I, Sergeant

An Artificial Intelligence Techno Thriller Sci-Fi Short Story

By: Nick Thacker

Narrated by: Aaron Shedlock

Length: 36 mins

Publisher's summary

The next in Nick Thacker's growing collection of sci-fi action/adventure thrillers....

My name is Renfro. Sergeant Renfro, or just Sergeant.

Yes, Sergeant is my first name, and it happens to be my rank as well. I was born into - and because of - this war...but that's another story. My particular interest in the military hovered near zero for most of my life, but like everyone else in my generation, we were drafted into service.

There was never a time during the war that I didn't want to stay alive, either, so I fought. At first, I fought selfishly for my own life, and then for my squad and platoon, and finally for the individuals I served with. It was a circuitous route, and probably just a little self-centered, but it led me here.

Fans of Isaac Asimov and H.G. Wells will love Sergeant!

©2015 Nick Thacker (P)2015 Nick Thacker and Kevin Tumlinson

Intriguing story! 💜

Although this was written as a short story, it could have easily been a full length novel. So many possibilities where technology and humanity are at war with each other.
The narration was very good. I’m a huge fan of Aaron Shedlock’s romance audiobooks, but its easy to see that he has the voice acting talent to narrate any genre.

Sisters Spotlight 💜

A bit emotional, wish it was longer!

Story 3.5*
Aaron Shedlock tweeted about this book the other day, on the seventh anniversary of uploading it- it was the first book he narrated! As he's one of my favorites I had to grab it, without even knowing what it was about.
The narration was excellent of course! Mr, Shedlock is such an fantastic narrator, I enjoy listening to him so much, So I always think any book he performs is too short, and that was definitely the case here. I don't have an issue with the story at all- as short and as quick of a listen it was, I really got invested! I want to know more about Sergeant and the world.

Short but doesn't sacrifice the message

I, Sergeant is a good example of classic science fiction, a kind of terminator-esque story that levels the playing field. At first, through the narrators use of phrasing, detailing a scene is speculative, and imagining characters is more of a job for the reader as the author pushes the envelop and keeps you waiting for reveals. There isn't much to say without spoiling the story, but I like Renfro's internal monologue especially at the end. In the end, I chose to interpret this story as being told as neither one species or another, but simply through the eyes of a soldier.

Extremely Good for a Short Story

"I, Sergeant" was an awesome listen. For it being short, it was definitely intense. I would love to hear a continuation of this. Sergeant Renfro I think is an AI fighting in a war he was born into. The AI he's with gets hit and he pulls him out. What's great is the thought process going on with Renfro. If this story were to continue, this would be a perfect intro into a backstory of him. Another great book by Nick Thacker.

The narration by Aaron Shedlock was excellent. His voice was perfect for Renfro and for his partner as well. He has very well-defined vocal skills. I can't wait to hear more from both him and the author.

Not Bad, Not Great.

It is a good start. I'd probably have given it 4 stars across the board if it was 1-2 hours long. Thus giving more time to explain the background and the character development.

Author, I hope you make this into a real 8+ hour aidiobook.

Great Short story.

For a 30 odd minute story it left me wanting to know more. If this was a 'movie trailer' for a book series it did its job. There was sufficient background worldbuild to promise more in a series. However, this short story is complete by itself. It was a pleasurable listen.

Narrator was great as well.

what happens when limited AI gains sentience? war

war makes humans make tough choices not to lose. but victory comes at cost. what happens when your hammer decides you are a nail? good short story from character on ground floor

Soldiers Come in Different Kinds

Caught on the battle field in what might be his last battle, a soldier protects a fellow combatant and recalls his years in battle. Well written and thought-provoking futuristic SF story.