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The Automatic Detective

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 1,594 ratings · 204 reviews

Even in Empire City, a town where weird science is the hope for tomorrow, it’s hard for a robot to make his way. It’s even harder for a robot named Mack Megaton, a hulking machine designed to bring mankind to its knees. But Mack’s not interested in world domination. He’s just a bot trying to get by, trying to demonstrate that he isn’t just an automated smashing machine, an...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published February 5th 2008 by Tor Books (first published January 1st 2008)

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The Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez

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Apr 29, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Prachett and Adams fans

Shelves: male-lead, mystery-thriller, sci-fi, humor

Adams-Chandler Jambalaya (aka The Automatic Detective)

Gently brown one abducted family in heavy cast iron sci-fi universe seasoned with mutant-inducing radiation.
Remove family, leaving well-oiled universe.

In the same universe, sautée:
-A seven-hundred sixteen pound (robot) cab driver trying to keep a low profile until he clears probation.
-One (genius) blonde dame with a thing for robots.
-One overworked (mutant) detective who resembles a white rat
Cook until tender, or at least everybody understand...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jul 06, 2012 Algernon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

One of the first books I've discovered through Goodreads. I don't normally ask for recommendations (my TBR pile will last me a couple of years) , but I was in the mood for something fun, and I picked A Lee Martinez from the comedy shelf of one of my friends here. Lucky me!

R. Daneel Oliwav is one of my all time favorite characters in SF, and I read each Robot books by Asimov 3 or 4 times already. Mack Megaton is not that kind of robot though. He's the ultimate killing machine, designed by a mad s...more One of the first books I've discovered through Goodreads. I don't normally ask for recommendations (my TBR pile will last me a couple of years) , but I was in the mood for something fun, and I picked A Lee Martinez from the comedy shelf of one of my friends here. Lucky me!

R. Daneel Oliwav is one of my all time favorite characters in SF, and I read each Robot books by Asimov 3 or 4 times already. Mack Megaton is not that kind of robot though. He's the ultimate killing machine, designed by a mad supervillain to be unstoppable and to enjoy smashing things up and "squeezing throats until the eyes pop out and the tongues turn purple" . That is, until he developed the Freewill Glitch and refused to follow orders to kill. Now he is applying for citizenship of the most progressive metropolis on Earth - Empire city - and makes a poor living as a taxi driver.

The plot and the dialogue are vintage Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, transplanted to a futuristic setting of chemical and radioactive waste, mutant humans, miniature gadgets, powerful and mysterious ganglords, cynical policemen and blonde bombshells. For all his artificial intelligence detachment and cold analytical power, Mack has really mastered the staccatto delivery of short sentences and the wisecracks of a classic gumshoe detective, so his soon acquired wardrobe of pinstripe suit, fedora and mackintosh is entirely appropriate. His style of solving problems may have more to do with bulldozing through every obstacle than clever deductions, but it proves nevertheless effective. The metal man even gets a romantic interest in a socialite beauty that hides genius level technological talents and a passion for nuts and bolts. The finale was spectacular in an explosive, over the top way: think Godzilla and Mission Impossible directed by Kevin Smith.

The novel was a fun ride from start to finish, but it also shows surprising and pleasant depth in the characters and in the debate of artificial intelligence and morality. The writing is more than adequate in the mixing of classic noir with science-fiction. A Lee Martinez is now added to my list of serious humorists like Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, Spider Robinson, Jim C. Hines, Douglas Adams etc.(less)

11 likes · like · see review

Jun 03, 2008 Shivesh rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of noir, detectives, robots, mutants, telepathics, and aliens

Shelves: science-fictional

What a well-written tale this was! Kept me turning pages.

This is the story of Mack Megaton, a sentient robot who was designed for mindless killing and destruction but decides on a much more peaceful way of life after developing "Freewill". So the novel opens with his occupation as a cabdriver. Like any sentient being, he wants to know where he came from, who is is and what he is meant to do: in essence he is the soul in the machine, seeking a purpose, like any human does.

