(Military SF) The Armory AI has been out of service for a long time, so when a group of wounded soldiers try to wake it up to assist in a battle plan, it takes a while to figure out what’s going on. Or whether to trust them. (2,893 words; Time: 09m)
Rating: ★★★★☆ Recommended
"Conversations with an Armory," by Garth Nix [bio] (edited by Jonathan Strahan), appeared in Infinity Wars (RSR review), published on September 12, 2017 by Solaris.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The armory eventually gives everyone supplies and joins the fight itself. The old, wounded soldiers don’t want to die miserably on a hospital world; they want to go out in a blaze of glory—and so does the AI.
We never learn how their mission went because it doesn’t matter. Being mobilized again—merely being useful again—is all they needed.
Bits of humor take the edge off any bitterness. The conclusion is deeply moving.
Con: It’s not a sophisticated story, and the Armory is the only character who’s developed at all.
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Garth Nix Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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We never learn how their mission went because it doesn’t matter. Being mobilized again—merely being useful again—is all they needed.
Bits of humor take the edge off any bitterness. The conclusion is deeply moving.
Con: It’s not a sophisticated story, and the Armory is the only character who’s developed at all.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
Garth Nix Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Yup, I thought this was fun and clever.
ReplyDeleteOh, a stupid machine. Go find a human.
...
Ah. You are a human.
:)
I also really liked his "Penny For a Match, Mister?"
ReplyDelete