The Learned Council had an official name for Empire City.Technotopia.
Yeah, it wasn't a real word, but that was kind of the point. The Council loved to reinvent things, improve them, make them new and snazzy. Of course Empire had a lot of unofficial nicknames as well.
Mutantburg. Robotville. The Big Gray Haze. The City That Never Functions.
Description:
If Issac Asimov and Raymond Chandler collaborated on a science fiction noir detective novel, the result would be A. Lee Martinez's The Automatic Detective. Set in the future deep inside Empire City, an environment designed to promote new technology, we follow the exploits of Mack Megaton, a 7' robot taxi driver.
Mack originally was designed to be a warrior bot, a killing machine heavily protected by a red metal skin and armed with huge strength, enhanced senses, and tremendous computing capabilities. But he also has the mysterious "Freewill Glitch" found in some robots that gives them self-awareness. The warrior traits, however, are not useful to actually earning a living or, more importantly, gaining the official citizenship that Mack can apply for after 40 years of "normal" life. Hence his job as a taxi driver, something normal for Mack to do to prove his worthiness to society.
Along with his bot qualities, he has many human traits as well which often are in conflict with his programming. To address this, he sees a shrink to improve his "socialization functions"
Throughout this highly entertaining novel, there is the snappy Chandler dialogue, the floozy women, the smart aleck observations, the dark environment, the dogged pursuit by Mack for the truth, and the desire to punish bad guys - narrative features reminiscent of a 30s noir detective novel. That these words and actions should come from a robot makes The Automatic Detective all the more topsy-turvy and wonderful to read.
If all this sounds wacky, you are correct. But in the hands of a great storyteller like Martinez, Mack and the bizarre world and inhabitants of Empire City come madly together. Mack is a likable, powerful, social doofus of a bot, with a warm heart and keen brain inside that metallic body. He is someone/something you can pull for as an everyman kind of being, someone you would like to be around to see what he does, and certainly a good force to have in your corner when the going gets tough.
Mack originally was designed to be a warrior bot, a killing machine heavily protected by a red metal skin and armed with huge strength, enhanced senses, and tremendous computing capabilities. But he also has the mysterious "Freewill Glitch" found in some robots that gives them self-awareness. The warrior traits, however, are not useful to actually earning a living or, more importantly, gaining the official citizenship that Mack can apply for after 40 years of "normal" life. Hence his job as a taxi driver, something normal for Mack to do to prove his worthiness to society.
Along with his bot qualities, he has many human traits as well which often are in conflict with his programming. To address this, he sees a shrink to improve his "socialization functions"
Talking to myself was a bad habit. You'd be surprised at the extraneous behaviors that make it into your personality template when you hang around with biologicals [humans].One day Mack finds himself enmeshed in a kidnapping of a family of biologicals who live in his apartment complex, This event soon unleashes far-reaching repercussions. Mack finds he must, for the first time, delve deeply into the world of biologicals, absorbing their language, actions, and feelings of those around him. Frustratingly, he must perform all activities within a 26-hour period before he needs a complete recharging.
Throughout this highly entertaining novel, there is the snappy Chandler dialogue, the floozy women, the smart aleck observations, the dark environment, the dogged pursuit by Mack for the truth, and the desire to punish bad guys - narrative features reminiscent of a 30s noir detective novel. That these words and actions should come from a robot makes The Automatic Detective all the more topsy-turvy and wonderful to read.
If all this sounds wacky, you are correct. But in the hands of a great storyteller like Martinez, Mack and the bizarre world and inhabitants of Empire City come madly together. Mack is a likable, powerful, social doofus of a bot, with a warm heart and keen brain inside that metallic body. He is someone/something you can pull for as an everyman kind of being, someone you would like to be around to see what he does, and certainly a good force to have in your corner when the going gets tough.
Like biologicals, all robots were seeking a purpose. Autos and drones were lucky enough to have that built into them. A bot had to find his own way, and I'd figured out that functioning for function's sake was pointless. The real question was finding a directive worth getting scrapped for.
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Asimov, Isaac. I, Robot
Sci Fi short stories by the master detail the origins, evolution, and eventual peak of robots where a presidential candidate refuses tests to determine whether he is a robot or not. The best of the best in science fiction.
Chandlar, Raymond. Farewell My Lovely
Hard-boiled detective novel with the sarcastic language, lots of dolls, and a cynical detective mixed up in a seedy crime. (previously reviewed here)
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