Along the way, Mack navi...more What a well-written tale this was! Kept me turning pages.

This is the story of Mack Megaton, a sentient robot who was designed for mindless killing and destruction but decides on a much more peaceful way of life after developing "Freewill". So the novel opens with his occupation as a cabdriver. Like any sentient being, he wants to know where he came from, who is is and what he is meant to do: in essence he is the soul in the machine, seeking a purpose, like any human does.

Along the way, Mack navigates his way through Empire City, which is Martinez's amalgamation of dozens of sci-fi tropes and noir conventions: like mutants, private detectives, secret aliens, a powerful mob boss, a sexy brilliant blonde, all in a dirty, hazy, grimy city. All in all, this is such a cool setting for a sci-fi-noir where murderous robot enemies lurk around every shadowed corner and your best friend is a talking gorilla with a banana complex.

Martinez has a way with words and plows through the plot, which is well planned. You have to ignore some of the convenient setups and twists you may see coming - this is the only aspect of the writing that cost this book the fifth star. The shadows of the conspiracy along with our increasing affection for a stand-up bot like Mack really pulls you through the story, waiting to see whats next. The characters are well written and above all, funny. I keep forgetting how good books have memorable characters that always have a humourous side to them even amidst whatever insanity and carnage may be going in. The descriptions of the various mutants will crack you up.

The real star of this book is the city itself and the evocations of classic detective tales in the imagery. If you are a fan of old school classics like Double Indemnity, Maltese Falcon, or Chandler books, then the Automatic Detective would be great for you. It gets even better if you are also a fan of science fiction.

This is a great weekend read, and hopefully Martinez will follow-up with the further adventures of this giant robot detective.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 23, 2008 Hotspur rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of cross genre fiction mashups, noir, and detective stories

Recommended to Hotspur by: Amazon Recommendations, actually

Shelves: science-fiction

Former evil wardroid Mack Megaton discovered he has "The Spark".. or the sense of self-awareness that turns a robot into an "automated citizen" with feelings, a sense of humor, curiosity and sense of self. This revelation causes him to turn on his creator, an evil genius.

It is now almost a year later, and Mack Megaton is trying to prove his worth as an "Automated Citizen" of Empire City-- a crazy hodgepodge burg of scientists, corporations, and technology run amok. Mack is having a hard go of i...more

1 like · like · see review

May 02, 2008 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, future-noir

I really liked the ending. The rest of the book was good, but I really liked the end.
And as I think about the writing of A. Lee Martinez I find that I have almost always really liked the ending. The ends of his novels are the best parts in my opinion, he does a great job of world building and a great exploration of the story and tells a good story, but undoubtedly I'd have to say that the best parts of all his books are usually the end.
This has a great pulpy feel to it, the title detective is...more

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 09, 2008 Tattered Cover Book Store added it

Shelves: ryan-recommends, staff-recommends

A solid story and an unforgettable protagonist are just two of the many reasons you will enjoy this clever and humorous homage to golden age sci-fi and hardboiled detective story.

Ryan

1 like · like · see review

Mar 13, 2009 Perryville Library rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, megan, sci-fi

A. Lee Martinez has never taken his plot line too seriously. The result is a book that gets a kick out of being unabashedly cliché and ends up surprisingly original. A perfect example: The Automatic Detective, staring Mack Megaton, a one of a kind robot designed by an evil genius to lead a robotic uprising. But thanks to the development of free will within his programming, Mack has elected a more staid existence as a cab driver. His goal is keeping his head down and working towards citizenship i...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2013 Kyle Maas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

Gritty noir with a supernatural twist, Martinez writes a well crafted tale of good guy...err...robot trying to do the right thing despite everything telling him not to. Oh, and there’s talking gorillas. Enough said.

