Закончил трилогию Денниса Тейлора "Мы — Легион. Мы — Боб" (плюс две другие книги серии).
Автор программист, нерд, гик и любитель фантастики, в 57 лет на спор решил написать книгу. Как это часто бывает, несколько издательств послали его с порога. Но потом он заключил контракт с крупным сайтом аудиокниг, и книга сразу вошла во все топы, принеся кучу денег.
По сюжету главный герой по имени Боб — нерд, гик, программист и любитель фантастики, подписывается на криоконсервацию, но в будущем ему дают не новое тело, а перекачивают сознание в компьютер, установленный на небольшом космическом корабле. У этого корабля есть околосветовой (но не сверхсветовой!) двигатель, а также 3D-принтер, позволяющий печатать что угодно, если найти сырьё. Изначальный план людей был в том, чтобы зонд отправился в соседнюю звёздную систему и построил там космическую станцию, но, волей случая, Боб оказывается сам по себе.
Другая важнейшая часть сюжета — способность героя полностью копировать себя. То есть построить второй такой корабль и сделать копию сознания, чем он и занялся в первую очередь. Копии начинают немного отличаться друг от друга. Из-за квантовых флуктуаций в характерах разных Бобов превалируют разные его черты: кто-то больше любит исследования и науку, кто-то занимается организацией, кто-то инженерией. Бобы создают сверхсветовую связь и "расселяются" по галактике сотнями копий, при этом сохраняя что-то вроде внутреннего общества и продолжая коммуникации с человечеством.
Тейлор, судя по всему, не стремился написать роман, который станет модным и будет обсуждаться, а просто кайфовал и сочинял фантазию для себя самого. Главный герой очевидно списан с автора практически полностью, и можно сказать, таким образом писатель устроил себе мини-приключение в космос. Из-за этого текст, хоть и простой с виду, вышел очень стройным, эмоционально насыщенным, я бы даже сказал душевным. Миллион отсылок к фантастической поп-культуре, забавные шутки в диалогах, даже имена себе Бобы выбирают по персонажам космоопер.
Поскольку Бобов много, автор переключается между ними и между хронологическими ветками, что позволяет ему параллельно рассказывать несколько историй: о войне, о дружбе, о потери, об исследовании, об одиночестве, о политике, о семейных конфликтах... Причем, рассказ всегда идёт от первого лица: в одном месте книги "я" это один Боб, в другом месте книги уже другой — немного с другим характером, находящийся в другой части галактики и переживающий совсем другие события. В статьях говорят, что Тейлор, как истинный программист и нерд, даже написал себе софтину для отслеживания сюжетных цепочек.
В общем, гик написал приключение для себя, но оно оказалось интересным и близким для огромного количества других гиков. В книгах не слишком много философии или уникальных фантастических идей, но под конец ты почти плачешь из-за необходимости расставаться с героями. В конце-концов, они бессмертны, а ты — всего лишь эфемер.
На русском языке я настоятельно рекомендую аудиокниги в исполнении Кирилла Радцига: во-первых, у чтеца ровно такой голос, какой мы представляем себе для человека по имени Боб, а, во-вторых, это один из лучших русских чтецов в современном аудиокнижном пространстве.
#fiction
📖Title : Forrest Gump
✍️Author : Winston Groom
⭐️Rating : 4.01/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Dec 31, 1986
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Summary:Forrest Gump, narrating in his own simple, Southern voice, recounts his unlikely journey from a small Alabama town to national prominence. Despite an IQ of 70 and a straightforward outlook, he becomes a college football star, fights in Vietnam, excels (unexpectedly) at ping-pong, ventures into shrimping, and becomes a millionaire. Through decades of American history he drifts and strives, anchored by his steadfast love for Jenny. With innocence and honesty, Forrest sheds light on the absurdities and wonders of life, proving that greatness often comes from humility, kindness, and being in the right place at the right time.
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#fiction#humor#classics#drama#adventure@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@eternalmantra
📖Title : Katabasis
✍️Author : R. F. Kuang
⭐️Rating : 4.03/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Aug 26, 2025
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Summary:Alice Law, an ambitious graduate student obsessed with becoming a leading magician, loses her mentor, Professor Jacob Grimes, in a magical accident—possibly her fault. Grimes’s soul is condemned to Hell, and Alice refuses to let death or damnation deny her future. Determined to rescue him, she risks her sanity, health, and very soul. Unfortunately, her bitter rival, Peter Murdoch, shares the same desperate mission. Forced into an uneasy alliance, the two must navigate Hell’s horrors together. Bound by ambition, rivalry, and guilt, they confront terrifying choices that test their humanity, their loyalty, and what they’re willing to sacrifice for power.
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#fantasy#darkacademia#fiction#romance#adult#mythology@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@eternalmantra
📖Title : The Return of the King
✍️Author : J.R.R. Tolkien
⭐️Rating : 4.58/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Oct 20, 1955
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Summary:In The Return of the King, the final volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the forces of Gondor and Rohan prepare for the ultimate battle against Sauron. Aragorn embraces his destiny as the true king, rallying allies and marching to the Black Gate as a diversion. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam struggle through Mordor to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom. Gollum’s obsession leads to his and the Ring’s destruction, ending Sauron’s reign. Peace returns to Middle-earth, Aragorn is crowned, and the hobbits return to a changed Shire. Frodo later departs with the Elves to the Undying Lands.
