Welcome to Weird Things, a new regular column taking an oblique look at strange ideas from the worlds of SF, fantasy and beyond, that might – just might – be worth thinking about. Daniel H Wilson's novel, Robopocalypse, comes pre-packaged with two Unique Selling Points. First, that the author holds a Phd in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, and is hence more than just another oddball SF writer with an overactive imagination. And that, having been bought by Steven Spielberg for production "even before it was finished", the novel is already a success, and nothing breeds success like success. If the point of a book's title is to let the reader (or potential Hollywood producer) know exactly what is inside the tin, then Robopocalypse succeeds admirably. No doubt the sequels Zombiegeddon and Alienvasion have already been commissioned (from other suitably qualified experts).