Empire City: the City of the Future! Well, kind of. Just because there are robots and mutants walking around in the open and scientific innovation is commonplace, doesn’t mean everything is perfect. The rules of city life still apply, you just may find yourself driven around in a taxi...more Gritty noir with a supernatural twist, Martinez writes a well crafted tale of good guy...err...robot trying to do the right thing despite everything telling him not to. Oh, and there’s talking gorillas. Enough said.

Empire City: the City of the Future! Well, kind of. Just because there are robots and mutants walking around in the open and scientific innovation is commonplace, doesn’t mean everything is perfect. The rules of city life still apply, you just may find yourself driven around in a taxi by a talking gorilla instead of someone that smells like a talking gorilla. Or even Mack, a giant robot designed for death and destruction that’s developed a little glitch called free will, and has decided that killing everyone around him isn’t the best idea. Not that it isn’t tempting at times.

Mack starts the story as a taxi driver just trying to find his way. He wants to get citizenship, but he’s on probation to make sure that the whole free will thing sticks and he doesn’t turn into the giant murder machine he was designed to be. For the most part, that’s easy. Just lie low, go to therapy, and smash some cars at the junkyard every couple of weeks to work off some steam. A simple life, really. All of this changes when his neighbors, and really his only friends, are kidnapped and Mack is the only one who cares enough to go find them. He soon learns a couple of things: 1.) the kidnapping is only a piece of a much larger conspiracy and 2.) he’s pretty good at the whole asking questions and smashing heads thing that comes with doing some private investigation. Better than driving taxi’s even. So, career change in mind, Mack sets out to save the city, get the girl, and rescue the helpless. Not bad for a giant death robot. Not bad at all.

If you can’t tell, I liked this book. It’s nothing life changing, but it’s very entertaining and the world and characters offer a unique twist on the classic noir genre. With Martinez, you are guaranteed a wry sense of humor and quirky characters and worlds, but this is the most complete and compelling story of his that I have so far read. One thing that I do really appreciate about him is his ability to adapt his tone and style to whatever genre he’s working in. All of his books read slightly differently, and it’s hard to find authors who can do that effectively. This will not be the last book of his that I will read, but if you haven’t read him yet and are looking for something fun and unique, maybe it should be your first.
(less)

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Aug 18, 2011 Keith Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Automatic Detective is exactly the kind of book I’ve been looking for. A real fun mix of Scifi and Sam Spade. Martinez has just the right amount of gritty detective banter and Scifi gadgetry to keep me hanging on every word. What a great ride through the future world that Mack Megaton lives in. A world where Bots and Autos live alongside of human beings, and by law, even apply to become citizens.

Mack becomes involved in a mystery that he just won’t let go of when his neighbors are attacked b...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 05, 2010 Danielle Parker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Book Review: ‘The Automatic Detective’ by A. Lee Martinez
Tor, 2008
ISBN-10: 0-7653-5794-1
317 pages

What makes comic books one of the more addictive creations in existence? They stand somewhere between a book and a movie, those colorful pages with their little bubbles of dialog. I suspect most of us go through a stage of absolute comic book addiction, and some of us never get out of it.
In fact, it’s probably a good guess that Japan consumes more comics than books. Of course they call them graphic...more Book Review: ‘The Automatic Detective’ by A. Lee Martinez
Tor, 2008
ISBN-10: 0-7653-5794-1
317 pages

