Apatt's Reviews > Robopocalypse
Robopocalypse (Robopocalypse, #1)
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Robot uprising, killing people all over the shop, with this kind of premise what could go wrong?
Robopocalypse is often compared to Max Brooks' World War Z and the Terminator movie franchise for different reasons. The former comparison is because the story concerns a global attack on the human race by non-human creatures and is episodic structure. The difference is that the enemy of mankind in Robopocalypse is not a horde of homicidal robots but a single AI entity controlling masses of mindless unaware robots which come in all shapes and sizes including intelligent cars, elevators, photocopying machines etc. Robopocalypse has a limited cast of characters that the narrative repeatedly return to regularly and even a protagonist who frames the individual episodes and also appears in many of them. IMO the closest comparison is to the much maligned Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (the one with the sexy supermodelesque terminator).
On the whole I find the book to be poorly written, even chapters which are supposed to be a first-person narrative by a robot totally fail to convey the robotness of the narrator. For example the robot narrator describes the sound of a bullet's impact on metal as "PING!". Never mind artificial intelligence where is the natural intelligence in this? Characterization is also not a strong point in this book. Characters (including the protagonist) are generally flat and uninteresting (OK, may be except for Matilda the cybernetically modified little girl, and a perverted Japanese roboticist).
The book is mostly action packed and fast paced though I feel somewhat disconnected from it, which is why I took weeks to finish it in audiobook format. It has already been optioned for a film and I suppose it can be made into a fairly entertaining blockbuster sci-fi movie. At least the audience won't have to read the clunky prose and worse dialog. For my money, PKD's similarly themed Second Variety is far superior.
Robopocalypse is often compared to Max Brooks' World War Z and the Terminator movie franchise for different reasons. The former comparison is because the story concerns a global attack on the human race by non-human creatures and is episodic structure. The difference is that the enemy of mankind in Robopocalypse is not a horde of homicidal robots but a single AI entity controlling masses of mindless unaware robots which come in all shapes and sizes including intelligent cars, elevators, photocopying machines etc. Robopocalypse has a limited cast of characters that the narrative repeatedly return to regularly and even a protagonist who frames the individual episodes and also appears in many of them. IMO the closest comparison is to the much maligned Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (the one with the sexy supermodelesque terminator).
On the whole I find the book to be poorly written, even chapters which are supposed to be a first-person narrative by a robot totally fail to convey the robotness of the narrator. For example the robot narrator describes the sound of a bullet's impact on metal as "PING!". Never mind artificial intelligence where is the natural intelligence in this? Characterization is also not a strong point in this book. Characters (including the protagonist) are generally flat and uninteresting (OK, may be except for Matilda the cybernetically modified little girl, and a perverted Japanese roboticist).
The book is mostly action packed and fast paced though I feel somewhat disconnected from it, which is why I took weeks to finish it in audiobook format. It has already been optioned for a film and I suppose it can be made into a fairly entertaining blockbuster sci-fi movie. At least the audience won't have to read the clunky prose and worse dialog. For my money, PKD's similarly themed Second Variety is far superior.
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I read WWZ, kinda like it but too fragmented for my taste. At least it is well written.
I'm gonna try to read Jonathan Strange and Mrs Whatshername next, I will have to split it and read other books in between, that is how I read 1000+ pages novels now :)


His other books seem to be non-fiction humorous stuff, I wonder if they are funny, the humor in Robopocalypse is pretty weak.

You're really in a fat book frenzy! Pandora's Star and now Jonathan Strange. when I read something longer than 500 pages I always felt like I should be getting extra points or better yet Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ should start giving out monetary incentive :D

That Freedom & Necessity looks interesting.

Glad you agree with me Jon. I look forward to read your review. The most that can be said about this book is that some of it is fun. It's a pity Hollywood don't pick better sf books than this to make movies from.


Always happy to divert money away from Mr. Daniel H. Wilson's wallet Michael!
Now looking to try some Stephen Baxter, where shall start?

Difficult to manage my TBR pile!

I've only read 3, but I really liked The Time Ships (which I see you have as TBR already). He has a lot of far future novels, but I was very satisfied with Moonseed, a contemporary tale of NASA heroism in the face of an apocalyptic threat to Earth. Not much with character development but lots of fun for a disaster story with lots of tech stuff.

I've only read 3, but I really liked The Time Ships (which I see you have as TBR already). He has a lot of far futu..."
Thanks Michael. Would you say that Baxter writes as well as fellow scientist/sf authors like Clarke, Asimov, Brin and Reynolds?

Those are gods (along with Heinlein, Niven, Stephenson, Varley, LeGuin, Bujold), so Baxter for me is in the next level down-- with writers like Poul Anderson, Banks, Bear, Benford, Gibson, Hamilton, Pohl, Sawyer, Scalzi, Silverberg, etc). Which is great company to be in. Good luck to Daniel Wilson. Maybe Buekes will get there for me. So much good stuff out there.

Poor chap, probably crying all the way to the bank!
Who is Buekes?

Misspelled Lauren Beukes, a talented young South African sci fi/fantasy author.

Ah! Now I remember, I even commented on your review of her Zoo City book!

Apatt wrote: Ah! Now I remember, I even commented on your review of her Zoo City book!"
Just noted how broad your sci fi readings are getting. You are fooling around with Robocalypse when you could have been reading your first Varley (a gap I see).
What time of day is it in Bangkok. I am sorry you find Burdett to render a false portrayal of Thailand. Like his stories and am fascinated with a Buddhist cop.

Apatt wrote: Ah! Now I remember, I even commented on your review of her Zoo City book!"
Just noted how broad your sci fi readings are getting. You are fooling around wi..."
I read some John Varley decades ago, I seem to remember liking that Gaea Trilogy of his, wish I could remember something about it though. I also read Millennium which was adapted into a bad B-movie in the 80s...
Thailand is GMT +7, about +11 or 12 hours from most US cities. Night and day difference!

HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!?
It had Kris Kristofferson! All movies with Kristofferson are, by definition, great (though "Heaven's Gate" manages to stretch the definition of "great").
I remember watching Millenium on TV, and saying to my wife "I'm pretty sure I have that book. It was by Ben Bova." I went to check my shelves, and sure enough I had Millennium, but it wasn't anything remotely like the same story. It took me quite a while to discover that I also had Millenium which was actually quite similar to the movie.

Did Kris Kristofferson have a hit with Doly Parton? Or is that a different bearded chap?


Ah, I thought that was Kenny Everett, he had a beard...

😃As I recall it was done in the best possible taste!

I'm really surprised you gave this a 2 star. I would have thought a 3 at least. My rating was a 3.7, because it was kind of fun to read. Perhaps you would have had a different opinion if you had read it, rather than audio-booked it. I often wonder about audio book reading reviews. If the reader isn't your style, but the book on its own is good, but the book reader has say, a bland way of reading.... this could negatively affect the experience resulting in a lower rating than if say, a person had read it on their own with their own internal voice.
This book did take me a while to read as well, because I wasn't 100% into it at all times, but when I think 2 star, I think... really bad... like really really really bad. LOL.
I'm curious if there was more to it than what you wrote which you found disappointing.


I don't need books to be taken seriously, I just didn't like this one! Here is something similar that I like much better: /review/show...

have you read World War Z ka? it's one of my faves:D (but be prepared for some zombie silliness)