Hard Reboot
{5/5} “Old Earth had already been surrounded by a belt of slagged tech, fast-moving wreckage, and miscellaneous debris so dense that it required a skilled pilot with algo assistance to navigate it. The last time anyone had attempted to clear a path they’d accidentally started a conflagration between leave-behind killbots from the sore losers of three different wars, and nobody had been able to reach the planet until the shooting died down.”
Hard Reboot by Django Wexler, published in 2021
Kas, a research historian, has travelled to Old Earth for a visit with members of her Scholarium. While at a party she is tricked by Zhi into betting on a warbot match. It turns out that Zhi is the pilot of one of the bots. Unexpectedly, Zhi loses which means Kas wins. Which she’s happy about until a little bot says the house will take its cut out of her Scholarium’s account.
This is a novella. The story is told with verve, and the world feels real.
It’s about visiting a place that’s very different from where you come from, meeting someone intriguing, and betting big when you’ve got nothing to lose.
This is the 1st book I’ve read by Wexler. I will be looking for more.
January 23rd, 2022 at 4:42 pm
So glad you liked this one, Dave! I really enjoyed the characterization, and I also liked the far future bits (eighth empire etc). I actually re-read it via audiobook and it held up quite well.
I haven’t seen any news about this, but I hope he writes a sequel soon!