C.L.U.T.Z. and the Fizzion Formula

by Marilyn Z. Wilkes

Eleven-year-old Rodney, his guardian robot Clutz, and his dog Aurora are taken for industrial spies when they wander into a soda factory where a new secret product named Fizzion is being manufactured.

136 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rodney Pentax is now twelve annums old, and his personal robot caregiver, Clutz, is mostly past any danger of being recycled by Rodney's parents in favor of a newer robot. Not only are Clutz and Rodney friends, but the antiquated robot has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to taking care of the young human in his charge. Even Rodney's dog, Aurora, who disliked Clutz for most of the previous book, has come to tolerate the scatterbrained robot. When Mr. and Mrs. Pentax depart on a business trip to a distant sector of outer space, and the arrival of Rodney's grandmother and step-grandfather (who are supposed to supervise Rodney) is delayed, Clutz sees it as an opportunity to prove beyond a doubt that Rodney is in good hands with him. Clutz has a knack for finding trouble, though, as this story shows.

On their own at the spaceport after Mr. and Mrs. Pentax leave, Rodney, Clutz, and Aurora get lost. They pass a GalactiCola soda factory and stop to ask for directions, but are met with suspicion by Dr. Greps and Dr. Rench, the two inventors in charge. A big secret is brewing here, and fear of corporate espionage is pervasive. Rodney wants to take the hint and go find friendlier people to ask directions from, but Clutz is convinced there's a nefarious plot afoot and it's his duty to foil it. Clutz's unwillingness to leave raises the suspicions of Greps and Rench, especially in light of a recent series of accidents at the plant, but who is really to blame for the string of terrible luck?

Inspired by fearless Captain Stalwart, his favorite holovision character, Clutz sneaks back into the factory with Rodney and Aurora after they're escorted out. The complex is staffed by hundreds of robots, and a strange little man in a suit of mirrors turns up everywhere Clutz and his companions go. The time to uncover the truth about GalactiCola's secret breakthrough soda product, Fizzion, is now. Will Clutz's suspicion of Greps and Rench be validated, or is this all one big misunderstanding that can be remedied with a bit of creative thinking?

C.L.U.T.Z. and the Fizzion Formula contains some interesting concepts relating to artificial intelligence. How far can a computer exceed its programming limits, and at what point does it become a living being that deserves humane treatment? The story doesn't attempt to answer those questions in depth, if answers exist. The first book, C.L.U.T.Z., was driven by issues of growing old and outdated, feeling like a relic of the past in a modern world moving so fast that it's hard to remain relevant. That theme isn't taken further in C.L.U.T.Z. and the Fizzion Formula, but its thoughts on artificial intelligence are a decent substitute. I'd give this book one and a half stars, and I could round that rating in either direction. If you liked C.L.U.T.Z., I encourage you to track down a copy of this sequel and find out how Marilyn Z. Wilkes's story of a boy and his robot concludes.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good YA story

[Partridge Public]

Wilkes, Marilyn Z.