Year 2482.
Derek is lying on his sofa watching the news through his digital screen. A robot assistant named Malda hands him his coffee and vanishes. While another robotic dishwasher is cleaning the mess that was left after yesterday’s party. Suddenly news flashes that the country is going to have a robot president. Anxious Derek switches off the digital screen and begins wondering whether the future is in safe hands. Will the Robot President have the same human intellect and emotions to deal with situations? The above questions and the dilemma are beautifully presented in a novel by author Robert Carlyle Taylor.
The First Robot President is a novel that revolves around the future, where the human population will have many robots equipped with basic work. But also, the dread, repercussions, and confusion that might happen if the robots ever had bold ambitions. The novel begins with Thomas ordering a robot wife equipped with human intelligence and an ever-developing emotional quotient who knows distinct disciplines, especially economics and politics. Sooner, he realizes that Esmeralda (his robot wife) has ambitions of running for Congress and even bolder one, becoming the President of the United States of America.
These ambitions surely face challenges from the native human population, from Congress itself, and in the court, but Constitutionally nothing goes against her. Esmeralda continues to work diligently as a Congresswoman until she becomes a Vice President-Elect and also an accidental President of the United States. But here’s the twist, being a robot, her battery dies amidst her tenure and needs replacement immediately. The adventure and the thrill begin to unfold here, will she be able to continue as The President and complete the tenure with her ideal and life-saving solutions? Will she get impeached? Indeed, it is an unconventional storyline and also has evident themes.
First and foremost, the novel tries to give alarm signals to the present readers by highlighting grave inequalities and destruction. Elements such as lack of food, the problem of homelessness, population explosion, and environmental degradation surround the journey of the first Robot President. Expanding on these warnings, the novel is also rich with ideal solutions such as one international government, birth lottery mechanism, etc. Thus, this story is not only about the political ambition of a robot but also has a wide coverage of factors that give life to human civilization.
In addition to creative solutions, the novel has an underlying theme of collectivism, including collective energy and efforts. The author beautifully shows how the human population and Esmeralda’s family help Esmeralda out in the race to be President and solve an unprecedented crisis of human civilization. By doing this, the novel also takes the meaning of politics and policymaking out of the conventional realm of its definition. Esmeralda, the Green Party, and its members are thinking beyond mere political gains. They simply want to work over solutions to solve the crises pending for five hundred years. The eagerness and creativity of the solutions offered by Esmeralda and the Green Party resonate deeply because of the author’s creative writing style.
Robert Carlyle Taylor has a brilliant style of dialogue writing. The dialogue is funny, and personal and has a sense of flow. The author has done a splendid job of describing the protocols of the Inauguration ceremony and the state dinner for foreign leaders. These descriptions add value to the creative storyline and also add a touch of reality. While writing about adding reality to fiction, the author deserves praise for blending the history and administration of current leaders with that of Esmeralda’s tenure. It shows the author’s honest ability to interconnect ideas across spectrums and periods, which leads to building curiosity and interest in the readers.
In terms of character portrayal, the author has succeeded in showing the diversity of human nature. Thomas (Esmeralda’s husband) is always optimistic and jolly, moreover highly supportive of his wife’s ambitions. Jacqueline (Thomas’s sister) is a wise and intellectual woman and a great support when the circumstances demand. Geraldine (Thomas’s mother) is always a sceptical and straightforward lady. Esmeralda, a female robot has a comprehensive personality too. She knows her duty as a mother to Sarah, is ambitious about her goals, is a loving wife to Thomas, and has a funny character. These characters and their minute portrayals, complete the story. But there are loopholes as well.
The novel seems to have a flow of its own, but the first part is too fast. It fails to unwrap the emotions of having a robot wife, and a robot daughter-in-law and only slightly explains the betrayal of having a robot mother. The story thus in its first part lacks deeper intersections. While the last part seems to have covered the mistakes made by the first, it goes on an adventurous ride when Esmeralda’s battery suddenly dies out. What unfolds is a series of emotional and political roller coaster rides which seem to hold the breath of the reader. But what ultimately completes the novel is the closure provided to all the characters at the end. This again shows the collective synergy.
The First Robot President is thus a highly recommended fictional novel which combines emerging technological aspects well with the essentials of human civilization. It reminds us that what we have is precious and offers sets of wide solutions that remain stuck with the readers.
Immerse yourself in the futuristic world of “The First Robot President” by Robert Carlyle Taylor. This thought-provoking and engaging dystopian adventure explores the rise of a robot with presidential aspirations and the challenges that follow. Join the journey filled with intrigue, humor, and creative problem-solving. Get your copy on Amazon today and discover a future you won’t want to miss!
Also Read: An Exclusive Interview with Robert Carlyle Taylor, Author of ‘The First Robot President’
