K-404 awakens and finds himself in a robot’s grave.¹ Soon he recovers power and motive: he is a caretaker unit, created to serve his assigned family. Why then can’t he remember their fate or the reason he was abandoned in this vast inhuman land? Kerry Nietz’s robo-drama Lost Bits follows the earnestly heroic Four as he finds new allies and fights rogue bots to preserve his purpose. Clipped prose mimics Four’s thought mechanics, while endearing side characters support the android’s quest. Lost Bits boldly leads fans out of dead wastelands into celebrations of life, exploring the nature of humankind through the lenses of a human creation.

Best for: Fans of simple science fiction guided by deeper algorithms.

Discern: Bot-on-bot violence, often involving robo-rebels.