Audible Book Review: Heaven's River, Bobiverse, Book 4, by Dennis E. Taylor

I enjoyed the entertainment of this space adventure.
Heaven's River
Bobiverse, Book 4
By: Dennis E. Taylor
Narrated by: Ray Porter

Series: Bobiverse, Book 4
Length: 16 hrs and 57 mins
Release date: 09-24-20
Publisher: Audible Originals
Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.75.

About This Audible Original
Civil war looms in the Bobiverse in this brand-new, epic-length adventure by Audible #1 bestseller Dennis E. Taylor.
More than a hundred years ago, Bender set out for the stars and was never heard from again. There has been no trace of him despite numerous searches by his clone-mates. Now Bob is determined to organize an expedition to learn Bender’s fate — whatever the cost.
But nothing is ever simple in the Bobiverse. Bob’s descendants are out to the 24th generation now, and replicative drift has produced individuals who can barely be considered Bobs anymore. Some of them oppose Bob’s plan; others have plans of their own. The out-of-control moots are the least of the Bobiverse’s problems.
Undaunted, Bob and his allies follow Bender’s trail. But what they discover out in deep space is so unexpected and so complex that it could either save the universe — or pose an existential threat the likes of which the Bobiverse has ever faced.
Heaven’s River is the fourth installment in the blockbuster Audible Original Bobiverse series—which has sold more than 1 million copies.
©2020 Dennis E. Taylor (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC
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Review:
Bob was the original human brain loaded up to become an AI entity to head into space. A hundred years later, Bob’s organization has expanded to the 24th replicative generation. That presents its own problems, but Bob’s first level replicate, Bender, hasn’t been heard from since he set out to explore the distant galaxies a hundred years ago. Bob has never let go of the idea of finding Bender even as the Bobiverse continues to move out to deep space.

Bob suddenly comes across a new world where he thinks Bender may be found. Now the goal will be to infiltrate the complex megastructure with a ‘river’ environment, in order to determine if Bender is a prisoner or something else. A handful of Bob’s generational ‘children’ are excited to help in the challenge to get into the structure and then move among the beaver like society that has been forbidden to use former technology.

While Bob and friends are pursuing the quest to find Bender, other replicant families are involved in an ideological argument. There are those who insist that the Bobs have no right to interfere with the societies that they come upon…even if it means watching societal genocide. This creates a second story line with some interesting discussions and actions.

I enjoyed the virtual settings, the creative societies, and the ideological arguments. There is plenty of humor in this series, including fun references to movies, books, and authors that sci fi fans will recognize. I recommend starting the series at book 1 to get to know the main Bob replicates. I recommend this series as an easy and entertaining listen.

Audio Notes: Ray Porter delivers the narrative with his usual excellent presentation and spot on voicing and energy. His narration enhanced the story for me.

Source: October 17, 2021 - September 2021 Audible Credits. This qualifies for 2023TBR, 2023Audiobook, 2023Alphabet, and 2023Location goals.

Audible Book Review: A Change of Plans: A Short Story by Dennis E. Taylor

This is a quick teaser which might make a satisfactory intro to a new series.

A Change of Plans: A Short Story
By: Dennis E. Taylor
Narrated by: Neil Hellegers

• Length: 44 mins
• Release date: 05-26-20
• Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Adventure, Colonization, Short Story, Space Opera
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Content 3.5; Narration 3.75.

Publisher's Summary
Earth is dying, and humanity is scrambling to set up colonies in other star systems. But the search process for habitable planets is not perfect, as the crew of the Ouroboros discover on arrival at their new home.
©2017 Dennis E. Taylor (P)2020 Audible, Inc.

Review:
Earth citizens are vying for the few spaceships available to take them to habitable planets. While many wait in line, a group of citizens has gained the ability to help pay for and build a ship to take them as the first colonists. The captain and crew are on a schedule to drop the colonists on the chosen planet and then return to Earth to get another group of citizens. But when they arrive to the chosen planet they realize that the conditions are not as expected.

Delivering the eager colonists to the surface may result in death rather than a viable colony. The captain can’t take them back because it would put them to the end of the line for another ship. The choices aren’t good. When negotiations fail, the colonists decide to implement a change of plans.

I snagged this for a quick space listen which it is. I really enjoy this author’s Bob universe with space colonization and action laced with danger and humor. Although I liked the fitting science fiction irony in this story, it left me feeling a bit “meh”. I think it might work as an introduction to a new series but as a standalone it left me wanting more and disappointed. I can recommend this as a quick filler and diehard fans of Taylor, especially as a free book on Audible Plus.

Audio Notes: Neil Hellegers does a good job with the narration. He really managed to add life to the story even though voices were not uniquely distinct. I am glad that I listened to this short story.

Source: Audible Plus Catalog March 22, 2021. This qualifies for 2021Audiobook goal.

Audible Book Review: Outland by Dennis E. Taylor

Skilled narrator Ray Porter helps make this quick, fun listen.

Outland
By: Dennis E. Taylor
Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
Release date: 05-16-19
Publisher: Audible Originals
Genre: Alternate World, Science Fiction, (time travel)
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, it's up to six college students and their experimental physics project to prevent the end of civilization.
When an experiment to study quantum uncertainty goes spectacularly wrong, physics student Bill Rustad and his friends find that they have accidentally created an inter-dimensional portal. They connect to Outland - an alternate Earth with identical geology, but where humans never evolved. The group races to establish control of the portal before the government, the military, or evildoers can take it away.
Then everything changes when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts in an explosion large enough to destroy civilization and kill half the planet. The team has just hours to get as many people as possible across to Outland before a lethal cloud of ash overwhelms them.
Nothing has prepared the refugees for what they find - a world of few resources and unprecedented dangers. Somehow, they must learn to survive, because Outland may not just be a safe haven - it could be their new home.
©2019 Dennis E. Taylor (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Richard and Kevin, two college physicist students, are involved with experiments on quantum uncertainty. They approach Bill and his friend Matt to add their technical skills to the science project. As the team gets deeper into the project, without clear university sanction, they soon realize that they have created an inter-dimensional portal. When a blast of gas comes through a portal, Erin, a geologist student adds to the information. Next, they add in Monica, a biology major, to chime in on apparently prehistoric animals seen through the portal.

These six young people soon initiate plans to move their experiment off campus and find creative ways to fund their continued work. Once they have some funds available, they begin to expand the experiments, gather, and stock supplies needed for their projects. When the team cashes in with significant funds, they become the target of thugs. The thugs think they will take advantage of the kids but they have no idea who they are dealing with!

The portal team is stepping up their activities just when Yellowstone goes supernova covering their community and others in lethal ash. The team realizes they have a safe place to go and they must move quickly if they want to save others from the university. Quickly a group of refugees are escorted through the portal to “Outland”. There they struggle to build shelters, organize food, set up security patrols, and send out scavenging teams to gather supplies. And if it isn’t enough to try to survive among hostile animals, soon there is a vocal, angry activist group seeking to challenge the leaders. Add to that another threat that lurks beyond their gates.

I found the story easy to follow, quick and fun listening. I would say that the characters were not deeply developed but there was sufficient to know what each added to the team. The personal interactions seemed mostly superficial but that was okay as it didn’t cause distraction from the dangers and struggles of a new society trying to survive. I have enjoyed the ‘Bob Universe’ series by Mr. Taylor and will no doubt read more in the future. I recommend this to fans of post-apocalyptic, dystopian and alternate world genres.

Audio Notes: It is hard to go wrong with any book narrated by Ray Porter. He always contributes his strong, creative voice skills to make a book a good listening experience.

Source: 8/11/19 I picked these up with July Audible Credits. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021Audiobook and 2021Alphabet Audio goals.

Audible Book Review: All These Worlds, Bobiverse Book 3, by Dennis E. Taylor

This is a fun and engaging space sci fi.
All These Worlds
Bobiverse, Book 3
By: Dennis E. Taylor
Narrated by: Ray Porter

