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Robota
Academy award winning artist Doug Chiang and best-selling sci-fi author Orson Scott Card join forces for an extraordinary publishing adventure: Robota. An original illustrated science fiction novel, Robota follows the fortunes of a strangely powerful amnesiac named Caps as he navigates an ancient, decaying world in which a dwindling human population battles a society of merciless robot warriors. Aided by talking animals and stalked by terrifying hunter robots, Caps slowly rises to fulfill an awesome destiny. Integrating word and image, Card's masterful storytelling is interwoven with 75 pieces of Chiang's wildly imagined, meticulously rendered art. Packaged in a dramatic metallic case, this unusual and powerful collaboration is tailor-made to thrill.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2003
18 people are currently reading
716 people want to read
About the author
Doug Chiang
17 books20 followersAmerican film designer and artist
Doug Chiang has received an Academy Award, two British Academy Awards, a Clio Award for his work in film and television, and the Prix du Rendu at the 2003 Imagina CG Film Festival for his Robota teaser. A veteran of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light and Magic, he served as design director for the Star Wars prequels. His paintings are exhibited nationally and in a variety of publications, including limited edition prints. He lives in Northern California.
Doug Chiang has received an Academy Award, two British Academy Awards, a Clio Award for his work in film and television, and the Prix du Rendu at the 2003 Imagina CG Film Festival for his Robota teaser. A veteran of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light and Magic, he served as design director for the Star Wars prequels. His paintings are exhibited nationally and in a variety of publications, including limited edition prints. He lives in Northern California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
November 19, 2016
Robota, like The Sleeper and the Spindle, is a story with extraordinary artwork accompanying the narrative. The prologue introduces the reader to a world that has been conquered by robots from the stars. Humankind had developed tools and machines, but nothing that equaled the alien invaders. Subdued and forced into hiding, humans fight a losing battle against an unstoppable robotic force. In the first chapter, a man awakens in an alien ship- he can't remember his name or his past. He is encouraged out of the ship and deeper into the forest by a talking monkey named Rend. Together, they go to recover not only his memory but also his forgotten past, which may be more extraordinary than he ever imagined.
The story by Orson Scott Card is good but the artwork by Doug Chiang is astonishing. This book was originally published in 2003, but the edition I read is a 2016 re-print with a new foreword and additional concept art wasn't released the first time around. Doug Chiang worked at LucasFilm on Star Wars: Episodes 1 & 2 and, more recently, The Force Awakens. You can really see those efforts in his art- the robot army from Episode 1 is all over this book.
My one (kind of silly) beef with Robota is the title. The story says that the robots took over Earth and renamed it "Robota" but what sort of robots would do that? I think they'd be far more likely to call it 1010010011111 or something in binary code. But, maybe I'm just biased against robots.
There was also an interesting side plot about magical jewels that gave animals on Earth the ability to talk and reason: "Once it changes an animal, it breeds true- all its offspring have speech as well. It brought a golden age to the world. It made the robots jealous, and the king of the robots, Font Prime, sent out Kaantur-Set and his hunters to destroy all the jewels. They think when the jewels are gone, we'll all become dumb beasts again." pg 45, ebook. The over-arching plot is nature vs machine, but Robota also asks the question: what makes life worth living?
Or what really makes a machine live?: "When there's a living mind telling the machine what to do, it's not a robot," said Juomes. "Where there's life, then the machine remains a tool." "So a fungus with a stick is better than Font Prime," asked Elyseo. "Probably not better at mathematics," said Caps. No one was amused." pg 68
Recommended for ages 14+: Robota is a feast for the eyes and may be a science fiction/fantasy that appeals to more reluctant readers. Some further reading: The Sleeper and the Spindle, Peter & Max, or Descender, Volume 1: Tin Stars (for 16+ for some disturbing images).
Thank you to NetGalley and Dover Publications for a free digital copy of this book!
The story by Orson Scott Card is good but the artwork by Doug Chiang is astonishing. This book was originally published in 2003, but the edition I read is a 2016 re-print with a new foreword and additional concept art wasn't released the first time around. Doug Chiang worked at LucasFilm on Star Wars: Episodes 1 & 2 and, more recently, The Force Awakens. You can really see those efforts in his art- the robot army from Episode 1 is all over this book.
My one (kind of silly) beef with Robota is the title. The story says that the robots took over Earth and renamed it "Robota" but what sort of robots would do that? I think they'd be far more likely to call it 1010010011111 or something in binary code. But, maybe I'm just biased against robots.
There was also an interesting side plot about magical jewels that gave animals on Earth the ability to talk and reason: "Once it changes an animal, it breeds true- all its offspring have speech as well. It brought a golden age to the world. It made the robots jealous, and the king of the robots, Font Prime, sent out Kaantur-Set and his hunters to destroy all the jewels. They think when the jewels are gone, we'll all become dumb beasts again." pg 45, ebook. The over-arching plot is nature vs machine, but Robota also asks the question: what makes life worth living?
Or what really makes a machine live?: "When there's a living mind telling the machine what to do, it's not a robot," said Juomes. "Where there's life, then the machine remains a tool." "So a fungus with a stick is better than Font Prime," asked Elyseo. "Probably not better at mathematics," said Caps. No one was amused." pg 68
Recommended for ages 14+: Robota is a feast for the eyes and may be a science fiction/fantasy that appeals to more reluctant readers. Some further reading: The Sleeper and the Spindle, Peter & Max, or Descender, Volume 1: Tin Stars (for 16+ for some disturbing images).
Thank you to NetGalley and Dover Publications for a free digital copy of this book!
April 15, 2021
Doug Chiang has taken his fantastic concept art and with the help of Orson Scott Card crafted a story for it. Robota is the story of a planet in decay. Robots and humans used to work in union for the greater good before the robots decided to try and wipe out humanity. Now hundreds of years later a ragtag team of heroes tries to stop the robots from ending humankind completely.
Received an advance copy from Dover and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from Dover and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2017
I have a strong memory of seeing this book on the shelf around the time I first started working at my library. It was probably on the new fiction shelf, though I could be mistaken. I was reminded of this when I encountered the book at a used book store recently. But despite my memory of seeing the book, I couldn't recall if I had actually read it, though the illustrations were so familiar. So I read it again. Throughout the story, I never really knew what was coming next. But at the same time, everything felt strangely familiar. I suspect that I did read this book years ago, but forgot it because it is so lackluster.
In the introduction, the author reveals how the book started as a private project of him painting a setting starting from the image of a flying saucer and sailing ships and it was only later that he came up with a story to link it together. This is almost painfully obvious at times. There are important details mentioned in the story that are never illustrated, like some vague symbol that suggestively shows up in different places, including an important crystal worn by a main character, yet which is never shown in illustrations of that character; or the fact that the main villain is wearing the mummified severed hand of one of the main characters, but again this is never shown. And in many places the art appears to be concept sketches just thrown in wherever. Late in the book there is a picture of a robot riding a horse with the caption "Another time, another place" and absolutely no mention in the text, and of no relevance to the plot.
Despite my complaints about the art so far, it is actually the one good point of this book. The art really is quite well done and frequently has a spark of real potential. But the story they are attached to is really dull, poorly plotted, and full of uninteresting characters. The revelation that the robots really have biological brains is incredibly stupid, and provides no real explanation, especially since the organic component is apparently a microorganism; how does have something like mold growing in the computer brain of a robot explain anything about their self-awareness? It is lazy hand-waving, an appeal to knee-jerk dualism misplaced onto the idea that there is "something special" about biological life. And though the main villain is quite evil, and you could even say that their own actions bring about their downfall, it is sort of twisted that everything they worried about seems to come true at the end. Caps is effectively immortal, superhuman, and set up with a new young girlfriend. Can't help but sense at least a whiff of misogyny in how that aspect of the story works out.
In the introduction, the author reveals how the book started as a private project of him painting a setting starting from the image of a flying saucer and sailing ships and it was only later that he came up with a story to link it together. This is almost painfully obvious at times. There are important details mentioned in the story that are never illustrated, like some vague symbol that suggestively shows up in different places, including an important crystal worn by a main character, yet which is never shown in illustrations of that character; or the fact that the main villain is wearing the mummified severed hand of one of the main characters, but again this is never shown. And in many places the art appears to be concept sketches just thrown in wherever. Late in the book there is a picture of a robot riding a horse with the caption "Another time, another place" and absolutely no mention in the text, and of no relevance to the plot.
Despite my complaints about the art so far, it is actually the one good point of this book. The art really is quite well done and frequently has a spark of real potential. But the story they are attached to is really dull, poorly plotted, and full of uninteresting characters. The revelation that the robots really have biological brains is incredibly stupid, and provides no real explanation, especially since the organic component is apparently a microorganism; how does have something like mold growing in the computer brain of a robot explain anything about their self-awareness? It is lazy hand-waving, an appeal to knee-jerk dualism misplaced onto the idea that there is "something special" about biological life. And though the main villain is quite evil, and you could even say that their own actions bring about their downfall, it is sort of twisted that everything they worried about seems to come true at the end. Caps is effectively immortal, superhuman, and set up with a new young girlfriend. Can't help but sense at least a whiff of misogyny in how that aspect of the story works out.
August 5, 2008
Doug Chiang is a talented concept artist who worked as an art director on the prequel Star Wars trilogy. During that time, he set about telling his own story, opting to have Orson Scott Card flesh out his meager narrative while he provided lush illustrations and sketches.
The problem is that the "fleshed out" story still feels like incomplete notes taken out of Chiang's spiral notebook. Now, I know that what I'm about to write is tantamount to a deadly sin for a sci-fi fan, but I have never read an Orson Scott Card novel. I am going to assume, however, that the massive amounts of respect he has garnered over the past couple decades are for good reason, and that this team-up was just a hiccup. Nevertheless, I can't help but say that the written story of Robota was bland, shallow, uninteresting and just plain bad. The concept behind the story is rather cool, but the dialog, the action, the descriptions...I felt like I was reading a very poorly done juvenile literature book. And perhaps that is what this was intended to be - a fun book with robots for kids. But I have a hard time telling myself that I would have enjoyed this read even fifteen or sixteen years ago.
I wonder if perhaps there was a certain trade off between story and art. The book is full of Chiang's beautifully rendered paintings of robots, jungle-covered skyscrapers, and vast landscapes. I could understand if the prose was left thin with the intention of the paintings providing additional information, but that doesn't excuse the very unpolished and sloppy feel I got from the prose.
The art is indeed wonderful, though at times you can certainly tell that Chiang was working on Star Wars while he created this; one robotic character is a dead ringer for Jar Jar Binks, and other robots in the book have many features similar to all the various Trade Federation droids in the prequel films.
Overall, this book was disappointing because given Chiang's talent for art and Scott Card's reputation, I was expecting something much more engaging.
The problem is that the "fleshed out" story still feels like incomplete notes taken out of Chiang's spiral notebook. Now, I know that what I'm about to write is tantamount to a deadly sin for a sci-fi fan, but I have never read an Orson Scott Card novel. I am going to assume, however, that the massive amounts of respect he has garnered over the past couple decades are for good reason, and that this team-up was just a hiccup. Nevertheless, I can't help but say that the written story of Robota was bland, shallow, uninteresting and just plain bad. The concept behind the story is rather cool, but the dialog, the action, the descriptions...I felt like I was reading a very poorly done juvenile literature book. And perhaps that is what this was intended to be - a fun book with robots for kids. But I have a hard time telling myself that I would have enjoyed this read even fifteen or sixteen years ago.
I wonder if perhaps there was a certain trade off between story and art. The book is full of Chiang's beautifully rendered paintings of robots, jungle-covered skyscrapers, and vast landscapes. I could understand if the prose was left thin with the intention of the paintings providing additional information, but that doesn't excuse the very unpolished and sloppy feel I got from the prose.
The art is indeed wonderful, though at times you can certainly tell that Chiang was working on Star Wars while he created this; one robotic character is a dead ringer for Jar Jar Binks, and other robots in the book have many features similar to all the various Trade Federation droids in the prequel films.
Overall, this book was disappointing because given Chiang's talent for art and Scott Card's reputation, I was expecting something much more engaging.
April 28, 2020
I first found this book years ago in a bookstore in Texas. I had never heard of it nor the author, but bought it on a whim.
I'm so glad I did. I've read it probably half a dozen times and it continues to amaze me. I'm reminded nostalgically of when I was a kid, daydreaming of robots and alien worlds and monsters. It's classic in all those senses.
I adore this graphic novel.
I'm so glad I did. I've read it probably half a dozen times and it continues to amaze me. I'm reminded nostalgically of when I was a kid, daydreaming of robots and alien worlds and monsters. It's classic in all those senses.
I adore this graphic novel.
July 11, 2022
Found this in a lil free library near my house — pretty pictures! Super short. Not a huge sci fi person but the illustrations really made the story worth a read
December 12, 2022
Doug Chiang is one of our most prolific film creators and artists of the century. His involvement in the Star Wars universe is very remarkable, especially compared to others. He was inspired by the original
Star Wars
film and the accompanying art design book. He studied industrial design at the College for Creative Studies until 1982. He later studied film production at UCLA and graduated in 1986. During his time in college, he was an illustrator and art director for the Daily Bruin and involved with the Association of Chinese Americans. During the late 1980s, he worked at various production studios including Rhythm and Hues. Chiang eventually joined Industrial Light & Magic as a creative director where he worked on films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day. In the late 1990s, he was hired to lead Lucasfilm's art department; he was the design director for Star Wars episodes I and II. Outside of film, he collaborated with one of our favorite authors, Orson Scott Card, on this illustrated science-fiction book: Robota. He founded DC Studios in 2000 with this as his creation as a primary project. Along with Sparx Animation Studios in Ho Chi Minh City, he created several animated shorts depicting the world of Robota in action. Robota is the story of life before the collision and the conflict between animal life and the machines that sought to dominate them.
