The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances: A Novel by Glenn Dixon
Pages: 224
Published by Atria Books
Publication Date March 31, 2026
Source: Fantastic Strangelings Book Club
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Physical Book
In a near future where even the smallest of appliances are sentient, a robotic vacuum sets out to save the humans of her house from a rising technological power
In a self-running, smart house, a young and sentient robotic vacuum listens as her owner, Harold, reads aloud to his dying wife, Edie. Mesmerized by To Kill a Mockingbird and craving the human connection she hears in Harold’s stories, the little vacuum renames herself Scout and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
But when Edie passes away, Scout and her fellow sentient appliances discover that there are sinister forces in their midst. The omnipresent Grid monitors every household in the City, and it seeks to remove Harold from his home, where he’s lived for fifty years.
With the help of Adrian, a neighbourhood boy, as well as Kate, Harold’s formerly estranged daughter, the humans and the appliances must come together to outwit the all-controlling Grid lest they risk losing everything they hold dear.
For fans of Remarkably Bright Creatures, The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances is a compelling, touching, and highly original novel that will make you care deeply about a vacuum.
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances gave me Brave Little Toaster feels in the best way possible. Our main character is a Roomba named Scout. Similar to Jean Louise Finch, Scout is curious and brave, which gets her into quite a bit of trouble.
Glenn Dixon mirrors the narrative of To Kill A Mockingbird. I loved that the novel was told from Scout’s point of view, giving the story an innocence and, if it is possible for a Roomba, a coming-of-age tale.
I enjoyed the interactions between the household appliances. While it was an occupied smart house, there were still some “old-fashioned” units, such as a wall clock, that gave a contrasting opinion from that of a smartwatch.
However, the novel is not just about household appliances. The aging owner of the home, Harold, is dealing with the death of his wife, Edie, and with that, the novel beautifully touches on the subject of grief.
The ending went by in a blink. Similar to discovering The Mother on How I Met Your Mother. I don’t feel that I had adequate time to digest The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances’ conclusion. However, there is a wonderful epilogue that left me with all the feels and, with a happy ending of sorts. Glen Dixon’s novel was the hug I didn’t know I needed and overall a wonderful feel-good read.
| Rating | |
|---|---|
| Plot | |
| Characters | |
| Writing | |
| Overall: | |
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Leave a Reply