This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Atria Books. Mixing existential discussions and human feelings with dystopian AI themes and fears, Glenn Dixon’s the Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances is a thoughtful and compact speculative fiction novel that is as charming as it is bleak. Initially cozy before transitioning to its more cautionary back-half, this book is a highly accessible and quick read that carries the spirit of Thomas M. Disch’s the Brave Little Toaster aged up and modernized. Inspired by yet very much its own creation and story, this is a cute novel for those looking for a concise speculative fiction read. Presented through multiple POV’s that include multiple humans and a smart vacuum cleaner named Scout, the Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances introduces the reader to the elderly couple Harold and Edie Winters who have an unassuming house in a residential suburb. The early chapters follow Scout and her fellow smart appliances and devices in the house observing an ailing Edie slowly succumb to her illness as Harold continues his best efforts to comfort her. Despite the somber circumstances of Edie’s declining health, the first half of the book has a distinctly cozy and…
