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Joe's Reviews > Robopocalypse
Robopocalypse (Robopocalypse, #1)
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If you've ever pondered whether technology would unite or divide us, or if artificial intelligence would assist or resist us, or dig stories of mankind going into the breach against overwhelming odds and revealing what makes humanity worth fighting for, then Robopocalpyse is not the book for you.
As has been mentioned elsewhere, Daniel Wilson studied the game tape on Max Brooks and studied it well. Brooks spun off his droll little The Zombie Survival Guide (2003) into a serious minded, global stakes oriented, science fiction epic in World War Z (2006). Wilson, who earned a PH.d in robotics and wrote the droll little How To Survive A Robot Uprising (2005) clearly had people suggesting what he publish next, substituting zombies with robots and bingo bango, generating the next publishing blockbuster, which he did in 2011.
Both books begin with mankind turning the tide in a catastrophic global war and looking "back" in an effort to document how they got here. Both books lack a central character or set of characters and skip around the globe in a series of action packed vignettes.
This is where the comparisons end.
World War Z was pitched at ground level, taking place in the here and now, and by virtue of Brooks' imagination and exhaustive appetite for logistical research, very plausible. And scary. And impossible to put down.
Robopocalpyse is completely ridiculous, divorced from any time or place remotely recognizable, deadly unimaginative, flatly plotted and unable to offer a single character or line of dialogue that rises above cliche. It is impossible that I actually finished this book.
The conceit that in the near future, humanoid robots will be doing our cooking and cleaning, running errands and fighting our wars is bogus. Consumers have seen way too many science fiction movies to ever pay $1,000,000 for their own personal RoboCop. Science fiction authors have speculated about domestic robots who would walk, talk and think but over the last 50 years we have not seen our tech actually evolve in this way. I don't know if Wilson is really that daft or thinks readers are that daft. I understand this is just a work of speculative fiction, but as a core conceit, I never bought the one in Robopocalyse.
Everything from here is essentially rotten. I can't recall one character I responded to emotionally, one scene that disturbed or thrilled me or one line of dialogue I found interesting. In terms of reader satisfaction, it failed in every category I could name.
As has been mentioned elsewhere, Daniel Wilson studied the game tape on Max Brooks and studied it well. Brooks spun off his droll little The Zombie Survival Guide (2003) into a serious minded, global stakes oriented, science fiction epic in World War Z (2006). Wilson, who earned a PH.d in robotics and wrote the droll little How To Survive A Robot Uprising (2005) clearly had people suggesting what he publish next, substituting zombies with robots and bingo bango, generating the next publishing blockbuster, which he did in 2011.
Both books begin with mankind turning the tide in a catastrophic global war and looking "back" in an effort to document how they got here. Both books lack a central character or set of characters and skip around the globe in a series of action packed vignettes.
This is where the comparisons end.
World War Z was pitched at ground level, taking place in the here and now, and by virtue of Brooks' imagination and exhaustive appetite for logistical research, very plausible. And scary. And impossible to put down.
Robopocalpyse is completely ridiculous, divorced from any time or place remotely recognizable, deadly unimaginative, flatly plotted and unable to offer a single character or line of dialogue that rises above cliche. It is impossible that I actually finished this book.
The conceit that in the near future, humanoid robots will be doing our cooking and cleaning, running errands and fighting our wars is bogus. Consumers have seen way too many science fiction movies to ever pay $1,000,000 for their own personal RoboCop. Science fiction authors have speculated about domestic robots who would walk, talk and think but over the last 50 years we have not seen our tech actually evolve in this way. I don't know if Wilson is really that daft or thinks readers are that daft. I understand this is just a work of speculative fiction, but as a core conceit, I never bought the one in Robopocalyse.
Everything from here is essentially rotten. I can't recall one character I responded to emotionally, one scene that disturbed or thrilled me or one line of dialogue I found interesting. In terms of reader satisfaction, it failed in every category I could name.
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Reading Progress
June 1, 2011
–
Started Reading
June 1, 2011
–
Finished Reading
January 30, 2014
– Shelved
January 30, 2014
– Shelved as:
sci-fi-apocalyptic
Comments Showing 1-9 of 9 (9 new)
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Caroline
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Jan 31, 2014 06:10AM
Well, then. I feel no regret at having removed this from my TBR a month or two ago. It seems many reviews aren't too favorable! Bummer.
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Many readers seemed to enjoy it. A couple I trust on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ hated it and also gave it one star. Writing a best seller isn't a fool's errand and I give Wilson credit, even if his writing was unoriginal. World War Z simply exposes how poorly written this is.
Great review. I'd been on the fence about whether I wanted to read this or not. My book club read this last year, but while I love robots, I can't say the description/blurb for this one really spoke to me. And your review echoes a few sentiments that another friend had about the book. If I end up with the book by chance, I may read it, but I think after reading your review, which affirms another's views, I'll sit this one out.
Thank you, Tiara. Your book club sounds pretty cool and this is normally the type of book I'd love. It seems as if it was something the author felt obligated to write. It definitely hits the checkpoints without any of the imagination or conviction. Thanks for commenting!
I liked this book, but I can see why you didn't. It's definitely not character-driven.
This is an odd book. People either seem to love or hate it.
Katie wrote: "This is an odd book. People either seem to love or hate it."Yes, Katie. My problems went deeper than the fact that are no characters. I thought this was a cash grab with a title and a concept that was so hot, some sort of novel had to be written to go along with it. The imagination and tension of Westworld isn't here. The author was too busy counting money. In other words: I HATED IT!
Wow Joe, you like it even less than I do! Great review, and thanks for adding me on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
Joe, agree 100% with your review. As you say WWZ is very well researched and covers the effects across the globe. This book doesn't really consider much outside of the USA (except some superficial/ cliched Japanese and London sections) and how different societies would react to the catastrophe or even how some less technology reliant countries might fare/ take a leading role. But the biggest different for me between the books is that this one didn't make me think - about human nature, how societies work, about our differences, about how I would survive a robot uprising.
