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Friends For Robots: Short Stories
In this upbeat, positive collection of SFF short stories from Merc Fenn Wolfmoor, author of So You Want to Be A Robot, you'll find hope, humor, friendship—and of course, robots.
Have you heard the one about...
...a neural network who wants humans to drink more water?
...a person stranded on Mars with only an obsolete robotic toy?
...a cyborg caught in a time loop with a frightened ship?
...a self-aware mech who doesn't want to be a weapon anymore?
...an AI sent into the deepest part of the ocean—and finds a god?
You'll also meet entrepreneurial barbarians, an astronaut making first contact, a boy who might have (accidentally) started Armageddon, magical birds, a bot who wants to tell jokes, and more. Whether you're a robot or not, come make some new friends. :)
Have you heard the one about...
...a neural network who wants humans to drink more water?
...a person stranded on Mars with only an obsolete robotic toy?
...a cyborg caught in a time loop with a frightened ship?
...a self-aware mech who doesn't want to be a weapon anymore?
...an AI sent into the deepest part of the ocean—and finds a god?
You'll also meet entrepreneurial barbarians, an astronaut making first contact, a boy who might have (accidentally) started Armageddon, magical birds, a bot who wants to tell jokes, and more. Whether you're a robot or not, come make some new friends. :)
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
3 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Merc Fenn Wolfmoor
28 books21 followersMerc Fenn Wolfmoor is an ace/aro ADHD/autistic non-binary author from Minnesota.
Merc is the author of several short story collections and the novella The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt. They have had short stories published in such fine venues as Lightspeed, Fireside, Nightmare, Apex, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Escape Pod, Uncanny, and more.
They have been a Nebula Awards Finalist and have had short stories reprinted in several Year's Best anthologies.
They are part of the Chipped Cup Collective, of which Robot Dinosaur Press is an imprint division.
Merc also enjoys creating book covers.
Pronouns: they/them/theirs.
Honorifics: preferably none, but Mx. or Mr. are acceptable if necessary.
Merc is the author of several short story collections and the novella The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt. They have had short stories published in such fine venues as Lightspeed, Fireside, Nightmare, Apex, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Escape Pod, Uncanny, and more.
They have been a Nebula Awards Finalist and have had short stories reprinted in several Year's Best anthologies.
They are part of the Chipped Cup Collective, of which Robot Dinosaur Press is an imprint division.
Merc also enjoys creating book covers.
Pronouns: they/them/theirs.
Honorifics: preferably none, but Mx. or Mr. are acceptable if necessary.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
dnf
March 7, 2024DNF at 57%
April 21, 2022
It took me weeks to finish this collection—only because I hoarded my “call a friendly robot” options the way I hoard my favorite hot chocolate! While I loved rereading “The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty” and “The Frequency of Compassion,” I’ve rarely found such a trustworthy stash of new (to me) stories. Each time I dipped back into this book, I knew I’d find a captivating point of view who would in turn ultimately find friendship, appreciation, or a truer way of being. I didn’t even mind when some stories turned out not to have robots. “The Loincloth and the Broadsword” is about Vikings, and it still feels like arriving home in all the best ways!
December 14, 2022
A lovely collection. I read most of these stories in the middle of the night while experiencing insomnia, and they brought me calm and joy.
January 13, 2022
This should be good. *starts reading*
It IS!!! I'd about given up on finding a short story collection I liked most of. I am SO glad I tried this one! Very highly recommended for inclusive nonbigoted minds!
This Cold Red Dust: oh. Oh oh oh. <3
it me, ur smol: cute; I want it to come true.
Behold the Deep Never Seen: I enjoyed it. Some may find it a bit ecologically preachy, but they're wrong, so.
Housebot After the Uprising: Very short and cute in a robot uprising kind of way.
Bring the Bones That Sing: Very nice reaper fantasy. POV is an autistic girl.
Lonely Robot On a Rocket Ship In Space: legit made me cry at the end <3
Yet So Vain is Man: Very short first contact story, yikes.
The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty: I would read more of this in a heartbeat.
The Loincloth and the Broadsword: Oh my gosh this is delightful. More fantasies like this!
HEXPOCALYPSE: A funny disaster!
Steadyboi After the Apocalypse: Oh my gosh, this one is fantastic worldbuilding and MC. Wow.
The Frequency of Compassion: What a delightful first contact story.
*runs off to comb through author's backlist.
It IS!!! I'd about given up on finding a short story collection I liked most of. I am SO glad I tried this one! Very highly recommended for inclusive nonbigoted minds!
This Cold Red Dust: oh. Oh oh oh. <3
it me, ur smol: cute; I want it to come true.
Behold the Deep Never Seen: I enjoyed it. Some may find it a bit ecologically preachy, but they're wrong, so.
Housebot After the Uprising: Very short and cute in a robot uprising kind of way.
Bring the Bones That Sing: Very nice reaper fantasy. POV is an autistic girl.
Lonely Robot On a Rocket Ship In Space: legit made me cry at the end <3
Yet So Vain is Man: Very short first contact story, yikes.
The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty: I would read more of this in a heartbeat.
The Loincloth and the Broadsword: Oh my gosh this is delightful. More fantasies like this!
HEXPOCALYPSE: A funny disaster!
Steadyboi After the Apocalypse: Oh my gosh, this one is fantastic worldbuilding and MC. Wow.
The Frequency of Compassion: What a delightful first contact story.
*runs off to comb through author's backlist.
April 23, 2025
This is one of those rare finds: a short story anthology where I loved every single story. Each of these pieces is ultimately hopeful and uplifting. This was exactly what I needed. I tried to ration the stories so that I could spread out the good feeling, but there were days when it was hard to stop reading.
If you need content warnings, the author includes them in the book, but they are footnotes tied to each specific story so that if you prefer to not see content warnings, you don't have to. (This, honestly, is the way I prefer it to be done. Included for those who want them, but ignorable for those who don't.) However, because this is a hopeful book, you can rest assured that the triggers are dealt with in a positive fashion and not just there for shock value.
There were too many favorite stories here for me to call out any specific story as my one favorite. However, favorites (plural) include: "it me, ur smol", "The Loincloth and the Broadsword", "Steadyboi After the Apocalypse", and "The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty". While I liked all the stories, those 4 resonated with me the most.
If you need content warnings, the author includes them in the book, but they are footnotes tied to each specific story so that if you prefer to not see content warnings, you don't have to. (This, honestly, is the way I prefer it to be done. Included for those who want them, but ignorable for those who don't.) However, because this is a hopeful book, you can rest assured that the triggers are dealt with in a positive fashion and not just there for shock value.
There were too many favorite stories here for me to call out any specific story as my one favorite. However, favorites (plural) include: "it me, ur smol", "The Loincloth and the Broadsword", "Steadyboi After the Apocalypse", and "The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty". While I liked all the stories, those 4 resonated with me the most.
September 17, 2022
Collections are always a bit hit-and-miss, but overall these stories were sweet and wholesome, with a strong focus on (what else?) friendship and robots. Most of the stories I quite liked; a few I loved; and only one did I really bounce off of.
Selling points: representation (queer, autistic, non-verbal, in various configurations), excellent robots all chock-full of The Need To Do The Right Thing, strong relationships, barely any romance.
Warnings: generous content warnings are provided for each individual story, in footnote form, easily overlooked if spoilers are worse than warnings in anyone's estimation.
Selling points: representation (queer, autistic, non-verbal, in various configurations), excellent robots all chock-full of The Need To Do The Right Thing, strong relationships, barely any romance.
Warnings: generous content warnings are provided for each individual story, in footnote form, easily overlooked if spoilers are worse than warnings in anyone's estimation.
December 9, 2021
I want to write a longer review for this collection later but since I seem to be the first to rate it on Goodreads, I figured I'd say a little bit about it!
I absolutely adore Merc Fenn Wolfmoor's writing. Their other collection of short stories, So You Want to be a Robot and Other Stories, is one of my all-time favorites and I often like to pick it up to reread. Saying I was ecstatic when I saw they wrote another collection of sff short stories is an understatement - I ordered the paperback right away and read it in a few sittings once it came.
The stories all do end on a hopeful note, but that doesn't mean they shy away from darker and deeper topics - and I love that. There were a couple that made me tear up but still left me with a hopeful feeling in the end.
My favorite of the collection is probably "The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty" and I can see myself going back to it again and again (haha. time loop joke).
I absolutely adore Merc Fenn Wolfmoor's writing. Their other collection of short stories, So You Want to be a Robot and Other Stories, is one of my all-time favorites and I often like to pick it up to reread. Saying I was ecstatic when I saw they wrote another collection of sff short stories is an understatement - I ordered the paperback right away and read it in a few sittings once it came.
The stories all do end on a hopeful note, but that doesn't mean they shy away from darker and deeper topics - and I love that. There were a couple that made me tear up but still left me with a hopeful feeling in the end.
My favorite of the collection is probably "The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty" and I can see myself going back to it again and again (haha. time loop joke).
May 21, 2023
Friends for Robots!!!
as with all short story collections some land and some don't; I was here for the robot stories, and loved those ones. Smolsips, Caliban, Steadyboi, all excellent, really enjoyable. I'm not really interested in stories about kids, or the fantasy parodies, but that's personal taste. And it's always nice to encounter work where neurodivergence and genderqueerness is so completely baked in at the roots. Really nice stuff.
as with all short story collections some land and some don't; I was here for the robot stories, and loved those ones. Smolsips, Caliban, Steadyboi, all excellent, really enjoyable. I'm not really interested in stories about kids, or the fantasy parodies, but that's personal taste. And it's always nice to encounter work where neurodivergence and genderqueerness is so completely baked in at the roots. Really nice stuff.
December 23, 2021
This collection of stories by a single author stay remarkably on theme for a single author collection, most of those try to show just how many different subjects and themes the author had played with. This one mostly sticks to theme of robots and related beings such as AI and cyborgs who are not hostile to humans.
It stuck to the theme so well that I forgot this was a single author collection and got upset about there being some stories that didn't fit the theme. After the third such I double checked the book and realized I'd fallen into the trap of thinking of it like an anthology rather than a collection of an authors work. after that I was able to relax and just enjoy the works for what they are.
Short, entertaining and often carrying an emotional punch all out of proportion to the amount of words used.
It stuck to the theme so well that I forgot this was a single author collection and got upset about there being some stories that didn't fit the theme. After the third such I double checked the book and realized I'd fallen into the trap of thinking of it like an anthology rather than a collection of an authors work. after that I was able to relax and just enjoy the works for what they are.
Short, entertaining and often carrying an emotional punch all out of proportion to the amount of words used.
Read
July 23, 2022I’ve not previously read anything by this author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in.
The prose was tidy and easy to read - just a couple of typos caught my eye. There was a variety of story formats including letters and logs, and one of my favourites was written in second person (“Steadyboi after the Apocalypse”). There was just one piece I skimmed (“HEXPOCOLYPSE”) which to my tastes dragged a bit.
This short story collection isn’t just about robots (and “The Loincloth and the Broadsword” was a hoot), but I guess a common theme is how one can be “other”, no matter where one is. (I’m no philosopher or sociologist, so I’m using the term loosely). I enjoyed exploring the different environments along with the characters, and an overall sense of optimism.
Overall, I’m glad to have read this collection, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of the author’s work.
The prose was tidy and easy to read - just a couple of typos caught my eye. There was a variety of story formats including letters and logs, and one of my favourites was written in second person (“Steadyboi after the Apocalypse”). There was just one piece I skimmed (“HEXPOCOLYPSE”) which to my tastes dragged a bit.
This short story collection isn’t just about robots (and “The Loincloth and the Broadsword” was a hoot), but I guess a common theme is how one can be “other”, no matter where one is. (I’m no philosopher or sociologist, so I’m using the term loosely). I enjoyed exploring the different environments along with the characters, and an overall sense of optimism.
