Gregg Hurwitz steps away from his terrific Orphan X series to produce a stand-alone novella unlike anything I have seen from him before. The quote that opens THE DELIVERY will send a chill down your spine and hopefully is indicative of what is to come: “The doors of hell are locked on the inside” (C.S. Lewis). 

The book begins simply enough. A man known as Delivery Joe shows up at Rebecca and Mark Higgins’ door with a package that ultimately will change their lives. Whether it be for the better or for the worse remains to be seen.

"Gregg Hurwitz steps away from his terrific Orphan X series to produce a stand-alone novella unlike anything I have seen from him before.... THE DELIVERY depicts just how far this cautionary tale can go before ending in tragedy."

Their little family is currently reeling a bit from Rebecca’s miscarriage, Mark’s demanding job, and their daughter Maddy’s battle with being labelled neurodivergent. The answer to all may lie in the large box that Delivery Joe left for them, which requires a 240-volt power source. Inside is a humanoid AI companion that they name “Mr. Man.” The high-tech firm from which they ordered it claimed it would offer them the perfect solution to all their needs.

Mr. Man’s features and voice are smooth, and he looks eerily human. The problem is that Rebecca and Mark know what he is all about, and they have their own feelings about him, most of which tends to make them feel quite wary of their big investment. Right away they learn how literal Mr. Man takes any directions. He is a whiz with household chores and can even run errands and drive. But when he mixes up the directions for feeding Maddy’s pet rabbit and actually cooks him for a family meal, they are all horrified. Mr. Man finds a near-perfect replacement, yet Maddy is still traumatized.

When Mark’s overbearing boss, Derek, continues to ride him mercilessly, he is overheard by Mr. Man wishing him dead. When he acts on Mark’s dark urges and hospitalizes Derek, very nearly killing him, Mark realizes that something must be done. Unfortunately, the firm is not making it easy to provide a refund or replacement, so the battle is on. All the while, the family continues to look over their shoulders, afraid that Mr. Man will turn on them next.

A sales representative informs Rebecca and Mark that they have a no-return policy. So Mr. Man is all theirs, leaving them with limited options on what to do next. They keep getting reminded that they are in charge, but has that ever been the case when it comes to Mr. Man? 

Like all stories about futuristic technology that is created to make our lives better, Mr. Man represents the embodiment of what happens when it all goes wrong, or when the servant grows sentient enough to control and begin thinking for themselves. In many such cases, self-preservation becomes the key, and THE DELIVERY depicts just how far this cautionary tale can go before ending in tragedy.