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Robopocalypse A Novel Daniel H Wilson Books

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Robopocalypse A Novel Daniel H Wilson Books

You know that cool remote engine starting feature of your car? How about the computer controlled traffic light system? Or the drones the military is using? What if a malicious artificial intelligence entity managed to gain control of all that--and more? That's the scenario Daniel Wilson lays out in Robopocalypse. In his near-future novel, we don't just have remote start but auto drive; not only traffic lights but emergency vehicles are computer-controlled; and most actual combat is done by robots. A lone scientist has perfected the creation of a complete thinking, reasoning artificial intelligence. He took safeguards to keep the AI contained, but it learned so quickly that it was able to "escape" and slowly take over the computers of the world.

The problem is that Archos, as the AI calls itself, has apparently been reading Al Gore's books. It is disgusted with the way humans treat their environment, and begins to eliminate the human virus from the earth. His program of extermination begins with small acts, like a domestic robot who attacks humans, a peacekeeping robot who overcomes its nonviolent programming to kill civilians and soldiers, a robotic doll who attacks the child owner, the elevators that take building residents to their deaths. (Uh, oh, maybe it's beginning! This happened in NYC! Story here.) This is where Robopocalypse is strongest: telling the stories of these episodes of technology turning on us, where people are no longer the master, being mastered by their tools and toys. Imagine the horror of being behind the wheel of your cool new car with all the bells and whistles, then losing control as the autodrive takes over, mowing down pedestrians, then drives you into the lake where you slowly drown with your family.

With so much of human life relying on computerized and robotic controls, civilization quickly crumbles once the robots really get going. Here's where the weaker part of the book. Not that the second half of the book is bad; it's certainly entertaining. But it becomes a little cliched: if you've seen one post-alien invasion or post-nuclear war movie, you've seen them all. People flee, they learn how to survive in adverse conditions, unlikely heroes arise, and they unite to fight a common foe. This will make a fun, special-effects filled movie. In fact, the book reads like that, cutting from one scene to another, playing out like a screenplay.

There's not a ton of depth here, but it's a fun read, like the summer blockbuster it's destined to be. Enjoy!


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Robopocalypse A Novel Daniel H Wilson Books Reviews

The war between the robots and humankind is over. And one of the human soldiers who has fought in the last battle has found an archive of everything that has been recorded by the machines in interviews with participants. With just brief comments by the narrator, the book consists of short chapters representing a wide variety of characters, both human and machine. And lots of the putting together is up to the reader. Eventually a core group of characters become the central focus, and the final battle is intense and profound.
This is a fine, fine book, and I urge you to read it. It’s a great example of dystopian science fiction.
This is a superbly engaging oral history of a singularity event gone awry that leaves Humanity facing an extinction-level event.

I loved how the seemingly disparate vignettes slowly converged on one another and the larger narrative became more apparent, although I would have appreciated even more insights into the workings, continued development, and rationale of Archos (and the extent to which it did, or even could, alter or enhance itself). Some of the AI's more grisly experimentation into cybernetic enhancement and its research platforms were of particular interest, but any and all additional insights would have been welcome.

I also appreciated how many of the noteworthy survivors were themselves deeply flawed and complicated people, rather than the one-dimensional hero types that would negate a lot of the dramatic tension and intrinsic ambiguity about what is "right" in a story like this. It's not that I am opposed to the idea of noble self-sacrifice or disbelieve that it would occur, but the stakes and pervasive existential dread of this story make it feel much more realistic that many folks would look to their own needs first and foremost, even at the expense of Team Humanity.

I haven't enjoyed a fictional documentary-type story this much since World War Z and am eager to dive into the sequel.
I thoroughly loved this sci-fi adventure about living through the end of the world. The premise of the novel is that an advanced AI has become sentient and decides it doesn't like being humankind's pet. The robot uprising is devastating. Wilson describes the near-future tech that devastates mankind after it is no longer in our control with a certain gleeful abandon the careening autonomous car was particularly memorable.

But the novel is not about the destruction. Rather, it really is a hopeful novel. Multiple survivors from all over the globe contribute to the narrative. Some of the tales are harrowing (such as surviving in New York), but at least one made me laugh (the leader of the Japanese enclave's enduring relationship). These survivors find ways to survive and work together. They adapt to the new "Rob" controlled world. They form friendships and learn to see past the things that formerly divided us from one another. Ultimately the novel asks readers to consider the what is to be alive.

For this reader, who is also from Wilson's home state of Oklahoma, I particularly enjoyed seeing Oklahoma geography and Native politics played out in a sci-fi setting. Fashioning Osage County as the last best hope for mankind was a stroke of vivid imagination!

I will absolutely pick up the sequel Robogenesis A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries) and can't wait to dive into it.
This is one of my favorite books. Imagine one day your driving in your self driving car and it runs head on to another car as if they meant to kill you. Or you see cars running over people and the street sweepers picking up the dead bodies and loading them for disposal at the local dump. What would you do? Will make you see Artificial Intelligence's possible dark side. Finished this book on a sunny day when I could have gone outside, but the book kept me engaged. Definitely one to read.
You know that cool remote engine starting feature of your car? How about the computer controlled traffic light system? Or the drones the military is using? What if a malicious artificial intelligence entity managed to gain control of all that--and more? That's the scenario Daniel Wilson lays out in Robopocalypse. In his near-future novel, we don't just have remote start but auto drive; not only traffic lights but emergency vehicles are computer-controlled; and most actual combat is done by robots. A lone scientist has perfected the creation of a complete thinking, reasoning artificial intelligence. He took safeguards to keep the AI contained, but it learned so quickly that it was able to "escape" and slowly take over the computers of the world.

The problem is that Archos, as the AI calls itself, has apparently been reading Al Gore's books. It is disgusted with the way humans treat their environment, and begins to eliminate the human virus from the earth. His program of extermination begins with small acts, like a domestic robot who attacks humans, a peacekeeping robot who overcomes its nonviolent programming to kill civilians and soldiers, a robotic doll who attacks the child owner, the elevators that take building residents to their deaths. (Uh, oh, maybe it's beginning! This happened in NYC! Story here.) This is where Robopocalypse is strongest telling the stories of these episodes of technology turning on us, where people are no longer the master, being mastered by their tools and toys. Imagine the horror of being behind the wheel of your cool new car with all the bells and whistles, then losing control as the autodrive takes over, mowing down pedestrians, then drives you into the lake where you slowly drown with your family.

With so much of human life relying on computerized and robotic controls, civilization quickly crumbles once the robots really get going. Here's where the weaker part of the book. Not that the second half of the book is bad; it's certainly entertaining. But it becomes a little cliched if you've seen one post-alien invasion or post-nuclear war movie, you've seen them all. People flee, they learn how to survive in adverse conditions, unlikely heroes arise, and they unite to fight a common foe. This will make a fun, special-effects filled movie. In fact, the book reads like that, cutting from one scene to another, playing out like a screenplay.

There's not a ton of depth here, but it's a fun read, like the summer blockbuster it's destined to be. Enjoy!