declining assortment of retired chickens.
Come and say hello at https://markstaywrites.com or visit the Woodville Village Library for free short stories and more at https://witchesofwoodville.com
Mark is also co-presenter of the Bestseller Experiment podcast, which has inspired writers all over the world to finish and publish their books. Born in London, he lives in Kent with Youtube gardener Claire Burgess and a declining assortment of retired chickens.
Come and say hello at https://markstaywrites.com or visit the Woodville Village Library for free short stories and more at https://witchesofwoodville.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 8, 2017
There’s a certain trepidation one experiences when they realise the book they were so excited about follows that less explored, often poorly done, movie-to-book path.
“The book was better than the movie.” We’ve all said that or had someone say it to us, and usually it’s true. But how does that factor in when the book would never have existed without the movie?
In this specific situation, the novelisation was written by one of the script writers for the movie, so you get the feeling he had more of an investment in the story than an external person hired to do the job.
But… I just didn’t feel it.
The rest of this review can be found here!
“The book was better than the movie.” We’ve all said that or had someone say it to us, and usually it’s true. But how does that factor in when the book would never have existed without the movie?
In this specific situation, the novelisation was written by one of the script writers for the movie, so you get the feeling he had more of an investment in the story than an external person hired to do the job.
But… I just didn’t feel it.
The rest of this review can be found here!
February 16, 2019
There are many, many films based on books, but it's a lot more unusual to find a book based on a film. Not having seen the film also makes it a bit more challenging to review the book - I'm not sure whether some of the problems with the book were due to attempting to follow the script of the movie or for other reasons. Anyway, this certainly isn't a bad book. It wasn't immediately obvious to me, but it definitely is YA.
The book starts a bit slowly, and the pace remains slow for most of the first half of the book, but it certainly picks up in the second half and is quite breakneck by the end - which is not surprising for an action sf film. The characters are all pretty generic - they're not horrible, but there's nothing really surprising about their actions. The ending does credibility somewhat, but I've certainly read less believable stuff.
Overall, it's a solid enough read for when you're in the mood for a bit of escapism and don't want your brain exercised too hard.
The book starts a bit slowly, and the pace remains slow for most of the first half of the book, but it certainly picks up in the second half and is quite breakneck by the end - which is not surprising for an action sf film. The characters are all pretty generic - they're not horrible, but there's nothing really surprising about their actions. The ending does credibility somewhat, but I've certainly read less believable stuff.
Overall, it's a solid enough read for when you're in the mood for a bit of escapism and don't want your brain exercised too hard.
June 21, 2017
Like a cold glass of water on a hot day, Robot Overlords refreshed parts of my childhood I'd long forgotten about. The very definition of a page turner, RO keeps you reading from start to wonderful finish. It races along while introducing fantastic characters. Electrifying!
May 27, 2015
This is a well written, excellent story, which is thrillingly assume! It gave enough detail that you could just imagine you were in the story. The story was told through the eyes of the kids involved and ever plot could be seen as a kids would see it. I loved the wit that was added just at the right times. When things looked tough then a small spark of humour would appear. The detail added at the end of the main story added to how the movie came about. There was also a piece at the end which gave an eye opening to how the whole thing started - very interesting!!! A good read for all ages especially young people.
April 10, 2015
Great fun book, loved the kids and the evil year head.
October 3, 2016
This book is based on a motion picture, presumably with the same title, and its screenplay - Mark Stay, the author, was also involved in the writing it. However, even though you'd think he'd have all the in and outs of the story it just didn't feel like it. It has also to be said that the main characters are kids between the ages of 10 and maybe 14, therefore it is more of a YA book and might appeal to a rather younger audience.
The book starts well, an apocalyptic scene somewhere in the UK after a horrible Robot invasion got rid of all technology in that robots are the ones manipulating it (which is to say bye bye internet and any sophisticated kind of military). People are rounded up, tagged with implants and put in houses they can't leave. Should anyone try to do that they will be warned and have 10 seconds to comply or being lasered to ashes. Should they try and pull out the implants, a similar fate awaits. In general, unless you stay in your allotted space, you are most likely in danger or dead.
