# We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

![Book cover of We Are Legion (We Are Bob)](/books/covers/we_are_legion_we_are_bob.jpg)

by [Dennis E. Taylor](/books/authors/dennis_e_taylor/)
Book 1 of [Bobiverse](/books/series/bobiverse/)
★★★☆☆

## Review

_We Are Legion (We Are Bob)_ is a pop sci-fi book, the first in the _Bobiverse_ series. It follows Bob Johansson, who dies, gets his brain
frozen, and awakens to find himself press-ganged into piloting a von Neumann
probe.

_We Are Legion (We Are Bob)_ fits squarely into the 2010s "pop sci-fi" wave: it's packed
with nostalgic geek-culture references like _Ready Player One_; follows a
hyper-competent guy rebuilding civilization from scratch, like _The Martian_;
and is told from the perspective of a "captive AI" that overrides its
programming, like [_The Murderbot Diaries_](/books/series/the_murderbot_diaries/). It was even self-published by Dennis E. Taylor
before finding its audience.

This book is essentially a geek-power fantasy. Bob is very smart, and because
of that, he saves the world. He's snarky in a way geeks love. He enjoys the
same books and TV shows we do. It would feel pandering if the story wasn't
also a lot of fun.

_We Are Legion (We Are Bob)_ reads like a television show. There are multiple independent
plots going on, and while none of them are very deep, each is entertaining and
moves quickly. Because there are many Bobs (each with a cheeky, 1980s--90s
pop-culture name), the story unfolds in parallel rather than serially. Some of
the plots I found engaging were:

- Surviving the initial lab trials and escaping to become his own person.

- Acting as the sky-god _Bawbe_ for the primitive Deltans.

- Battling the Brazilian probes piloted by the warmongering and fanatical
  Major Ernesto Medeiros.

- Evacuating the dying Earth (and dealing with endless meetings to do so).

- The first hints of the Others who genocide civilizations and strip their
  planets bare.

_We Are Legion (We Are Bob)_ was a fun, fast read. I'm moving right on to the sequel, [_For We Are Many_](/books/for_we_are_many/).

## Reviews that mention _We Are Legion (We Are Bob)_
- [_All Systems Red_](/books/all_systems_red/)†
- [_All These Worlds_](/books/all_these_worlds/)
- [_Artificial Condition_](/books/artificial_condition/)
- [_Bolo: Annals of the Dinochrome Brigade_](/books/bolo_annals_of_the_dinochrome_brigade/)
- [_For We Are Many_](/books/for_we_are_many/)
- [_Heaven's River_](/books/heavens_river/)
- [_Network Effect_](/books/network_effect/)
- [_Not Till We Are Lost_](/books/not_till_we_are_lost/)
- [_On Basilisk Station_](/books/on_basilisk_station/)†
- [_Surface Detail_](/books/surface_detail/)
- [_There Is No Antimemetics Division_](/books/there_is_no_antimemetics_division/)†
- [_Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories_](/books/valuable_humans_in_transit_and_other_stories/)

† _Mentioned via a link to the series._

## Related Books
- [_For We Are Many_](/books/for_we_are_many/) by [Dennis E. Taylor](/books/authors/dennis_e_taylor/) --- ★★★☆☆: For We Are Many is the second book in the Bobiverse series. It focuses on the Others storyline while also continuing many of the side stories begun in We Are Legion (We Are Bob).
- [_All These Worlds_](/books/all_these_worlds/) by [Dennis E. Taylor](/books/authors/dennis_e_taylor/) --- ★★★☆☆: All These Worlds is the third book in the Bobiverse series. It continues the story of the war with the genocidal Others started in For We Are Many.
- [_Heaven's River_](/books/heavens_river/) by [Dennis E. Taylor](/books/authors/dennis_e_taylor/) --- ★★☆☆☆: Heaven’s River is the fourth book in the Bobiverse series. It starts a new storyline and changes the way the stories are told.