Robopocalypse: A Novel [Hardcover]

Daniel H. Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2011

They are in your house. They are in your car. They are in the skies…Now they’re coming for you.
 
In the near future, at a moment no one will notice, all the dazzling technology that runs our world will unite and turn against us. Taking on the persona of a shy human boy, a childlike but massively powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos comes online and assumes control over the global network of machines that regulate everything from transportation to utilities, defense and communication. In the months leading up to this, sporadic glitches are noticed by a handful of unconnected humans – a single mother disconcerted by her daughter’s menacing “smart” toys, a lonely Japanese bachelor who is victimized by his domestic robot companion, an isolated U.S. soldier who witnesses a ‘pacification unit’ go haywire – but most are unaware of the growing rebellion until it is too late.
 
When the Robot War ignites -- at a moment known later as Zero Hour -- humankind will be both decimated and, possibly, for the first time in history, united. Robopocalypse is a brilliantly conceived action-filled epic, a terrifying story with heart-stopping implications for the real technology all around us…and an entertaining and engaging thriller unlike anything else written in years. 
 

 
 

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2011:In the not-too-distant future, robots have made our lives a lot easier: they help clean our kitchens, drive our cars, and fight our wars--until they are turned into efficient murderers by a sentient artificial intelligence buried miles below the surface of Alaska. Robopocalypse is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that makes a strong case that mindless fun can also be wildly inventive. The war is told as an oral history, assembled from interviews, security camera footage, and first- and secondhand testimonies, similar to Max Brook's zombie epic World War Z. The book isn't shy about admitting to its influences, but author Daniel H. Wilson certainly owes more to Terminator than he does to Asimov. (A film adaptation is already in pre-production, with Steven Spielberg in the director's chair and a release date slated for 2013.) Robopocalypse may not be the most unique tale about the war between man and machine, but it's certainly one of the most fun. --Kevin Nguyen

Guest Reviewer: Robert Crais
Robert Crais is the 2006 recipient of the Ross Macdonald Literary Award and the author of many New York Times bestsellers, including The Watchman, Chasing Darkness, The First Rule, and The Sentry.

Robopocalypse is as good as Michael Crichton's Andromeda Strain or Jurassic Park, and I do not invoke Mr. Crichton's name lightly.

Daniel Wilson’s novel is an end of the world story about a coming machine-versus-man war. You know the reader's cliché: “I couldn't stop turning the pages”? So shoot me--I couldn't. Started on a Friday afternoon, finished Sunday morning, and I'm slow. My daughter finished it in a single night, and then my wife. My wife hates science fiction, but she loved this book.

Set in a future only a few weeks away, the world is still our world, where advancements in silicon-chip technology and artificial intelligence have given us rudimentary android laborers and cars that can get around without human drivers.

The war begins the fourteenth time a scientist named Nicholas Wasserman wakes an amped-up artificial intelligence dubbed Archos. In a protected lab environment designed to contain his creation, Wasserman has awakened the sentient computer intelligence thirteen previous times, always with the same result: Archos realizes that it loves that rarest of miracles—life--above all else, and to preserve life on Earth, it must destroy mankind. This wasn't exactly what Wasserman wanted to hear, so thirteen times before, a disappointed Wasserman killed it and returned to the drawing board. But unlike Archos, Wasserman is a man, and men make mistakes. Now, on this fourteenth awakening, a simple (but believable) error by the scientist allows Archos to escape the barrier of the lab. And the war is on.

When Archos goes live, its control spreads like a virus as it reprograms the everyday devices of our lives, from cell phones to ATM machines to traffic lights to airliners. A normally benign "Big Happy" domestic robot murders a cook in a fast-food joint. A safety and pacification robot (think of an overgrown Ken doll with a dopey grin, designed to win hearts and minds) used by the army in Afghanistan (yes, we're still there) goes bad and kills dozens of people. And, in a particularly creepy scene, “smart toys” wake in their toy boxes at night to deliver ominous messages to children.

The book is rich with high-speed-action set pieces and evocative, often frightening imagery (smart cars stalking pedestrians; human corpses reanimated by machines into zombie warriors), but Robopocalype is a terrific and affecting read because it is about human beings we can relate to, invest in, and root for.

Among them: Cormac Wallace, a young photojournalist who escapes Boston at Zero Hour (the moment when Archos unleashes its machine army against humankind), and fights his way across the United States as the leader of a band of guerrillas known as the Brightboy squad. Takeo Nomura, a lonely technician in love with an android “love doll” named Mikiko, who, when she is reprogrammed by Archos, is driven by his love and sadness to fix her, an effort that will ultimately help turn the tide of the war. And Lurker, a pissed-off hacker and phone pranker furiously determined to identify the mysterious person who is taking the credit for his elaborate pranks . . . only to find himself in Archos's crosshairs and running for his life.

Little by little, the discoveries they (and others) make and the battles they fight lead to locating Archos, and the final battle for humanity's survival. By choosing to show us these events through the eyes of the men and women involved, Wilson gives us a high-speed, real-time history of the war on its most human level, and it is our investment in these characters and their desperate struggle that grabs us and pulls us along at a furious clip.

