4 out of 4 stars
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The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is developing robots for military use. Dr. Oren Stanson is the program director with Brigadier-General Roger Rogers liaising with the military. The two don't always see eye to eye, though, as Dr. Stanson sees far more uses for these robots than just fighting. Unexpectedly, Dr. Stanson finds his consciousness floating away; his body has been murdered. His soul procures one of the very robots they have been developing. Why was Dr. Stanson murdered? Who was behind it? What will happen with him now that he is inhabiting a new robot body?
Haunted Robots is a science fiction novel with peril around every corner. With androids, aliens and government conspiracies, staunch science fiction fans will find enough to satiate their appetites. However, even those that aren't too thrilled with the genre will find plenty of action to hold their interest.
From the moment I started this book, I was hooked. The scene of Dr. Stanson's murder is the starting point into which the reader is thrust. From there, we move backwards in time just a bit for some background. Once again, we reach the murder and find out how Dr. Stanson has made his way into a robot. My curiosity was peaked. Will Dr. Stanson aka S2 be able to convince his co-workers that he is himself? What are the implications of this development? The answers are not as straight-forward as one might think and just possibly include aliens!
I enjoyed the interactions between the different characters in this novel. The philosophical discussions between Dr. Stanson and Bionetics Psychologist Dr. Ingrid Reese are weighty and yet humorous. Though the discussion was sometimes more intense than I was expecting, it added a depth to the story that was refreshing. Dr. Stanson also has a cat named Tes (named after the great inventor Nikola Tesla.) I love the concern that he shows for her, even when he is no longer "human."
There was an element of romance in this story. The unexpected nature to it made it even more gloriously fascinating. There was no explicit content, though, which was pleasantly surprising as the cover makes it seem like this might be some sort of science fiction/erotica.
Which brings me to my only recommendation for improvement - the cover. I passed over this book several times because the cover gave me the wrong impression about the book. Haunted Robots is fast-paced, action-packed, adventurous, at times violent read and obviously deeper than the book cover gives credit for. In order to capture the attention of the correct audience, I believe the cover could use a bit of a revamp.
Overall, I very much enjoyed reading Haunted Robots. I gladly give this book a 4 out of 4 stars. It was all I could ask for in a science fiction story that obviously entails robots and so much more. I recommend this to any who enjoy a good science fiction thriller that is somewhere between I, Robot and Ghost in the Machine.
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Haunted Robots
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