Series: Bobiverse, Book 3
Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 08-08-17
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Military Space, Sci Fi
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
The epic and highly anticipated conclusion to the listener-favorite series that had countless Audible listeners (and employees) hooked from the very first Bob—featuring, as always, a flawless performance from the inimitable Ray Porter.
Being a sentient spaceship really should be more fun. But after spreading out through space for almost a century, Bob and his clones just can't stay out of trouble.
They've created enough colonies so humanity shouldn't go extinct. But political squabbles have a bad habit of dying hard, and the Brazilian probes are still trying to take out the competition. And the Bobs have picked a fight with an older, more powerful species with a large appetite and a short temper.
Still stinging from getting their collective butts kicked in their first encounter with the Others, the Bobs now face the prospect of a decisive final battle to defend Earth and its colonies. But the Bobs are less disciplined than a herd of cats, and some of the younger copies are more concerned with their own local problems than defeating the Others.
Yet salvation may come from an unlikely source. A couple of eighth-generation Bobs have found something out in deep space. All it will take to save the Earth and perhaps all of humanity is for them to get it to Sol - unless the Others arrive first.
©2017 Dennis E. Taylor (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Review:
This is a satisfying conclusion of a fun series. Bob was a human who woke up to find his brain had been used to create a sentient AI spaceship. Bob and his many clones have spread throughout the universe. They have helped develop new worlds for human colonies and even helped with alien species on their own planets and as refuges to a new planet to survive.

The author follows several threads on different planets. Many of the Bobs have created Android bodies to interact with the colonists or other aliens. The original Bob is living, undercover, with his aging Deltan friend Archimedes. Howard returns to comfort Bridgette when her husband dies and they renew a close friendship over the objection of her children. Marcus joins the rebels in Poseidon.

While the younger Bobs worry about their new colonies, the older ones worry how they can save humans from decimation by the Others. The Others have already committed genocide of several worlds. The Bobs fought them but failed to save the planet where the Pavs lived. Now there is concern that the Others will attack the earth where millions of survivors are still waiting to be paid.

This book is a little calmer than the first too but still engaging. There is a good balance of humor, danger and even family drama. I enjoyed the interesting dynamics of the AIs trying to balance the extent of their involvement with humans and experiencing loss as long-time companions age and die. The fantasy doesn’t require a lot of hard thought but provides light, fun entertainment.
I recommend this to readers who enjoy a lighter sci fi fantasy.

Audio Notes: Ray Porter is a stellar narrator. He provides many varied voices and conveys equally well the somber and snarky characters. His narration definitely enhances the enjoyment for me.

Source: Audible 2018 April Credit Purchase. This qualifies for 2018 Audiobook Challenge.

Audible Book Review: For We Are Many by Dennis E. Taylor

I enjoyed this fun listen.
For We Are Many
Bobiverse, Book 2
By: Dennis E. Taylor
Narrated by: Ray Porter
Series: Bobiverse, Book 2
Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
Unabridged
Release date: 04-18-17
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Sci FI
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
The highly anticipated sequel to Audible's Best of 2016 - Science Fiction winner, We Are Legion (We Are Bob); a book listeners are calling "so much fun", "what science fiction was meant to be", and what would happen if "Andy Weir and Ernest Cline had a lovechild".
Bob Johansson didn't believe in an afterlife, so waking up after being killed in a car accident was a shock. To add to the surprise, he is now a sentient computer and the controlling intelligence for a Von Neumann probe.
Bob and his copies have been spreading out from Earth for 40 years now, looking for habitable planets. But that's the only part of the plan that's still in one piece. A system-wide war has killed off 99.9 percent of the human race; nuclear winter is slowly making the Earth uninhabitable; a radical group wants to finish the job on the remnants of humanity; the Brazilian space probes are still out there, still trying to blow up the competition; and the Bobs have discovered a spacefaring species that sees all other life as food.
Bob left Earth anticipating a life of exploration and blissful solitude. Instead he's become a sky god to a primitive native species, the only hope for getting humanity to a new home, and possibly the only thing that can prevent every living thing in the local sphere from ending up as dinner.
Listener favorite Ray Porter returns to narrate Bob - and his many incarnations - in all of their geeky glory.
©2017 Dennis E. Taylor (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Review:
This continues the fun difficulties, joys and growth of the “Bobs”, the sentient computer AIs that are extensions of the brain of Bob Johansson. Bob is/was a brilliant scientist, engineer, computer geek… His AI replicants are each a unique and interesting variety on the original Bob, with different genetic, emotional or moral elements taking precedence. Once replicated, each AI picks his own name.

