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"A refreshing ray of hope in the darkness." —Publishers Weekly
As seen on LitHub's "May’s Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books"
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.
Book Details
Format:
Hardcover
Price:
29 USD / 39 CAD
Published: 05/26/2026
ISBN: 9780756419585
Imprint:
DAW Books
Page Count: 416
Trim Size: 5-1/2 x 8-1/4
Praise
Praise for Ode to the Half-Broken
"The chase will keep readers riveted...highly recommended for lovers of robot/mech/AI stories, as it combines the journey and perspective of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Service Model with the hybrid human/AI dystopia of Faith Hunter’s Junkyard Catsand the interspecies cooperation of Annalee Newitz’s Automatic Noodle. All the while, the story reaches for a brighter future, recalling Becky Chambers’s A Psalm for the Wild-Built." —Library Journal (starred review)
"Readers will quickly get pulled into the setting, love the characters, and root for the good guys. Fans of dystopian sf will find something to enjoy in this book." —Booklist (starred review)
"This lovely near-future foray from Hugo Award winner Palmer (Ghostdrift) skillfully brings hope and humor to a complex postapocalyptic world.... The result is a refreshing ray of hope in the darkness." —Publishers Weekly
"An exciting addition to the “postapocalyptic robot/human hero’s journey” subgenre of speculative fiction. It ramps up from a meditative meander through the wasteland that was once New England to the triumphant denouement of a Tom Clancy novel." —Bookpage
"There is an assured, comic tone that reminds me of Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky and Annalee Newitz’s Automatic Noodle." —New Scientist
"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 World