One of the most finely crafted survival stories in recent years.
Be careful what you wish for! This is a lesson that Rebel Anne Rae learns the hard way. Seven years ago Rebel was unintentionally abandoned on Earth while humanity fled for their lives. True, the planet was becoming less hospitable with its rising sea levels and steadily depleting resources, but the real reason for the Exodus to the moon was to survive the genocide caused by the Mech. These human-like robots had been given one major directive: save the Earth! With humans deemed the cause of the planet’s demise, total extermination of the population was determined to be the only effective means to that end. Although only twelve years old at the time, Rebel somehow found a way to survive. But she won’t let the Mech win. Her mission? Get a message to the moon, an S.O.S., and hope her family discovers her location before the unwilled robots discover her flawed human identity.
No Man’s Land is a phenomenally entertaining futuristic dystopian novel by talented new author, Ben Magid. The near-future California landscape seems plausible, and even probable in some regards. Rebel is the perfect hero of this story as she transitions from a pampered, pouty, pre-teen to a resourceful and courageous woman in the blink of an eye. The ridiculously fun sci-fi elements include advanced holographic technology, affordable moon transportation, and, of course, lifelike fully functioning autonomous robots. Add in a clever plot, a delightful amount of humorous dialogue, harrowing close-calls, unexpected plot twists and a tentative romance, and you have one of the most finely crafted survival stories in recent years. I can hardly wait for the next installment in The Robosapien Trilogy! If you enjoy a stellar dystopian sci-fi book with compelling characters, I highly recommend No Man’s Land by Ben Magid.
