The next installation in the “Bobiverse” series. Once again, I wasn’t even aware there was a new one until I happened on it by chance. The last book happened mostly at a megastructure filled with intelligent otter-like species. This is more of a return to a form. The book follows several separate plotlines: One group of Bobs tries to develop a mega-powerful AI. It wasn’t supposed to become self-aware, and it was supposed to be completely isolated from all data networks. As Bobs are science-fiction fans, they should have been able to anticipate how well that would go. Another plotline involves two Bobs who have been traveling toward the galactic center. They find a large multi-species interstellar federation connected with FTL wormholes – or at least its remains. Everything is mostly in good shape, and bots maintain the infrastructure, but there are no inhabitants anywhere, and there seems to be no information about where everyone has gone and why. The third plotline involves a newly found planet with intelligent life. The creatures on the planet are partly avian and live on the backs of enormous blimp-like creatures. That world seems to be heading to a volcanically very active period, and there also seems to be a local warlord who is conquering everything in sight. Will the newly found species even survive all that?
This was a clearly better book than the last one. The fractured structure with several simultaneous plotlines with nothing to do with each other was slightly irritating, but as all of the plotlines were interesting, it didn’t hurt too much. The writing isn’t the most creative ever, but as the series is very much plot-driven, that doesn’t really hurt. The book was nice entertainment which managed to inspire some sense of wonder even in a seasoned science-fiction reader. I am looking forward to the next pretty inevitable part.
374 pp.
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