9.8 KiB
[HSF, RT] We Are Legion (We Are Bob) - a novel about Von Neumann probes
-
Author: u/DRMacIver *
-
URL: https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ/
-
Score: 23
-
Created: 2017-02-14T13:18:27
Post:
Comments:
u/xamueljones [+6] My arch-enemy is entropy (5 hours later)
I read this book months ago when it was posted once before on this subreddit.
It got boring when the narrative split into multiple threads to 'show' Bob's expansion through the universe and I just couldn't keep up any motivation to keep reading.
The plotline is very interesting, but the prose is written in a very monotone manner and I couldn't empathize with the character or care about their achievements. It was as if the characters lacked a 'voice' and I was reading a dry history text book.
It also seemed to be incapable of making up its mind whether it wanted to focus on the intellectual physics problem solving or be an action-packed battle between opposing Von Neumann swarms, and kept jumping back and forth between the two.
I personally think the structuring/pace of the novel was jerky. It was either slow or fast in places especially when transitioning from one character to another. 2/5 with most of the enjoyment coming from reading the summary of how the novel came out. Brilliant ideas, horrible execution.
u/GlueBoy [+7] anti-skub (5 hours later)
I agree with your rating. My main issue was the absurd, unrealistic lengths the author goes to maintain narrative tension. Besides the unexplained resource constraints the other commenter touched on, the part I just couldn't get over was when Bob was observing the Deltans. spoiler Watching this AI capable of interstellar travel being nearly defeated by some stupid shit-eating brutes incapable of making fire or even speech... Maybe 2/5 is too much, even.
u/xamueljones [+3] My arch-enemy is entropy (11 hours later)
Maybe 2/5 is too much, even.
I didn't even get that far. I gave up roughly halfway through the book. 2/5 is what I awarded the part I read. For all I know, you are right about the later half being worth 1/5.
u/MaxMahem [+3] (2 hours later)
This review may contain minor spoilers.
A good book, my brother and I both enjoyed it. I'd rate it pretty highly as far as 'rationality' go. It features a protagonists who acts (IMO) both rationally, and (importantly) still retains their humanity (which is ironic given the subject matter).
However, I'd rate it as only fair in terms of literature. The prose is passable and the dialog (and monologue) are both decent (IMO being decent is fair praise, as decent dialog/monologue are not easy to do). The protagonists has a relatable and entertaining voice. However the novel quickly splits into several narrative threads which only very loosely interconnect. The novel lacks any significant dramatic structure after the first 'act' (departure of the probe), which is unfortunate because the dramatic structure is handled very well in the first act. After this, while many interesting events happen, the split up of the narrative seems to thwart any kind of rising action and climax. And ultimately the novel ends kind of abruptly (although a sequel is certainly in the works).
As far as objections to the science go, my only major one is how the novel handles the idea of 'resource constraints' on Von Neumann probes. As far as I can tell, within the setting of the novel there shouldn't be any. There is no call out to some specific resource the probes need that might be limited in quantity, or that only a certain fraction of a systems resources are accessible to the probe for some reason. Given the absence of those two limitations, it would seem an 'average' system would contain basically unlimited resources. However the Novel plays with the idea of resource constraints for reasons that are never satisfactorily explained IMO.
A more minor quibble is about the Bob 'cloning' process. For whatever reason, whenever Bob creates a copy of himself, the copy is slightly different for some reason. Fine, I can accept this as a worthy hand-wave for artistic reasons, as it enables the creation of a more 'diverse' cast of 'protagonists.' And in fact its a good way of dealing with the 'immortality' problem of "Mind Virtualization" since a mind cannot be meaningfully be restored 'from backup.' The restored mind, while it will retain the same memories and will be very similar, will also be materially different from the original mind in ways that would be significant to the original mind. However the novel still has the 'Bobs' sending back 'backup copies' and 'deltas.' Even though, as I understand and pointed out above, these do not seem to be things that could meaningfully be used.
Quibbles minor and major aside, I'd give the Novel a 4/5. The ideas are good, its pretty rational, and the writing is entertaining. I could wish for a better dramatic structure to hold it all together, but I'll happily take what I was given. I eagerly await the sequel.
Bonus ideas I think would have been great for the author to include (or put in the sequel).
Tracking the ages of 'Bobs'. The Novel has a lot of elements that can adjust how the Bob's track the passing of time. They have the ability to travel at relativistic speeds and the ability to adjust their 'clock rate' which basically adjusts their subjective perception of time. As such it might be interesting to keep track of how 'old' the various Bobs are, both by their 'objective' time (well that is the subjective measure of a clock that was traveling with them :P) and their 'subjective' time (the amount of time they have subjectively experienced).
Tracking the linage of Bobs. As you have Bobs splitting off and making copies of themselves in turn, it might be interesting to track some of the linage of these various 'family trees' of Bobs. As each copy varies slightly from the original 'Bob' might it be possible for the various Bob lineages to develop some interesting 'traits' that distinguish a Bob of one tree from a Bob of another?
u/DRMacIver [+3] (4 hours later)
these do not seem to be things that could meaningfully be used.
The way I interpreted these was that they were effectively preserving lineages - although when you "restore from backup" you're not actually going to get the same individual back, it does ensure a continuity of memory that you would otherwise lack, and as a result the newly created Bob will be closer to the cloned Bob than one from another lineage.
plays with the idea of resource constraints for reasons that are never satisfactorily explained IMO
The only place where I found the resource constraints very unconvincing were in the sol system, which was supposedly because it had already been heavily mined out. In the rest of the book the constraint seemed to be how quickly they could grow production capacity rather than resources per se (and one other place where there was another plot element causing it).
u/MaxMahem [+1] (4 hours later)
The way I interpreted these was that they were effectively preserving lineages
This would make sense, but they specifically use the term 'backup' which made me doubt this interpretation. I think it could have done with a line or two clarifying the purpose of these. Perhaps something we'll see in the squeal as as far as I recall, no backups were 're-instanced' in the first book.
The only place where I found the resource constraints very unconvincing were in the sol system, which was supposedly because it had already been heavily mined out
heh, I was avoiding mentioning the location to avoid more heavy spoilers, but yeah I though the same. If anything it seemed to me that whatever infrastructure survived in the Sol system could be used to 'ramp-up' production even faster. Although I seem to recall resources being an issue a couple other times with systems only supposedly having enough material for X 'Bobs.' (aside from the system with the that other plot element you reference).
u/mycroftxxx42 [+3] (9 hours later)
From reading these reviews, this novel sounds like an akward-in-the-morning drunken encounter between Jack Williamson's Manseed, Larry Niven's A World Out of Time, and Greg Egan's Diaspora. I guess the first two are old enough to be generic influences and the third is young enough to be topical.
u/ArgentStonecutter [+3] Emergency Mustelid Hologram (a day later)
Sounds like "Rammer" except that Corbell and Peersa are combined into a corpsicle AI?
Also I would have thought they'd get lots of volunteers for the job, they shouldn't need to use corpsicles.
u/DRMacIver [+3] (a day later)
In the story the uploading process is destructive and has a rather low success rate. Also the uploaded minds have no legal rights. I imagine this doesn't make it a very attractive proposition.
u/Dragonheart91 [+2] (10 hours later)
I think this book is a great addition to the mainstream rational bookshelf right behind The Martian. Great humor, solid rational protagonist, and interesting explorations of science fiction concepts.