One day, Adam Connor stumbles into a bar owned by a fully sentient robot. That’s not even the weird part. Adam has lost most of his memories, and what little he remembers tells him he shouldn’t be alive. After all, it’s the year 2199, almost 200 years after his birth. According to robot laws, humans face immediate execution if found, but Adam is exempt from this, having been born before the law took effect. Lucky! But he’s about to die anyway if no one does anything about the deadly electrical clouds approaching the city. Unlucky! Oh, and magic is real, apparently. Don’t worry, it only gets weirder. Mihail Băeșu’s Pastborn follows Adam in his quest for... whatever it is he’s supposed to do.

Mihail Băeșu’s writing combines witty dialogue, dark humor, and absurd scenarios with some surprisingly inventive worldbuilding based on magic, spirituality, and science. The story is a surreal adventure that always takes the unconventional route. Speaking of unconventional, Adam is far from a conventional hero and is also the only reason this isn’t a horror novel. Any normal person would’ve collapsed from this world’s insanity and its collection of bizarre entities, including existential robots, forgetful ghosts, and bored gods. Adam has an odd sense of morality, bumbles his way through life, and is generally unserious, but all this works really well with the story. I found Adam the strangest and most fascinating character, even though there’s no shortage of odd but intriguing folks here. Give Pastborn a try if you’re into surreal stories with an offbeat sense of humor.

In Mihail Băeșu’s Pastborn, readers meet a thirty-something protagonist named Adam Connor who wakes up wandering in a strange city centuries past his actual birthdate. Because his arrival on Earth occurred many years before the severe regulations that outlawed humanity, the mechanical citizens treat him as if he’s a regular patron rather than an enemy. But this bizarre state of affairs is suddenly shattered when a rolling cloud apocalypse begins devouring the cityscape piece by piece. Adam’s path quickly turns into an erratic flight across supernatural worlds as he tries to recover his missing memories. As the landscape dissolves into magical chaos, can an unmotivated man who prefers alcohol over heroism figure out how to outrun total annihilation?

Pastborn by Mihail Băeșu is a highly imaginative science fiction fantasy that delivers an unconventional read. The worldbuilding stands out because it seamlessly merges hard sciences with mystical events, keeping each new setting unpredictable and fascinating. I really enjoyed how the character relationships grew over time, creating moments of tender care within an otherwise cold and machine-run universe. The plot moves fast due to several sharp dialogue scenes. This actually allows the story to jump from one realm to the next without lagging or losing the reader’s attention along the way. There’s an excellent balance between the complete nonsensicality of the situations and the inner confusion Adam experiences on his quest. He starts the story as a disoriented individual whose main motivation is simply finding a quiet drink to escape his sudden memory loss and the bizarre world around him. Over time, his focus moves from pure self-preservation to a more active role, forcing him to confront powerful entities and complex situations despite his cynicism. Even when he can’t remember his own past, his urge to protect his few real relationships shows a slow but genuine shift in his priorities. Following his path from the first page to the last was a really memorable experience. If you enjoy unique, satirical adventures, this story is definitely worth your time.