CCLaP; Sad Robot Stories

It's time for another celebration! 

Another CCLaP book is born and I am so happy to share it with you!

Today, Mason Johnson's Sad Robot Stories is released into the world for the first time ever as an honest-to-goodness novella, and I cannot tell you how excited I am about it. A long while ago, I stumbled across Mason and the original self published, crayon illustrated, and totally self-navigable version of this book. I dug on it super hard core then, and I have to tell you, I didn't think it was possible, but I love it one hundred times more now that CCLaP got their hands all in it (although I do really miss those adorably horrendous illustrations!).

The general consensus was that the apocalypse had made everything considerably quieter.

Robot disagreed.

It tells the story of Robot, who is one of millions of androids on an Earth that recently saw the extinction of human life. While Robot's mechanical brothers and sisters seem happy, Robot finds himself lost and missing the only friend he had, a human named Mike whose family accepted Robot as a piece of their personal puzzle. Without both the mistakes and the capacity for miracles that define human civilization, is civilization even worth having? Explore this question in the hilarious yet heartbreaking full-length debut of popular Chicago performer Mason Johnson. A Kurt Vonnegut for the 21st century, his answers are simultaneously droll, surprising and touching, and will make you rethink the limits of what a storyteller can accomplish within science fiction. 

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Early reviewers were falling in love with Robot, check it out:

Gaspers Block  says “Sad Robot Stories … reads more like fable and allegory than campy science fiction. It may playfully explore a host of complex, timely issues, such as the mechanization of the workforce, gender nonconformity, and the looming threat of extinction... at its core it's about the magic of storytelling, a celebration of how the best stories, the "honest" stories, can make us feel whole, sustain us, connect us, and give us hope--even in our darkest hour.”

Beach Sloth wants you to know that “Mason Johnson understands what it means to be human... ‘Sad Robot Stories’ is a story about faith, love, and finding one’s inner humanity.”

Digital Sextant calls it “ ...a beautiful little gem...”

Silent Lucidity admits that “Not since R. Daneel Olivaw, first introduced in Asimov’s The Caves of Steel, have I fallen in love with a robot...”

Chicago Literati made this comparison “If David Lynch were to develop a dystopian retelling of Pinocchio, it would be like Mason Johnson’s Sad Robot Stories.”

Love at First Book laughed and cried... “The book opens up with (a) how-can-you-not-be-hooked first line..”

And goodreads users Paula Swafford says “Johnson’s description of Robot’s siblings in the post-catastrophe world was entertaining.” and Dr. Lamb calls it “..a story about growth and about what it means to be a human...”

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Just in case these amazing reviews don't convince you, we were lucky enough to have the following websites post excerpts. You know, so you could read the awesome for yourself:

Little Fiction excerpts Cats and creates this awesome fan art poster

and 

This Blog Will Save Your Life excerpts Dream

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I've really enjoyed pitching around Sad Robot Stories for a variety of reasons. It's the best apocalypse-novella-with-heart I've ever read, it's got one of the coolest and saddest robots I've ever met, and its author is made of awesome-sauce. Mason makes everything funner. (Yes I just used a non-word. Shuddup.) If you are anywhere near the Chicago area this month, you should totally find your way to one of his readings. And if you do, be sure to tell me about it, and know that I will be most jealous of you!

You can now purchase a gorgeous, hand-made hard cover edition of Sad Robot Stories on CCLaP's website. 

What are you waiting for? Go and get it now. You can thank me later!