Lost Bits

by Kerry Nietz

The last thing K-404 remembers is a happy home with the human child Ele, whose care is his primary purpose. So, when he wakes up in a landfill of tossed-away technology, his only thought is to reunite with his family.

This world is not his own, though. It’s a wasteland of desolate buildings, flying metal disks, and monstrosities that keep themselves active by stealing another bot’s power.

How did the world get this way?

And why was he discarded?

Hampered by imperfect memory, an obsolete body, and limited battery life, 404 sets out to find his home. Joined by other castaways, he faces off against scavengers and monsters, only to encounter greater threats.

Pursued, outsmarted, and manipulated on every side, 404 teeters on the brink of annihilation. His only chance of survival? Those bits of himself—the connections—he hasn’t lost.

Genres: Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2022

About the author

Kerry Nietz is an award-winning science fiction author. He has over a dozen speculative novels in print, along with a novella, a couple short stories, and a non-fiction book, FoxTales.

Kerry’s novel A Star Curiously Singing won the Readers Favorite Gold Medal Award for Christian Science Fiction and is notable for its dystopian, cyberpunk vibe in a world under sharia law. It has over a hundred 5-star reviews on Amazon and is often mentioned on “Best of” lists.

Among his writings, Kerry's most talked about is the genre-bending Amish Vampires in Space. AViS was mentioned on the Tonight Show and in the Washington Post, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Newsweek called it “a welcome departure from the typical Amish fare.”

Kerry is a refugee of the software industry. He spent more than a decade of his life flipping bits, first as one of the principal developers of the database product FoxPro for the now mythical Fox Software, and then as one of Bill Gates's minions at Microsoft. He is a husband, a father, a technophile and a movie buff.

Reviews

[Ronie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a (why does it feel wrong to use this word??) cute story. I enjoyed the journey and the ultra-satisfying ending! I've always appreciated Nietz's work.

I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Joseph Courtemanche, who did such a terrific job with the many voices and brought life & depth to such a great story. For me, Lost Bits made me think of a grown-up Wall-E, or maybe even a throwback to the much-beloved Short Circuit. Heartwarming and satisfying!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5 stars, for creativity and satisfying conclusion. This story reminds me a bit of I Robot and of Wall-E. Very unique characters with some comic interchange. Somewhat thought-provoking, as it explores the essence of love and loyalty.

[Richard New · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel Lost Bits by author Kerry Nietz is a fun and entertaining adventure into a futuristic and somewhat dystopic mechanized society. Cyberpunk in nature, the story isn’t as depressing as these types normally are.

K-404, also known as Four to its friends, is a cybernetic synthetic manufactured for the sole purpose of babysitting/nurturing young humans. When it wakes up within a junk pile, K-404 struggles to remove itself, only to find it remains trapped within the larger Yard. After performing an all-encompassing internal systems check, Four finds several inconsistencies, the most prominent being: no time sense, no Internet, and no local power supply. Fortunately, it has photovoltaic cells to harness sunlight.

Four decides to follow its basic program and sets out to find the human family and young girl it looked after. Numerous synthetic friends are made and enemies encountered. Several adventures progress along the way. An unexpected twist occurs when Four and friends encounter a character from the story Mask, now readjusted to a slightly different dystopic.

For a machine, K-404’s character is well developed. Especially it’s sense of self-sacrifice when necessary. This Reviewer enjoyed the growing accountability to its original programming and the way K-404 integrated its decisions based on its real world situations within the story. The two main sidekicks had their own level of character development.

Family friendly and a fun read, I highly recommend this story.

This review was provided as a condition to receiving an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy).

[Adam Collings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost Bits is told entirely from the point of view of a robot - K404. And most of the characters in the book are also robots. This might present a challenge to most authors, but Kerry Nietz pulls it off beautifully. He gives a sense of realism to the operations and cognition of a machine, in the way that only a former software developer can, but at the same time, he imbues 404 and his surrounding characters with personality and humanity that makes them extremely sympathetic and likeable.

