Review: Tales Of The Robot Wonderer

A scientist successfully creates a sentient robot. Not only is it sentient; it is omniscient. Or is it really? As the robot begins to interact with a number of quirky characters, it immediately realises that a terabyte's worth of encyclopedic information does not always equate to wisdom ... or common sense.

The mechanical protagonist of Oliver Francisco's Tales Of The Robot Wonderer soon sets off on a quest for meaning. The wondering wanderer encounters many interesting individuals, mostly talking animals. Each one has an odd little tale to tell that teaches him something about the world.

Following each interaction, the robot sums up his new found nugget of wisdom with a misfired aphorism, such as: "Where there's a wheel, there's a way!"; the humour intentionally unintentional, underlining the robot's ironic naïveté.

These pun-tastic escapades will delight readers of all ages, as will the author's many illustrations, which are kooky with a touch of the macabre. Like a curious child, the robot follows a random path through a dream-like land, learning about life, other people and himself. Occasionally he also has something to teach, helping those in need of advice and assistance. As he explores his surroundings he grows as an individual, becoming more than just an observer. He becomes a person. His status as both free agent and member of a family is established. 

This is a charming, funny and touching book, entertaining and also educational in a social sense. As a peculiar, awkward outsider finding his place in the world, the robot could be many a nervous new kid at school, too shy to forge friendships. As this story shows, however, each new experience - no matter how daunting or bizarre -  is an opportunity for building new relationships. Life itself is the adventure.

TALES OF THE ROBOT WONDERER on Amazon Kindle

Zak Webber

@SFcomicartist