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C L U T Z
Rodney Pentax belongs to a typical 22nd-century family: mother, father, dog, and robot. The robot's name is Clutz, and he has answered the Pentaxes' ad for a nice, used robot housekeeper. But Clutz isn't exactly what they expected.
Everything Clutz tries to do becomes a disaster. When he talks, a spring goes boing! When he sneezes, he crashes into things. When he cooks, he burns the food. Rodney loves Clutz, and he's a great friend, but his parents are fed up -- they say Clutz has to go.
Now Rodney has a week, just one week, to turn his favorite robot into the perfect housekeeper or it's the scrap heap for Clutz!
Everything Clutz tries to do becomes a disaster. When he talks, a spring goes boing! When he sneezes, he crashes into things. When he cooks, he burns the food. Rodney loves Clutz, and he's a great friend, but his parents are fed up -- they say Clutz has to go.
Now Rodney has a week, just one week, to turn his favorite robot into the perfect housekeeper or it's the scrap heap for Clutz!
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 14, 2017
Marilyn Z. Wilkes's debut junior novel has a distinctly 1980s flavor, and that works well in this blend of science fiction and light family drama. Untold years in the future, after the human race has colonized our solar system, robotics technology is in a golden age. Androids can be purchased that do everything from cleaning the house to dispensing wise advice to one's kids, and eleven-year-old Rodney Pentax's parents are in the market for one to look after Rodney when they're not home. The latest robot model, A85-B (known as the Butler), is out of their price range. Even the economy models cost some series credits, but the answer to the Pentaxes' problem comes walking through their front door in the form of an unemployed Combined Level Unit/Type Z (C.L.U.T.Z.) robot, abandoned by his former owner for the new Butler model. Clutz is several annums old and hopelessly out of date, but promises to work hard if it means avoiding the scrap heap. Rodney's enthusiasm to give Clutz a chance is enough for Mr. and Mrs. Pentax to agree to a trial run.
Kids and adults both scoff at Rodney's robot. Even Rodney's dog, Aurora, isn't crazy about the half-broken hunk of metal sharing her home. But Clutz is a loyal friend and caretaker, even learning to play Moonball so he can be part of Rodney's team. Mr. and Mrs. Pentax have their doubts, so Clutz decides to prove his value by repairing the family holovision. He gets the device in working order, but a malfunction in the nearby float-a-lounge puts Mr. Pentax in serious danger, and Clutz may be to blame. The old-fashioned robot has made a few blunders, and this one decides it: he'll have to find a new home. Rodney tearfully begs his father not to evict his friend, but Clutz quietly leaves on his own to avoid making a scene. He's all by himself in a world where he grows more obsolete by the day, with no idea that Rodney is frantically combing the streets looking for him. Will boy and bot reunite before Clutz lands where he feared being sent all along, the scrap heap? If they do find each other, is there any convincing Rodney's parents to give an outmoded robot another chance to run their home?
Thematically, C.L.U.T.Z. is impressive. Like Thomas M. Disch's The Brave Little Toaster, it delves into issues of time passing us by and the world not valuing us as it once did. Sooner or later, people will view you as a relic from the past that should be cleared out so room can be made for someone younger to perform the tasks you took great pride in, and still do. Does new necessarily mean improved, or can an older model be as good or better because they have the experience and care more? That's the aspect of Clutz that can't be duplicated in a state-of-the-art android: he cares about Rodney, and thus is a better caregiver. As he says to Rodney, "I love being part of this family already. It's nothing like my last family. I was just a thing to them, like the dust vacuum or the microsonic food processor. I know—that's all I am, really, a thing. But I have feelings, too. I am programmed to have feelings, whether I want them or not. And it's so much nicer when those feelings can be happy ones." We all need to feel wanted, even robots who aren't sure they're still relevant in this world. Because of friends like Rodney who don't let us give up on ourselves, we can end up happy, continuing to serve a purpose that can't be accomplished by anyone but us.
"The wisdom of a human...is boundless."
—Clutz, C.L.U.T.Z., P. 60
The sci-fi world-building is minimal, but what we do read about the future in C.L.U.T.Z. is intriguing. Families are much the same as in 1982, when this book was released; surroundings and technology may change, but human nature stays the same. C.L.U.T.Z. is a decent novel, unexpectedly poignant in certain ways, and I'd like to track down the sequel, C.L.U.T.Z. and the Fizzion Formula. Marilyn Z. Wilkes has writing talent, and as long as you don't expect a genre masterpiece, C.L.U.T.Z. is good for a few hours of thoughtful fun.
Kids and adults both scoff at Rodney's robot. Even Rodney's dog, Aurora, isn't crazy about the half-broken hunk of metal sharing her home. But Clutz is a loyal friend and caretaker, even learning to play Moonball so he can be part of Rodney's team. Mr. and Mrs. Pentax have their doubts, so Clutz decides to prove his value by repairing the family holovision. He gets the device in working order, but a malfunction in the nearby float-a-lounge puts Mr. Pentax in serious danger, and Clutz may be to blame. The old-fashioned robot has made a few blunders, and this one decides it: he'll have to find a new home. Rodney tearfully begs his father not to evict his friend, but Clutz quietly leaves on his own to avoid making a scene. He's all by himself in a world where he grows more obsolete by the day, with no idea that Rodney is frantically combing the streets looking for him. Will boy and bot reunite before Clutz lands where he feared being sent all along, the scrap heap? If they do find each other, is there any convincing Rodney's parents to give an outmoded robot another chance to run their home?
