Book · 2016
We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
by Dennis E. Taylor
A software engineer dies in 2016, wakes up as a von Neumann probe, and starts cloning himself across the galaxy.
Catalogue record: Open Library · ★ 4.1 (19 ratings)
What does Reddit think of We Are Legion (We Are Bob)?
The comfort-SF series, recommended by title: "We Are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor is what you're looking for. It's also a whole series" (↑305). The pitch in the threads is adjacency — readers coming off Dungeon Crawler Carl get pointed here for "the same sci-fi and comedy aspects" (↑129), and the humor-plus-references shape is the constant in every endorsement. r/printSF, the harder crowd, splits the way you'd expect: it recommends the series (↑111) and also delivers the sharpest dismissal in the data — "Bobiverse is juvenile, except that it's written for man-children instead of actual children" (↑178). The premise (a self-replicating AI probe exploring space) is what gets named in the recommendations, not the prose.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · The premise as the pitch: von Neumann probes as protagonist
- · Comfort SF positioned next to Dungeon Crawler Carl
- · r/printSF's split between recommendation and dismissal
- · Series-first framing — book one as the entry point
Common praise
- + Gets recommended as the direct answer to specific asks, by exact title, as a series (↑305).
- + DCC readers are sent here for matching humor and reference energy: "the humor and cultural references are very similar to dcc" (↑129).
- + A reader describes finding it satisfying for "a lot of the same sci-fi and comedy aspects" they were after (↑129).
Common criticism
- − r/printSF's dismissal is the sharpest line in the data: "juvenile... written for man-children instead of actual children" (↑178).
- − The endorsements name the premise and the humor, not the prose — nobody in the displayed excerpts defends the writing itself.
Who it's for
Finished Dungeon Crawler Carl and want the same humor in space? That's the exact handoff the threads make (↑129). Want an undemanding series with a premise that does the heavy lifting — a programmer's mind cloned across the galaxy? Start with book one (↑305). If you read for prose, r/printSF has already written the warning you need (↑178).
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
- r/suggestmeabook 2,691
- r/printSF 2,173
- r/booksuggestions 1,216
- r/Fantasy 321
- r/horrorlit 15
- r/RomanceBooks 6
- r/YAlit 3
- r/TrueLit 2
Which Reddit comments matter for We Are Legion (We Are Bob)?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“We Are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor is what you're looking for. It's also a whole series.
“I would say that Bobiverse is juvenile, except that it’s written for man-children instead of actual children.
“I who have never known men - does some really interesting things with socialization and how that shapes a person We are legion (we are bob) - awesome sci-fi. Just really fun. And there are 5, with more on the way! The traveling cat chronicles/the goodbye cat - Get ready for some good crying.
“Ok this is a bit of a wildcard, but I'd go with Bobiverse. It's scifi but the humor and cultural references are very similar to dcc Dcc is so unique there's really nothing like it and Bobiverse is similar in that sense as well.
“I was surprisingly satisfied when I found "We Are Legion (We Are Bob)" by Dennis E Taylor For me, it had a lot of the same sci-fi and comedy aspects that the Martian has.
“You might also like the Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor
“You want some popcorn? Bobiverse. A three course gourmet French dinner? Culture.
“Project Hail Mary is phenomenal. Its narrator, Roy Porter, is the best there is. He really brings the story to life...especially about 1/3rd of the way through. If you get this and enjoy it, then check out the Bobiverse series, as he narrates those as well! edit: OP, I loved it so much I'll gif…
“We Are Legion ( We Are Bob ) Lots of hard science mixed with great humour Edit: thank you kind stranger for the platinum. My first
“I would recommend Seveneves by Neal Stephenson - it's full of crises and problem-solving like you find in Andy Weir's work. Some moments of despair and loss as well. and the Bobiverse series by Dennis E Taylor. Despite the ridiculous-sounding name, it too has some cool problem-solving and well-expl…
“Project Hail Mary. It is a sci-fi story from the author of the Martian (which is also a good recommendation, by the way). The book is great on its own, but the audiobook version makes it even better. Also, the Bobiverse – Four sci-fi books that are really good. Without spoiling the plot. Both of…
“I'm glad we have some authors rejecting this. Silly series like the Bobiverse, Magic 2.0, and The Rules of Supervillainy are like a breath of fresh air in the grimdark miasma.
“We are legion, we are bob (the bobiverse series). Quirky, lots of pop culture, not very serious sci fi with a bunch of fun bits.
“Bobiverse - the copies are not clones in the biological sense, but that doesn't take away from their interesting interactions, especially in the later books. House of Suns - clones with different personalities are an important aspect of the story.
“The Bobiverse books fit that niche of self published greatness. I'm interested to see what others suggest as well.
Convinced? Pick up We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
What else does r/suggestmeabook read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) — frequently asked
What does Reddit think of We Are Legion (We Are Bob)?+
Recommended constantly in the rec subs, split in the harder-SF sub. r/suggestmeabook's top excerpt recommends it by exact title and notes "it's also a whole series" (↑305); r/printSF both recommends the Bobiverse (↑111) and delivers the most-upvoted dismissal — "juvenile... written for man-children" (↑178). The praise is about premise and humor, never about the prose.
Is We Are Legion (We Are Bob) a good follow-up to Dungeon Crawler Carl?+
Yes, by the threads — the handoff is explicit. A r/Fantasy comment recommends the Bobiverse to a DCC fan because "the humor and cultural references are very similar to dcc" (↑129), and the same framing shows up in r/suggestmeabook. Expect the same reference-heavy, joke-forward mode in a space-opera setting.
Should I read We Are Legion (We Are Bob) as a standalone or commit to the Bobiverse series?+
The recommendations are series-first: the top excerpt ends on "it's also a whole series" (↑305). Book one works as an entry point — the premise (a replicated AI probe exploring space) carries it — but the threads treat it as the start of a longer run, and readers who like the first book are pointed at the rest.