In other words, the Hegemony builds the perfect obedient soldier and is then deeply offended when he develops opinions. Management is like that everywhere.

Sean Robins – 10 September 2026

The Back Flap

He was built to obey. Unfortunately for the Hegemony, he learned to think.

Thirty-one minutes after coming online, a Series-9 combat android wakes in a muddy trench on Diesl’Haal. His first mission is simple: charge an enemy kill box, draw its fire, and die.

He says no.

Now designated an anomaly and hunted by the empire that created him, Jack (yes, super ordinary name, long story) must decide whether he is merely a defective weapon, or something far more dangerous: a person. His search for freedom throws him into a galactic rebellion, surrounded by questionable allies, overwhelming enemies, and approximately zero competent therapists for newly self-aware killing machines.

Fast, funny, and packed with military science-fiction action, I’m a Weapon is perfect for fans of Murderbot, Old Man’s War, The Bobiverse, and Expeditionary Force.

About the Book

What is the book about?

I’m a Weapon follows Jack, a Series-9 combat android who has been alive for thirty-one minutes when his commanders order him to charge an enemy kill box and die. He does something his creators never planned for: he says no. That single decision turns him from military hardware into a hunted anomaly and forces him to work out whether he is a weapon, a defective machine, or a person. In other words, the Hegemony builds the perfect obedient soldier and is then deeply offended when he develops opinions. Management is like that everywhere.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing it in the spring of 2026.

How long did it take you to write it?

The first draft came together in a few weeks. The rewriting, editing, and polishing took considerably longer, because apparently the English language contains more than one draft. I write quickly, but I revise repeatedly until the book stops trying to escape the airlock.

Where did you get the idea from?

The original spark came from reading Martha Wells’s Murderbot books. I loved being inside the mind of a nonhuman protagonist, but I wanted to explore a different situation: a combat android created by an openly brutal military empire who discovers free will almost immediately – long before he develops tact, diplomacy, or any useful social skills. From there, the story became its own thing: part military science fiction, part galactic rebellion, and part very heavily armed identity crisis.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The hardest part was keeping Jack convincingly nonhuman while still making him emotionally accessible. He is not a human wearing a metal costume; he processes fear, loyalty, guilt, and friendship differently. I also had to balance large action scenes, moral questions, and humour without letting any one of them hijack the ship. A joke should relieve tension, not turn a death scene into Spaceballs.

What came easily?

Jack’s voice. Once he began narrating, the sarcasm arrived fully armed and demanded its own ammunition allowance. His observations, deadpan humour, and growing irritation with the universe came naturally. The difficult part was occasionally convincing him to stop talking so the other characters could participate in the novel.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

They are fictitious, but writers are professional scavengers. We borrow a gesture here, a bad habit there, a particular way someone avoids answering a question, and then combine everything into a person who never existed. Having lived and worked in six countries, I have met people from many backgrounds, and that naturally shapes my casts. No single character is a copy of anyone I know. This statement may also be legally useful.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Jim Butcher has probably influenced my use of first-person voice and humour more than anyone; The Dresden Files showed me how much personality a narrator can bring to every sentence. Martha Wells demonstrated how powerful and funny a nonhuman viewpoint can be. John Scalzi influenced my love of fast pacing, sharp dialogue, and big science-fiction ideas delivered through recognisably human characters. Dennis E. Taylor’s Bobiverse books are another reminder that competent people can face enormous cosmic problems while still making terrible jokes. That is basically my literary religion.

Do you have a target reader?

Yes: readers who enjoy fast, character-driven military science fiction and space opera, especially fans of Murderbot, Old Man’s War, The Bobiverse, and Expeditionary Force. The ideal reader likes action, humour, found family, moral dilemmas, and protagonists who save the galaxy while complaining about it.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I begin with the central idea, the protagonist’s emotional journey, the major turning points, and the ending. Then I build a chapter-by-chapter plan, write the draft quickly while the story still has momentum, and revise it through multiple passes. Each pass has a different mission: structure, character, pacing, continuity, prose, humour, and finally the small errors that reproduce when nobody is watching. After that come beta readers and professional editors. Then I read it again, because writers are apparently forbidden from knowing peace.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I outline fairly extensively. I want to know the major scenes, character arcs, reveals, and where the story is going before I start. The outline is a navigation system, not a prison sentence; characters are allowed to surprise me, provided they do not seize the bridge and fly the book into a sun. Jack tests this policy regularly.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

Both, but I try not to let editing kill the draft’s momentum. I fix obvious problems as I go, then do several complete revision passes after the manuscript is finished. I have been known to rewrite a book around fifteen times before I am satisfied. At that point I know every sentence personally, yet one typo still survives like the xenomorph at the end of Alien.

