"Robopocalypse" by Daniel Wilson

347 pages

In the not-so-distant future, an unimaginably powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos takes control over the global network of technology that runs all aspects of life in civilized society. Suddenly, all the fancy machines that people depend on--cell phones, cars, domestic robots, and more--turn on humans and begin to destroy them. We jump into the story a year before "the War" begins, when sporadic incidents of robotic rebellion occur, and as we read the events escalate until the robopocalypse finally arrives in full force. We hear the stories of several seemingly unconnected people as they fight to live, eventually coming together to figure out how to take their planet back from the machines.

I think robots might be the next big sci-fi thing. This novel has certainly generated a lot of buzz, and I think it lives up to the hype. There are lots of stories about robots-gone-wrong, but this one is unique (at least, among what I've read) because literally every single type of machine on the planet is being controlled by one being. In some ways it's such a ridiculous idea, and yet somehow it feels like something that could actually happen. This makes it even more freaky. As one expects from a novel with this kind of content, it seems to be a sort of cautionary tale about the incredible boom of technological development that has been going on the past twenty years or so. This book seems to suggest that we need to slow down and think about what we're doing before throwing everything out there just because we can. On the other hand, there are plenty of situations in which the machines overcome Archos' control and help the humans, making them seem like real living things with their own wills and emotions. Thinking about that is about the point where I start getting a headache, but it is certainly interesting to ponder. In addition to making me think, this book also kept me at the edge of my seat. There's plenty of exciting action, and I enjoyed trying to figure out how all of the characters would come together. I think this is a book that will please most science fiction fans, at least casual ones like me.