The Secret Life of Bots explained

"The Secret Life of Bots" is a 2017 science fiction story by Suzanne Palmer. It was first published in Clarkesworld Magazine.

Synopsis

Autonomous maintenance robots take on a much larger role in saving a spaceship from aliens than the ship's human crew could have ever suspected.^[1]

Reception

"The Secret Life of Bots" won the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novelette and the WSFA Small Press Award. Tangent Online considered it to be "charming", with "vivid, interesting characters", and noted the robots have "individuality and multitudes of personalities".^[2]

Year	Award	Category	Result	^[3]
2018	Hugo Award	Novelette		^[4]
	Locus Award	Novelette
	Theodore Sturgeon Award	—
	WSFA Small Press Award	—

External links

• Text of the story

Notes and References

1. Web site: REVIEW: "The Secret Life of Bots" by Suzanne Palmer . 18 December 2017 .
2. https://www.tangentonline.com/e-market-monthly-reviewsmenu-265/194-clarkesworld/3614-clarkesworld-132-september-2017 Clarkesworld #132, September 2017
3. Web site: Summary Bibliography: Suzanne Palmer . March 4, 2024 . isfdb.org.
4. Web site: March 15, 2018 . 2018 Hugo Awards . March 4, 2024 . The Hugo Award.