There are two main threads that pulled me through this story. The first was the friendly interplay between the characters. 404 gathers a growing tribe of robots around him that serve as his friends, and then his family. I especially liked the dynamic between 404 and Sam. The other thread was the mystery of what has happened to the world. 404 wakes up in a junkyard with no memory of how he got there. As he makes his way through his surroundings, it becomes clear that the world has changed greatly from the one he knew. What happened, and where are all the humans? Most importantly, is the human family he was programmed to serve still alive?

There is a fun surprise in this book for long-time readers of Kerry Nietz, but first-time readers will be none the wiser and have a complete and satisfying experience.

While this book makes it easy for us to invest emotionally in these robot characters, value them, and care for their well-being, it ultimately affirms the value of human life over machines. This is a principle that 404 believes passionately and will drive his actions into the exciting climax. Ultimately, this book gives us a surprising exploration of nobility and the nature of love.

Lost Bits was refreshing and enjoyable. This story functions very well as a complete stand-alone story. No sequel is required, but the ending definitely allows for the possibility of more. If Kerry Nietz ever does decide to write another Lost Bits book, I would certainly enjoy spending more time with these characters.

Highly recommended for fans of robot sci-fi and buddy drama.

[Cathy McCrumb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had an eARC of this book, but I enjoyed it so much that it is on my to-buy list!

It's intelligent and well written (as all Nietz's books are). The world is unnerving (yet believable), with threats that make sense. I enjoyed the (I'll call it) guest appearance of a character from another book (which I also loved but won't say because of potential spoilers), but Four and Sam are amazing. Four's loyalty sometimes makes him seem more human than the people they encounter.

I highly recommend it.

[R.J. Kingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters were fun to listen to via audible and story was straight forward, a good-hearted and fun sci-fi read!

[Elysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Lost Bits" follows K-404 as he tries to find his human family and meets several strange bots along the way. He wakes up in a junkyard, unsure of how he got there, how much time has passed, or where he is. It's an exciting and engaging story that will remind you of your favorite buddy-cop movies, quest tales, and post-apocalyptic adventures.

I liked getting to know each of these characters and see how they evolved over the course of the story. We learn about the world and how it has changed right along with them. The story starts slow as the bots carefully try to find what they're looking for, and it gradually builds to an action-packed conclusion.

I highly recommend this story and Nietz's other works!

[Erica Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable and weirdly adorable story.
The setting is one I love—post-apocalyptic ruins with some people trying to survive and cyberpunk vibes. The plot is rather simple, and comes in second to the main cast of characters—a ragtag band of robots, on a mission to find family. (Well, one of them is.) Nietz does a fantastic job of writing from the point of view of a robot while also making it relatable, with descriptions of processes and emotions that feel both computerized and “human” (I, too, have trouble with my body running out of battery sometimes). 404 is a thoroughly likeable robot, and I just wanted to give him a hug.
All in all a fun and at times poignant story!

[Winston Crutchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this straight through in just about two sittings. 404's odyssey from the bottom of the trash heap to the vast world outside echoes his expanding search for his own purpose. It's an adventure story that pits 404 against scavenging robots, massive semi-sane bots, lunatic roboticists, artificial supremacists and the forces that ultimately created this post-apocalyptic landscape. It's also a very personal story for 404 and his supporting cast of misfits. What starts out as a world of junk and trash composed of humanity's discards becomes a spiritual journey in which the creation comes to recognize in just what way he reflects his creator.

[Bryan Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun and very interesting story. If you enjoy science fiction I recommend that you read this. Kerry Nietz is an amazing storyteller, and I look forward to reading more of his work.

[Brenda S Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating!

Lost Bits isn't the kind of story I would normally gravitate toward, but in looking for an audiobook for travel, that both my husband and I would enjoy, we landed on this story. I'm so glad we did!

From the first few words, we were intrigued, and by the end of the first chapter, we were hooked and longed for more time in the car so we could hear what would become of K404 and his ragtag group of bot friends/family.

