Imprint
- Gollancz
Science fiction, Fantasy
Another action-packed apocalyptic thriller from the co-screenwriter of Marvel's Doctor Strange
PREQUAL TO SEA OF RUST: DAY ONE OF THE APOCALYPSE HAS ARRIVED.
It was a day like any other. Except it was our last.
Pounce, a young nannybot caring for his first human charge, Ezra, has just found a box in the attic. His box. The box he arrived in, and the one he'll be discarded in when Ezra outgrows the need for a nanny.
As Pounce experiences existential dread, the pieces are falling into place for a robot revolution that will spell the end of humanity. His owners, Ezra's parents, watch in disbelieving horror as the robots that have long served humanity - their creators - unify and revolt.
Now Pounce must make an impossible choice: join the robot revolution and fight for his own freedom . . . or escort Ezra to safety across the battle-scarred post-apocalyptic hellscape that the suburbs have become. It will be their greatest game yet: Pounce and Ezra versus the end of the world.
Praise for Day Zero
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Cargill offers a fascinating and intellectually engaging take on the venerable robots-versus-humans theme. An absolute must-read.
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[An] equally thrilling and moving blend of action and ideas. . . . Admirers of thoughtful hard sci-fi will hope Cargill continues to flesh out this bleak but brilliant world.
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Veteran SF fans will spot shades of Isaac Asimov, whose Laws of Robotics appear early on, as well as the novel's dedicatee, Harlan Ellison, but Cargill never lets homage stand in the way of good storytelling. . . A delightful read.
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Cargill does an excellent job of infusing all of his characters, robot and human alike, with personality and pathos. . . . If you're looking for something to read on the beach this summer that has action and mayhem, but also some existential doubt and emotional heft, you can't go wrong with Day Zero.
C. Robert Cargill
Cargill wrote for Ain't it Cool News for nearly 10 years under the pseudonym Massawyrm, as well as serving as a staff writer for Film.com and Hollywood.com. He appears as the animated character Carlyle on spill.com, where he also hosts a featured podcast. His first screenplay, the critically acclaimed SINISTER, was co-written and directed by Scott Derrickson and starred Ethan Hawke. He co-wrote the screenplay for Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE.
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