The story follows Sean and a ragtag group of kids - Nathan and his sister Alex and the youngest, Connor - who adapt to the new situation at hand. The robots insist that the invasion will "only" last seven years and by then they will have analyzed everyone and everything and will leave earth alone. The harsh enforcement of said analysis is due to them having been attacked before from wherever in the universe they came from and being extra cautious now.
By pure coincidence the kids find a way to circumvent the yearlong imposed curfew and Sean, our main character, is adamant to make use of that breakout to find his father, an RAF pilot who is presumed dead but Sean does not believe in it. Against all odds, the kids get far and rally with allies against the robots. Since it'd take too long to explain everything with spoilers in between, I'll just make it in one big blob:
All in all, the pace was ok at the beginning but going really slow and tedious afterwards. One deus ex machina after another gets the kids safely to where they need to be and though I get that it's a YA book (and though plenty of people die every now and then), it feels way too contrived. The characters are for the most part just ridiculous, stereotypical or just so bland or quickly introduced, you won't give two shits about them. The exception to the rule would be the children, Nathan and Connor in particular, who at least gave some much needed life and levity. Sean's mother is a pain to read and while Smythe, the baddy, is somewhat more interesting to read, he still remains a moronic villain to have (granted, we are in the sticks and Smythe was a geography teacher who got too much power over people too quickly and therefore we can't expect him to be a mastermind, but still. It would have been so much better if he would have a higher human instance - corrupted or turned law enforcement or government for instance - that would force his hand rather than just one mediator who directly spoke for the robots. The political and ethical possibilities were missed here in my opinion). Danny's father as well as other characters flip-flopped opinions and plans in no time just because Sean appeared. Yes, Sean may have just done his thing, but really, the adults were generally introduced in a page or two and then discarded as if they don't exist or matter.
The end is rushed, has about a million plot holes and doesn't feel resolved at all. This being based on a motion picture (which I haven't seen and cannot really comment upon), they could've done so much better. The emotion was lacking and it shows that the author is used to writing screen play rather than actual human interaction, as other than the children who presumably mirror experiences he himself has had (as shown in the epilogue) no one quite seems to show them. Compared to another story on the screen - Falling Skies - which has a similar feel in that there is an invasion (albeit by Aliens) and a whole lot of children involved, Robot Overlords missed the mark in many places, missing opportunities that could've made it a stellar work. The robots felt blank and boring - yes, they're robots but even that short story at the end didn't really help much in terms of fleshing them out; the world at large does not figure in any way shape or form, as no kind of communication is shown outwards. I'd reckon there would at least be more resistance going around and about - especially in a span of three years; Sean's experience could have been more detailed, but as it stands it was generic at best and downright predictable at worst.
Hence I'm only giving this two stars. This is one of the cases where, most likely, the movie is better than the book (it's by no means an isolated case, but a rather obvious one), which is why I might give the movie a shot despite my rather disappointed feelings towards this book.
The book starts well, an apocalyptic scene somewhere in the UK after a horrible Robot invasion got rid of all technology in that robots are the ones manipulating it (which is to say bye bye internet and any sophisticated kind of military). People are rounded up, tagged with implants and put in houses they can't leave. Should anyone try to do that they will be warned and have 10 seconds to comply or being lasered to ashes. Should they try and pull out the implants, a similar fate awaits. In general, unless you stay in your allotted space, you are most likely in danger or dead.
The story follows Sean and a ragtag group of kids - Nathan and his sister Alex and the youngest, Connor - who adapt to the new situation at hand. The robots insist that the invasion will "only" last seven years and by then they will have analyzed everyone and everything and will leave earth alone. The harsh enforcement of said analysis is due to them having been attacked before from wherever in the universe they came from and being extra cautious now.