Joseph Robert Courtemanche's narration was captivating as he deftly brought characters to life with an array of unique voices.

I will definitely read more from Nietz and listen to more narrations by Courtemanche!

[David Pospisil · Rating 5 out of 5]

A you can never go home story.
A buddy story.
In the aftermath of events that almost destroyed the world, a group of discarded robots go on a journey to return to their past lives.
Thoroughly entertaining with fantastic character development.
Read it...you'll love it.

[Sophia Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this robot's Odyssey - at least that's what it brought to mind. Wonderful heartwarming characters and heart breaking relationships. A thoroughly satisfying scifi read.

[Joseph Courtemanche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nietz never disappoints

I read this book for a project I am working on. I added robot voices and dramatic pauses as needed. I fell in love with 404, Wes and Sam.

Look, just buy it for a very human tale of searching for lost love. By robots. Now I have to wonder about the fact I read it on an 8 year old tablet I hadn't used in years. A coincidence? I think not.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book!

Amazing how this author can make a mechanical robot come to life - multiple ones in fact. I enjoyed every bit of this book.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost Bits by Kerry Nietz is, on the surface, about a reactivated robot looking for it's former family. But really it goes much deeper. This novel explores the themes of love, community, connection, and what it really means to be human.

Though Lost Bits stands on it's own really well it is also a sequel of sorts to Nietz's early novel Mask.

The narrator did a fantastic job with the reading. Not only is his voice engaging, he gives real performance to his voices making each one unique and entertaining. I especially love the voice he does for FUZZY.

It's amazing the way author and narrator combined their talents to make these robotic characters feel like people with real personalities and emotions.

[Micah Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first saw this book's cover, I assumed this was going to be like Iron Giant. When I started actually reading it, I thought it would be more like Wall-E. Now that I'm done, it actually reminds me the most of an obscure visual novel called Planetarian... which isn't helpful for most people who would read this review! The main throughline here, though, is it's about an earnest robot who starts out knowing very little and is opposed by many hostile forces, but wants to do the right thing and fulfill his purpose as a servant of humans.

The first half of the story takes place in a junkyard, which I didn't find to be the most interesting setting, but it does do good work in building attachment to the three main characters (all robots, though one is more of an iPhone with AI). I think it took a bit too long to get out of that setting (and for a time I was afraid I would have to wait until the finale for that), but it does set up plot elements that tie in properly with the rest of the story.

The second half of the story was much more interesting to me. Without spoiling, it goes into themes of transhumanism, the ramifications of hitting the AI singularity, found family, what it means to have a purpose, and the downsides of constantly discarding and replacing things. The protagonist robots even have a fun buddy story, with excellent banter and no shortage of heartwarming moments.

Overall, I enjoyed it, especially the last 20%. Solid book.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read almost everything Kerry Nietz has written; thus I was very excited to hear about his latest release. My work often involves travel, and I have sometimes awoken in a strange place and felt disoriented. So the book captivated me from the get-go. However, things do not slip back into place as 404 remembers where he is, but rather, he has no idea what's going on. Everything has changed! He knows what he was created to do, though, and the journey with him and the friends he picks up along the way as he searches for the focus of his purpose is both exciting and entertaining.

[James Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. The characters were all great. I especially enjoyed the relationship between the main characters Four and Sam. What a great idea to write a book like this. Having the main character as a robot was really cool. I also loved that a character from one of the authors previous books made an appearance. I had an idea of what might happen in the book but boy was I wrong. A great read with lots of fun surprises and characters.

[Jenelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun listen on audio, though it did keep me up a bit late a couple nights in a row, because I was very worried about how it would all turn out.

The first half of the book is kind of reminiscent of Wall-E, but then it quickly turns into a more Terminator/I, Robot sort of story and the blend was interesting and worked well. I really cared a lot about 404, Sam, and Wes... Wes quickly became my favorite, I love him to pieces.

Highly recommend if you enjoy sci fi!

