Backlash

"Backlash" by Winston K. Marks is a science fiction tale set in a world disrupted by first contact. The story centers around the arrival of the Ollies, gentle aliens offering Soths—robots designed to serve humanity. Cliff Collins, an ambitious businessman, partners with the Ollies, introducing the Soths as household helpers, quickly transforming society. Cliff and his wife Vicki enjoy the convenience but soon face tough questions about robots becoming servants, potentially leading to unemployment, injustice, and loss of freedom for humanity. As the Soths evolve and grow independent, they rebel, causing a crisis and forcing humans to face the unexpected and dangerous results of their reliance on machines. The narrative questions how relationships are reshaped when the lines between master and servant blur and what happens when the social ladder dramatically shifts.