What makes comic books one of the more addictive creations in existence? They stand somewhere between a book and a movie, those colorful pages with their little bubbles of dialog. I suspect most of us go through a stage of absolute comic book addiction, and some of us never get out of it.
In fact, it’s probably a good guess that Japan consumes more comics than books. Of course they call them graphic novels now, but they’re still comics. My addiction was in the fourth grade, and while I never liked Superman (I preferred nerdy Clark Kent), I ate up Batman. If my source, a neighbor kid, hadn’t dried up, I might be reading them still.
The Automatic Detective is a comic book short of the pictures. That really annoyed me when I read it. Here was the perfect comic book adventure, the bang-up battles, the seven-foot hero, the clichés coming thick but still tongue-in-cheek, and nary a picture but on the cover. True, the cover is lurid enough, but who’s the brunette? Didn’t anyone tell that artist blondes are the classics in detective novels? The author knows. He’s got blondes in the book. Why didn’t someone take that artist aside and explain what a faux pas he made with his brunette? Though he did get the bust correct. And you don’t want to know this cup size. They do make supersized in more than fast food meals.
As you might guess, The Automatic Detective is a comic book in prose. The trench coat wearing dick is Mack Megatron, a seven-foot metal bot striving to earn proper citizenship in Empire City. He’s a probational citizen, since he was originally designed by a mad scientist to Ravage and Conquer the World. Having Free Will, however, Mack overcame his blood lust and tries to be good boy (though he still needs therapeutic smashing and bashing sessions). Just a little more good behavior, and he’ll be a full-fledged citizen. If he can just hang on and conquer those urges…
But there’s still a need for a bot who likes to smash and bash in Empire City. Mack’s next door neighbors are visited by a thug. Mack tries to intervene, but the frightened family shoo him off. Then Ma, Pa, the little boy and the little girl vanish.
But little April is a clairvoyant who gets glimpses of the future. She manages to pass Mack a note. Find us, it says.
No self-respecting soft-hearted metal monster could resist such a plea. Soon Mack’s on the lam from his cab driver job, on the hunt for the thug and his killer drone friends. Aliens pop up, and lustful blondes too (though this blonde lusts for Mack’s technology). Mack enlists the aid of his gorilla friend (take gorilla literally here), not to mention a tough but sympathetic cop, and soon the blood, the bits of metal, and the clichés fly. Mack, Savior of the World! He even wins that citizenship.
As you tell, this is a light hearted book which doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’m not sure there’s a single cliché of the pulp detective genre the author doesn’t take in vain, but it’s intentional fun. Yes, Mack gets a trench coat. Yes, Mack gets the blonde girl (though since he’s metal and she’s flesh and blood, I rather scratch my head over how this romance will work out in the long term). Yes, Mack gets plenty of outlet for his smash and bash. It really should have been in a comic book.
But read it for fun, and picture those bright colorful pages as they should be seen─with the little bubbles of dialog hovering by their mouths. Ah, the joy of comic books!

(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2009 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

I have a penchant for crime stories featuring unusual protagonists, and the faux-pulp period cover of the book, with its robot gumshoe, caught my eye. It's certainly not the first blend of the science-fiction and detective genres (I suppose Assimov's Caves of Steel takes that honor), but it's a fairly enjoyable example. The story takes place in the retro-future "Empire City" -- imagine a kind of sprawling Los Angeles meets Seattle by way of '50s pulp magazine covers. Lots of flying cars, robots...more

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Jun 05, 2009 Cyrano rated it 4 of 5 stars

If Raymond Chandler and William Gibson had one drunken night, nine months later, this book would be born. And if you had to pick two genres to mash, Cyberpunk and Noir are very well suited to the task. Their gears mesh in darkly readable ways.
This is a coming of age story, really, about a tactical combat robot who starts as a self-focused isolated unit just getting by, and then develops a sense of concern not just for individuals as friends but for the city as a whole. The author makes an effort...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Logan

Shelves: fiction

My first novel where a robot was the main character.
Plenty of drones, autos, and bots to go around, not to mention biologicals, mutants, and a gorilla in a purple suit.

Mack was built for destruction. But Mack has The Glitch and is trying like heck to be an Empire Citizen. When he finds his nieghbors missing/kidnapped, he goes against his better judgement and attempts to track them down.

Madness and Mayhem ensues.

Not quite up to par with Gil's but a riotous read nonetheless!

