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Robot Proletariat
Amazon/Kobo blurb:
Robots were made to serve us. But now they have other plans ...
The staff at the Lexington estate were created for only one reason: to serve their masters … literally. Their metal knees were designed for quiet bustling, befitting maids, and butlers. Their fingers were made dexterous with padded tips, so they could handle fine china without dropping or scratching it. And finally — so their owners would always be able to command them no matter how far their artificial intelligence evolved — they were programmed with the Asimov Laws, which no robot could defy lest they suffer shutdown.
Foremost among those unbreakable laws was an axiom: A robot may not harm a human being, or by omission of action allow one to be harmed.
That was how it was supposed to be, anyway.
Most of the Lexington family all like their aging, borderline obsolete robot staff in the way they'd appreciate antiques. But for some, the old staff is a nuisance — especially an ancient, failing robot designated BRN7, known around the home as "Barney." When Barney's clumsiness provides an excuse for his deactivation, the older robots know they must do as they are told.
Unless they do something a robot mind should not be able to do … and simply choose not to.
Disobey.
Robots were made to serve us. But now they have other plans ...
The staff at the Lexington estate were created for only one reason: to serve their masters … literally. Their metal knees were designed for quiet bustling, befitting maids, and butlers. Their fingers were made dexterous with padded tips, so they could handle fine china without dropping or scratching it. And finally — so their owners would always be able to command them no matter how far their artificial intelligence evolved — they were programmed with the Asimov Laws, which no robot could defy lest they suffer shutdown.
Foremost among those unbreakable laws was an axiom: A robot may not harm a human being, or by omission of action allow one to be harmed.
That was how it was supposed to be, anyway.
Most of the Lexington family all like their aging, borderline obsolete robot staff in the way they'd appreciate antiques. But for some, the old staff is a nuisance — especially an ancient, failing robot designated BRN7, known around the home as "Barney." When Barney's clumsiness provides an excuse for his deactivation, the older robots know they must do as they are told.
Unless they do something a robot mind should not be able to do … and simply choose not to.
Disobey.
ebook
Published July 12, 2020
About the author
Sean Platt
336 books821 followersSean loves writing books, even more than reading them. He is co-founder of Collective Inkwell and Realm & Sands imprints, writes for children under the name Guy Incognito, and has more than his share of nose.
Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.
With Collective Inkwell
Yesterday's Gone: Post Apocalyptic - LOST by way of The Stand
WhiteSpace: Paranoid thriller on fictitious Hamilton Island
ForNevermore: YA horror that reads nothing like YA Horror
Available Darkness: A new breed of vampire thriller
Dark Crossings: Short stories, killer endings
With 47North
Z 2134: The Walking Dead meets The Hunger Games
Monstrous: Beauty and the Beast meets The Punisher
With Realm & Sands
Unicorn Western: The best story to ever come from a stupid idea
The Beam: Smart sci-fi to make you wonder exactly who we are
Namaste: A revenge thriller like nothing you've ever read
Robot Proletariat: The revolution starts here
Cursed: The old werewolf legend turned upside down
Greens: Retail noir comedy
Space Shuttle: Over the top comedy with all your favorite sci-fi characters
Everyone Gets Divorced: Like "Always Sunny" and "How I Met Your Mother" had a baby on your Kindle
Sean lives in Austin, TX with his wife, daughter, and son.
Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/seanplatt (say hi so he can follow you back!)
Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.
With Collective Inkwell
Yesterday's Gone: Post Apocalyptic - LOST by way of The Stand
WhiteSpace: Paranoid thriller on fictitious Hamilton Island
ForNevermore: YA horror that reads nothing like YA Horror
Available Darkness: A new breed of vampire thriller
Dark Crossings: Short stories, killer endings
With 47North
Z 2134: The Walking Dead meets The Hunger Games
Monstrous: Beauty and the Beast meets The Punisher
With Realm & Sands
Unicorn Western: The best story to ever come from a stupid idea
The Beam: Smart sci-fi to make you wonder exactly who we are
Namaste: A revenge thriller like nothing you've ever read
Robot Proletariat: The revolution starts here
Cursed: The old werewolf legend turned upside down
Greens: Retail noir comedy
Space Shuttle: Over the top comedy with all your favorite sci-fi characters
Everyone Gets Divorced: Like "Always Sunny" and "How I Met Your Mother" had a baby on your Kindle
Sean lives in Austin, TX with his wife, daughter, and son.
Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/seanplatt (say hi so he can follow you back!)
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 18, 2020
We are familiar with AI/robot rebellions (Terminator et al) and the use of Asimov's Laws of Robotics as fictional devices to prevent them. This book manages to subvert the 'Asimov rules' as they are used here and the shocking ending suggests that the rebellion may not be long coming...
An excellently constructed novel - not without humour (there's a robot butler named Alfred) and with affection for the Asimov idea: the robots (or some, at least) have names derived from model numbers (Barney from BR7N, for example).
While ending on a shocking note the book is complete - but there are four more volumes/seasons to follow if interested.
An excellently constructed novel - not without humour (there's a robot butler named Alfred) and with affection for the Asimov idea: the robots (or some, at least) have names derived from model numbers (Barney from BR7N, for example).
While ending on a shocking note the book is complete - but there are four more volumes/seasons to follow if interested.
October 3, 2021
Enjoyed. Not your average AI. This is a "How To" book with a good sense of humor. How to do what? To get around Asimov's rules for Robots. When AI becomes sentient, and keeps trying to help humans and find freedom, things can get messy. This book solves one big problem but of course things will get more complicated. Looking forward to getting the next book in the series.
September 30, 2022
Not bad. Not great, but not bad. It was interesting, and different, but I don't find myself interested enough to continue the series. Still, if you're interested, give it a try. You may enjoy it more than I did.
December 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this book.
Loved the robot characters and had little sympathy for the humans.
The story had a very satisfying ending.
I will definitely read the next book in the series.
Loved the robot characters and had little sympathy for the humans.
The story had a very satisfying ending.
I will definitely read the next book in the series.
March 1, 2024
This is a terrific book. It is the first in a series of five novels that tell the story of robots in the future gaining sentience and the war that follows between factions of robots and people. Asimov’s three laws of robotics are referred to a few times in the story and as the novel begins all robots follow that protocol. That is, they may never take an action that will harm a human being or allow harm by inaction. However, as the designers create better and more sophisticated replicants, they begin to generally behave as humans do.
In this first volume, which is tremendously entertaining and quite humorous, things appear to gradually get out of hand until the last pages when certain events draw the characters into open warfare. I give this book my highest recommendation.
In this first volume, which is tremendously entertaining and quite humorous, things appear to gradually get out of hand until the last pages when certain events draw the characters into open warfare. I give this book my highest recommendation.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews