Re-roll

I went into *Re-roll* expecting a polished, if predictable, sci-fi romp about robot butlers and digital dystopias. What I got was a gut-punch anthology that lingers like a glitch in reality. Virtual Voice’s narration is the standout—a voice that hovers somewhere between Alexa and a sentient ATM, which makes the emotional moments feel even more unsettling. The story *“First Date”* is a masterclass in black comedy, following a man who programs his Mech date to crush on him, only to realize too late that he’s the one who’s now obsolete. The production is crisp, with minimal sound design, letting Bates’ sharp dialogue and bleak humor take center stage. That said, a few stories (*“The Re-roll”*, for one) suffer from over-reliance on twist endings that feel more contrived than clever, as if Bates was racing the clock to hit his word count. Still, this isn’t a collection to be passively consumed. *Re-roll* demands your attention, rewarding it with stories that burrow under your skin. By the final tale, you’ll start questioning whether your own ‘Mechs’—your phone, your GPS, even your Netflix queue—are serving you or slowly replacing you. Bates doesn’t offer easy answers, but he does deliver the kind of provocative, bite-sized sci-fi that lingers long after the audiobook ends. Highly recommended for fans of *Black Mirror* who prefer their dystopias served with a side of dark humor and no happy endings.