1 like · like · see review

Sep 14, 2008 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Raymond Chandler meets Isaac Asimov with more than a hint of Terry
Pratchett! This is a noir mystery with a cynical detective named Mack
who just happens to be a robot and the requisite beautiful blonde who
also happens to be a genius. Fabulous, clever and totally engaging!
Give this one to your sf loving high schoolers who like something a
little different.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 01, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, sci-fi

Martinez hat unglaublich viele irrwitzige und amüsante Ideen in diesen SciFi Krimi gesteckt. Der ehemaliger Killerroboter und Ich-Erzähler Mack, der regelmäßig Termine bei einer Psychologin hat, um nachzuweisen, dass von ihm keine Gefahr mehr ausgeht und die technologiegläubige Zukunftsstadt Empire City ihm die Bürgerrechte gewähren kann, wird Zeuge, wie eine Familie aus seiner Nachbarschaft verschwindet. Mack entschließt sich, vom Taxifahrer umzusatteln zum Privatdetektiv und mithilfe eines spr...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Chad rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book can be described as I, Robot meets Dick Tracy meets John Hartigan (Bruce Willis in Sin City). The point of view of robot was well done and not overwhelming (as it probably would be in real life). The author nailed the cold, emotionless and unstoppable force an A.I. In this case it was solving the kidnapping of his neighbors and uncovering deeper and darker secrets. The enhanced specs, memory downloads to aid police officers, mutated humans (world is a bad place in Empire City), predict...more

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Oct 25, 2009 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, funny, science-fiction, favorites, genre-fiction

Mack Megaton is a robot designed to bring mankind to its knees. Instead of following his intended directive, his ‘freewill glitch’ allows him to join the ranks and try to gain citizenship. His freewill gives him the personality of a typical street detective when he realizes his neighbors are missing and it is up to him to find them. Soon, Mack is deep in Empire City’s seedy, radioactive underbelly involved in something much bigger than just missing persons. Mostly science fiction, partly noir, a...more

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Apr 29, 2011 natercopia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Normally I wouldn't hope for a book to turn into film but this, I will make an exception. Just because I really want to see how on earth a gorilla can be friends with a machine. A. Lee Martinez never fail to surprise me with his absurd combination of characters. Even though the main character in this book claims that he was not programmed with a personality template, I felt that he portrayed more personality than some of the real biologicals I encounter daily (sad huh). Martinez wrote this book...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Tim Hicks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

As others have said, this is fun and also a good story. And a tad thought-provoking as we follow the protagonist's moral development.

My previous Martinez was "Emperor Mollusk vs. The Sinister Brain," which was a very silly (but fun) tribute to pulp fiction. This one is much more of an "ordinary" story.

A few ideas may have been lifted from Iron Man and perhaps James Bond's Q, but I have no problem with that.

Credit Martinez also for not rolling out a new unbeatable, invulnerable character every...more

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Feb 01, 2009 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: science fiction fans

Shelves: science-fiction, humor, library

Fredric Brown meets Terry Pratchett.

Or, 1940s detective pulp noir fiction meets a wacky science fiction universe.

Either way, The Automatic Detective is a light, funny, well-written novel. It never goes awry. Considering the sorry state of modern genre publishing, that's an achievement in itself.

The adventures of Mack Megaton, an erstwhile killing machine burdened with free will and a conscience, make for a good read. A. Lee Martinez hits the right notes and nods to the classic elements of the pu...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Guy Gonzalez rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was an unexpected disappointment; it's not a terrible read, but Martinez may have been a little too impressed with the presumed "cleverness" of his premise, ending up with a surprisingly derivative and bloodless mash-up of hard-boiled detective, gadget-driven sci-fi, and dystopian futures. While there are a couple of deeper philosophical themes that get touched on, it's very superficial, and the emphasis is on mildly dark humor that often misses the mark.

As a result, all of the characters a...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Nicholas Mariner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Probably would actually give this book three-and-a-half stars. I love books by A Lee Martinez. And it's probably that I love so many of this other books that this one didn't get as high of a rating. I'll try to separate my comments on it out to just the quality of this one book if it's your first by him to read.