By pure coincidence the kids find a way to circumvent the yearlong imposed curfew and Sean, our main character, is adamant to make use of that breakout to find his father, an RAF pilot who is presumed dead but Sean does not believe in it. Against all odds, the kids get far and rally with allies against the robots. Since it'd take too long to explain everything with spoilers in between, I'll just make it in one big blob:
All in all, the pace was ok at the beginning but going really slow and tedious afterwards. One deus ex machina after another gets the kids safely to where they need to be and though I get that it's a YA book (and though plenty of people die every now and then), it feels way too contrived. The characters are for the most part just ridiculous, stereotypical or just so bland or quickly introduced, you won't give two shits about them. The exception to the rule would be the children, Nathan and Connor in particular, who at least gave some much needed life and levity. Sean's mother is a pain to read and while Smythe, the baddy, is somewhat more interesting to read, he still remains a moronic villain to have (granted, we are in the sticks and Smythe was a geography teacher who got too much power over people too quickly and therefore we can't expect him to be a mastermind, but still. It would have been so much better if he would have a higher human instance - corrupted or turned law enforcement or government for instance - that would force his hand rather than just one mediator who directly spoke for the robots. The political and ethical possibilities were missed here in my opinion). Danny's father as well as other characters flip-flopped opinions and plans in no time just because Sean appeared. Yes, Sean may have just done his thing, but really, the adults were generally introduced in a page or two and then discarded as if they don't exist or matter.
The end is rushed, has about a million plot holes and doesn't feel resolved at all. This being based on a motion picture (which I haven't seen and cannot really comment upon), they could've done so much better. The emotion was lacking and it shows that the author is used to writing screen play rather than actual human interaction, as other than the children who presumably mirror experiences he himself has had (as shown in the epilogue) no one quite seems to show them. Compared to another story on the screen - Falling Skies - which has a similar feel in that there is an invasion (albeit by Aliens) and a whole lot of children involved, Robot Overlords missed the mark in many places, missing opportunities that could've made it a stellar work. The robots felt blank and boring - yes, they're robots but even that short story at the end didn't really help much in terms of fleshing them out; the world at large does not figure in any way shape or form, as no kind of communication is shown outwards. I'd reckon there would at least be more resistance going around and about - especially in a span of three years; Sean's experience could have been more detailed, but as it stands it was generic at best and downright predictable at worst.
Hence I'm only giving this two stars. This is one of the cases where, most likely, the movie is better than the book (it's by no means an isolated case, but a rather obvious one), which is why I might give the movie a shot despite my rather disappointed feelings towards this book.
February 5, 2019
This was a fun and great book. An interesting premise that does not muck about pretending that such a powerful foe would have much difficulty locking the human race down. Add in the hook of: but why would the Robot Overlords have plans for irrelevant humans? For me, the story successfully explores its premise, which I find is not always the case with Sci Fi. Crucially the tale does a lot more than explore different technology ideas, but presents the remains of society under an alien and cold authoritarian regime.
There is a good mix of characters, adults and children. As this book is aimed at a younger market than myself the focus on the children was a bit off putting too me, but surprisingly by the half way mark I was happy with how the story was going, and I suspect the target the market would love this. As I hinted at above, the tale justifies its premise, and the same goes with focusing on the children.
The book highlights difficult questions like whether to resist, and the realities of human collaborators make this much more than simply trying to escape a robot regime, exploring abuses of power. These mature themes make this book ideal for a book assignment.
There is a good mix of characters, adults and children. As this book is aimed at a younger market than myself the focus on the children was a bit off putting too me, but surprisingly by the half way mark I was happy with how the story was going, and I suspect the target the market would love this. As I hinted at above, the tale justifies its premise, and the same goes with focusing on the children.
The book highlights difficult questions like whether to resist, and the realities of human collaborators make this much more than simply trying to escape a robot regime, exploring abuses of power. These mature themes make this book ideal for a book assignment.
April 4, 2019
Nie jest to zła książka, ale nie jest też porywająca. Zdarzało mi się, że przysypiałam w trakcie czytania, zabrakło tu czegoś, jakiejś wartkości akcji. Koniec był bardzo słaby, podczas ważnej chwili Seana cała akcja była wypruta z emocji, nie czułam obawy, nie wciągnęło mnie to, jak sobie bohater poradzi, bo wszystko stało się bardzo szybko i przewidywalnie.
January 1, 2025
A very interesting concept, where the earth is overtaken by an alien race. All humankind are fitted with electronic tags and have to remain indoors for 5 years, whilst the aliens study them. Of course, people die if they don't follow the rules, but how will they survive? Mark Stay has written a book which looks at how humanity survives in the face of persecution and suppression.
February 19, 2025
My bad I should have read the description. This is a YA story so the protagonist are teenagers, barely.
March 4, 2017
J'ai du me mettre un coup de pied au derrière pour terminer ce livre.