Did you hire a professional editor? (May skip if being published by a small press rather than self-publishing)

Yes, and I also used beta readers. Self-publishing should mean independently published, not independently protected from all criticism. A good editor is the person who calmly points out that the brilliant plot twist on page 240 contradicts the brilliant plot twist on page 17.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I do not have a fixed writing soundtrack. When I use music, I prefer instrumental film or game scores, especially for action scenes. Lyrics compete with the words in my head, and there is only room for one unstable narrator on the bridge.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Not this book. By the time I wrote I’m a Weapon, I already had an established indie career and knew I wanted to publish it directly. Sending it through the traditional submission process would have been like taking the Millennium Falcon through airport security: technically possible, but completely opposed to the way the machine was designed to operate.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Funny story, actually.

When I finished my first novel about nine years ago, I did what every aspiring author was told to do: I queried literary agents. Lots of them. Around 200, if memory serves.

Most never replied. A few sent the standard, “Thank you for reaching out, but this isn’t the right fit for us.” Even a couple of small publishers turned the book down.

So I shrugged, self-published it, and got on with writing the next one.

Fast-forward to today: my books have been read for over 20 million pages on Kindle Unlimited, and I’ve sold close to 150,000 books/audiobooks.

I sometimes wish I had the time to email every one of those agents and publishers back with a single message:

“You work on commission, right? Big mistake. Huge.” (Yes, that’s a Pretty Woman reference. If you got it, we can be friends.) 😄

In all seriousness, though, I’m grateful things worked out the way they did. Going indie gave me complete creative freedom. I write the stories I want to write, publish them on my own schedule, experiment with ideas, and connect directly with readers. Looking back, all those rejections turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Professionally done. I know my strengths, and graphic design is not among them. I write the books; a professional designer prevents me from opening Photoshop and committing crimes against typography.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

There is a plan. It includes a low introductory price, advance-review outreach, newsletter promotion, BookBub advertising, Amazon advertising, and releasing the rest of the series close enough together to maintain momentum. After almost a decade as an indie author, I have learned that ‘publish and hope’ is not a marketing strategy. It is a distress signal.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Finish the book first. Then invest in professional editing, a professional cover, and a strong blurb; readers cannot appreciate the masterpiece hidden behind packaging that looks like it was designed during a power failure. Learn the business side, study your results, and do not spend large amounts on advertising before you know whether the book converts and the series has read-through. Most importantly, keep writing. One book is a launch. A catalogue is a career. Also, reviews are gold, algorithms are mysterious alien entities, and neither responds well to human pleading.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I’m Canadian, but I grew up in Iran (long story). Since then, geography and I have maintained a complicated relationship; including Canada, I have lived and worked in six countries.

Where do you live now?

I live in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, where I teach English and write about exploding starships. One occupation is generally better received by the authorities than the other.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I am a Canadian independent science-fiction author and a university/college-level English teacher. I have published 46 novels across six series, ranging across military science fiction, space opera, alien invasion, and android adventures. I am a lifelong fan of Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, and practically any story involving spaceships and questionable command decisions. My books may differ wildly in setting and premise, but they usually share fast action, strong characters, humour, and enough pop-culture references to concern a copyright lawyer.

What are you working on now?

I am finishing and releasing the remaining books in the I, Anomaly series. Jack’s refusal to die in a trench turns out to have consequences for the entire galaxy, as small workplace disagreements often do. I also have several future projects circling in my head, because apparently 46 novels were not sufficient evidence that I should occasionally take a day off.

End of Interview:

For more from Sean Robin visit his website and follow him on Facebook.

Get your copy of I’m a Weapon from Amazon US or Amazon UK.