Science Fiction

Robopocalypse (Robopocalypse #1)

Author: Daniel H. Wilson

Average Rating: 4 / 5

Trigger Warnings:

The robopocalypse is coming. It will start quietly with a childlike artificial intelligence known as Archos. 

“Smart” technology reaches every inch of our world. The toys our children play with, the domestic robots who run our errands, the global network of cameras and microphones. Technology has unprecedented access to our lives. We invited it in. What we did not intend was to give the rapidly evolving Archos the opportunity and time to arrange a technological revolt to perfection.

In the months leading up to Zero Hour, seemingly random glitches will skip across the world, too far apart for the pattern to be noticed except through hindsight. A little girl is threatened by her toys. A lonely bachelor is attacked by his robotic companion in the middle of a Japanese factory. A soldier, far from home, will witness a pacification unit act against its programming. Single events that won’t be linked until it’s too late. 

The deck has been meticulously stacked against humankind, who will now have to learn to work together if they have any chance to survive. Robopocalypse is a brilliantly written, action-packed fiction – with just enough real-world implications to make you nervous sleeping next to your smartphone. 

Corinna : 3/5

This book had a fascinating concept: could the creation of AI (artificial intelligence) lead to the end of the human race? Having each chapter plotted on a timeline referencing its distance from the precursor virus, zero hour and then finally the new war, made it feel like a documentary and allowed you to piece together the various perspectives of what was happening all over the world.

It was interesting to see how humans reacted to the events and how people successfully survived the robopocalypse. Is technology and its continual advancement really the best for our future?

While sci-fi isn’t my favorite genre, I believe the author does a decent job of helping the reader understand the technology and gives an interesting commentary on human nature and their will to survive and thrive.

Lydia : 5/5

It is very rare that I can give a book a 5 star rating, especially one in the sci fi genre, however this book blew me away. It was truly a work of art and I wish I could re-read it for the first time all over again. 

The differing perspectives contained emotion, exceptional storytelling, gore, romance, etc. Everything I wanted was all wrapped up in one perfect book. 

Archos is a very scary thought considering our whole world relies heavily on technology – this book hits home in many ways. 

I think my favorite perspective came from a robot towards the end. It was something I have never read before and the author had me feeling bad for a technological being. Now that takes some serious writing skills. 

Wilson had clearly taken some time for research because everything from the tribes to the robots were presented with accurate facts and explanations. I highly recommend this book for those who are getting into sci fi novels!

Megan : 4/5

I had read this book a few years ago before recommending it for book club. Considering the subject matter, I figured it would result in a pretty interesting discussion and I was not disappointed. I remembered the overarching storyline and that aspects were unsettling. What I didn’t remember was that it was more than just unsettling, it was creepy and disturbing.

The concept, however, is fascinating! What could (or would) happen if humans developed AI and that AI became smarter than those who created it? This book is written in three sections: pre-, during, and post-war. It’s continuous in that the story is in chronological order; there’s no jumping around. However, the story is told in segments, each from a different point of view (POV). Some characters are referred to or share their POV multiple times, while others only have a single chapter to explore their connection to the AI war. It’s a documentary in book format and it works so well for the story.

Despite the extreme nature of Robopocalypse, it does a good job of making the reader think about technology and how it’s so integrated into our everyday lives. It’s a thought provoking novel that I would recommend (especially if you love this genre), but please be aware of the graphic nature of some of the individual stories within it.

Sharaya : 4/5

I enjoyed Robopocalypse very much. I tend to like books that are presented through journal entries and interviews, as though they really happened. It makes the story more engaging. Also, by including strands of the story from various sources (CTV cameras, court transcripts, etc), Wilson was able to include global, seemingly unconnected events in an effective way.

Particularly creepy was the plausible world that Wilson first described. It’s not hard to believe that homes will someday have domestic robots that you can send out on errands (I mean, it’s a personal Skip-the-Dishes driver).  Hotels and restaurants have similar gadgets right now. Or what about toys that can talk to your children and teach them things? Isn’t that where we’re heading? It was this element that I found most deliciously disturbing when Wilson then described how everything went wrong.

It was interesting that Wilson chose to have a single AI mind with the ability to control any technology, rather than a group of robots banding together. Actually, there’s a very interesting parallel with the Arc of the Scythe trilogy by Neal Shusterman. His story also has an all-powerful AI, the Thunderhead, who cares for life on earth. Putting the Thunderhead and Archos side by side is an intriguing look at the same concept, but with opposingly good and disastrous results. 

Wilson did write a follow-up novel: Robogenesis, but after reading a few reviews, I don’t think I will continue. Robopocalypse is a great stand-alone novel and I like that there are a few lingering questions, which left unanswered, strengthen the story in my opinion.

To access a printable list of 10 book club questions, please click here.