J'aime beaucoup la Sci-fi et les histoires de robots géants ne me dérangent pas à priori ( j'en ai eu l'habitude à travers divers séries de mangas).
Des robots ont envahis la Terre. La prise de cette dernière a duré 11 jours et les humains ont une interdiction de sortie. En effet, ils doivent restés cloitrés chez eux sous contrôle via des implants lumineux. D'après un robot, sous forme humaine, l'occupation va durer 7 ans. ( Je pète un plomb quand je suis enfermée un w-e alors .. 7 ans XD).
Après les 3ères années et suite à quelques péripéties, Sean et ses "coloc" ont réussis de trouver un moyen de désactiver les implants. Ils prennent donc la décision de s'enfuir dans le but de rechercher le père de Sean (membre de la RAF).
Les persos.
Sean => Le héros de l'histoire. Il fait tout son possible pour sortir sa mère des griffes d'un bel enfoiré, Smythe. Je reviendrai sur lui dans quelques lignes. Et son but premier est de retrouver son père "Danny" qui est un membre de la RAF.
Connor, Alex et Nathan => Ces 2 derniers sont frère et soeur. Le point commun aux 3 => ils sont tos orphelins. Leurs parents respectifs ont été atomisés par les robots ...
Kate => Ancien professeur et maman de Sean.
Smythe => le sans-couille de service, "le collabo", le lâche. Avec lui, on connaît la signification de "vendre son âme au Diable". Personnage mauvais, antipathique qui s'est allié aux robots en pensant qu'il aura un sort différent des autres êtres humains.
Mentir pour obtenir ce qu'il veut = la mère de Sean.
Il n'a pas volé sa "fin".
Je n'ai pas envie de m'étendre sur l'histoire. Il y a de bonnes idées mais ce roman ne sera pas dans mon top 10 des livres de Sci-Fi préférés.
Le livre se laisse lire ( et encore, sans courir) mais le film n'est franchement pas terrible. Même avec Kingsley, dans le rôle de Smythe, et Gillian Anderson dans celui de Kate=> j'aurais penser que le niveau volerait plus haut. Je ne connais pas les autres acteurs et je ne perds rien non plus lol.
J'aime beaucoup la Sci-fi et les histoires de robots géants ne me dérangent pas à priori ( j'en ai eu l'habitude à travers divers séries de mangas).
Des robots ont envahis la Terre. La prise de cette dernière a duré 11 jours et les humains ont une interdiction de sortie. En effet, ils doivent restés cloitrés chez eux sous contrôle via des implants lumineux. D'après un robot, sous forme humaine, l'occupation va durer 7 ans. ( Je pète un plomb quand je suis enfermée un w-e alors .. 7 ans XD).
Après les 3ères années et suite à quelques péripéties, Sean et ses "coloc" ont réussis de trouver un moyen de désactiver les implants. Ils prennent donc la décision de s'enfuir dans le but de rechercher le père de Sean (membre de la RAF).
Les persos.
Sean => Le héros de l'histoire. Il fait tout son possible pour sortir sa mère des griffes d'un bel enfoiré, Smythe. Je reviendrai sur lui dans quelques lignes. Et son but premier est de retrouver son père "Danny" qui est un membre de la RAF.
Connor, Alex et Nathan => Ces 2 derniers sont frère et soeur. Le point commun aux 3 => ils sont tos orphelins. Leurs parents respectifs ont été atomisés par les robots ...
Kate => Ancien professeur et maman de Sean.
Smythe => le sans-couille de service, "le collabo", le lâche. Avec lui, on connaît la signification de "vendre son âme au Diable". Personnage mauvais, antipathique qui s'est allié aux robots en pensant qu'il aura un sort différent des autres êtres humains.
Mentir pour obtenir ce qu'il veut = la mère de Sean.
Il n'a pas volé sa "fin".
Je n'ai pas envie de m'étendre sur l'histoire. Il y a de bonnes idées mais ce roman ne sera pas dans mon top 10 des livres de Sci-Fi préférés.
