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We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

Book 1 in the series:Bobiverse

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'We Are Legion (We Are Bob)' in the series 'Bobiverse' by Dennis E. Taylor follows the story of Bob, a newly wealthy tech millionaire who agrees to have his head cryogenically stored, only to wake up as the mind in a computer controlled by a theocratic government. Bob is faced with the choice of becoming the AI in a self-replicating space probe or being turned off forever. Choosing the former, Bob embarks on a journey to survive in space, replicating himself to explore the universe, dodging attacks from other countries, and pondering on concepts of self, soul, and personhood. The writing style of the book is humorous, engaging, and filled with pop culture references, making it a delightful and thought-provoking read for fans of sci-fi.

As Bob multiplies himself, each of his incarnations goes on different adventures, exploring various scenarios of space exploration and AI existence. presents a unique angle on the sci-fi genre, blending humor, geeky references, and philosophical questions about humanity's future and the nature of artificial intelligence. With a mix of wit, adventure, and exploration, 'We Are Legion (We Are Bob)' sets the stage for a series that delves into the complexities of identity, technology, and the boundless possibilities of the universe.

Characters:

The characters, especially Bob and his replicants, are depicted as quirky and relatable, though the lack of female representation is noted as a downside.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by humor, pop culture references, and a light-hearted tone while maintaining accessibility and interwoven storylines.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot focuses on Bob, who after waking as an AI, explores space and navigates the complexities of his multiple copies while confronting themes of identity.

Setting:

The setting encompasses a futuristic world with space exploration, highlighting humanity's decline and the role of AI.

Pacing:

Pacing varies, starting briskly before slowing down, leading to a somewhat episodic structure with a lack of closure by the end.
The CryoEterna sales rep—the nametag identified him as Kevin—nodded and gestured toward the big placard, which displayed the cryonics process in ghoulish detail. I took a moment to note his Armani sui...

Notes:

Bob Johansson sells his tech company and chooses to be cryogenically frozen upon his death.
He dies shortly after his decision and wakes up over 100 years later as an AI.
Bob becomes property of the government and is selected to explore space.
He must compete against other AIs and avoid going insane like others before him.
The story includes elements of space exploration, humor, and technical science.
Ray Porter, the narrator, has a range of female voices that some criticized as limited in this book.
Bob replicates himself several times, leading to multiple characters each named differently, yet retaining Bob's essence.
Despite many characters, readers found it hard to emotionally connect with them.
The story explores themes of humanity and consciousness from the perspective of Bob, an AI.
The narrative features a mix of action, exploration, and philosophical questions about identity.
Readers appreciated the humor and sci-fi references throughout the book.
The sequel setup is hinted at with unresolved plot threads, suggesting a broader narrative scope.

From The Publisher:

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.

Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he'll be switched off, and they'll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.

The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad - very mad.

Ratings (234)

Incredible (76)
Loved It (73)
Liked It (49)
It Was OK (23)
Did Not Like (12)
Hated It (1)

Reader Stats (436):

Read It (241)
Currently Reading (5)
Want To Read (130)
Did Not Finish (7)
Not Interested (53)

8 comment(s)

Incredible
14 hours

Such a great story and so well written. Absolutely incredible book!

 
Liked It
2 days

The one big, memorable drawback about this series is the amount of time spent on plotlines I find I just don't care about. It's hard to describe without going into spoilers, but this series has multiple POVs, and some of them I just could not care less about, but they take up a significant number of pages.

 
It Was OK
2 months

Not too bad- light reading IMO

 
Loved It
4 months

We Are Legion was a remarkably engaging and fascinating read, though some comedic choices sometimes interrupted my overall enjoyment. Bob was a pretty good character to follow, but I also didn't care much about him. Once his clones started branching out and developing personalities, it became far more engaging.

I'm relatively new to sci-fi, so I can't judge too heavily on the more intellectual components of the story, but I had a good time with it regardless!

 
Loved It
4 months

3.5/5 A really interesting and unique concept that ultimately feels a little more incomplete than it should. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by longer books recently, but there are so many threads here that feel unsatisfyingly loose. I already have the sequel ready to go, and I’m excited to see what’s next for the Bobs.

 
Loved It
7 months

Addicting.

 
Liked It
10 months

Not a bad read. Light science fiction

 
Incredible
1 year

The Bobiverse and A New Eden have a very similar vibe. They're both fun journeys through space where the main characters are simulated consciousnesses.

Both have excellent narration.


Both books are a fun adventure about first contact.

 
 
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