This book follows several of the many Bobs. Bill, the first computer Bob’s first replicant, is the central computer wizard, always upgrading the technical and communication aspects to give the Bobs the best connection and the best carriers and defenses. The original AI Bob has made the first alien contact and has adopted a young boy in a primitive tribe. The interventions of Bob and his ‘son’ Marvin, are changing the tribe, not always with the approval of the natives.

Riker is one of the earlier replicants who returned to the devastated earth. He and several AI ‘brothers’ or ‘sons’ are trying to evacuate the humans to safe planet colonies that are being discovered by other Bobs. While coping with the competitive arguing of the remaining human groups, Riker and companions are also trying to ferret out the terrorists who are sabotaging food, defenses and other survival resources.

Other “Bobs” have traveled in various directions in space seeking new planets for terraforming and colonization. Some of these “Bobs” have now come across a deadly alien force who destroys entire cities and species. They are racing against time trying to find a way to stop this powerful menace before it wipes out another planet of sentient beings.

I thoroughly enjoyed the emotional elements, intrigues and action in this sequel. The varieties in the personalities are fascinating and it was interesting to see different emotions in the AIs. There are some sad and tense moments and even a bit of romance. Woven throughout is the continuing ironic humor. It is more light entertainment than heavy space opera, but that is fine with me.I will be getting  book 3 to find out how the Bobs fair against The Others. I recommend this to sci fi fans who enjoy a lighter work with humor.

Audio Notes: Ray Porter does a spot-on job with the narration. He captures the various personalities with unique and suitable voices. The audio enhanced the reading enjoyment for me.

Source: Audible 2017 sale purchase. This qualifies for 2018 TBR, 2018 Audible and 2018 Alphabet Challenges.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) Bobiverse Book 1, Review, Rating 5.0

Audible Book Review: We Are Legion (We Are Bob) Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor

This is wonderfully entertaining and I am getting book two soon.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
Bobiverse, Book 1
By: Dennis E. Taylor
Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
Unabridged
Release date: 09-20-16
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Sci Fi
My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
There's a reason We Are Legion, We Are Bob was named Audible's Best Sci-Fi Book of 2016. Unique, hilarious, and utterly addictive, Dennis E. Taylor's debut novel kicked off an Audible-wide obsession among sci-fi diehards and new listeners alike.
Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.
Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he'll be switched off, and they'll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.
The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad – very mad.
Listener-favorite narrator Ray Porter (14, The Fold) brings the many Bobs into being in all their glory, delivering a performance that listeners have described as "outstanding," "nuanced" and a "dizzying tour de force."
©2016 Dennis E. Taylor (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Review:
Bob Johansson has sold his software company for millions. He has uploaded his brain cells/scan to be saved for future placement in a body when the technology is available. Meanwhile he plans to enjoy traveling, reading and relaxing for his retirement. He didn’t expect to die suddenly.

Bob ‘awakens’ in a future world to discover that he is being prepared to become part of a computer. He is property of the state and has no control over where he is assigned. Bob is in competition with several other saved brains to see which – or, who – will be used to control an AI probe heading to space to search for habitable planets. Bob learns through his mentor that the US project is in a race with other nations to be the first successful launch. There are also enemies who object to the use of the brains.

Bob manages to survive a launch that is rushed to escape sabotage. He must search his system to make sure that there are no remaining sabotage traps. He successfully makes it to a safe place in space where he begins to replicate himself, with each new “Bob” picking its own name. As the team continues in the mission to develop stations and seek habitable planets, they discover that some of the other nations have made it into orbit also. And some of those do not want to share space or what remains of the home planet earth.

This story is full of fun humor as well as exciting suspense, danger and strategies. The brain expanded with computer capabilities is an intriguing and creative notion. It was fun that the replications have different personality strengths, or weaknesses, from the original Bob. It is also fun to have the original Bob, and brothers/sons, share bits of the far distant past which is our current culture.

This is fast-paced and well written. I highly recommend this to sci fi fans, especially those who like their sci fi adventure served with a good slice of humor.

Audio Notes: Ray Porter does a great job narrating this. He pulls in the nuances of the characters and makes the story zing along. I loved this audio experience and look forward to book two!

This audio was added with a credit to my Audible Library in 2016. It qualifies for Mount TBR and Audio Book Challenge.