Robopocalypse – a Review

Hmm… seems I’m writing quite a few book reviews here lately. Oh, well… I just happen to be catching up on my summer reading, I s’pose.

Here’s my latest…

Robopocalypse by Dr. Daniel H. Wilson

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; First Edition edition (June 7, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385533853
• ISBN-13: 978-0385533850

I read this book in just two evening sessions. It is an awesome page-turner. Stephen King says about it, “It’s terrific page-turning fun.” He’s not kidding. I really enjoyed this book. The story is interesting and intriguing. For a techie, it’s extremely thought-provoking. I’ve even written about some of the possibilities elsewhere already. It’ll keep you up a bit late at night staring into the darkness of your bedroom ceiling contemplating the future. For a lay person, it’ll be pure, unadulterated, adrenalin-infused entertainment.

Dr. Wilson writes in clean, concise prose. The story unfolds as a sort of historical documentary of events in the recent past. I had to snicker a bit when I realized that this story was sort of a cross between the Terminator series of stories and the Max Brooks World War Z zombiepocalypse. This description is by no means meant to be derogatory. From my viewpoint, it’s a compliment. I’m a big fan of all things Terminator and Brooks’ excellent book.

Young Cormac Wallace, a Gray Horse Army veteran, has the duty of documenting this story from a unique source. The book is sub-divided into chapters that progress from the very first transient events that hint at what’s to come all the way to the end of the war that is fought by a desperate species and their allies to recover/achieve their humanity. The characters are strong. The history is told in a compelling way in the voices of those who live it.

Humans are a diverse species. What we have in common, though, is our incomparable ability to kill… kill other species, kill our own species, kill anything. Humans are very good at that. Another trait that humankind has, one that’s probably kept us from going extinct in the past, is that we work well together against a common enemy. Nothing erases our differences faster than a threat to all of us from an outsider.

Cormac Wallace says it best…

Human beings adapt. It’s what we do. Necessity can obliterate our hatreds. To survive, we will work together. Accept each other. The last few years have likely been the only time in human history that we weren’t at war with ourselves. For a moment we were all equal. Backs against the wall, human beings at their finest.

The movie is already in production. If Spielberg makes his usual magic, the movie will be awesome. However, don’t wait for it. Go read the book. You won’t regret it.

Later…

~Eric

Image credit: Jacket image by Giiman, courtesy of Turbosquid.com

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