Robopocalypse: A Novel

Daniel H. Wilson

Jun 2011 · Sold by Vintage

About this ebook

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • This terrifying tale of humanity’s desperate stand against a robot uprising is the most entertaining sci-fi thriller in years. • “Terrific, page-turning fun.” —Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly

Not far into our future, the dazzling technology that runs our world turns against us. Controlled by a childlike—yet massively powerful—artificial intelligence known as Archos, the global network of machines on which our world has grown dependent suddenly becomes an implacable, deadly foe. At Zero Hour—the moment the robots attack—the human race is almost annihilated, but as its scattered remnants regroup, humanity for the first time unites in a determined effort to fight back. This is the oral history of that conflict, told by an international cast of survivors who experienced this long and bloody confrontation with the machines. Brilliantly conceived and amazingly detailed, Robopocalypse is an action-packed epic with chilling implications about the real technology that surrounds us. 


 

Ratings and reviews

Don't let the author's PhD in robotics fool you. This is no "faction" book full of interesting insights and "gee, I-didn't-know-that" moments; And it sure as hell isn't a literary work! This is a beach read with lots of familiar, comfortable action-thriller tropes and cheezy dialog. The Mad Scientist brought low by his hubris. The Evil Frankenstein's Monster causing mass destruction. Plucky little girl terrorized by mysterious force. Rotten teenage brat redeeming himself with heroic self-sacrifice. Brave grunts fighting to the last man. etc.

This book reads like a typical Hollywood movie. It feels like the reader is thrown in the middle of a story that began well before it begins. Key details are left out and the reactions of the characters seem too melodramatic and contrived. I'm a hard scifi fan and this reads too much like an action flick that glosses over the important details about how the technology works and how they got to this point of advancement. You are just thrown into this world and expected to believe it all makes sense. Many times it jus doesn't. It will likely make a decent movie but as a book it is a bit lacking.

All in all an excellent presentation of a classic concept. Where it falls short, though, is in the voices of the individual characters. The very young preteen often uses the language of an adult in her 30s, for example, making the persona inauthentic. The same happens with other characters who often start out with an appropriate voice but then evolve into what I assume is the authors own vernacular. The book did keep me riveted, however, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

About the author

DANIEL H. WILSON earned a Ph.D. in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is the author of Robogenesis, The Clockwork Dynasty, How to Survive a Robot Uprising, Where’s My Jetpack?, How to Build a Robot Army, The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame, Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown, and A Boy and His Bot.