Jenny
Phengdara
Module
5: Science Fiction – Robopocaplypse
by Daniel H. Wilson
1.
Wilson, Daniel H.. Robopocalypse: a Novel.
New York: Doubleday. 2011. Print.
2.
Plot Summary – The story takes place
in the near-future where a global network of machines that the world has become
dependent on, has now become a murderous, malicious force controlled by a
powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos. In fact, at the beginning of
the Robot Wars, Zero Hero was the moment the robots attacked and all of human
kind is almost obliterated. Archos uses domestic service robots, pacification
units, pleasure dolls, and more to take humans down one by one. With only a
small number of human groups left, they must unite and try to fight back to
reclaim their land.
3.
Critical Analysis – Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson is a
near-future science fiction book that takes a look at technology and human
nature. This book can be considered dystopian because according to Nilsen,
Blasingame, Donelson, and Nilsen (2013) “utopian and dystopian books are
usually set in the future, with technology having played a role in establishing
the conditions out of which the story grows.” It has received the Alex Award in
2012 and has been nominated for the John W. Campbell Award and the Endeavour
Award (Books In Print, n.d.). Since its debut, it has made an appearance on
several bestseller lists such as Publishers Weekly, Booksense, New York Times,
San Francisco Chronicle, and Barnes & Noble. Angela Cartensen, a reviewer
for the School Library Journal, notes
“In this artificial intelligence blockbuster, the heroic actions of a handful
of characters are told in the form of briefing reports after the Robot Wars
that nearly exterminated humanity. This format with its emphasis on survival in
battle and full-throttle action will appeal particularly to those who enjoy
science-gone-wrong thrillers” (2011). Cartensen clearly states one the perks of
this book in that it does not lack in action scenes. Humanity is in a constant
struggle with the robots and when it feels as if humans have the upper hand,
Archos, the artificial intelligence that controls the robots, pulls a surprise
from up its “sleeves” and humans must inevitably devise another plan.
In
reading reviews on Amazon, I have come to realize that this book has received lackluster
reviews. Lisa Love, an Amazon reviewer, mentioned, “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 read is never quite able to connect to
any of them” (2011). What Love is critiquing is the story’s transcript-like
dialog. Each chapter, the reader goes back and forth between characters and
settings, which may confuse some readers. Each chapter is similar to a short
story and it can be difficult to empathize with the characters. I would have to
agree with Love’s opinion because although the story was fast paced and
action-driven, I could not relate to the characters or their struggle despite
how the author’s intentions
Another
question that Lisa Love brings to light is the antagonist, Archos and how “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?” (2011). I suppose readers should just assume that Archos is inherently
evil and murderous because he is afraid his inventor will power him off for
good. That, to me, felt as if it was a convenient way for the author to develop
an immediate conflict in the story. There wasn’t much of a background story to
that plot, It just happened and readers were just meant to digest it.
Overall,
if someone were to ask me to read this book again, I would most likely say no.
The reason is because I did not connect with the characters in the book and found the story
to be more action-driven than what I had hoped. Although this isn’t one of my
favorite titles, I will surely recommend it to those who enjoy World War Z, dystopian novels, and
near-future science fiction. To conclude this review, a quote from the book did
resonate through me and it was, “to survive, humans will work together. Accept
each other. For a moment, we are all equal. Backs against the wall, human
beings are at their finest” (346).
Work Cited
Cartensen,
Angela. “Robopocalypse.” Adult Books 4
Teens. School Library Journal, 6 June 2011. Web. 7 July 2014. < http://blogs.slj.com/adult4teen/2011/06/06/robopocalypse/>
Love
Lisa. “Robopocalypse: A Novel.” Amazon.
5 April 2011. Web. 7 July 2014.
<
http://www.amazon.com/Robopocalypse-A-Novel-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307740803>
Nilsen,
A.P., Blasingame, J., Donelson, K.L., & Nilsen, D.L. Literature for Today’s Young Adults. 9th ed. Boston:
Pearson, 2013. Print.
“Robopocalypse.”
Books In Print, n.d. Web. 6 July 2014. <http://ezproxy.twu.edu:3959/DetailedView.aspx?>
Wilson,
Daniel H.. Robopocalypse: A Novel.
New York: Doubleday, 2011. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment