Bob wakes up in a very different world than the one he died in. Actually, he’s not really alive since he’s a computer, but, technicalities…. Now he’s in control of a Von Neumann probe, equipped with enough 3D printers, blue prints and mining equipment to explore new star systems and make more Bobs.

After he creates several clones of himself, they all set out for different missions, including going on to other systems to explore, staying in their new home to do some research, and going back to earth to see what happened while they were in transit.

While each probe (a new “Bob’s” first job is to give himself a new first name) encounters different problems, they all fall back on the original Bob’s background in project management and love of science to figure things out. There is some space combat, but the vast majority of the conflict in the novel is generated from the clashing of personalities and the constraints of a limited budget. As a whole, I would classify this as a pretty cut and dry example of a “discovery” or Milieu story since we’re more interested in the universe and what Bob (and his various iterations) will find than any kind of antagonistic force.

Characters

Well we’ve got Bob. And then Bob. And Bob. Its a good and bad problem to be honest. While each new iteration does have some personality quirks, Milo and Homer stand out in particular, I do wonder if having this many characters that are fundamentally similar, will end up getting old after a time. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sarcasm geek outs that the Bobs have, but there were a couple points where I would have enjoyed a bit more variety. That may have been a deliberate design choice, but it did still make me scratch my head a bit.

Plot

As the bobs go out to their various destinations, they mine resources, build new Bobs, and occasionally fight off the another probe. Riker, the Bob, that goes back to earth basically turns into a project manager in corporate America as he tries to save the survivors, dealing with competing stakeholders (aka, different groups of refugees) while balancing limited resources. There was certainly some drama there, but I kept waiting for some shoe to drop. In the storyline I was most interested in, the original Bob finds a race of intelligent creatures that he works to save and shepard along the technological path to higher being. Really cool concept, and probably some of the tensest chapters of the book, but there was never any danger to Bob himself, so if this one didn’t work he could just go to the next system and try to find another race.

That’s not to say the book wasn’t enjoyable, but I never felt like there was a climax or resolution to the primary plot.

Setting

I love the version of the future and universe that Dennis E Taylor has given us. I wouldn’t want to live in it since most of Earth is a radioactive mess at this point, but the sheer wonder and excitement that any Bob has when he gets into a new system is contagious. The science and technical aspects of the universe were explained well enough to get a sense of what was happening, but I never felt like I was being lectured or that I was reading out of a text book.

Tone/Voice

The tone and voice was also right up my alley: sarcastic, self-aware and geeky. Taylor also does a great job of balancing the techno-babble with the story, but even when it does get more “sciencey” there are enough anecdotes from whichever Bob we’re with at the time to keep things fresh.

Fun Factor

The best part of the book for me was the sarcasm. I laughed several times as we went along, and I think that I enjoyed the plot much more because of the humor. I’d be interested to see how much of this carries over into the next book as we get more and more Bobs and their personalities diverge, but if its even half as much as was in the first one, I’m looking forward to reading it.

Overall – Top Shelf

This was a fun romp through the science of space exploration. Grounded enough that I recognized most of the technology and didn’t need a physics book, with the humor and sarcasm that I love. This was a great start for a series, and as long as Taylor doesn’t try to cram too many storylines into the rest of the series, I’m really looking forward to checking out the next chapter in Bob’s voyage into the final frontier.

Pairs well with…

Jefferson’s Ocean. Bob had to travel half way around the milky way and back,  and Jefferson’s Ocean had to make a few trips around the 7 seas before you could enjoy it. Its got a unique flair, most likely thanks to the salty air and constant roll of the waves, and has a really fun story behind each bottle.