About the Book
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) is a science fiction novel about a software engineer named Bob Johansson who dies in an accident, gets cryonically preserved, and wakes up a century later stripped of legal personhood. He's been uploaded into a computer and conscripted by a future state to pilot an interstellar probe in search of habitable planets. If he refuses, he gets switched off. If he agrees, he becomes a target, rival nations have their own probes and their own uploaded pilots, and the race to claim new worlds is not a friendly one.
The book blends hard science fiction concepts, von Neumann probes, relativistic travel, exoplanet scouting, with a comedic, self-aware tone. Bob is a genre-aware protagonist who references science fiction throughout, which gives the story a light touch even when the subject matter gets technically dense. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and that balance is one of the book's defining qualities.
This is the first book in what became the Bobiverse series, and it reads as a strong opening installment. The premise sets up narrative threads that continue in subsequent volumes, but the story reaches a satisfying enough point that it doesn't feel like a cliffhanger. Readers new to the series can treat it as a standalone introduction.
Narration & Audio Performance
Ray Porter is the right narrator for this book, and his performance is one of the main reasons the audiobook has developed a strong following. He handles Bob's internal monologue with a dry, conversational delivery that matches the character's voice on the page, sardonic without being smug, technical without being flat. Bob spends a lot of the book essentially talking to himself (and later, to copies of himself), and Porter keeps that from getting monotonous.
Where Porter earns particular credit is in differentiating the various Bob copies that accumulate as the series progresses. Each instance has a distinct personality drift, and Porter adjusts his delivery subtly enough that listeners can track who is who without the book having to spell it out constantly. That's not a trivial performance challenge, and he handles it well.
Production quality is clean and professional. There are no notable issues with audio consistency or editing. This is a case where the narrator actively improves the experience, listeners who have read the print version often report preferring the audio on revisits.
The Audible Verdict
Ray Porter's narration is genuinely strong here, not just competent. His handling of Bob's voice, and the growing cast of Bob variants, adds something that the print version doesn't have. The book also suits the audio format well: it's linear, fast-moving, and character-driven in a way that keeps the listening experience consistent over multiple sessions. This is one of the more defensible uses of a paid credit in science fiction audio.
Listen on AudibleIs This Book a Good Fit for Audio?
The book works well as an audiobook for a few structural reasons. The narrative is largely linear, told from a single perspective (or closely related variations of that perspective), and the pacing moves quickly enough to hold attention during long listening sessions. There are no charts, diagrams, or footnotes that would leave audio listeners at a disadvantage.
The technical science content, orbital mechanics, probe replication logic, exoplanet conditions, is woven into Bob's internal commentary rather than delivered as dense exposition. That means it comes across as conversation rather than lecture, which translates better to audio than it might in a dryer hard SF novel. If you've bounced off harder science fiction in audio before because the information density was too high, this one is more approachable.
The one caveat is that later in the book, as the number of Bob copies increases and storylines split across different locations, keeping track of which Bob is doing what requires some attention. Porter's character differentiation helps, but it's worth noting that listeners who zone out briefly may need to rewind more than they would with a single-protagonist story.
Popular Listener Questions
Is this the first book in a series?
Yes. We Are Legion (We Are Bob) is the first Bobiverse novel. The series continues with For We Are Many and All These Worlds, among others. The first book introduces the premise and reaches a reasonable stopping point, but many plot threads continue in subsequent volumes.
Is this hard science fiction or more accessible?
It sits closer to the accessible end of science fiction. The science is present and reasonably grounded, but the book's tone is comedic and the protagonist's voice keeps technical passages from becoming dry. Readers who don't normally read hard SF have found it easy to follow.
Is Ray Porter the narrator throughout the series?
Yes. Ray Porter narrates all the main Bobiverse audiobooks, which makes listening to the series in order a consistent experience.
Does the book have a lot of characters to track?
Most of the main characters are versions of Bob, which simplifies things in some ways and complicates them in others. By the later sections, there are multiple Bob instances operating in different locations simultaneously. Porter's differentiated delivery helps, but it does require some attention.
Similar Audiobooks
Andy Weir's novel shares the same comedic, self-deprecating protagonist voice and science-forward plot. If the Bob tone appeals to you, The Martian audiobook, narrated by R.C. Bray, covers similar ground.
The direct continuation of this story, also narrated by Ray Porter. The second book expands the scope significantly as more Bob copies diverge.
Another science fiction novel with a witty, problem-solving protagonist and hard science underpinning. Ray Chase narrates the audiobook to strong reviews.
Old Man's War
John Scalzi's military science fiction shares the accessible, pop-culture-aware voice that Taylor uses. Also a strong audiobook with a clear narrative through-line.
Like Bob, the narrator of Ready Player One is genre-literate and self-referential. The audiobook, narrated by Wil Wheaton, has a similar energy to Porter's delivery here.
Audiobook Details
| Title | We Are Legion (We Are Bob) |
|---|---|
| Author | Dennis E. Taylor |
| Narrator | Ray Porter |
| Genre | Hard Science Fiction |
| Year | 2016 |
| Publisher | Worldbuilders Press |
| Abridged | Unabridged |
| Cast | Single narrator |
| Author-narrated | No |
Ready to listen?
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) is available on Audible and is a reasonable choice for a first paid credit or a free trial, Ray Porter's narration is one of the better pairings of narrator to material in recent science fiction audio.
Open on Audible