62 pages • 2-hour read
We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
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Themes
Redefining Humanity Beyond the Physical Form
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) redefines humanity by separating identity from the physical body, arguing that consciousness, memory, and emotional capacity are the true markers of the self. The novel presents a narrative in which the protagonist is stripped of his biological form to explore what remains, suggesting that identity is not a static state but a fluid product of continuous experience. When Bob awakens as a “replicant,” he is told he is a “computer program that thinks it’s Robert Johansson” (16), triggering an existential crisis. One of his initial steps toward reclaiming his identity and agency is the creation of a virtual reality environment, which allows him to simulate sensory experiences and feel grounded in a tangible, albeit artificial, body. This act demonstrates Bob’s consciousness striving for a form to anchor its existence, implying that the vessel is secondary to the mind it contains.
The novel deepens this exploration by linking humanity to emotional growth. Initially, Bob’s feelings are suppressed by “endocrine simulation routines” (21) that prevent panic but also deny him genuine emotion, such as the ability to mourn everything he has lost by awakening more than a century in the future. His journey toward selfhood culminates when he deactivates these controls, allowing himself to fully experience grief for his family and his former life. This deliberate choice to embrace pain underscores the idea that a full range of emotion, not just detached rationality, is essential to human identity. This capacity for feeling, more than his physical form, validates his continued existence as Bob; it also prompts his empathic connection to the intelligent species he calls the Deltans, whose wellbeing Bob undertakes to safeguard.
Ultimately, the Bobs’ evolution into distinct individuals from an identical starting point reinforces the novel’s argument. Despite sharing a common origin, their unique experiences forge separate personalities, proving that the self is defined by its ongoing journey of thought and feeling, not by its original hardware.
Tension Between the Individual and the Collective
Taylor’s novel explores the complex relationship between individual identity and collective existence, asserting that true individuality persists even in the face of perfect replication. The narrative challenges the notion of a monolithic collective by showing how divergent experiences and choices forge unique personalities from a single origin. The book’s title, We Are Legion (We Are Bob), immediately establishes this central tension, juxtaposing the collective with the individual. Although the Bobs share a common memory and consciousness, their first impulse is to differentiate themselves. They adopt new names such as Riker, Bill, and Milo, and design distinct virtual reality environments that serve as external reflections of their developing personalities. These choices reveal an innate drive to assert individuality, suggesting that identity is not erased by replication but is instead given new avenues for expression.
The theme develops further as the Bobs’ independent experiences lead to ideological conflicts and specialized roles, proving their collective is a network of individuals, not a hive mind. For instance, a major disagreement arises between Riker, who feels a duty to investigate the fate of Earth in the wake of nuclear war, and Milo, who prioritizes pure exploration and brusquely declines to accompany Riker. This conflict highlights how different journeys create unique perspectives and values, even among identical minds. As the Bobs spread across space, their varied missions foster specialized skills; Bill becomes a dedicated researcher, while Riker assumes a leadership role. In contrast to this collaboration between individuals are the Medeiros clones—replicants whose identities are never differentiated and whose instances of existence are identically aggressive and violent. The Bobs’ evolution and their definitive victory over Medeiros demonstrates that the collective’s strength derives from the unique contributions of its members, not from their uniformity. The novel thus celebrates individualism, arguing that identity is shaped more profoundly by personal experience and choice than by a shared origin.
The Humanist Drive for Exploration and Progress
In We Are Legion (We Are Bob), the innate drive to explore, understand, and solve problems is portrayed as humanity’s most enduring and valuable trait. The novel champions a humanist vision where this impulse, embodied by Bob’s engineering mindset, becomes the primary force for survival and progress in a hostile universe. This theme is introduced by the epigraph from Moby-Dick, which speaks of an “everlasting itch for things remote” (xiii) and frames the narrative as a celebration of boundless curiosity. As an engineer, Bob is not content to simply execute his mission. He constantly seeks to improve his technology, from his ship’s systems to his own virtual interface. His constructive approach to problem-solving is passed on to the clones he creates, each of whom is also motivated by the desire for peaceful and productive progress. This relentless desire to innovate and optimize is presented as the engine of his success and, by extension, humanity’s best hope for a future among the stars.
The novel contrasts the Bobs’ collaborative and creative problem-solving with the destructive, zero-sum ideologies of their rivals. The theocratic FAITH and the belligerent Brazilian Empire are driven by dogma and conquest. Factions within FAITH work to undermine the Von Neumann probe mission, and later attempt to take control of Riker by deploying the now-deactivated command codes. The probes operated by Brazilian replicants are focused solely on war and violence, to the exclusion of the manufacturing capabilities that make the Bobs thrive in the universe. In contrast, the Bobs work together to overcome existential threats to themselves and others. Their mission evolves beyond simple self-preservation to the active protection of what remains of humanity and the stewardship of alien intelligent life, as seen in their interactions with the Deltans. This progression reveals a humanist sense of responsibility, where the goal is not dominance but the advancement of knowledge and the preservation of life. By positioning this humanist drive in opposition to rigid ideology, the novel suggests that true progress is fostered by curiosity and cooperation. The narrative ultimately posits that humanity’s greatest strength lies in its restless, problem-solving spirit, a quality powerful enough to ensure its survival across the cosmos.
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