So the subject is this: About 2.1 billion years ago, after avoiding proto-Earth for countless years, Orpheus (the fourth planet in our solar system, also the sixth largest, whose orbit intersected Earth's orbital path every 50 years), collided inevitably; Orpheus was obliterated and the Earth shattered. Eventually, its fragments coalesced to form Earth's moon, which stabilized our planet's erratic rotation and allowed life to germinate. Orpheus was then visited centuries ago by a cybernetic race called the Olm, who eventually found the world populated with humans possessed of a steam-age technology. The benevolent Olm made massive changes, seeding the world with their own kind, before they departed. A peaceful and productive alliance of robots and humans then reigned.
I really like Chiang's incredibly fantastic artwork throughout this thing. It has aged really well, in fact, some people said that it's almost on the level of Star Wars (ALMOST). It clearly took lots of time and effort to do and looks absolutely beautiful because of it. Some scenes even look almost photorealistic, which is quite an achievement. The setting is very well described with visual details, as portrayed in the artwork. Kaantur's City was the home of Kaantur (we'll get to him in a bit) and the base of operation for his robots, the City levitates over ocean sinkholes hundreds of miles from shore. Measuring 9 miles in diameter, the City is protected by the peculiar qualities of the gravity wells that form the sinkholes. Thought to be over 800 years old, little is known about the City's original purpose or builders.
The characters are very interesting and average. Caps (who has partial amnesia, doesn't remember any of his past), the main protagonist, reminded me much of either Obi-Wan Kenobi or Skywalker. Beryl was raised from infancy by robots in Transept City (along with her unspecified sister), one of the major robot cities and the home of Font Prime (we'll get to him later, though). Kaantur-Set (whose name sounds remarkably similar to a mathematical set of points called the Cantor set) is the general of the robot armies, with cunning and agility matched only by his sadistic passion for big game hunting and he has planned to unleash a world-purging of carbon-based life; he killed Juomes’ parents and took Juomes’ hand in order to obtain the last of the cubing jewels. And speaking of Juomes (a yeti-like hunter-beast whose parents were killed by Kaantur-set), he possesses a cubing jewel, an object which allows creatures to gain sentience and enables their young to be born with this newfound intelligence. Then there's also Rend, a sentient monkey-like creature who appears to have much knowledge about Caps's past yet is unwilling to divulge details; he relies on his small size to escape from trouble. And, last but not least, Font Prime is a mysterious entity whose body lies deep in Kaantur's City. At first, many believed that it was Font Prime who commanded the extermination of carbon-based life when it was really Kaantur. However, it is revealed that Font Prime is a benevolent being who was once human but gained synthesis with the robots and the very earth of the planet.
This is one of my favorite illustrated works ever written. I also think this might make an awesome film or television, or possibly a computer game. In 2002, the year I started school, Sparx Animation Studios produced a three-minute computer animated video, it was followed by two other short films, one of which included a live character interacting with two animated robots. For some time, it was speculated that a feature film was being produced. A video game adaptation was announced in 2015 which would be produced by SiXiTS Studios and Doug Chiang Studios. Gameplay would have been akin to Infinity Blade. The kickstarter was created but failed to raise enough funds in time, and there is no news regarding the video game's development at the current moment, unfortunately.
And that's it. That's Robota. If you haven't read this, you really should. Highly recommended. Ages 13+ (PG13, TV-14, T for TEEN).
So the subject is this: About 2.1 billion years ago, after avoiding proto-Earth for countless years, Orpheus (the fourth planet in our solar system, also the sixth largest, whose orbit intersected Earth's orbital path every 50 years), collided inevitably; Orpheus was obliterated and the Earth shattered. Eventually, its fragments coalesced to form Earth's moon, which stabilized our planet's erratic rotation and allowed life to germinate. Orpheus was then visited centuries ago by a cybernetic race called the Olm, who eventually found the world populated with humans possessed of a steam-age technology. The benevolent Olm made massive changes, seeding the world with their own kind, before they departed. A peaceful and productive alliance of robots and humans then reigned.
I really like Chiang's incredibly fantastic artwork throughout this thing. It has aged really well, in fact, some people said that it's almost on the level of Star Wars (ALMOST). It clearly took lots of time and effort to do and looks absolutely beautiful because of it. Some scenes even look almost photorealistic, which is quite an achievement. The setting is very well described with visual details, as portrayed in the artwork. Kaantur's City was the home of Kaantur (we'll get to him in a bit) and the base of operation for his robots, the City levitates over ocean sinkholes hundreds of miles from shore. Measuring 9 miles in diameter, the City is protected by the peculiar qualities of the gravity wells that form the sinkholes. Thought to be over 800 years old, little is known about the City's original purpose or builders.
The characters are very interesting and average. Caps (who has partial amnesia, doesn't remember any of his past), the main protagonist, reminded me much of either Obi-Wan Kenobi or Skywalker. Beryl was raised from infancy by robots in Transept City (along with her unspecified sister), one of the major robot cities and the home of Font Prime (we'll get to him later, though). Kaantur-Set (whose name sounds remarkably similar to a mathematical set of points called the Cantor set) is the general of the robot armies, with cunning and agility matched only by his sadistic passion for big game hunting and he has planned to unleash a world-purging of carbon-based life; he killed Juomes’ parents and took Juomes’ hand in order to obtain the last of the cubing jewels. And speaking of Juomes (a yeti-like hunter-beast whose parents were killed by Kaantur-set), he possesses a cubing jewel, an object which allows creatures to gain sentience and enables their young to be born with this newfound intelligence. Then there's also Rend, a sentient monkey-like creature who appears to have much knowledge about Caps's past yet is unwilling to divulge details; he relies on his small size to escape from trouble. And, last but not least, Font Prime is a mysterious entity whose body lies deep in Kaantur's City. At first, many believed that it was Font Prime who commanded the extermination of carbon-based life when it was really Kaantur. However, it is revealed that Font Prime is a benevolent being who was once human but gained synthesis with the robots and the very earth of the planet.
This is one of my favorite illustrated works ever written. I also think this might make an awesome film or television, or possibly a computer game. In 2002, the year I started school, Sparx Animation Studios produced a three-minute computer animated video, it was followed by two other short films, one of which included a live character interacting with two animated robots. For some time, it was speculated that a feature film was being produced. A video game adaptation was announced in 2015 which would be produced by SiXiTS Studios and Doug Chiang Studios. Gameplay would have been akin to Infinity Blade. The kickstarter was created but failed to raise enough funds in time, and there is no news regarding the video game's development at the current moment, unfortunately.
And that's it. That's Robota. If you haven't read this, you really should. Highly recommended. Ages 13+ (PG13, TV-14, T for TEEN).
December 5, 2017
I am absolutely in love with and enchanted by this book, and I have been since I discovered it sitting on my dad's shelf however many years ago. The artwork is breathtaking, the story line pulls at the imagination and heart and every emotion possible, and it really makes one thing about where our current technological developments are taking us. I mean, the fact that there is currently a robot with citizenship already sends chills down one's spine. This book is definitely for an adult audience, but a worthwhile and worthy read.
March 4, 2008
I'VE READ THIS BOOK LIKE 200000000000000000 TIMES!!!!! ITS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AWESOME!!!!!!!!
August 3, 2024
very cool. fun read. very essential and boiled down to the minimum. almost ready for a screenplay and even at that it needs more descriptions and dialogue. it’s very fitting for an illustrated book, with almost every scene getting one panel (at least). the characters are diverse with sympathetic backstories. the lore is barely explored, but teased and treated in the same manner as star wars (1977) referenced the jedi, old republic, clone wars, the empire, etc. speaking of star wars, this story has the same spirit of star wars. the art itself brims with star wars potential. after all it is a book created by a star wars designer, and it is evident that a lot of the art work or at least key elements in it, is repurposed from the phantom menace brainstorming. the artworks are beautiful.
the story is cool and fun, perfect for a 90-minute movie.
i read it in a single sitting. the copy i have is from a used bookstore, used to be in a school library. it still has the borrowing card/table in the back and it was borrowed some 7 times. its target audience is YA, definitely, maybe accessible for 9 years old i’d say.
the book is quite fun and surprised me.
the story is cool and fun, perfect for a 90-minute movie.
i read it in a single sitting. the copy i have is from a used bookstore, used to be in a school library. it still has the borrowing card/table in the back and it was borrowed some 7 times. its target audience is YA, definitely, maybe accessible for 9 years old i’d say.
the book is quite fun and surprised me.
