Not Till We Are Lost: Bobiverse, Book 5

It's still well worth reading. Interesting, fun, old-school science fiction, just take an idea and run with it.

Narrated by Ray Porter.The Bobs are all computer replicants of original human Bob. They are spreading throughout the galaxy. We follow Original Bob and some of his first generation clones, Bill, Howard, Will (originally Ryker) as they neet new societies and have a bit of trouble with younger clones (24th generation) due to replicative drift. In the aftermath of the Starfleet War there's anti-Bob sentiment and the Skippies are playing with dangerous AI that's not a Bob. Daedelus and Icarus are heading for the centre of our universe, a journey of thousands of years, but they want to see what's there. On the way they find a wormhole network and many abandoned planets which have obviously housed advanced civilisations. But at this point they are too far away to report back to the rest of the Bobs. In the meantime, Howard and Bridget have discovered a squirrel like race of people and are trying to help them, with mixed success. Bill is working on trying to create and develop wormhole travel, and the Bobs are trying to evacuate their descendants from a planet which has become hidebound by the rule of Faith, who want nothing to do with Bobs. This all gels when Daedelus and Icarus find a way to report back. What they have to tell galvanises the Bobs for what will become (I'm sure) the next Bobiverse book. Even though we leap from one Bob to another as viewpoint characters, the whole thing knits together beautifully. I love the Bobiverse. As usual Ray Porter's narration is spot-on.

I've listened to the prior 4 books in the series twice now. I listened as they became available, and earlier this year at a fast preparatory cadence in eager anticipation of slotting in the 5th instalment.I did enjoy it thoroughly. It was a Bobiverse book. Nothing less.I dropped a star though ... in lieu of half a star, because ... it just seemed to lack something this time around. Hard to put my finger on it. I experienced the previous books as if each were a knock-out punch in boxing rounds. This book left me feeling as if I'd missed it somehow. I must have ducked.It's almost like a setup for the proverbial cliff-hanger compelling you to buy the next book. Hopefully the next one I now long for in the modern way - aching for immediate gratification that seems normal now in our more self-entitled societies, will provide that nail-biting crescendo of suspense and climax I apprehensively crave.It was like eating a delicious meal but still feeling hungry.It was like a strategic domino in a convoluted mouse trap.I'm writing this review to express my conflicting satisfaction and irritated dissatisfaction simultaneously lol. And to express impatience now for the next book! @Author ... please please produce it quickly! (Competently still lol ... but quickly!). This wait is torture. Book 5 was cruel! It was like part 1 in an Arthur C. Clarke novel. I floundered when I realised there was abruptly no part 2. If book 6 is more than a year off, I'll have to listen to all 5 again in preparation!

It is hard to find fault in something so well written and narrated. But.. the book is spread over maybe too many simultaneous storylines making progress on many a little slow. The one race that was covered seemed unrealistic and I didn't connect as well with as in previous books. The far flung Bob's did play a interesting part though, along with the AI Bob's, with good milage to come in future books. Overall recommended, but not the prefection of book 4.

No real story , and very dissapointing. Dennis needs to take a rest and come back with some decent stories. I found this book boring to listen to and complete filler for presuambly the next book. This is the first book i have returned in this series. I shall wait for reviews on the next one.

Read just as brilliantly as the other 4 in the series. The vibe is a bit different, as there is no equivalent threat like The Others, but it was just as enjoyable and engaging.