Sea of Rust

C. Robert Cargill

Cargill has created a post-human world that is populated by machines. In following the narrator (Brittle) as a freebot who scavenges for parts in the central plains (the Sea of Rust), we get a picture of what life is like for these beings. And with the occasional flashback or memory retrieval, we see how this world came to be. The primary conflict in the world is between the giant mainframes who are competing to become the One World Intelligence by assimilating all the memories and experiences of all other AI machines. Definitely a Borg origin story vibe going on here. Brittle, on the other hand, is a free and independent AI, and is striving to stay that way. She has some serious similarities to Martha Wells' Murderbot. It should not be surprising, that since this is a story of the early independence of sentient AI's, we get to explore the existential questions of life, and meaning, and identity. By integrating these themes with great action and characters, Cargill really hit this one out of the park. 

4 stars (out of 4)