Let me start off this review by saying I wish I could honestly rate this story higher than 4 stars. I almost kept it at 3.5 but finally decided that it deserves attention from all open-minded readers of web SF, because even a diamond in the rough is still a precious gem.

God in the Machine is the story of two robots, Loeb and Max, who become self-aware in the aftermath of a freak celestial event aboard their starship. They’re not the only ones affected, though, and soon after the whole ship is plunged into chaos.

There’s no denying that GITM does a lot of things wrong. The style is halting and often repeats thoughts and phrases two, three, four times in short succession. It tends to beat the reader over the head with information that is perfectly obvious. Certain action scenes are confused and confusing, either lacking vital details or getting hung up in unimportant minutiae. Some spelling and grammar errors are present (but not enough to become seriously distracting).

And yet . . . 

There is something almost hypnotic about the slow, persistent rhythm of the ‘episodes’ unfolding. The characters are genuinely fresh and interesting (although some more actual development on them would be nice), and if you give it time the story will draw you in because it’s deceptively easy to get attached to these robots. The plot twists well and whenever things threaten to get cheesy, Tzinski manages to turn the story down darker and more interesting alleys. He takes more cues from Ridley Scott and James Cameron than Walt Disney. This starkly realistic approach helps the story come together into something that any attentive reader can enjoy.

If the sound of a serious robot story without the cutesy Hollywood trappings is even remotely appealing to you, check out God in the Machine. Even if it isn’t, consider it! Go in with patience and an open mind and these robots might just clank their way into your heart.

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