This, the latest release from Robert, is a sci-fi story about artificial
intelligence becoming sentient. It is also a young adult, coming of age story
of a brilliant young woman who has reached a crossroads in her life. I enjoy
Robert's style of crafting tales that are not overly long with action that is
always in motion. His stories are never overloaded with info-dump (however,
there is a character in this one named Infodump), and the characters are
usually people who a reader can care about. Here, there are a few bots that one
can care about as well.
This volume would be appropriate for middle school and early high school
students.
There is a lot of ground covered in this book with philosophical
considerations, political ideas, and human relations all covered efficiently,
and without the author's personal bias attached. It is left up to the reader
what to think of the ideas presented.
Basia Zahn, a sixteen-year-old high school student, is a hard-working,
intelligent young woman who is looking forward to graduating at the end of her
next semester in school. One day, a teacher asks her to remain after class for
a brief discussion. It isn't that she is in trouble, but she has never given
any thought to what she is going to do with her future. Her teacher points this
out to her, and they discuss possible scenarios, and it gives Basia a lot to
think about.
Basia's dad, Ramon, is a single parent raising his daughter to adulthood. He
has instilled an excellent work ethic in her that has allowed her to excel in
school, however, she has difficulty with social interaction. Not that she is
anti-social, the problem is she has had no practice at it.
While on his way home from a business trip, one of the planet's robotic
residents approaches Ramon asking if Basia could go to where they live and work
on them for a time. Ramon presents this offer to Basia who accepts, seeing it
as an opportunity for self-improvement and doing something positive.
While she stays with the bots, she learns more than she ever would in the
school setting. She learns the most valuable lesson any person can - she learns
about herself.
While Basia is the principle and point of view character in this tale, the
sentient robots are also instrumental.
The bots live in a house some long distance from the community Basia lives
in. Children are warned all their lives to avoid any contact with the bot
residents of the planet. Sometime in the past, there was some trouble with the
beings when they achieved sentience. The bots come in all shapes and types.
There are humanoid shapes, and many others depending on the function they were
built for. The bots think, feel, and have goals like any other sentient beings
would.
My favorite point of plot in this story is how the story is not like most of
the other AI stories I've read in the recent past. Usually, the plot has
something to do with AI taking over the world, intending to enslave humanity.
I'm not saying that that trope is a bad thing, but it is mostly what seems to
be out there currently.
In Basia and the Bots, the AI is only interested in surviving and
living their lives. That makes this story unique in my reading experience.
My takeaway from Basia and the Bots is, many times when change is
needed, it doesn't necessarily take a movement. Change can start with one
person who has the power to set aside popular beliefs and explore the facts.
I recommend Basia and the Bots as a good, easy to read, relaxing, fun
story. It is a book that might even help young readers to work through some of
their own internal dilemmas. It is a thoughtful story, and the length makes it
easily accessible to young readers, but adults might also find it a nice, short
piece to pick up between more intense sci-fi works.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
To learn more, to follow him on social media, and to keep up with his
writing, visit his website, One Kansas Author.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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