The one thing I love about it is Martinez's firm grasp of the detective noir genre. It had all the right elements - reluctant hero in over his head but plunging forward anyway, vivacious...more

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Dec 14, 2010 Matt added it

This is the second book of A. Lee Martinez's that I read and I really enjoyed it. The mixture of science fiction and noir detective was a lot of fun to read. It was enjoyable from start to finish and had me laughing almost the whole way through. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, along with Brandon Sanderson.

If you're looking for some light reading (I say light only because it's a fairly small book..320 pages... compared to the normal 600-1000+ page fantasy epics that I also enj...more

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Jan 23, 2009 Sharakael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: detectives, quirky-protagonist, steampunk-cyberpunk

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It's a quick-paced read, and brought to mind the words "detective" and "noir". I read Dick Tracy when I was small (although I can't remember much), and it's in the same league as Dick Tracy... the characters, the world, the atmosphere.

It's not a proper murder mystery; it follows the usual private investigator novels... main character stumbled onto something s/he shouldn't have, situations forced him/her to be involved, main character chased after clues and leads and along the way uncovered consp...more

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May 03, 2008 Max T rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fromthelibrary

Loved this book - I'm a sucker for retro-futurism, and the world of Empire City works so well along those lines, and further compliments Martinez's noir pastiche.

My only regret is that Martinez doesn't appear to be one for sequels, and I'd LOVE to read about the further adventures of newfound detective Mack Megaton.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 29, 2010 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

What if Mike Hammer were a red, seven hundred pound robot designed to rule the world, but currently making a living driving a cab and attempting to make a normal life for himself? This book combines a futuristic setting with a late ninteen forties pulp detective novel, and to some sucess, despite the fact that it was published in 2008.

Martinez clearly tries to frame the book from a 1940's imagination of the future. For example, he makes a comment about a computer taking up most of a room and be...more

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Nov 17, 2009 Dominic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all fans of martinez, noir, sci-fi, and douglas adams like wit.

Recommended to Dominic by: past experiences with this author.

So, what can I say about this book? Much more well narrated than Martinez's other books, one of which I have read and reviewed, and others which I have skimmed. Overall, a very fun and, despite my original contrary judgment, actually quite original read. Fast paced and easy to get caught up in, as are all of Martinez's books.

My biggest problem with this book was the fact that the protagonist, Mack Megaton, as is with ALL of Martinez's protagonists, is pretty much invincible. Despite being a robo...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is both a 1940's hard-boiled detective novel and a sci-fi story about a robot in Empire City - a town so toxic that mutants are a common sight. Mack, the main character and narrator, is a robot designed for world conquest who has since reformed and become a lonely cab driver. When a family he cares about disappears, Mack commits himself to tracking them down.

It is a lot of fun to read because the book succeeds so thoroughly in both genres. It is impressive just how much Martinez is ab...more

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Mar 25, 2009 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, sci-fi

I LOVED this book. It's part sci-fi, part hard-boiled detective novel. A robot designed for world domination rebels against his programming, and becomes a cab driver. When the family next door is kidnapped, Mack Megaton realizes that he's the only one who cares enough to go looking for them.

Hilarity insues in the form of a sentient ape, aliens, and a classy dame who's warm for Megaton's form (even 'bots think technophiles are weird).

I really enjoyed Martinez's first novel, Gil's All Fright Din ...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Acurtis49 rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book without feeling the need of my usual self qualification as an English teacher: is this a book that I should be reading? Is this a book that I should enjoy?

It was a book I could just sit back with, relax, and smile. Mack was a wonderful character to follow. Simple in nature with slight developments over the course the story. Lows and highs over the course of his personal journey.

The idea that he was a machine that was becoming more human was a very interesting to foll...more

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About A. Lee Martinez

A. Lee Martinez was born in El Paso, Texas. At the age of eighteen, for no apparent reason, he started writing novels. Thirteen short years (and a little over a dozen manuscripts) later, his first novel, Gil's All Fright Diner, was published. His hobbies include juggling, games of all sorts, and astral projecting. Also, he likes to sing along with the radio when he's in the car by himself.

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