Robosoldiers: Thank You for Your Servos
edited by
Stephen Lawson
(Baen, June 2022, 352 pp, pb)
“Higher Ground” by M.T. Reiten
“Today I Go Home” by Martin L. Shoemaker
“All Is One” by Doug Beason
“Edge Case” by Richard Fox
“Manchurian”by Sean Patrick Hazlett
“Resilience” by Monalisa Foster
“The Rules of the Game” by Phillip E. Pournelle
“My Dog Skipper 2.0” by Weston Ochse
“Uncovered Data” by David Drake
“The Handyman” by T.C. McCarthy
“The Pinocchio Gambit” by Brad R. Torgersen
“Nightingale” by Stephen Lawson
“Operation Meltwater” by Philip A. Kramer
Reviewed by Rick Cartwright
“Higher Ground” by M.T. Reiten explores the interaction between a new officer and an experienced troop that turned out not to be much more experienced than she was since the AI was just downloaded. A good story of bonding under fire.
Martin L. Shoemaker’s “Today I Go Home ” is a tale with an unusual setting for a story about robosoliders. It’s more of a story about loyalty and honor than high tech.
“All Is One” by Doug Beason is reminiscent of Hal in 2001 and the otherwise forgettable Saturn 3, as the story explored the perils of leaving AIs in charge.
“Edge Case” by Richard Fox is a chilling story of what can happen when a learning AI’s thirst for perfection in every circumstance can put the very people it is designed to protect in danger.
“Manchurian”by Sean Patrick Hazlett is a complex tale that involves cyborg military enhancements, a desperate father, and a being that is not what he seems. This is a very dark story, so be warned.
Monalisa Foster’s “Resilience” is a brilliant story that adroitly handles two very difficult topics to write about, PTSD and rape trauma. Unlike the two previous stories, this one has a positive and hopeful outlook on implant technology, with a little tweaking. She also weaves in a bonus character that will be recognizable to long time Baen readers. Highly recommended.
“The Rules of the Game” by Phillip E. Pournelle draws both on his Navy background and the lessons that he might have picked up being the son of the late, great Jerry Pournelle to craft a fascinating and all too real story about Communist China, Taiwan and the US, and the ways what an AI tells you can hurt you as much as help you.
“My Dog Skipper 2.0” by Weston Ochse is a dark story about the ethical implications of war animals and the line between cybernetic enhancements and creating sentience. Or accessing the feelings that dogs have always had. It’s a well crafted tale, but without a happy ending.
“Uncovered Data” by David Drake is a story about computer enhanced interrogation and how personal observations can get to the bottom of a matter a lot quicker than all the technology in the world. The story starts out well but stumbles at the end with an unsatisfactory conclusion.
T.C. McCarthy crafts a darkly humorous tale about the perils of military contracting and the importance of reading what you sign. in “The Handyman.” You might make the country boy a cyborg, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to give up his snuff and Jim Beam. Even on the moon.
Brad R. Torgersen doesn’t disappoint with “The Pinocchio Gambit.” It’s an excellent story that packs a lot of ideas into an entertaining tale about a defector that, while true to the theme of the anthology, showcases the human element.
“Nightingale” by Stephen Lawson is a near future story about the use and limitations of robots in special operations. It’s also a story about a love triangle and unrequited love along with the fine line between the love of a teammate and romantic love. While not a bad story, it seemed to try to deliver too much and didn’t completely succeed.
“Operation Meltwater” by Philip A. Kramer is a fun story about a scientific team testing a space probe in Antarctica that has several twists and turns leading to an unexpected and satisfying conclusion.