
Ode to the Half-Broken
$58.06
- Hardcover
416 pages
- Release Date
26 May 2026
Summary
“A refreshing ray of hope in the darkness.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780756419585 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0756419581 |
| Author: | Suzanne Palmer |
| Publisher: | Astra Publishing House |
| Imprint: | DAW Books |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 416 |
| Release Date: | 26 May 2026 |
| Weight: | 492g |
| Dimensions: | 40mm x 148mm x 219mm |

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Critics Review
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
Suzanne Palmer
Suzanne Palmer has been nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award and the Eugie Foster Award. Her short fiction has won reader’s awards for Asimov’s, Analog, and Interzone magazines, and was listed in Locus Magazine’s Recommended Reading. Her work has been included in numerous anthologies, including the 35th Annual Year’s Best Science Fiction, edited by Gardner Dozois and volumes two and three of The Best Science Fiction of the Year, edited by Neil Clarke.
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