A review by villyidol
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 132 by S. Qiouyi Lu, Gu Shi, Geoff Ryman, Suzanne Palmer, Sara Saab, Neil Clarke, Jess Barber, Kelly Robson, Stephanie M. Bucklin, Tom Purdom, A. Brym, Chris Urie, Eric Schwitzgebel
4.0
***The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer***
2021 reread:
I decided to give this another go, as a friend of mine keeps mentioning it as one of her favorite bot stories. And usually her judgement can be trusted (we'll just forget about this one Stephen King series that she keeps reading wrong).
I barely remembered anything about this story. But as it turns out, I did indeed like it better this time. The bots are fun, even if they don't reach Murderbot-level awesomeness (what does?!) and the meatballs are serviceable if not particularly memorable, as is the story.
Rounding up to four stars now.
*********
2018 review:
Mankind is at war again.
We're aboard a spaceship that's trying to interfere with the extraterrestrial threat.
The ship itself is pissed for having been in storage for way too long. Its crew and humanity as a whole meanwhile are dependent on the ship functioning properly. And a little bot on board the ship is developing a plan of its own.
This is an entertaining, sometimes humorous story with a nice message.
I liked the voices of the bots. The people on the other hand were somewhat bland.
Overall the story was a little too simplistic for my liking.
3.5 stars rounded down.
Winner of the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novelette
You can read it here.
____________________________
Best Novel
• [b: The Collapsing Empire|30078567|The Collapsing Empire (The Interdependency, #1)|John Scalzi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464097677l/30078567._SY75_.jpg|50498420] by John Scalzi (Tor)
• [b: New York 2140|29570143|New York 2140|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1471618737l/29570143._SY75_.jpg|49898123] by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
• [b: Provenance|25353286|Provenance|Ann Leckie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492328037l/25353286._SX50_.jpg|45094649] by Ann Leckie (Orbit)
• [b: Raven Stratagem|32927239|Raven Stratagem (The Machineries of Empire, #2)|Yoon Ha Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478799108l/32927239._SY75_.jpg|51237351] by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit)
• [b: The Stone Sky|31817749|The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478547421l/31817749._SY75_.jpg|52472813] by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Best Novella
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: And Then There Were (N-One)|34505565|Uncanny Magazine Issue 15 March/April 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488924699l/34505565._SY75_.jpg|59931968] by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny, March/April 2017)
• [b: Binti: Home|39725903|Home (Binti, #2)|Nnedi Okorafor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527047787l/39725903._SY75_.jpg|50442846] by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: The Black Tides of Heaven|33099588|The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)|Neon Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634814752l/33099588._SY75_.jpg|53763120] by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: Down Among the Sticks and Bones|31450908|Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children, #2)|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1473685781l/31450908._SX50_.jpg|47411892] by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: River of Teeth|31445891|River of Teeth (River of Teeth, #1)|Sarah Gailey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484234556l/31445891._SY75_.jpg|52146842] by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• [b: Children of Thorns, Children of Water|34851372|Children of Thorns, Children of Water (Dominion of the Fallen, #1.5)|Aliette de Bodard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492097640l/34851372._SY75_.jpg|56088770] by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny, July-August 2017)
• [b: Extracurricular Activities|34311313|Extracurricular Activities (The Machineries of Empire, #0.5)|Yoon Ha Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487134834l/34311313._SY75_.jpg|54978656] by Yoon Ha Lee (Tor.com, February 15, 2017)
• The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld, January 2017)
• [b: Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time|35051890|Uncanny Magazine Issue 16 May/June 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493742742l/35051890._SY75_.jpg|60092968] by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• [b: Wind Will Rove|36067380|Asimov's Science Fiction, September/October 2017|Sheila Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1504371081l/36067380._SX50_.jpg|59932502] by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s, September/October 2017)
Best Short Story
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny, September 2017)
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny, September/October 2017)
• The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata (Tor.com, July 19, 2017)
• Sun, Moon, Dust by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017) by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex, August 2017)