April 24, 2024
Enjoy this and at 1st I couldn’t help but be reminded of the Matrix but only the robot side of things. Fun read.
February 22, 2020
In theory, I liked the uncommon blend of written word and concept-art working together to tell a story but despite how beautiful concept art is it couldn't save the story, and in practice they didn't work that well together.
The whole book feels like a first draft: the unpolished writing felt more like plot bullet points rather than a flowing story, the plot was full of ideas that were started and were forgotten along the way, many things left unexplained etc.
What further convinced me it's just a draft were the pitches for a movie or a comic book at the end.
As for the concept art, some parts didn't perfectly match with the story, some parts that were easily visualized were illustrated, but then other descriptions that were too short and I had trouble understanding weren't.
I was thinking of giving it 3 stars but then the ending came and it was just too misogynistic for my taste:
The whole book feels like a first draft: the unpolished writing felt more like plot bullet points rather than a flowing story, the plot was full of ideas that were started and were forgotten along the way, many things left unexplained etc.
What further convinced me it's just a draft were the pitches for a movie or a comic book at the end.
As for the concept art, some parts didn't perfectly match with the story, some parts that were easily visualized were illustrated, but then other descriptions that were too short and I had trouble understanding weren't.
I was thinking of giving it 3 stars but then the ending came and it was just too misogynistic for my taste:
November 14, 2016
Read this review and more on my blog.
I received a free copy of Robota in exchange for my honest opinion.
Not a graphic novel, but not a novel; Robota is such an interesting book and I have never read a book with a layout like it.
Robota is based on concept art from Doug Chinag (the concept artist for the Star Wars prequel trilogy + Star Wars The force Awakens, and he is the production designer for Star Wars: Rogue One) with the accompanying story from Orson Scott Card.
The concept art that accompanied Robota was indescribable. If you enjoy looking at concept art for science fiction movies, then the concept art in here is along the same line. At times, I would just look at the concept art and have my breath taken away.
The storyline was surprisingly complex for what I expected. It takes unexpected turns that worked well. At times, thing did seem a little far-fetched but the explanations offered gave a reasonable explanation.
Such a unique book which I throughly enjoyed and would be interested to see more like it, as well as this one be made into a feature film.
I received a free copy of Robota in exchange for my honest opinion.
Not a graphic novel, but not a novel; Robota is such an interesting book and I have never read a book with a layout like it.
Robota is based on concept art from Doug Chinag (the concept artist for the Star Wars prequel trilogy + Star Wars The force Awakens, and he is the production designer for Star Wars: Rogue One) with the accompanying story from Orson Scott Card.
The concept art that accompanied Robota was indescribable. If you enjoy looking at concept art for science fiction movies, then the concept art in here is along the same line. At times, I would just look at the concept art and have my breath taken away.
The storyline was surprisingly complex for what I expected. It takes unexpected turns that worked well. At times, thing did seem a little far-fetched but the explanations offered gave a reasonable explanation.
Such a unique book which I throughly enjoyed and would be interested to see more like it, as well as this one be made into a feature film.
October 29, 2017
Quick Preface, The title credits for this work are as follows:
• Story & Art = Doug Chiang
• Text = Orson Scott Card
Now, it's been quite some time since I read anything that Card wrote, but I remember his prose being better?
The art, on the other hand, is 5*, A++ work. Simply beautiful. And the story overall isn't bad (if kind of cliche).
The way it's all put together, though? Eh... not great, to say the least. The second star is given almost entirely on the merits of the art alone.
If you want to see some really cool sci-fi art? Go for it. But be advised that the prose is forced in tone and rushed in pacing.
• Story & Art = Doug Chiang
• Text = Orson Scott Card
Now, it's been quite some time since I read anything that Card wrote, but I remember his prose being better?
The art, on the other hand, is 5*, A++ work. Simply beautiful. And the story overall isn't bad (if kind of cliche).
The way it's all put together, though? Eh... not great, to say the least. The second star is given almost entirely on the merits of the art alone.
If you want to see some really cool sci-fi art? Go for it. But be advised that the prose is forced in tone and rushed in pacing.
December 27, 2016
Full review to come!
June 6, 2019
I’m giving this 2.5 stars, but I’m rounding up to 3. This book is probably not one I will recommend to others for plot, but I would recommend the artworks contained within. This is more a coffee table book of sci-fi artwork for me. And really, that artwork is fantastic. It is 100% why this book got more than one star for me. Doug Chiang did a great job showcasing his fictional world using his art.
