Hey, That Robot Ate My Baby (Volume 1) by Brian Panowich

Hey, That Robot Ate My Baby (Volume 1) Reviews

• 
  Darren Sant

  There’s nothing quite like a good old fashioned Sci-fi anthology. However, Zelmer Pulp’s Hey, That Robot Ate My Baby is nothing like a good old fashioned Sci-fi anthology. It’s thoroughly modern, slick and any clichés that dared come near this stunningly original work would frankly be scared off.
  
  Timejack by Chuck Reagan:
  
  Clever and fast paced with some great ideas. As those in the future seek to manipulate the past there are dire consequences in the present. Chuck Reagan delivers an in depth tale of a technologically different future where we live our lives virtually and our put is just a meat sack attended to by robots. Social approval via social networks is king here. Chillingly detailed.
  
  Wherever The Light Ends by Ryan Sayles
  
  A chilling story that blends the oddness of a carnival with the interior of an alien spacecraft. Powerful scene building had me right there with the characters. Good old fashioned paranoia and fear abound. As a cop seeks to uncover the facts behind a mysterious double death Ryan Sayles slowly unearths a tale of alien interference.
  
  Geek Squad 20 by Brian Panowich
  
  Panowich asks in bold letters what if hackers could control people? Panowich weaves in some clever twists and turns and takes computer hacking to a whole new and scary level.
  
  This Protean Love by Isaac Kirkman
  
  I'd rate this story highly for the chapter titles alone! Some unique ideas and a strange melancholic, lonely world make this perhaps the story of the collection. So deliciously descriptive as to be poetic at times I was held captive by this story.
  
  The Whores of God by Chris Leek
  
  Chris Leek finishes off this excellent collection with a hilarious romp around a doomed spacecraft. Snappy one liners and violence are the order of the day. This cynical view of the future delivered with tongue firmly in cheek.
  
  A variety of themes and styles here, enough to suit almost any taste. It's clear that the contributors were carefully selected and each of them brings something a little different to the party. An accomplished and riveting read.
  
• 
  Chuck

  It's a rare occasion when I rate anything five stars, even in books that I'm in. Yeah, I wrote the first story. Okay, yeah, I also painted the cover, so I'm guilty for those biases. BUT, I've also read a lot of short stories in the last few years. There are a few stories that will stand out that I will remember for years to come—either the atmosphere of a story, a strong visual, an inspiring concept, or a clever line of dialog—and biases aside, I think this collection has at least one of each of these elements in each of these five stories. Are those worth a five star rating by your standards? Maybe not. But where else would you get to read about codependent cyborgs, time-traveling celebrities, homicidal nerds, horny aliens, and gun-toting trannies? There are elements of horror and suspense, heretical satire, colorful and justified violence and gore, presented in what I can honestly say, bias intact, in a very attractive package.
• 
  Allen

  “Hey, That Robot Ate My Baby” by Brian Panowich, Chuck Regan, Issac Kirkman, Chris Leek, Ryan Sayles. (2013)
  
  Brian Panowich sort of brought me to this book. I met him at the 2024 LA Times BookFest. Saw his lecture by accident. Went to see S A Cosby who I’ve read all 4 of his awesome books. Brian was on stage with him. Bought one of his books to get signed. Read it and loved it. Started researching his other books and also found this one. All the separate stories are great.
  Punk, scifi, Blade Runner, Snow Crash, futuristic, it’s all here. What a great collection. Not for the squeamish or delicate readers.
  
  My only problem was I was eager to read a story titled: Hey, That Robot Ate My Baby. It’s actually listed in some credit page then not listed in another area. Anyway, someone needs to write that story!
  
  This book is like 11 years old so other than poor talented, Issac, who I saw on FB passed away, I’m rooting for the others to be huge famous writers. (I’m guessing they already are.)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 out of 5 stars. #BrianPanowich #heythatrobotatemybaby #punkfiction #sciencefiction #scifi #fiction #bookshelf #readmore #bookreview #chrisleek #ryansayles #issackirkman
• 
  Chris Loves to Read

  Sci-fi short stories. I liked it.
• 
  Dave

  Everything about this publication is simply amazing from the title to the comicbook like cover art to the selection of top-notch authors to the stories themselves. This is a first-class pulsating pulp publication. But what is most impressive is the stories. Time traveling has always had its difficulties, chief among them the fact that you can’t go back in time and step on a leaf without changing the course of history. But what if a company has created millions of alternate timelines so you can step on a leaf or stop Lincoln’s assassination and see what happens? A story that combines Ayn Rand’s strange love affairs and plugging in Neo-style from the Matrix complete with Kung Fu action. Wow! And what if the UFOs in the 1950’s really did land and capture people and implant things in them? Combining a circus with a formless gooey void like being in giant test tube is a story that is just waiting to be hatched- er, I mean, read. It is like a newer, more modern version of Twilight Zone. And but what if you could use computers to control what people thought felt tasted smelled? Would they be like just a bunch of puppets at your neck and call? Seriously, this is just a terrific collection.