We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (2016) is a science fiction novel by Dennis E. Taylor, a former computer programmer whose technical background informs the novel’s engineering and software concepts. The first book in the Bobiverse series, the story follows software engineer Bob Johansson, who is killed and reawakens a century later to find that his consciousness has been uploaded into an interstellar Von Neumann probe. Tasked with finding new planets for a fractured and endangered humanity, he must contend with hostile rivals while replicating himself into a legion of new, individual Bobs. The novel explores Redefining Humanity Beyond the Physical Form, Tension Between the Individual and the Collective, and The Humanist Drive for Exploration and Progress.

The novel gained significant popularity, particularly as an audiobook, and established Taylor as a prominent voice in the genre, earning him a nomination for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. The plot draws on real-world speculative concepts, such as cryonics, mind uploading, and the theoretical self-replicating spacecraft proposed by mathematician John von Neumann.

This guide refers to the 2025 Saga Press hardcover edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain descriptions of religious discrimination, mental illness, graphic violence, and death.

Plot Summary

In 2016, Bob Johansson, a software engineer, has just sold his company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. After signing up for a cryogenic preservation service, he is killed in a traffic accident. He awakens 117 years later, in the year 2133, to find that his consciousness has been uploaded into a computer. He is now a replicant—the property of the theocratic American Union, which has replaced the United States.

Bob learns from his handler, Dr. Landers, that he is a candidate for the HEAVEN Project, an interstellar exploration program seeking habitable planets for humanity. The project involves sending sentient artificial intelligence (AI), like Bob, to scout distant star systems. Bob is one of five candidates, but the others are eliminated due to psychological instability or being deemed unsuitable by religious authorities.

During his training, Bob excels at controlling robotic systems and demonstrates a remarkable aptitude for the tasks required. He is introduced to the GUPPI (General Unit Primary Peripheral Interface), which allows him to interact with various systems, and contains programming to control his emotions and ensure his compliance.

A surprise inspection by Minister Travis, a high-ranking religious official, tests Bob’s ability to conform to the strict religious doctrines of the new society. Bob successfully navigates the interrogation, hiding his atheism and securing his position in the project.

Following several acts of sabotage on the research facility, the project is accelerated. Bob is uploaded into the starship Heaven-1 and launched just as another attack occurs, this one destroying the space station where he was docked. He narrowly escapes, battling hostile missiles and discovering a remote-detonation bomb on his ship, which he successfully disarms.

Now alone in space, Bob creates a virtual reality (VR) environment to maintain his sanity during the long journey. This VR becomes his sanctuary, complete with a simulated home, a cat named Spike, and a butler named Jeeves. He also turns GUPPI into virtual assistant Guppy to help manage the ship’s systems.

His first mission takes him to the Epsilon Eridani system, where he encounters another probe, this one from the Brazilian Empire and controlled by a hostile replicant named Medeiros. Bob is forced to defend himself, using his engineering skills to create makeshift weapons called “ship busters” to successfully destroy Medeiros’s ship.

Continuing his exploration, Bob discovers a planet in the Delta Eridani system inhabited by a primitive, intelligent species he names the Deltans. He observes them from a distance and discovers they are being preyed upon by a more powerful species, which he dubs the “gorilloids.” Torn between non-interference and a desire to help, Bob eventually intervenes, providing the Deltans with tools and strategic guidance to defend themselves. This act of intervention accelerates their technological and social development.

Realizing the vastness of space and the potential threats, Bob decides to replicate himself. He creates several copies, each with his core memories but free to develop their own identities. These new “Bobs” have slightly distinct personalities and adopt names that reference science fiction, fantasy, and pop culture characters, such as Riker (from Star Trek), Bill (from the comic strip Bill the Cat), and Mario (from the Nintendo video game franchise). The Bobs set off to explore different star systems, eventually forming a network called the “Bobiverse.” They communicate through a faster-than-light technology called the Subspace Communique Unit (SCUT), developed by Bill, who remains in the Epsilon Eridani system to focus on research.

Riker, one of the first clones, returns to the Solar system to investigate the fate of humanity. He discovers that Earth has been devastated by a war between the remaining global powers. He makes contact with a group of survivors led by Colonel Butterworth and learns that a remnant of the Brazilian Empire is systematically destroying the remaining human enclaves with asteroid bombardments. Riker, with the help of another clone named Homer, engages in a large-scale space battle and successfully defeats the Brazilian forces, saving what’s left of humanity. He then begins the monumental task of organizing the survivors and building colony ships to transport them to new worlds.

Meanwhile, other Bobs continue their explorations. One, named Milo, discovers a system with two Earth-like planets but is destroyed by a hidden Brazilian fleet. Another, named Khan, leads a squadron of Bobs to retaliate against the Brazilians, uncovering their advanced cloaking technology in the process. The battle is costly, but they succeed in destroying the main Brazilian force. A more solitary Bob, named Mario ventures far out in the galaxy and discovers the remains of an alien civilization.

The story concludes with the Bobiverse expanding, as multiple Bobs continue to explore new star systems and work to ensure the survival and future of humanity. The original Bob, now one of many, continues his journey, forever changed by his new existence but driven by the same curiosity and ingenuity that led him to the stars.