Unfortunately, the story is just not that interesting. Robots taking over the world from humans is not a new plot. Genetically manipulated humans isn’t either. But what IS new these days really? The BEST way to sell a book to your readers is to give them characters that they can love and admire and relate to. Unfortunately, paper thin is too thick when it comes to describing these characters. Throughout the book, each character had about one personality trait total, maybe two if you squint. Beryl was anger, Caps was empathy, Juomes was pride, Rend was capricious, and Elyseo was calmness. Really, they don’t differ from that at all. It didn’t make for fun reading, even with as little text as there is in this
book. The plot was kind of what you’d expect, a brief adventure, a “dramatic” reveal, a human colony of outlaws hiding from the robot overlords, and a fight to the end. I wish I could say it was an interesting thing, but it really wasn’t. The dramatic reveals are easy to see coming, with maybe one exception. I won’t spoil it though, just in case you’re considering reading it.
If anything, I recommend picking it up to look at the illustrations. Those are really the star of this book. But this is not a book I, personally, will be keeping.
Unfortunately, the story is just not that interesting. Robots taking over the world from humans is not a new plot. Genetically manipulated humans isn’t either. But what IS new these days really? The BEST way to sell a book to your readers is to give them characters that they can love and admire and relate to. Unfortunately, paper thin is too thick when it comes to describing these characters. Throughout the book, each character had about one personality trait total, maybe two if you squint. Beryl was anger, Caps was empathy, Juomes was pride, Rend was capricious, and Elyseo was calmness. Really, they don’t differ from that at all. It didn’t make for fun reading, even with as little text as there is in this
book. The plot was kind of what you’d expect, a brief adventure, a “dramatic” reveal, a human colony of outlaws hiding from the robot overlords, and a fight to the end. I wish I could say it was an interesting thing, but it really wasn’t. The dramatic reveals are easy to see coming, with maybe one exception. I won’t spoil it though, just in case you’re considering reading it.
If anything, I recommend picking it up to look at the illustrations. Those are really the star of this book. But this is not a book I, personally, will be keeping.
March 16, 2019
'Robota' by artist Doug Chiang with text by Orson Scott Card is a book of beautiful illustrations that kind of feels like a movie pitch.
In a weird world ruled by robots, a man named Caps keeps waking up in a regeneration chamber. He forgets what happened before and keeps reliving things. He decides to overthrow the robots and assembles a motley crew of beings, including Juomes, a kind of ape/yeti creature, and a small monkey-like creature named Rend. There are others, and Caps will need them because the head robot Kaantur-Set has a secret about Caps.
Included are some additional art for the film pitch with some of the characters looking like familiar actors. There are also some pages from a proposed comic book.
It's kind of a space epic in the style of Burroughs. I liked the first 2/3 of it, then I felt like the story fell apart a bit. Regardless, the story is only here to show off the art, and the full color paintings are really nice. This gets a 3 for story and a 4 for art.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
In a weird world ruled by robots, a man named Caps keeps waking up in a regeneration chamber. He forgets what happened before and keeps reliving things. He decides to overthrow the robots and assembles a motley crew of beings, including Juomes, a kind of ape/yeti creature, and a small monkey-like creature named Rend. There are others, and Caps will need them because the head robot Kaantur-Set has a secret about Caps.
Included are some additional art for the film pitch with some of the characters looking like familiar actors. There are also some pages from a proposed comic book.
It's kind of a space epic in the style of Burroughs. I liked the first 2/3 of it, then I felt like the story fell apart a bit. Regardless, the story is only here to show off the art, and the full color paintings are really nice. This gets a 3 for story and a 4 for art.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
May 25, 2017
This book is an art book, first and foremost. An art book for the science fiction fan, and for anyone who enjoys art that has hints of the fantastic and mysterious.
It has beautiful and interesting artwork by Doug Chiang, who was the Design Director for Star Wars I and II. He's also been involved in the look of The Force Awakens and Rogue One.
The text is reminiscent to me, in parts, of a Ray Bradbury feel. Think "The Martian Chronicles." The combination of sci fi and mysticism, just a bit. It has friendship, collaboration, conflict. It has heroes. It has dark times and times of light, not unlike Star Wars, though it is its own story.
But this book is ***truly about the art.*** It's great in that respect. I was loaned an ebook edition through Netgalley for an honest review. I think you should consider the hard back book edition if you're interested. It's almost a coffee table book, in the very best sense.
