"We Are Legion (We Are Bob)": Bobiverse, Book 1, a Review
The Audiobook Rocks! Hard!
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) is Dennis E. Taylor's captivating blend of high-concept science fiction and wry humor.
Narrated by the inimitable Ray Porter, it offers a thought-provoking exploration of consciousness and identity: the concept of which somehow seems bolder and more audacious when Taylor's scenario is constructed in Carl Sagan's backyard.
(One could argue that a Cumberland Gap escape plan for a mind blown to bits when first reading "The Cosmos" led to the invention of bubble wrap!)
Taylor's premise is so ridiculous and so profoundly "what if"-ish that one sometimes can’t help but chuckle and be concerned at the same time.
Click here to listen to this audiobook for free with a 30-day trial.
Ray Porter is a Great Narrator!
Ray Porter's performance is nothing short of exceptional. His voice, a flexible instrument, shifts effortlessly between the distinct personalities of the cloned “Bobs”.
“Bob”, a freshly minted AI, undergoes an unforgettable journey that his bookend characters cannot.
The two-part narrative, filled with a range of emotions that veer from the comedic to the chilling, tells a "what could be" story wherein laughter is the sound of hubris.
But more about that later.
What is almost truly horrifying in the book is not the potential hazards of AI gone wild but rather the characterization of humans. Laughing as we are, we serve primarily as foils for the Bobs.
This novel is both intriguing and thought-provoking as it tackles weighty philosophical issues. It is kind of amazing to see how much Taylor has crammed into this romp of a yarn. Provocative questions about the nature of consciousness, the free will versus determinism debate, and the very meaning of life are raised. But they seem to be mostly window-dressing as the author figures out ways to get his characters to live through these (and other) adventures.
Click here to listen to this audiobook for free with a 30-day trial.
Yet, at some point, a person is bound to ask Taylor, "Okay, but what does all this have to do with anything?"
The story has a fast-forward momentum and is filled with the unexpected twists and turns that make for an entertaining read. Taylor tells it with considerable wit and the prose crackles with energy.
Taylor keeps his physics mostly to a minimum and makes it instantly understandable when he does.
Another highlight of this novel is the world-building. Taylor not only creates one alien civilization - but two. And while the second is a bit of a rehash of the first, both are well imagined.
The story's premise (interstellar travel and colonization) is not only thrilling, but mind-bending and, in the thinking person's science-fiction tradition, largely informative.
The two things I enjoy most about ‘hard’ science fiction are the rigorousness of thought that goes into creating it and the intellectual stimulation it provides.
I can't say that “We Are Legion (We Are Bob)” offers as much of either as some of its contemporaries, but it does accomplish both the rigor and the stimulation while being a fair amount of fun, too.
Click here to listen to this audiobook for free with a 30-day trial.
“We Are Legion (We Are Bob)” is a supremely entertaining way to kill some time!
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Comments (2)
Interesting review
Nice review