Nerd's eye view

An off-kilter tale about Arto, who wakes up to find he's a robot on an existential quest in a post-apocalyptic world.

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This Australian speculative fiction debut is a celebration of nerdery, nature and the self. In what appears to be a future Earth, the reader is introduced to Arto the moment Arto wakes up with the realisation that he is a robot and cannot remember anything beyond that. The first part of the novel is told through a stream of consciousness as Arto literally finds his feet, and his head and his hands. Arto is fresh and annoying, something like a cross between Ted Lasso and Microsoft's digital assistant Clippy.

As the story strides forward at an eager and off-kilter lope, Arto - and the reader - uncover clues of his designer, his purpose and why he was abandoned. The Blue Mountains setting lends Arto a particular bushy twang and adds shocking beauty to the stark setting and tone.