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Polostan ; We are Legion We are Bob
Jan. 4th, 2026 09:59 am Polostan by Neal Stephenson.
Why did I do it? Well, I know. I was in a bookstore on our New England tour and there was a signed copy that became a trip souvenir. But knowing this is the first in a trilogy gave me little hope of a satisfying ending. Our protagonist rather chaotically and implausibly gets shuttled back and forth between the US and the USSR in early 20th. But she's engaging enough as she flits through some early nuclear science, the Chicago World's Fair, a life of crime, torture, polo and flirtation with Patton. Amusing, but I don't think I'll move on to book #2, although the Baroque trilogy ultimately sucked me in.
We Are Legion, We Are Bob
Bob had his brain frozen on death, and wakes up to find himself the in silico version of himself, encased in a spaceship. Hilarity ensues. Once you've gone digital, you can copy yourself at will, so pretty soon there are more Bobs in more ships, a la a Von Neumann probe. His various selves start to go on different adventures at different stars, and there's a good variety of different plotlines, but all light in tone. Here, too, nothing is resolved, and numerous sequels await. Likewise enjoyable and amusing, but not sure I need to move on to book #2.
Why did I do it? Well, I know. I was in a bookstore on our New England tour and there was a signed copy that became a trip souvenir. But knowing this is the first in a trilogy gave me little hope of a satisfying ending. Our protagonist rather chaotically and implausibly gets shuttled back and forth between the US and the USSR in early 20th. But she's engaging enough as she flits through some early nuclear science, the Chicago World's Fair, a life of crime, torture, polo and flirtation with Patton. Amusing, but I don't think I'll move on to book #2, although the Baroque trilogy ultimately sucked me in.
We Are Legion, We Are Bob
Bob had his brain frozen on death, and wakes up to find himself the in silico version of himself, encased in a spaceship. Hilarity ensues. Once you've gone digital, you can copy yourself at will, so pretty soon there are more Bobs in more ships, a la a Von Neumann probe. His various selves start to go on different adventures at different stars, and there's a good variety of different plotlines, but all light in tone. Here, too, nothing is resolved, and numerous sequels await. Likewise enjoyable and amusing, but not sure I need to move on to book #2.
