Review: Robot Proletariat, Ep 1
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 21, 2014
Now that’s more like it.  I’ve been making my way through the Realm and Sands catalog of pilot episodes and so far have been somewhat satisfied with the works of Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant, but haven’t found that one work that just converts me.  Until now.So far I’ve only read their sitcom pilots, but today I got to enjoy one of their serious works, the sci-fi story ROBOT PROLETARIAT, and while horror is more my thing than sci-fi, it’ll do in a pinch.  And when it’s done this well, that’s a bonus.The time is some unspecified year when robots have been given all of the menial tasks humans don’t want to do, in this case those of servants in the home of one of the wealthiest families in the country.  But these robots aren’t the mindless automatons we grew up with.  These robots are built to evolve, so that over time they develop personalities, consciousness, a will.  I know, I know, we’ve seen it all before.  They are still governed by Asimov’s rules, which state that no robot can harm a human, nor do anything which will in effect cause harm to come to a human.  But when one of the human masters decides these robots have outlived their usefulness and uses underhanded tactics to convince his father that it’s time for a new, upgraded fleet, it becomes obvious the robots are going to have to do something drastic in order to save themselves from the recyclers.ROBOT PROLETARIAT is written with heart and skill, making a cast of characters you can’t count on two hands all seem uniquely individual and vibrant.  Much thought and care was put into this story and it shows in the execution.I felt there may have been a tad bit too much time spent on the setup in the first third of the story, resulting in a first episode that seemed to drag on just a little long, but once things got moving, they kept going at an easy pace and by the time it was over, I wasn’t ready for it to stop.The overall idea here may not be the most original in the books, nor even the execution of it the most refreshing take, but what the authors lack in new idea, they more than make up for in personality and passion.  It’s apparent that this story meant something to them and they weren’t going to skimp on the telling.Now, finally, I’m excited to see what other Realm and Sands books I have in store on my Kindle.  Get this one, definitely, and you won’t be disappointed.