Thematically, C.L.U.T.Z. is impressive. Like Thomas M. Disch's The Brave Little Toaster, it delves into issues of time passing us by and the world not valuing us as it once did. Sooner or later, people will view you as a relic from the past that should be cleared out so room can be made for someone younger to perform the tasks you took great pride in, and still do. Does new necessarily mean improved, or can an older model be as good or better because they have the experience and care more? That's the aspect of Clutz that can't be duplicated in a state-of-the-art android: he cares about Rodney, and thus is a better caregiver. As he says to Rodney, "I love being part of this family already. It's nothing like my last family. I was just a thing to them, like the dust vacuum or the microsonic food processor. I know—that's all I am, really, a thing. But I have feelings, too. I am programmed to have feelings, whether I want them or not. And it's so much nicer when those feelings can be happy ones." We all need to feel wanted, even robots who aren't sure they're still relevant in this world. Because of friends like Rodney who don't let us give up on ourselves, we can end up happy, continuing to serve a purpose that can't be accomplished by anyone but us.
"The wisdom of a human...is boundless."
—Clutz, C.L.U.T.Z., P. 60
The sci-fi world-building is minimal, but what we do read about the future in C.L.U.T.Z. is intriguing. Families are much the same as in 1982, when this book was released; surroundings and technology may change, but human nature stays the same. C.L.U.T.Z. is a decent novel, unexpectedly poignant in certain ways, and I'd like to track down the sequel, C.L.U.T.Z. and the Fizzion Formula. Marilyn Z. Wilkes has writing talent, and as long as you don't expect a genre masterpiece, C.L.U.T.Z. is good for a few hours of thoughtful fun.
April 30, 2019
Ah, Clutz, I'm so glad I've finally found you!
Hello, my name is Artoveli, and I have this book to thank for my enduring love or robots.
This is a simple enough 80s science fiction kid's book about a boy and his robot (and his dog). But what got me as a kid was the whole concept of whether a constructed person's life was somehow less valuable than a human's. Standard fare in robot sci-fi, I know, but heavy stuff to encounter as a small child. The scene where Clutz is going down the dark garbage chute while calling plaintively for his friend Rodney, and also for his fictional hero Captain Stalwart, only to be met with silence, ALWAYS stuck with me. TT_TT
I tried for years to track this book down, but I was always spelling the title with a K instead of a C! It was only this year that I finally managed to get my hands on a copy. I just sat down today and read the whole thing in an hour. I am happy to report that I still love Clutz, and that this sort of story will never, never get old for me. Thank you, Marilyn Wilkes, for the part you played in making me into the sci-fi fan that I am today!
Hello, my name is Artoveli, and I have this book to thank for my enduring love or robots.
This is a simple enough 80s science fiction kid's book about a boy and his robot (and his dog). But what got me as a kid was the whole concept of whether a constructed person's life was somehow less valuable than a human's. Standard fare in robot sci-fi, I know, but heavy stuff to encounter as a small child. The scene where Clutz is going down the dark garbage chute while calling plaintively for his friend Rodney, and also for his fictional hero Captain Stalwart, only to be met with silence, ALWAYS stuck with me. TT_TT
I tried for years to track this book down, but I was always spelling the title with a K instead of a C! It was only this year that I finally managed to get my hands on a copy. I just sat down today and read the whole thing in an hour. I am happy to report that I still love Clutz, and that this sort of story will never, never get old for me. Thank you, Marilyn Wilkes, for the part you played in making me into the sci-fi fan that I am today!
February 22, 2024
DAD SAYS: Good for all kids, but it will especially appeal to those who think robots are cool.
*****
As another reviewer commented, I couldn't find this book for years because I thought the title was "K.L.U.T.Z." Mandela Effect?!
At any rate, I finally found it! This book is one of the few I strongly remember from my preteen years (the others being the Narnia books and "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles"), and a reread as an adult made me appreciate this all the more.
The main reason: It holds up as a good book. Marilyn Z. Wilkes' futuristic world made me think of the "Jetsons," and like that show, it has aged fairly well.
One of the main themes of the book is "empathy," and Wilkes writes about it very well. Only the coldest-hearted of people won't be rooting for Clutz as he attempts to be relevant and find a family that will look past his clumsiness and rough exterior. Wilkes is subtle about the theme, though - there's no preaching.
I hope this book is reprinted, because it definitely would resonate with youngsters today, and the world could always use a little more empathy.
*****
As another reviewer commented, I couldn't find this book for years because I thought the title was "K.L.U.T.Z." Mandela Effect?!
At any rate, I finally found it! This book is one of the few I strongly remember from my preteen years (the others being the Narnia books and "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles"), and a reread as an adult made me appreciate this all the more.
The main reason: It holds up as a good book. Marilyn Z. Wilkes' futuristic world made me think of the "Jetsons," and like that show, it has aged fairly well.
One of the main themes of the book is "empathy," and Wilkes writes about it very well. Only the coldest-hearted of people won't be rooting for Clutz as he attempts to be relevant and find a family that will look past his clumsiness and rough exterior. Wilkes is subtle about the theme, though - there's no preaching.
I hope this book is reprinted, because it definitely would resonate with youngsters today, and the world could always use a little more empathy.
June 4, 2018
This is a true B movie of a kid's book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is truly awful, so awful as to loop back around to me, trying to read aloud, doubled over wheezing out the overflow of more laughter than fits in my throat.
May 9, 2009
good Young adult fiction
August 22, 2014
This book was excellent read when I was child. I believe it is a must read for a child in grade school if interested in Sci-Fi
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews