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When a Robot Decides to Die and Other Stories
"A collection of literary and meta-fictional short stories"--
164 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 3, 2021
Very reminiscent of Black Mirror, only with more depravity and less diversity. Gonzalez is a talented writer, and his dark, disturbing visions of the future make for an interesting read (particularly those which draw on Cuban history and politics) but there’s only so many twisted sci-fi narratives told through the eyes of a misogynistic, murderous cis straight man/robot that I can stomach reading before they all begin to blend together.
Women in the vast majority of these stories were either dead, on the verge of extinction, or referred to only in the sexual fantasies of the more important characters. With each story, I was left feeling a little more angry when yet another male perspective was introduced. Although, given that so many of Gonzalez’s stories seem to equate masculinity with sexual violence, I’m not sure that I would have wanted to read a story of his featuring a female protagonist.
Women in the vast majority of these stories were either dead, on the verge of extinction, or referred to only in the sexual fantasies of the more important characters. With each story, I was left feeling a little more angry when yet another male perspective was introduced. Although, given that so many of Gonzalez’s stories seem to equate masculinity with sexual violence, I’m not sure that I would have wanted to read a story of his featuring a female protagonist.
June 24, 2021
Hmmm... This quick set of short sci-fi stories does like to stick to familiar ground. The first, and title, piece is taking us to a world where robots seem to have held sway for so long they can suppress the cult belief that says humans, reduced pretty much to killable sex toys, invented them. It's a work that shows that using basic switcheroos – in this case, having immigrant robot workers doing the drudge work and grousing about the pay and conditions as opposed to the humans – can lead to boredom just as much as it can the witty, arch comparisons that were intended. The second work looks at a pair of guys who are sort of half Men in Black, cleaning up after disasters, and pre-crime specialists, smoothing things over when robot programming goes awry.
Oh, and the third piece concerns the comedic mishaps in the planned sex life of a necrophiliac, in a world where the charitable kinda gal might still offer her help and services post mortem. So not only is that half the audience for this gone over the horizon, they've taken my comment about being on familiar ground with them. Part One closes with some boring stuff about geo-observers witnessing a single human life in amongst the death throes of a planet, or something. Lem it ain't.
Diverting to the introduction, I found I'd utterly misread the second piece – the programming was not awry, but was called for because a world without crime doesn't lead to the utopia we thought. And while that might have been my mistake, it was a firm nudge that this book was not for me. I was frankly surprised this came from a University press, whether or not the creator is a prized Cuban short story specialist living in Montreal, and thus able to discuss multiple worlds on the same page. He just seemed trashy dross – and said introduction is taking up too much space in Pseuds Corner for my liking. Nasty, dirty and cheap genre fiction can easily be a positive description – the thing this does with consummate ease is show the opposite.
Oh, and the third piece concerns the comedic mishaps in the planned sex life of a necrophiliac, in a world where the charitable kinda gal might still offer her help and services post mortem. So not only is that half the audience for this gone over the horizon, they've taken my comment about being on familiar ground with them. Part One closes with some boring stuff about geo-observers witnessing a single human life in amongst the death throes of a planet, or something. Lem it ain't.
Diverting to the introduction, I found I'd utterly misread the second piece – the programming was not awry, but was called for because a world without crime doesn't lead to the utopia we thought. And while that might have been my mistake, it was a firm nudge that this book was not for me. I was frankly surprised this came from a University press, whether or not the creator is a prized Cuban short story specialist living in Montreal, and thus able to discuss multiple worlds on the same page. He just seemed trashy dross – and said introduction is taking up too much space in Pseuds Corner for my liking. Nasty, dirty and cheap genre fiction can easily be a positive description – the thing this does with consummate ease is show the opposite.
September 20, 2021
This book isn’t for everyone. There are two factors I believe a reader needs to be aware of going forward. First, shocking and taboo plot devices are used throughout; so, one needs to be mentally ready for bestiality, necrophilia, cannibalism, and enslavement. Second, while this is nominally science fiction, it’s not nerd’s sci-fi, but rather English Lit / Humanities major sci-fi. Which is to say, scientifically- / technologically-minded people are likely be occasionally distracted by thoughts like: “that’s not how that would work,” or “why did he use that word? It doesn’t make sense in that context. Is it just because it sounded vaguely techy?”
For those who are still reading, the stories are more than just shock for shock’s sake. They are thought-provoking, and the taboo topics both engage readers on a visceral level, but also engage readers on an intellectual level as symbolism. While it’s far from great sci-fi, it’s fine psych-fi (a subgenre that – like sci-fi – deals in speculative futures, but which focuses more on changes in human modes of interaction and ways of behaving - rather than on the effects of technological advances.) “The Year of the Pig” was probably my personal favorite. That story explores family dynamics, cultural proclivities, and personal psychology in a smart way.
If the opening paragraph didn’t scare you away, you’ll probably find some compelling stories in this collection.
For those who are still reading, the stories are more than just shock for shock’s sake. They are thought-provoking, and the taboo topics both engage readers on a visceral level, but also engage readers on an intellectual level as symbolism. While it’s far from great sci-fi, it’s fine psych-fi (a subgenre that – like sci-fi – deals in speculative futures, but which focuses more on changes in human modes of interaction and ways of behaving - rather than on the effects of technological advances.) “The Year of the Pig” was probably my personal favorite. That story explores family dynamics, cultural proclivities, and personal psychology in a smart way.
If the opening paragraph didn’t scare you away, you’ll probably find some compelling stories in this collection.
April 15, 2024
I wanted to like this, but I didn't
November 29, 2024
Excellent collection of short sci-fi stories provoking thinking and reflection by using a lot of taboo subjects and Cuban experiences of the writer. Read it!
July 26, 2023
Fun read! I liked the stories in the first half of the book best as they were more overtly sci-fi themed. I also enjoyed how surprisingly raunchy some of the stories were (e.g., robots controlling the world but having sex with humans as a kinky side thing).
November 25, 2021
This collection won't be for everyone as Gonzalez uses robotics, necrophilia, and cannibalism to explore aspects of our society and rapid advancements in technology.
González' collection is startling to say the least. With clear prose he delves into topics that will challenge conservative notions, leading to uncomfortable reactions in most and others to question his aim with the topics he depicts.
He explores worlds where robots rule (humans are subjugated or playthings), suffering the same dissonance that has plagued humanity at intervals; where necrophilia and cannibalism come in varying forms and practices, and how exploitative programming is used when a society exists without crime.
Definitely not a collection for everyone, but it will make you think, using science fiction in interesting ways to comment on capitalism, disillusionment, and consumerism even when the world no longer resembles what we know and experience.
González' collection is startling to say the least. With clear prose he delves into topics that will challenge conservative notions, leading to uncomfortable reactions in most and others to question his aim with the topics he depicts.
He explores worlds where robots rule (humans are subjugated or playthings), suffering the same dissonance that has plagued humanity at intervals; where necrophilia and cannibalism come in varying forms and practices, and how exploitative programming is used when a society exists without crime.
Definitely not a collection for everyone, but it will make you think, using science fiction in interesting ways to comment on capitalism, disillusionment, and consumerism even when the world no longer resembles what we know and experience.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews