Robot Proletariat, Season One

By: Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant

Narrated by: Simon Whistler

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

In the future, robots like Mars and Cromwell serve their human masters. Having long since replaced humans in the back hallways and servants' quarters of the ultra-wealthy, new models are acquired, render their service, then are quietly deactivated when obsolete. But then we gave them the ability to learn. One household is about to find out that, while Asimov's laws are immutable, humans are about to experience an uprising of a different sort. This first, surprisingly heartfelt episode of a new series puts the listener in the shoes of the the soulless who serve.

©2013 Sean Platt (P)2014 Sean Platt

GREAT story, strong presentation!

Would you consider the audio edition of Robot Proletariat, Season One to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version; however, I believe it would be. The narrator added wonderful elements to the story that would have been missing without his voice telling the tale.

What did you like best about this story?

Hard to say, really... The narrator's voice was a strong pick for this title. After a little early confusion between some voices, the narrator dropped into a set of tones and accents which were easy to distinguish. The tale was easy and fun to follow. As for the story itself - excellent writing from excellent writers I have enjoyed many a tale from!

What about Simon Whistler’s performance did you like?

A good voice, pleasant to listen to, which sort of "dropped away", not getting between the listener and the tale at all. He was able to create different voices for each character so that telling between them was easy.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No... Except that I REALLY want to see the next one! Actually, I really want to LISTEN TO the next one. This was a great experience, and one I will happily repeat if they continue Robot Proletariat into a second novel.

Rosie from The Jetsons this is not.

Robot servants? I kept thinking of Rosie from the Jetsons. I was prepared for a cartoonish tale of misadventures involving tea trays. I was wrong. I didn’t expect the fully-formed characters, intricate plot, or complex motivations that I got in this book.
Few science fiction novels keep me reading for the characters, but this one did. The authors deftly walked the line of creating robot characters that were neither too real nor too machine-like. There are two sex bots (Relax, it sounds kinkier than it really is), who were written with such depth and nuance that when one of them suffers at the hand of her owner, I felt a sympathy for her that she didn’t feel for herself. It was in subtle ways like that, that the authors showed the humanity of the robots relative to the inhumanity of the humans. Like I said, it was a high wire act that the authors walked with artistry and poise.
I’m a fan of Simon Whistler’s podcast, but I had no idea he was such a brilliant voice actor! I am an audio book listener from way back in the cassette days. Simon’s narration ranks among the best I’ve heard.

A good story from a different point of view

Most stories about AI uprising are from the human point of view. This story takes a different approach and turns the tables and tells the story from the robots point of view. A worth while listen.

Great stuff

What other book might you compare Robot Proletariat, Season One to and why?

Not a book, but a play. This really reminded me of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in that the action is centered on characters who *should* be background to the main story, and offers commentary about that typical 'A' plot in a humorous and thoughtful way.

What does Simon Whistler bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Simon Whistler did a great job narrating. Some of his readings were hilarious. The dryness made the jokes land even harder.

Any additional comments?

This is my second time reading a book by Platt (the first being Yesterday's Gone Season 1 that he wrote with David Wright) and I recognize his voice. Both authors shine in this story. My one quibble is that sometimes the vulgarity can be a bit jarring, even for somebody like me who isn't offended. It doesn't take away from the story, and nothing about it contradicts the characterization.

Uniquely "fleshed-out" robot protagonists

Where does Robot Proletariat, Season One rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love character-driven science fiction stories -- the ones that make you think, and wonder, and feel. Stories that take me to a different time, place, or world have always fascinated me, and the premise of the story was something I couldn't wait to get my hands on.

As my first foray into audiobooks, Robot Proletariat exceeded all my expectations. The story itself has always caught my eye -- I am a softie for any type of "class struggle" story, because of my family history, and the use of humanoid robots has always been a plot point that I've enjoyed. There's an automatic sympathy for the underdogs, especially when you pit them against those who have always been in the lap of luxury and don't know how good they have it, and I found the entire concept took on an interesting perspective when the underdogs were robots rather than humans. It brought up some very interesting questions and triggered philosophical discussions in my head with regards to the rights for something that's been created, and how much/how many. If robots are to be given rights and treated as fellow humans -- despite being programmed to serve, and to not really have feelings per se -- then do we also extend those rights to other robotic, albeit less humanoid, machines? Where is the line, and who gets to decide? Will we humans always have problems with hierarchical, class-based societies? Are we destined to always be prey to our own ego?

The story itself is a lovely, lyrical romp that brings to my mind the ballrooms of the 18th and 19th century -- the aristocratic atmosphere, the high-falutin air put on by certain characters (robots included!), and the general pomp and circumstance all bring Regency England to mind. But with robots, which makes it decidedly cooler. And speaking of the robots, there is a fine line in making them so sympathetic as to just simply be humans with shiny skin, or not human enough and they don't seem to 'click' ... and I can happily report that Robot Proletariat manages somehow to walk that line very well indeed. While the robots seem human, I still know they're robots, which is an important part of why the story works for me. If they'd just been yet another shade of human, I think the story would have been less compelling.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I have a soft spot for Mars because of the way he seems to always look out for the other robots. He's like that gruff, huffy great-uncle who's always taking a swig of alcohol out of the flask in his combat jacket, his great mustache twitching, giving off a forbidding air -- but you know that he's just one giant teddy bear who could tell you the best stories of his lifetime adventures and is always looking out for you.

What does Simon Whistler bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I listen to Simon Whistler's podcast and have always found his voice to be soothing, and it was perfectly suited to a book such as this. His accent was a perfect fit, and I enjoyed how he tried to be as distinct as possible with regards to the robots.

Any additional comments?

I greatly enjoyed the book and the ending left me gasping for more. There were moments of brilliance and moments of hilarity, moments that tugged at my heart and moments that inspired.

Downton Abbey meets Isaac Asimov meets Karl Marx

Gripping, thought-provoking, and often funny, this tale touches on themes of morality, personal identity, political structures, family strife, and what it means to be a person.

The story starts off slowly - robots are the serving staff, catering to their upper-crust owners' every whim. While most of the family members have a fond attachment for the older members of their inhuman household, almost none see the robots as people in their own right.

But they are. In order to become effective servers, the robots had to be given the capacity to learn and make decisions. This meant introducing the capacity for judgment error into their programming - essentially a virus, corrupting their core instructions. Thus, the older a robot is, the more human-like he/she/it becomes. In contrast to the Bolsheviks or the '60s radicals, then, in this world it is the old, not the young, who foment revolution.

A few family members despise the older, more free-thinking servants, and want to replace them with newer models. They begin by convincing the patriarch to scrap and recycle their oldest and most error-prone butler. This appals that poor robot's coworker comrades. The household unrest escalates.

Murder. Vengeance. Plots within plots. As the robots try to balance their security while reaching tremulously towards freedom, the fragile facade of the aristocratic human world begins to crumble.

This is fantastic storytelling. The characters, metallic and human alike, are very real, relatable, and (yes) believable. While the story takes a few chapters to get into, given it's slow start, once the events get moving, the tension builds and builds to a violent and startling climax.

Platt and Truant have delivered a first-rate tale, and Simon Whistler's mellow British tone is perfect for telling it. His narration is intense without being overbearing, and his character voices - male, female, and robot alike - are distinct without being exaggerated. He makes the story easy to listen to and enjoy.

I can't wait for part 2!

Asimov meets Animal Farm

I generally don’t buy audiobooks that are less than eight hours long. I like long books that are engrossing and will take me a while. I took a chance on this book because I like Sean and Johnny. And I love Simon Whistler.

This book is Isaac Asimov meets Animal Farm with a smidgen of Terminator in there. It’s a little slow at the beginning. But after about a half-hour I was hooked. I can’t wait for season two! I only wish there was more swearing, because hearing Simon swear with his British accent is hilarious!

But seriously, if you like your science fiction with robots, revolution and the hint of violence, you’ll love this book!

Not Your Usual "DESTROY ALL HUMANS" Robot Fiction

Would you listen to Robot Proletariat, Season One again? Why?

I'll have to when Season 2 comes out just to make sure I'm up and going!

What other book might you compare Robot Proletariat, Season One to and why?

Anything by Isaac Asimov. Not your typical robot fiction, but definitely a great listen for robot fans!

What does Simon Whistler bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'm not a deep reader anymore. Simon Whistler's narrations are simply perfect, and I don't think I could read the book without hearing his voice anyway.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed in a lot of places, but more importantly, it made me think. I was inspired, and that is a mark of an excellent book.

Any additional comments?

I have to say, when I heard about this book on Self-Publishing Podcast, and it was described as Downton Abbey with Robots, I was expecting... something different.

What I got instead was this brilliant piece of political crime fiction that happened to be told from the point of view of, well, robots. It was just genuinely awesome. I suggest it for anyone wanting something a little different in their robot fiction than the typical "DESTROY ALL HUMANS" genre.

Another one I just couldn't put down

I have got good books and ok books , hardly ever get a bad one, but some times I come across a great one that I just can't put down. This was one of them, great story, really makes you think and the ending is a twist ! You have to listen to it .

God, What an Ending

Man, this story grabs you by the balls and takes you for a ride! And the ending left me reeling for days.

Like most Platt and Truant books, this series has a slow start. But each scene, chapter, and episode puts on another layer of depth, intrigue, hilarity, drama, and emotion. Quickly, Robot Proletariat went from quaint to awesome and addictive.

By halfway through, I was hooked like nobody's business. The authors managed to relentlessly raise the stakes in new and surprising ways. Then the last couple of minutes... Oh my god was that ending crazy. Right up to the last line, this story WILL leave you wanting more.

Platt and Truant are obviously master storytellers and accomplished entertainers. I can't wait for the next season. Because after that ending, nothing will ever be the same!