Best Related Work
• [b: Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate|28251812|Crash Override How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate|Zoe Quinn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491330884l/28251812._SY75_.jpg|56019319] by Zoe Quinn (PublicAffairs)
• [b: Iain M. Banks (Modern Masters of Science Fiction)|32828220|Modern Masters of Science Fiction Iain M. Banks|Paul Kincaid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487022204l/32828220._SY75_.jpg|53429417] by Paul Kincaid (University of Illinois Press)
• [b: A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison|35125803|A Lit Fuse, The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison|Nat Segaloff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501685063l/35125803._SY75_.jpg|56444054] by Nat Segaloff (NESFA Press)
• [b: Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler|35486346|Luminescent Threads Connections to Octavia E. Butler|Alexandra Pierce|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505389842l/35486346._SY75_.jpg|56884579] edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondal (Twelfth Planet Press)
• [b: No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters|33503495|No Time to Spare Thinking About What Matters|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489159159l/33503495._SY75_.jpg|54264477] by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• [b: Sleeping with Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy|35150266|Sleeping with Monsters Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy|Liz Bourke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498595380l/35150266._SY75_.jpg|56474313] by Liz Bourke (Aqueduct Press)
Best Graphic Story
• [b: Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard Time|34849021|Black Bolt, Vol. 1 Hard Time|Saladin Ahmed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525111221l/34849021._SY75_.jpg|56085777] written by Saladin Ahmed, illustrated by Christian Ward, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Marvel)
• Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President Bitch written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Valentine De Landro and Taki Soma, colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Image Comics)
• [b: Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood|33540347|Monstress, Vol. 2 The Blood|Marjorie M. Liu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1482340459l/33540347._SX50_.jpg|54307440] written by Marjorie M. Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image Comics)
• [b: My Favorite Thing is Monsters|29069374|My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 (My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, #1)|Emil Ferris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580775137l/29069374._SX50_.jpg|49299009] written and illustrated by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
• Paper Girls, Volume 3 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by Jared Fletcher (Image Comics)
• Saga, Volume 7 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
Best Series
• The Books of the Raksura, by [a: Martha Wells|87305|Martha Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397566224p2/87305.jpg] (Night Shade)
• The Divine Cities, by [a: Robert Jackson Bennett|2916869|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328633063p2/2916869.jpg] (Broadway)
• InCryptid, by [a: Seanan McGuire|2860219|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg] (DAW)
• The Memoirs of Lady Trent, by [a: Marie Brennan|105839|Marie Brennan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1277921611p2/105839.jpg] (Tor US / Titan UK)
• The Stormlight Archive, by [a: Brandon Sanderson|38550|Brandon Sanderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg] (Tor US / Gollancz UK)
• World of the Five Gods, by [a: Lois McMaster Bujold|16094|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1623465132p2/16094.jpg] (Harper Voyager / Spectrum Literary Agency)
2021 reread:
I decided to give this another go, as a friend of mine keeps mentioning it as one of her favorite bot stories. And usually her judgement can be trusted (we'll just forget about this one Stephen King series that she keeps reading wrong).
I barely remembered anything about this story. But as it turns out, I did indeed like it better this time. The bots are fun, even if they don't reach Murderbot-level awesomeness (what does?!) and the meatballs are serviceable if not particularly memorable, as is the story.
Rounding up to four stars now.
*********
2018 review:
Mankind is at war again.
We're aboard a spaceship that's trying to interfere with the extraterrestrial threat.
The ship itself is pissed for having been in storage for way too long. Its crew and humanity as a whole meanwhile are dependent on the ship functioning properly. And a little bot on board the ship is developing a plan of its own.
This is an entertaining, sometimes humorous story with a nice message.
I liked the voices of the bots. The people on the other hand were somewhat bland.
Overall the story was a little too simplistic for my liking.
3.5 stars rounded down.
Winner of the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novelette
You can read it here.
____________________________
2018 Hugo Awards Finalists
Best Novel
• [b: The Collapsing Empire|30078567|The Collapsing Empire (The Interdependency, #1)|John Scalzi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464097677l/30078567._SY75_.jpg|50498420] by John Scalzi (Tor)
• [b: New York 2140|29570143|New York 2140|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1471618737l/29570143._SY75_.jpg|49898123] by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
• [b: Provenance|25353286|Provenance|Ann Leckie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492328037l/25353286._SX50_.jpg|45094649] by Ann Leckie (Orbit)
• [b: Raven Stratagem|32927239|Raven Stratagem (The Machineries of Empire, #2)|Yoon Ha Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478799108l/32927239._SY75_.jpg|51237351] by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit)
• [b: The Stone Sky|31817749|The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478547421l/31817749._SY75_.jpg|52472813] by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Best Novella
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: And Then There Were (N-One)|34505565|Uncanny Magazine Issue 15 March/April 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488924699l/34505565._SY75_.jpg|59931968] by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny, March/April 2017)
• [b: Binti: Home|39725903|Home (Binti, #2)|Nnedi Okorafor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527047787l/39725903._SY75_.jpg|50442846] by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: The Black Tides of Heaven|33099588|The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)|Neon Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634814752l/33099588._SY75_.jpg|53763120] by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: Down Among the Sticks and Bones|31450908|Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children, #2)|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1473685781l/31450908._SX50_.jpg|47411892] by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: River of Teeth|31445891|River of Teeth (River of Teeth, #1)|Sarah Gailey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484234556l/31445891._SY75_.jpg|52146842] by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• [b: Children of Thorns, Children of Water|34851372|Children of Thorns, Children of Water (Dominion of the Fallen, #1.5)|Aliette de Bodard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492097640l/34851372._SY75_.jpg|56088770] by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny, July-August 2017)
• [b: Extracurricular Activities|34311313|Extracurricular Activities (The Machineries of Empire, #0.5)|Yoon Ha Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487134834l/34311313._SY75_.jpg|54978656] by Yoon Ha Lee (Tor.com, February 15, 2017)
• The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld, January 2017)
• [b: Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time|35051890|Uncanny Magazine Issue 16 May/June 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493742742l/35051890._SY75_.jpg|60092968] by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• [b: Wind Will Rove|36067380|Asimov's Science Fiction, September/October 2017|Sheila Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1504371081l/36067380._SX50_.jpg|59932502] by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s, September/October 2017)
Best Short Story
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny, September 2017)
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny, September/October 2017)
• The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata (Tor.com, July 19, 2017)
• Sun, Moon, Dust by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017) by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex, August 2017)
Best Related Work
• [b: Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate|28251812|Crash Override How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate|Zoe Quinn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491330884l/28251812._SY75_.jpg|56019319] by Zoe Quinn (PublicAffairs)
• [b: Iain M. Banks (Modern Masters of Science Fiction)|32828220|Modern Masters of Science Fiction Iain M. Banks|Paul Kincaid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487022204l/32828220._SY75_.jpg|53429417] by Paul Kincaid (University of Illinois Press)
• [b: A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison|35125803|A Lit Fuse, The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison|Nat Segaloff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501685063l/35125803._SY75_.jpg|56444054] by Nat Segaloff (NESFA Press)
• [b: Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler|35486346|Luminescent Threads Connections to Octavia E. Butler|Alexandra Pierce|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505389842l/35486346._SY75_.jpg|56884579] edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondal (Twelfth Planet Press)
• [b: No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters|33503495|No Time to Spare Thinking About What Matters|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489159159l/33503495._SY75_.jpg|54264477] by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• [b: Sleeping with Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy|35150266|Sleeping with Monsters Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy|Liz Bourke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498595380l/35150266._SY75_.jpg|56474313] by Liz Bourke (Aqueduct Press)
Best Graphic Story
• [b: Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard Time|34849021|Black Bolt, Vol. 1 Hard Time|Saladin Ahmed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525111221l/34849021._SY75_.jpg|56085777] written by Saladin Ahmed, illustrated by Christian Ward, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Marvel)
• Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President Bitch written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Valentine De Landro and Taki Soma, colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick, lettered by Clayton Cowles (Image Comics)
• [b: Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood|33540347|Monstress, Vol. 2 The Blood|Marjorie M. Liu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1482340459l/33540347._SX50_.jpg|54307440] written by Marjorie M. Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image Comics)
• [b: My Favorite Thing is Monsters|29069374|My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 (My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, #1)|Emil Ferris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580775137l/29069374._SX50_.jpg|49299009] written and illustrated by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
• Paper Girls, Volume 3 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by Jared Fletcher (Image Comics)
• Saga, Volume 7 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
Best Series
• The Books of the Raksura, by [a: Martha Wells|87305|Martha Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397566224p2/87305.jpg] (Night Shade)
• The Divine Cities, by [a: Robert Jackson Bennett|2916869|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328633063p2/2916869.jpg] (Broadway)
• InCryptid, by [a: Seanan McGuire|2860219|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg] (DAW)
• The Memoirs of Lady Trent, by [a: Marie Brennan|105839|Marie Brennan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1277921611p2/105839.jpg] (Tor US / Titan UK)
• The Stormlight Archive, by [a: Brandon Sanderson|38550|Brandon Sanderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg] (Tor US / Gollancz UK)
• World of the Five Gods, by [a: Lois McMaster Bujold|16094|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1623465132p2/16094.jpg] (Harper Voyager / Spectrum Literary Agency)