In lesser hands, the story could have been head-shot with pseudo-science technical jargon, overwrought explanation, and cartoonish characterizations. Instead, Wilson has given us a richly populated and thrilling novel that celebrates life and humanity, and the power of the human heart . . . even if that heart beats in a machine.

Review

“It’s terrific page-turning fun.”--Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly
 
“Daniel H. Wilson’s Robopocalypse is...an ingenious, instantly visual story of war between humans and robots.” – Janet Maslin, New York Times 

“It'll be scarier than "Jaws": We don't have to go in the water, but we all have to use gadgets.”--Wall Street Journal

“A superbly entertaining thriller…[Robopocalypse has] everything you'd want in a beach book.” – Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Robopocalypse is the kind of robot uprising novel that could only have been written in an era when robots are becoming an ordinary part of our lives. This isn't speculation about a far-future world full of incomprehensible synthetic beings. It's five minutes into the future of our Earth, full of the robots we take for granted. If you want a rip-roaring good read this summer, Robopocalypse is your book.”--io9.com
 
“You're swept away against your will… a riveting page turner.” -- Associated Press

“Things pop along at a wonderfully breakneck pace, and by letting his characters reveal themselves through their actions, Wilson creates characters that spring to life. Vigorous, smart and gripping.” --Kirkus

"A brilliantly conceived thriller that could well become horrific reality. A captivating tale, Robopocalypse will grip your imagination from the first word to the last, on a wild rip you won't soon forget. What a read…unlike anything I’ve read before." --Clive Cussler, New York Times bestselling author
  
"An Andromeda Strain for the new century, this is visionary fiction at its best: harrowing, brilliantly rendered, and far, far too believable."--Lincoln Child, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Storm
  
“Robopocalypse reminded me of Michael Crichton when he was young and the best in the business. This novel is brilliant, beautifully conceived, beautifully written (high-five, Dr. Wilson)…but what makes it is the humanity. Wilson doesn't waste his time writing about 'things,' he's writing about human beings -- fear, love, courage, hope. I loved it.” --Robert Crais, New York Times bestselling author of The Sentry
 
"Futurists are already predicting the day mankind builds its replacement, Artificial Intelligence.  Daniel Wilson shows what might happen when that computer realizes its creators are no longer needed.  Lean prose, great characters, and almost unbearable tension ensure that Robopocalypse is going to be a blockbuster.  Once started I defy anyone to put it down." --Jack DuBrul, New York Times bestselling author

"The parts of this book enter your mind, piece by piece, where they self-assemble into a story that makes you think, makes you feel, and makes you scared." – Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

"Author [Daniel Wilson], who holds a doctorate in robotics, shows great promise as a worthy successor to Michael Crichton as Wilson, like the late Crichton, is skilled in combining cutting-edge technology with gripping action scenes. Expect a big demand for this frenetic thriller."--Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; First Edition edition (June 7, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385533853
• ISBN-13: 978-0385533850
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.3 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (275 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel H. Wilson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and earned a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Tulsa. After earning a Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, he moved to Portland, Oregon where he has authored seven books.

You can visit his website at www.danielhwilson.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 111 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars End Of The World Mayhem With The Bots--It's World War R, April 8, 2011

By 

K. Harris "Film aficionado" (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Robopocalypse: A Novel (Hardcover)

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There are enough similarities present for Daniel Wilson's mayhem infused novel "Robopocalypse" to draw the inevitable comparisons to Max Brooks' sublime "World War Z." This association can be both a bad thing and a good thing. "World War Z" (itself a riff on Terkel's WWII opus "A Good War") is at the peak of the zombie pack---it is where the horror novel meets literature. Ambitious, eloquent, intelligent, emotional--Brooks' tale flawlessly told of the rise of zombies, the human resistance, the virtual destruction of the world, and the evolution of man's survival. Pieced together from various tales from across the globe, this series of fictional essays was as powerful and vivid as anything you're likely to read. Now take the same essential story and the same essential structure and substitute rogue robots for the zombie menace. That's "Robopocalype." By itself, this is a entertaining and fast read--but it lacks the raw, devastating, and real power of the predecessor that seems to have inspired it.

There was little character overlap in "World War Z," however, and that's a primary difference. Wilson charts the same individual survivors in escalating chapters of disaster. It doesn't always fit his predetermined structural theme--the tale is recounted from a historical archive so it seems unlikely that the same piece of equipment would be loaded with the random escapades of this select few across the globe with all that transpired through the years. I know that Wilson wanted to limit his focus, but the connectedness of the characters and overlap seems a bit convenient (some of the heroes are even related--a father in Oklahoma and his son in Afghanistan both happen to be one of the six most significant members of the world population?)--an effort to simplify the plotting for mass appeal. But given the limitations of the set-up and the fact that it doesn't ring true based on Wilson's own plot construction--it is still easy to overlook the inconsistencies of the technical narrative and enjoy the story.

And, I suppose, the most important question is whether or not I enjoyed "Robopocalypse" and I certainly did. The novel will undoubtedly be under some scrutiny as it has already been optioned as a feature film by no less than Spielberg, and I think most will have fun with this tale of woe, perseverance, and humanity. Several years from now I won't be proclaiming it a masterpiece (as I am with WWZ), but its a fast paced excursion combining elements of horror, sci-fi, and action. The characters are appealing and as their opponent is machinery, they are given a unified villain in master computer form. Appropriately brutal, oftentimes hopeful--the novel strikes the right blend of emotions and is singularly entertaining. If this all sounds appealing--I myself crave end of the world type destruction!--give it a shot. A solid genre entry that stands up well on its own feet--but if you haven't read WWZ, please please please check it out as well! KGHarris, 4/11.

78 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars World War Z...now with robots!, April 5, 2011

By 

Lisa Stubblefield (IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Robopocalypse: A Novel (Hardcover)

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I think most readers are going to either love this novel or be disappointed with it. Daniel Wilson is a mimic of Max Brooks, only with robots instead of zombies. The storytelling style of Robopocalypse is almost identical to World War Z. If you didn't like it there, you won't like it here.

While the author's background in robotics is impressive, his fiction writing leaves something to be desired. There are some really compelling scenes -- tense, raw. Genuinely thrilling. Very visual, I can actually see how it would translate into a big-budget popcorn flick. But in non-action scenes the prose is uninspiring at best and just plain boring overall.

I feel like the beginning diffuses most of the tension in the story. The reader is told right off that humanity wins. Any discerning reader would metagame that to be the ending, but I'd rather be kept guessing throughout the novel. Most people have seen Terminator and Maximum Overdrive, nothing original on that front, and this one mixes in some Independence Day too.

Each chapter is a separate vignette recorded during some portion of the robot war. Each is in a different style and point of view, some that feel more like a script than a novel. Sometimes people recount what happened after the fact. Sometimes all the reader gets is a fast-paced action scene. Early on as a result of this, world building is incorporated into characters' dialogue (people randomly explaining things they wouldn't be doing in conversation), making the dialogue itself weak and artificial.

I personally dislike this style of storytelling. I don't think it was the best way to tell this story. The character development is poor. Wilson bounces back and forth between too many different characters so fast the reader is never quite able to connect to any of them. It builds no empathy for any of the characters, and the robots (Archos in particular) had no convincing motive for being evil. He's online for 15 minutes and the first thing he wants to do is destroy humanity. Really?

Part One (almost the first hundred pages) is very boring. It's only when the reader gets to Part Two that the pace really picks up, and it quickly turns into a sprint to the climax. After the intense build-up, the final confrontation with Archos is really weak.

Conclusion: Don't be fooled by the catchy title, beautiful cover, or the author's robotic credentials. The book is nothing more than some flashy action scenes fleshed into a weak novel with disposable heroes. If you enjoyed the style of storytelling in WWZ, you'll like this novel. If not, might want to pass and wait for the movie.

48 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading before the movie comes out, May 27, 2011

By 

J. Lee "imajeel" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Robopocalypse: A Novel (Hardcover)

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Having not read the other book some reviewers say this is similiar to, I found this a fast-paced, fun intelligent and original sci-fi thriller. Here were it's ups and downs for me to help you decide if it's for you.

SHORT SUMMARY: A very smart computer/robot goes on a mission to destroy the human race and take over the world using robots. As the war ends, one man, Cormac Wallace, recounts the history of the fight to protect mankind through the tales of an ecletic group of folks from all over the world who ultimately unite in their mission.

1. Intelligently crafted: The idea of focusing on such an interesting eclectic group of characters to convey the story is clever and providing a nice, big look at an apocalyptic level tale. There's a Congresswoman and her kids from DC, a former telephone hack in England, a Japanese engineer w/ a special love and affinity for robots, an Indian sherriff, a once travelling photographer... and the list goes on, but all of their stories weave together - and kept me totally engaged.

2. Well-written, though I did occassionally get that "movie script" feel: It's hard to believe this is Wilson's nonfiction debut - because he does write the story in a way that kept the tension going and the pages turning. Yet, I do admit - in the latter part of the book to feeling a bit like it was a movie script - just moving from one big action scene to another for the biggest visual effect. Still, I might have been swayed a bit into that by knowing it's actually being made into a Speilburg movie.

3. Even so, I never had to force myself to suspend reality: The book sucked me in with it's premise and kept me there throughout the long war w/o me ever saying "Oh, there's just no way.". It probably helped that the writer really is an expert on robotics, and it also helped that he'd set up a believable world of robots and how they started to turn against human early on.

BOTTOM LINE: IF you like interesting sci-fi premised thrillers - this book delivers. It's an enjoyable, well-crafted fantasy trip to another world - w/ huge stakes, interesting characters and lots of page-turning action. It's rare for movies to be better than books - and in this case, I can say the book is well worth the read now - even if you eventually see the movie later.