Ode to the Half-Broken

This lovely near-future foray from Hugo Award winner Palmer (Ghostdrift) skillfully brings hope and humor to a complex postapocalyptic world. The nameless narrator is a robot assassin who, after achieving independence from their programming, secluded themself at the abandoned New York Botanical Garden, where they have remained in isolation for 20 years. When, at the start of the story, they wake in an unfamiliar room to discover one of their legs has been stolen, it sets them on a seemingly straightforward quest to find a mechanic to replace the leg. They quickly discover, however, that all is not as it should be in the world outside the gardens. Joined by unexpected and charming companions—including a snarky cyborg dog—the narrator must confront their violent past if they hope to achieve their dream of a peaceful, equitable future. Palmer’s vision for how society might reshape itself after massive conflict is inventive, but where the tale truly shines is its captivating characters and the ways in which they’re willing to work together. The result is a refreshing ray of hope in the darkness. Agent: Joshua Bilmes, JABberwocky Literary. (Apr.)