I want to retrace my roots, and return to the beginning. Some time in my single-digit years, I would walk to the local library and haunt the place. I found a sci-fi book there that utterly captivated me called "The Runaway Robot". Its hard to remember now, but I think I used to check it out a lot (and I was always late returning it, and getting fined).
That's one of the reasons I'm writing this; the memories that seemed of stone are weathering away, featureless. I used to remember exactly how many times I read a particular book or trilogy (I also used to remember how many times I saw Star Wars in the theatre when it came out).
Anyway, I don't think The Runaway Robot started my love of science-fiction. I was also reading some old sci-fi novels my father had on a shelf, that date back even further. It was most likely 2001, Close Encounters, and of course Star Trek and Star Wars that really got me into sci-fi. Then there were the fantasy movies that got me into reading fantasy; I don't think I really separated the two categories then, and I still don't. The term speculative fiction might be most accurate, but I just think of it as sci-fi and fantasy, or sometimes sff, if I think of it in labels at all. Its just where I feel at home.
I'm never going back to that old town or library (long since remodeled, the book is probably gone anyway), but I easily found and bought a copy on Amazon. Thank you, internet, for helping me even as I'm trying to avoid you somewhat.
The cover seems exactly as I remember it. The pages are yellow, and there's some funny smells coming off it; mostly it just smells old. Its published by Scholastic Book Services, so its probably pre young adult fiction, but I will try and keep an open mind.