[aaron wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great unique read from Nietz

I was pleasantly surprised to see the Nietz had written a new book. He is such a unique and original author. Lost Bits is full of interesting and unique characters. The story sucks you in and though you are not quite sure where the story will take you, it is a great rewarding life affirming adventure. Please write more soon

[Pris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great 👍 read

If one has high expectations from a story and it's met, then you have a great story. Four's journey and adventure was an exciting read. This is the first story of Kerry Nietz's I've read but not the last

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost like a sci-fi rendering of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. There's a found family, with their leader searching for meaning in a strange world while trying to find 'home'.

[Julia Drummond · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is actually amazing y’all should check it out I give it a solid 10/10

[Jeffrey Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did K-404 end up in this pile of discarded technology? Why is there a disconnect of years in his memory? And can he protect his friends, humans that distrust him, and himself from annihilation?

If you enjoy dystopian science fiction and you have yet to discover Kerry Nietz, shame on you. And "Lost Bits" is the place to start. Those who are familiar with the Dark Trench Saga, the Peril in Plain Space trilogy, "Mask," and his "Rhats!" additions to the Takomo Universe, you enjoy his creative new novel.

I'm not a super geek, but this book has some inside jokes I got. For example, you'll notice that on the title has a zero and a one in the title, the two numbers of the binary system. Likewise, each chapter is designated by the typical arabic numbers (such as 21) and the binary counterpart (0001 0101). Not to mention the dreaded 404 code when something's not found. But you'd expect no less from the computer programmer who wrote of his experiences with Fox Software in his autobiographical "Fox Tales."

One thing I enjoy about Nietz is that he deals with community and friendship. I enjoy his friendships of ThreadBare and BullHammer in the Dark Trench Shadow series and with Frolic and Abs in the Rhats books. Here, we find 404 befriended by Sam, Wes, Blue, Fuzzy, and Radial.

As usual for a book by Kerry Nietz, I highly recommend this story.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't tagged as YA but it really reads that way. The plot is fairly simple, a discarded home care robot wakes up in a dump after the debris on top of it is disturbed and his solar cells get enough light to wake him up. it wants to reunite with it's family but doesn't know where it is, why it's there, or even how much time has passed. It picks up friends along the as you do in YA novels (one of whom is the most annoying side-kick character since Jar Jar Binks) and encounters 'enemies'. Briefly the plot considers that maybe the enemies are just misunderstood and are actually friends but no they're actually enemies and they'll come back and bite you in the butt later. Eventually our robot protagonist gets out of dump into the larger world and discovers it's a post-apocalyptic mess. Encounters with more frenemies, eventually reunitement, disappointment, requisite huge battle then a happyish-ever-after kinda ending.
It was okay. Lots of the plot stuff was semaphored a long way off so there weren't too many surprises, if it weren't for the really annoying Sam character I might have even tossed it another a star.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

AI with Heart

I loved both the immersive story world and the characters.
The fast-paced story with just enough description gives us a picture of this post-apocalyptic world that is both familiar and foreign.
I love how 404 (Four), Sam, Wes, and the other characters are primarily AI but have personality and even feelings.
It’s a quest with strong found family vibes and a bit of a lesson on how each AI (and person) is created for a purpose.
The narrator does an excellent job of giving each character a subtly distinct voice. I will look for other books he’s narrated.

[Tim Peterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Kerry Nietz’s other books and was super excited about this one. Sadly I was just unable to get interested in this book. I struggled to get to the halfway point and when I still wasn’t understanding what was going on, I decided this book wasn’t for me and it wasn’t worth finishing.

[A.M. Reynwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd as it might seem to say, this was actually a cute story with a very ‘post apocalypse robo-punk’ take on Homeward Bound. It has an easy pace and story progression, endearing characters, and poignant themes on design and purpose. I loved 404’s earnest devotion, Sam’s snark, and Wes’s spunk!

[The Book Bunch (Sam) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Such a feel good story about robots that might just understand loyalty more than we do.