The Automatic Detective

The Automatic Detective
by A. Lee Martinez

The Automatic Detective
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Book Summary Information

Author: A. Lee Martinez
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-02-03
ISBN: 0765357941
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Tor Books

Book Reviews of The Automatic Detective

Book Review: A smashing read--this bot is more than meets the eye
Summary: 5 Stars

The premise of THE AUTOMATIC DETECTIVE lured me with the promise of sci fi noir. I was looking for bot smashing action and mutant shenanigans. I was not disappointed.

I also found much more in the pages of this novel.

The author manages to imbue Megaton with the divine spark. Mack is created as a killing machine; he chooses to be greater than the sum of his parts. Although his shell is a facade of indestructible alloy, his psyche is as vulnerable as his fragile core.

After his neighbors are kidnapped, Megaton develops into a complex, flawed being. With each choice and confrontation, the Automatic Detective grapples with existential conundrums. He becomes more human than most of the biologicals he meets in Empire City. He is a paradox made up of ones and zeroes; a bot possessing both guts and a soul.

Yes, the book is funny and full of witty plot twists. But THE AUTOMATIC DETECTIVE has more than laughs. It has heart.

This is the third offering I've read by Mr. Martinez. It's also my new favorite. Pick it up. If you're like me, you'll wish the story wouldn't end.

Summary of The Automatic Detective

Even in Empire City, a town where weird science is the hope for tomorrow, it?s hard for a robot to make his way. It?s even harder for a robot named Mack Megaton, a hulking machine designed to bring mankind to its knees. But Mack?s not interested in world domination. He?s just a bot trying to get by, trying to demonstrate that he isn?t just an automated smashing machine, and to earn his citizenship in the process. It should be as easy as crushing a tank for Mack, but some bots just can?t catch a break.

When Mack?s neighbors are kidnapped, Mack sets off on a journey through the dark alleys and gleaming skyscrapers of Empire City. Along the way, he runs afoul of a talking gorilla, a brainy dame, a mutant lowlife, a little green mob boss, and the secret conspiracy at the heart of Empire?s founders---not to mention more trouble than he bargained for. What started out as one missing family becomes a battle for the future of Empire and every citizen that calls her home.

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