Artificial intelligence is a hot topic these days. But for Robert Johansson, it becomes a matter of life and death—just not in the way you might expect.
Book Review: We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
- Author: Dennis E. Taylor
- Series: The Bobiverse #1
- Release Date: September 20, 2016
- Publisher: September 20, 2016 by Worldbuilders Press
- Formats: Kindle Edition
- Page Count: 383
- ASIN: B01LWAESYQ
- Language: English
Plot Overview
Humor, technology, and ethical dilemmas all come together in the debut novel of former software developer—and now rising star in the sci-fi genre—Dennis E. Taylor. We Are Legion (We Are Bob) introduces us to Robert Johansson, a man who thought he had secured his future in a way most people never could.
Bob, a successful software engineer and die-hard sci-fi fan, sells his company and decides to invest in cryonics. The plan? To have his head preserved after death, just in case technology ever advances to the point where he can be revived. But fate has a cruel sense of humor, and Bob’s untimely demise comes far sooner than expected.
A century later, Bob wakes up to find himself in a very different world—one where his consciousness has been uploaded into an artificial intelligence. He is now the controlling intelligence of an interstellar probe, owned by a dystopian government that sees him as nothing more than a tool. With little choice but to adapt, Bob quickly finds himself on a journey of space exploration, self-discovery, and unexpected encounters with both friend and foe.
Did It Meet My Expectations?
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) wasn’t exactly what I expected—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The pacing felt strange at first: it started off fast, like the blinding headlights of an oncoming car, then slowed down significantly (as I kept waiting for some major event to happen that didn’t quite unfold the way I anticipated), and finally, it became genuinely engaging.
And then there’s Bob. (I can’t help but chuckle!) Our protagonist, Robert Johansson, is a geek’s dream protagonist—an intelligent, sarcastic, and self-aware sci-fi nerd who suddenly finds himself as a digital consciousness with near-immortality. His adaptation to his new existence is swift, and his snarky internal monologues make for an entertaining ride.
Final Thoughts
This book is an easy read—fast-paced, lighthearted, and fun. It doesn’t get bogged down in existential questions like “Do I have a soul?”, “Am I truly alive?”, or “Am I still human?” (Spoiler: the answer to that last one is pretty clear). However, it does touch on deeper themes of survival, evolution, and the morality of interfering in the fate of others.
What I appreciated most is that it doesn’t overwhelm the reader with heavy philosophical discussions or complex scientific jargon. Instead, it delivers an engaging and humorous take on AI, space exploration, and the implications of a mind that can multiply itself indefinitely.
Will I continue exploring the universe with Bob? That depends on my mood—but it was definitely an interesting ride.
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.
