Review: What Do You Do When the Bots Take All the Jobs?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 4, 2013
I checked out Finding Harmon as I've read some other pieces by the same author, and wanted to see what else he had to offer. I found a great short story - considering I'm not usually a sci-fi buff, I'm impressed with how much this story took me in and held my attention.This story strikes something at the core that I, as a person in a dying economy, couldn't ignore. What happens when robots take all the jobs? What happens when you're not needed anymore? Harmon peddles in what can only be explained as a life-lengthening medicine - one of the few fields left for a human to work in. When that gets taken away from him, he's left with the prospect of living on the street. What else can he do? The bots have taken most of the other jobs. I think this is a fear that many today secretly have, and to address it directly like this was bold... and even moving. While this sits beside the main story line, dwelling on it for a bit is unavoidable and really struck me hard (in a good way).Besides the story, the details were my favorite aspect. Many sci-fi stories fall short of real depth when it comes to futuristic differences and world variation. While there was plenty of variation and differences, I never once felt alienated from the story. Finding Harmon did what a good sci-fi story should - welcome me in and draw my attention. Not only that, it did it at a short story length.Kudos to the author - I highly recommend giving this story a read.