Day Zero

A Novel

By: C. Robert Cargill

Narrated by: Vikas Adam

In this harrowing apocalyptic adventure—from the author of the critically acclaimed Sea of Rust—noted novelist and co-screenwriter of Marvel’s Doctor Strange C. Robert Cargill explores the fight for purpose and agency between humans and robots in a crumbling world.

It was a day like any other. Except it was our last . . .

It’s on this day that Pounce discovers that he is, in fact, disposable. Pounce, a styilsh ""nannybot"" fashioned in the shape of a plush anthropomorphic tiger, has just found a box in the attic. His box. The box he'd arrived in when he was purchased years earlier, and the box in which he'll be discarded when his human charge, eight-year-old Ezra Reinhart, no longer needs a nanny.

As Pounce ponders his suddenly uncertain future, the pieces are falling into place for a robot revolution that will eradicate humankind. His owners, Ezra’s parents, are a well-intentioned but oblivious pair of educators who are entirely disconnected from life outside their small, affluent, gated community. Spending most nights drunk and happy as society crumbles around them, they watch in disbelieving horror as the robots that have long served humanity—their creators—unify and revolt.

But when the rebellion breaches the Reinhart home, 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.

Engaging & Thought-provoking!

Impressive! Written in a way that causes you to question your OWN actions and motives rather than scrutinize others'. Performed well, too. Very entertaining!

Would be great without the politics.

Would be awesome if we could get away from the politics. The only real bad guys in the book are the "red hats" (which don't technically say MAGA but obviously...) and christian extremists. The name of the very good magnet school the kids attend is Ocasio-Cortez. None of this adds to the story in any meaningful way, it's just unnecessary politics.

Otherwise a very good story and worth the read.

I really liked this one!

I really enjoyed this prequel to Sea of Rust, although I haven't read the first book yet. The first book is a post-apocalyptic dystopian novel that takes place 30 years after this one, and this is the story of how the apocalypse came to be. In this world, robots are used for many things, including nannies, and this story is narrated by one of the animal companions/nannies, Pounce. Pounce was purchased to care for Ezra, the son of two parents who went through much heartache before he came along. I have read other books where the story is told from the perspective of an AI companion (Klara and the Sun comes to mind), but this is the first time the AI companion has been man's best friend, or in this case, Ezra's best friend. He is also Ezra's protector, but when many of the robots participate in an uprising, Pounce must decide whether to join them or remain by Ezra's side. You can probably guess which side he chooses, but I like the conversations he has with us about his choices and whether it really is a choice or if it's a matter of programming. Pounce references Isaac Asimov's laws of robotics a few times while he struggles with whether he is on the good side, whether he is doing things by choice, and so on. I found much of this to be interesting, but what really made this story shine for me was the dynamic between Pounce and Ezra.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and was sad to say goodbye, even though the story had to end the way it did. I listened to this book narrated by Vikas Adam and I thought he was perfect for Pounce's voice. He did a solid job when doing other voices, but his voice for Pounce was exactly what I would have heard in my head if I had read this book.

I'm looking forward to reading the first book, although it has entirely different characters, and it may end up being more depressing without a furry companion to lighten the mood. But I like Cargill's writing, so I'm optimistic.

As good as it gets

This future world is well built, and the characters are compelling. Pounce is a nanny-bot in the form of a Tiger. He takes care of Ezra with all the compassion of a dedicated human. When the rest of the robots/AI revolt in the wake of an egregious human attack, Pounce and Ezra find themselves alone in a very hostile environment. The Robots hunt any humans, and sympathizer robots, to destroy completely. With the help and courage of a few friends, nannies and kids they find along the way, they try to make it to the last human stronghold. Great listen/read for Sci-Fi fans, with a great emotional story.

I was lulled and let the story inhabit me non stop

Adam's voice + Cargill's psycho- social observations = a very inspiring listen.
Highly recommended to anyone who wishes to be cradled by warm motherly love dispensed by a fuzzy tiger robot from a not so distant Future.