Ode to the Half-Broken

In the abandoned New York Botanical Gardens, forty years after the world nearly ended, a worn-out robot is attacked, and realizes old evils are stirring

Wrestling with themes of loneliness, connection, and purpose, this hope-punk sci-fi is for fans of Becky Chambers’s Monk & Robot duology—featuring a cyborg dog!

Thirty years ago the world nearly ended. 

Be was there, but the old robot has since settled into a life of isolation in the abandoned New York Botanical Gardens, determined to forget their role in that cataclysmic conflict. 

But then they wake up in a bathtub. And their leg is missing. And the only one to ask for help is a very chatty cyborg dog. Be may want to forget the world, but it seems the world hasn’t forgotten them. 

Forced out of solitude, Be embarks on a quest to reclaim their leg, accompanied by that talkative (read: smart-ass) dog and a human mechanic with nightmares of her own. Their motley crew soon discovers that recovery from the war is uneven and faltering, and Be begins to suspect a malicious hand trying to rekindle old conflicts. In order to stop them, Be needs to come to terms with both their own past and who they have become. Being left alone is no longer an option, and peace may be impossible. 

A tale of resilience and hope, this is an ode to those struggling to become whole in a world half-broken."Moody and thoughtful but ultimately hopeful; perfect for fans of Murderbot and Monk and Robot." —Caitlin Rozakis, New York Times-bestselling author of Dreadful

"A moving journey from grief and guilt and isolation to reconnection and healing, with plenty of post-apocalyptic action thrown into the mix.”—Jim C. Hines, Author of Slayers of Old

"Full of wit, charm, and electrifying post-apocalyptic adventures. If you're a fan of Murderbot or Fallout (or if you've ever really wanted to know what your four-legged best pal was thinking), hop on the bus with Be and their ragtag band of bots, 'borgs, and biologicals—its a heck of a ride!"— L.M. Sagas, author of Cascade Failure and Gravity Lost

"A symphony to all life and all thought sharing a future, sorely wounded Earth.... From toaster to train, from squishy biolife to that of steel, this story brings us together and demands we be our better selves, or else. A magnificent, transformative accomplishment in every sense." – Julie E. Czerneda, author of To Each This WorldSuzanne Palmer has been nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award and the Eugie Foster Award. Her short fiction has won reader's awards for Asimov's, Analog, and Interzone magazines, and was listedin Locus Magazine's Recommended Reading. Her work has been included in numerous anthologies, including the 35th Annual Year's Best Science Fiction, edited by Gardner Dozois and volumes two and three of The Best Science Fiction of the Year, edited by Neil Clarke.