Le livre se laisse lire ( et encore, sans courir) mais le film n'est franchement pas terrible. Même avec Kingsley, dans le rôle de Smythe, et Gillian Anderson dans celui de Kate=> j'aurais penser que le niveau volerait plus haut. Je ne connais pas les autres acteurs et je ne perds rien non plus lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2017
GOOD BOOK
September 5, 2015
Supplied by Hachette New Zealand for honest review
Okay, I haven’t seen the movie, and I doubt that any of you have either, because somebody made the mistake of releasing this independent British kids SF movie in Britain the same weekend as Cinderella and Spongebob. It didn’t have a hope, which is a pity, because the premise is solid, and the story as presented in this novelisation is better than most. I do think it could have done with a stronger title, especially for the movie – the tag line “Robots Never Lie” might have worked better.
The scenario is that the Earth has been invaded by robots intent on subjugating humanity in order to mine people for any useful data they might have. The war was over quickly and now everybody is confined to their homes, aside from the Volunteer Corps, humans who have chosen to cooperate with the robots. Obedience is enforced by means of implants which track people and blow them up if they are caught by the robots breaking their rules.
So, how do a bunch of kids get the upper hand in a situation like this? Very carefully… and with two particular strokes of plain unpredictable luck, the first of which gives them a way to disable their implants, and as for the second... That would be giving away a bit too much. Put it this way - I found it rather more believable than the ending of Independence Day.
It was a bit British – I couldn’t help wondering how the Robots’ strictures would have worked in other parts of the world. And the primary villain is a Geography teacher turned quisling who felt straight out of Doctor Who. Which was another thing. I kept expecting the TARDIS to suddenly materialise… But enough of that.
It’s not great, but it’s a pretty good read, better than you might expect. I’d definitely recommend this story to teenagers, especially if they have an interest in robotics.
Okay, I haven’t seen the movie, and I doubt that any of you have either, because somebody made the mistake of releasing this independent British kids SF movie in Britain the same weekend as Cinderella and Spongebob. It didn’t have a hope, which is a pity, because the premise is solid, and the story as presented in this novelisation is better than most. I do think it could have done with a stronger title, especially for the movie – the tag line “Robots Never Lie” might have worked better.
The scenario is that the Earth has been invaded by robots intent on subjugating humanity in order to mine people for any useful data they might have. The war was over quickly and now everybody is confined to their homes, aside from the Volunteer Corps, humans who have chosen to cooperate with the robots. Obedience is enforced by means of implants which track people and blow them up if they are caught by the robots breaking their rules.
So, how do a bunch of kids get the upper hand in a situation like this? Very carefully… and with two particular strokes of plain unpredictable luck, the first of which gives them a way to disable their implants, and as for the second... That would be giving away a bit too much. Put it this way - I found it rather more believable than the ending of Independence Day.
It was a bit British – I couldn’t help wondering how the Robots’ strictures would have worked in other parts of the world. And the primary villain is a Geography teacher turned quisling who felt straight out of Doctor Who. Which was another thing. I kept expecting the TARDIS to suddenly materialise… But enough of that.
It’s not great, but it’s a pretty good read, better than you might expect. I’d definitely recommend this story to teenagers, especially if they have an interest in robotics.
September 2, 2015
The two important things to know about this book are that it's a novelisation of a movie, and that it's aimed at a fairly young audience. The result is a story which is quite fast-paced and exciting, but lacks the depth you'd find in many other novels. It's also got quite a few plot holes, so anybody who is anal about details should probably avoid it!
As a sci-fi fan, I enjoyed it despite the short-comings. I listened to the audiobook version during my long commutes and it helped the driving time slip by pleasantly. The narration isn't great, and some of the voices (especially the kids' ones) are a little annoying at first, but you get used to it.
The audiobook is worth a shot if you've got a spare Audible credit and fancy some light robot dystopia with a dash of (minimally angsty) teenage underdog heroism.
As a sci-fi fan, I enjoyed it despite the short-comings. I listened to the audiobook version during my long commutes and it helped the driving time slip by pleasantly. The narration isn't great, and some of the voices (especially the kids' ones) are a little annoying at first, but you get used to it.
The audiobook is worth a shot if you've got a spare Audible credit and fancy some light robot dystopia with a dash of (minimally angsty) teenage underdog heroism.
March 11, 2015
A quick paced book that is great for 11-14 year old lads. The upcoming film will hopefully inspire youngsters to read the book also as it has some extras in it which is a nice added touch. I will be putting this in the School Library as im sure it will be appreciated by its target audience more than me!
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