Overall, I’m glad to have read this collection, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of the author’s work.
dnf-for-good
June 16, 2022dnf @ 55%
The stories in this collection reminded me a lot of Becky Chambers' A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet...which is unfortunate because that also happens to be a book that I intensely dislike. I enjoyed Wolfmoor's The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt for its eerie folkloric atmosphere and amazing queerplatonic relationship, but I found Friends for Robots to be filled with the same sort of fake feel-good optimism and condescending, preachy tone that saturates Chambers' work.
However, if you do like the Wayfarers series though, which is totally fine, I think you would really love this anthology.
The stories in this collection reminded me a lot of Becky Chambers' A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet...which is unfortunate because that also happens to be a book that I intensely dislike. I enjoyed Wolfmoor's The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt for its eerie folkloric atmosphere and amazing queerplatonic relationship, but I found Friends for Robots to be filled with the same sort of fake feel-good optimism and condescending, preachy tone that saturates Chambers' work.
However, if you do like the Wayfarers series though, which is totally fine, I think you would really love this anthology.
February 11, 2022
3.5 stars! This was a lovely, thought-provoking collection of queernormative SFF short stories. I really appreciate the author including specific content warnings for every short story as a footnote at the beginning of the chapter - that way they were easily accessible when needed.
A few of the stories were ultimately forgettable, but the standouts of the collection are “This Cold Red Dust”, “The Loincloth and the Broadsword”, and “The Machine Is Experiencing Uncertainty” (the last one being my personal favorite). I’m definitely interested in reading longer works by this author!!
A few of the stories were ultimately forgettable, but the standouts of the collection are “This Cold Red Dust”, “The Loincloth and the Broadsword”, and “The Machine Is Experiencing Uncertainty” (the last one being my personal favorite). I’m definitely interested in reading longer works by this author!!
December 31, 2021
A bunch of lovely stories in a variety of styles, but all with Wolfmoor's signature heart and wit. One story choked me up, and the next made me giggle out loud! I also really enjoyed the loving and unapologetic queerness and neurodivergence present in most of the stories.
February 17, 2022
Very good
Picked this up via a Twitter recommendation,but it had sat on my TBR for a while. Shame on me for leaving these delightful stories on the e-shelf for so long. Highly recommend this collection and that you do yourself the favour of reading it sooner rather than later.
Picked this up via a Twitter recommendation,but it had sat on my TBR for a while. Shame on me for leaving these delightful stories on the e-shelf for so long. Highly recommend this collection and that you do yourself the favour of reading it sooner rather than later.
September 4, 2023
The shorter stories were better than the longer ones since the longer ones tend to ramble a bit.
November 29, 2025
Beautiful stories, very hopeful and comforting and imaginative.
August 15, 2022
So many good stories – fantasy, urban fantasy, post-apocalyptic, and science fiction. All the warm fuzzies.
August 29, 2023
It's so hard to rate collections. I've been on kind of a short story grind these past few days and have to say it's going much better than expected. I adored most of what I've read these past few days.
This one had stuff I absolutely love but there are some outliers. They're not necessarily bad, just not my thing or not what I was looking for in this collection. Some stories just didn't fit the Friends For Robots theme in my opinion and I would welcome them in a differently named collection instead (apart from The Loincloth and the Broadsword, one I felt didn't fit the main theme for me but was such a good find I'm not mad about it at all).
Some stories were a bit on the nose with the message they wanted to send, and with some, I was a bit irked with the writing style but I am very glad I read this collection because I definitely enjoyed myself and found a bunch of short stories I really liked.
This one had stuff I absolutely love but there are some outliers. They're not necessarily bad, just not my thing or not what I was looking for in this collection. Some stories just didn't fit the Friends For Robots theme in my opinion and I would welcome them in a differently named collection instead (apart from The Loincloth and the Broadsword, one I felt didn't fit the main theme for me but was such a good find I'm not mad about it at all).
Some stories were a bit on the nose with the message they wanted to send, and with some, I was a bit irked with the writing style but I am very glad I read this collection because I definitely enjoyed myself and found a bunch of short stories I really liked.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews