A Robot Named Clunk: (Book 1 in the Hal Spacejock series)

Strap in for the ride of your life! Witty, fast, funny and moving. What more could you ask for?

Clunk’s grateful when his boss sends him for a refit, because old robots are usually junked. Being old and wise, he knows there’s a catch, but at first it doesn’t seem too bad.

The workshop performing the refit is located on a nearby planet, and Clunk’s boss wants him to carry out a trivial task while he’s there: help a freelancer pick up some cargo.

It’s a simple job, straight in and out … but don’t be late.

How can Clunk refuse? He’s a certified co-pilot, so landing in a deserted field under cover of darkness, avoiding customs ships, orbital lasers and trigger-happy warships along the way, is not a problem. Plus Clunk’s a robot, so he has no choice but to obey.

Unfortunately the freelance pilot is a much bigger challenge, because Hal Spacejock is a bit of a jerk. Obstinate, over-confident, and woefully under-skilled, he’s never going to let a lowly robot fly his precious ship. This, even though Hal’s creditors have just given him twenty-four hours to pay for his precious ship, or he’ll lose it … and his life.

Can the two of them sort out their differences and deliver the cargo, or will they still be wrestling over the controls when both deadlines expire?

A Robot Named Clunk is one part buddy movie, two parts laughter and three parts how-did-he-survive-that?

Set in the distant future, where humanity spans the galaxy and robots are second-class citizens, this is the first novel in the Hal Spacejock series. (The first three novels are available in a box set called Hal Spacejock Omnibus One, which is usually much cheaper than buying them individually. Hal Spacejock Omnibus Two is also available.)

These novels are self-contained, with a beginning, a middle and a proper ending. They’re not sequels, they don’t end on a cliffhanger, and you could start or end your journey with any book in the series. Some events from earlier books are referenced in later ones, so it makes sense to read them in order, but it’s not essential.

If you get a smile or two out of Hal and Clunk’s first outing, I guarantee you will love the rest of the series. (Just take a look at the reviews for book two and later!)

By the way, there’s also a new spin-off series, Harriet Walsh, featuring the popular Peace Force character from Hal Spacejock 4: No Free Lunch. The first two books are already available, and the third is not far off.