pickWritten in 1967 at the height of the Vietnam War, this starts out as good-guy-vs-evil-robot Heinleinian military sci-fi, but through flashbacks we quickly see that the human MC is a symbol for US imperialist aggression, & the "good guy" is as much a Killing Thing as the robot, which is reacting (albeit with overwhelming violence) to threats made to its existence.
There's a general styled on Curtis "bomb them back into the Stone Age" LeMay, who ⬇️
"There was the desert, glittering white sand that shifted like talcum when touched, cottony white sky, a quarter of it glaring with the white heat of the sun."
#FirstLineFridays @shybookowl
Although it's not a comedy or satire, this is hitting the same anti-militarisation vibe for the Vietnam War that Dr. Strangelove hit for the nuclear arms race and Mutually Assured Destruction. I'm about ⅓ through and really enjoying it so far.
Ok, here's hoping this classic sci-fi novel suits better than my last book, which I bailed on.
Man versus revenge-filled robot ??? As it's Kate Wilhelm, I expect there to be some nuance and underlying message, rather than just Space Opera "pew-pew" ??
pickA short, enjoyable read. Of all the anti-imperialist sci-fi I've read, this one isn't at the top, but I still liked it. I did really enjoy the robot and how its parts were written.
The Killer Thing | 
Anyway, Wilhelm's novel has an intense, claustrophobic atmosphere that leans into the adventure element, without losing sight of her more serious subtexts: imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, oppression, sexism, militarism, totalitarianism, pacifism -ism, -ism, -ism. 4? 2mo