Four stars. As I said, I received an ebook version from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It has beautiful and interesting artwork by Doug Chiang, who was the Design Director for Star Wars I and II. He's also been involved in the look of The Force Awakens and Rogue One.
The text is reminiscent to me, in parts, of a Ray Bradbury feel. Think "The Martian Chronicles." The combination of sci fi and mysticism, just a bit. It has friendship, collaboration, conflict. It has heroes. It has dark times and times of light, not unlike Star Wars, though it is its own story.
But this book is ***truly about the art.*** It's great in that respect. I was loaned an ebook edition through Netgalley for an honest review. I think you should consider the hard back book edition if you're interested. It's almost a coffee table book, in the very best sense.
Four stars. As I said, I received an ebook version from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2024
Many of the themes I enjoy reading about: sentient animals, robot people, setting that is prehistoric and futuristic at the same time, the nature of being, transhumanism.
Several things that I didn't see coming.
I enjoyed the story and would be interested in seeing more from this world. Especially as some of my questions regarding a few side-elements (as in, not necessary to understand the story) were left unanswered.
Chiang created a whole world and its history, and then created a story to be in it. There is room for so many more.
Several things that I didn't see coming.
I enjoyed the story and would be interested in seeing more from this world. Especially as some of my questions regarding a few side-elements (as in, not necessary to understand the story) were left unanswered.
Chiang created a whole world and its history, and then created a story to be in it. There is room for so many more.
July 27, 2021
I. Love. This. Book.
No, it’s not the most gripping, inspired sci-if epic ever - not even close. But having read this when I was much younger, there’s an element of nostalgia to it. The art is just incredible and brings the world to life, if anything the story serves the art as opposed to the other way round.
To this day I really with they would make a high-budget film out of this, or at least a 3-part Amazon Prime series.
No, it’s not the most gripping, inspired sci-if epic ever - not even close. But having read this when I was much younger, there’s an element of nostalgia to it. The art is just incredible and brings the world to life, if anything the story serves the art as opposed to the other way round.
To this day I really with they would make a high-budget film out of this, or at least a 3-part Amazon Prime series.
November 6, 2018
This was decent, not great. I was surprised to find out it was put out in 2003 because it really had a kind of early 90's feel to it (and not in a good way). I liked the art better than the writing. The story seemed "abridged", like it wanted to be something between a graphic novel and a regular novel.
January 12, 2019
If you like the conceptual artwork Chiang has created for the Star Wars series, you'll enjoy this book. The bare-bones narrative is just enough to support the the paintings, but since you're most likely getting it for the paintings, that's a minor quibble.
January 9, 2025
Doug Chiang's illustrations are timeless and powerful. This book truly should have focused on those drawings and skipped the storytelling. Despite the provocative and dreamlike setting conveyed by the images, the author manages to bore to death with a rigid adherence to tell-don't-show, lifeless and unlikeable stock characters, and a contrived villain-is-not-who-you-expect plot twist. I'm not sure if OSC is that bad of a writer, or if Doug C was just influenced irrevocably by his time working under George Lucas, but the book suffers for it dearly. There was a lot of potential in this book's premise, sadly.
October 31, 2018
the art is so good!!!
April 4, 2019
I want this entire book tattooed on my soul
December 27, 2024
Great art, terrible story.
September 25, 2025
The writing and the art were both technically proficient. But there isn't much story for either words or pictures to bring to life. Blah.
March 23, 2017
WOW, and I truly mean WOW. The illustrations are breathtakingly amazing and the story even better. I wonder if this book is in consideration for a movie because based on what I saw, it'd be totally epic.
February 4, 2021
I'm sorry, I just couldn't do it. The illustrations were generally good, though the writing itself is lackluster at best and the robot designs were--how do I put this--stupid. Just plain stupid. They're basically nothing but pompous British big game hunters in robot suits. That's it. Outside of their general appearance and the fact they can't reproduce, there's nothing to suggest they aren't merely stuck-up human beings. Maybe it was intended to be a thinly-veiled critique of British colonialism, but I expect more out of my science fiction.
This is the last time I check out a book with Orson Scott Card's name on it. Even when he's collaborating with others, his books are disappointing.
This is the last time I check out a book with Orson Scott Card's name on it. Even when he's collaborating with others, his books are disappointing.
August 22, 2024
What a captivating Sci-Fi book with some amazing illustrations. I found this book just this year but I never found the time to read until now. I loved the world which has the same classic vibes as the Planet of Apes but with Robots. When you see what we have been exposed to these last few years, I think that Robota could be a great movie to watch. Anyway, it's really worth reading.
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