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#fantasy#fiction#classics#adventure#novels#LOTR@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@thesciencelabs
📖Title : The Two Towers
✍️Author : J.R.R. Tolkien
⭐️Rating : 4.50/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Nov 11, 1954
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Summary:In The Two Towers, the Fellowship is broken. Frodo and Sam continue their perilous journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring, joined reluctantly by the treacherous yet pitiful Gollum, who becomes both guide and threat. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Uruk-hai who have captured Merry and Pippin. Their paths lead to the war-torn kingdom of Rohan, where they aid King Théoden against the forces of Saruman. As darkness spreads and war looms, alliances are tested and hope flickers. The story deepens the moral complexity of the quest, showing how power corrupts and loyalty defines true heroism.
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#fantasy#fiction#classics#adventure#novels#LOTR@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@thesciencelabs
📖Title : 11/22/63
✍️Author :Stephen King
⭐️Rating : 4.35/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Nov 08, 2011
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Summary:11/22/63 by Stephen King follows Jake Epping, a high school teacher who discovers a time portal to 1958. Tasked with preventing the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, Jake adopts a new identity and immerses himself in the past. As he navigates life in a different era, he falls in love and faces moral dilemmas, realizing that changing history comes with serious consequences. The past resists interference, growing more dangerous the closer he gets to his goal. Blending historical fiction, suspense, and romance, the novel explores the cost of rewriting fate and the weight of time.
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#fiction#sciencefiction#timetravel#horror#fantasy#thriller@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@thesciencelabs
📖Title : The Intruder
✍️Author : Freida McFadden
⭐️Rating : 3.89/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Oct 07, 2025
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Summary:During a raging storm, Casey answers a desperate knock at her door and finds a young woman drenched in rain, covered in blood, and clutching a knife. Claiming self-defense, the stranger insists someone is trying to kill her. Against her better judgment, Casey lets her inside. As the night unfolds, inconsistencies in the girl’s story begin to surface. Tension escalates as Casey realizes she may have invited danger into her own home. With power outages, isolation, and rising paranoia, trust becomes a deadly gamble. By morning, Casey must uncover the truth—before the intruder destroys her life completely.
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#thriller#mystery#fiction#suspense#theintruder#freidamcfadden@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@eternalmantra
📖Title : The Storm
✍️Author : Rachel Hawkins
⭐️Rating : 3.82/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Jan 06, 2026
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Summary:The Storm by Rachel Hawkins is a Southern gothic mystery set in a small Alabama town anchored by a legendary, hurricane-battered island mansion. Years after a violent storm exposed a shocking murder, the tragedy still defines the community. When Jules, the disgraced daughter of a powerful local family, returns home, she is joined by her husband, an investigative journalist eager to uncover the truth behind the decades-old crime. As another storm looms, buried secrets resurface, loyalties fracture, and long-suppressed grudges come to light. The novel blends atmosphere, family drama, and suspense, showing how the past never truly stays buried—and how storms, both natural and human, reveal what people try hardest to hide.
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#thriller#fiction#mystery#suspense#adult#thestorm#rachelhawkins@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@eternalmantra
📖Title : The Frozen River
✍️Author : Ariel Lawhon
⭐️Rating : 4.38/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Dec 05, 2023
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Summary:The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon is a historical mystery set in 1789 Maine. Midwife and healer Martha Ballard is called to examine the body of a man found trapped in the frozen Kennebec River. While authorities quickly declare the death an accident, Martha suspects something far darker. As she records events in her diary and follows the clues, she uncovers a web of violence, secrets, and injustice involving powerful members of the community. Determined to seek the truth despite threats and social pressures, Martha risks her reputation and safety while fighting for justice in a society where women’s voices are often ignored.
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#fiction#mystery#audiobook#historical#thriller#ariellawhon#thefrozenriver@Bookslibraryofficial
📖Title : More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop
✍️Author : Satoshi Yagisawa
⭐️Rating : 3.85/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Dec 06, 2011
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Summary:More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop follows Takako as she continues healing while living above her uncle’s secondhand bookshop in Tokyo’s Jimbocho district. Surrounded by books and familiar faces, she confronts lingering grief, evolving relationships, and quiet uncertainties about the future. The novel focuses on small, meaningful moments, showing how literature, routine, and human connection gently restore a sense of belonging. Through everyday interactions, it portrays healing as gradual, imperfect, and deeply tied to community, memory, and the comforting presence of books.
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#fiction#japan#cozy#audiobook#romance#moredaysatthemorisakibookshop#satoshiyagisawa@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@eternalmantra
📖Title : Bemused
✍️Author : Farrah Rochon
⭐️Rating : 3.92/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Jan 07, 2025
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Summary:Five sheltered sisters living in a quiet seaside village learn that they are the legendary Muses, daughters of Mnemosyne, Goddess of Memory. After their mother is kidnapped by Hades, the sisters are forced to leave their protected lives behind. Guided by Calliope’s leadership, they journey through dangerous lands, face mythical trials, and uncover their divine powers. Along the way, they confront fear, doubt, and destiny itself. Through music, storytelling, courage, and unity, the sisters strengthen their bond and transform from overlooked performers into heroic figures, embracing their true identities and shaping their own legendary “gospel truth.”
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#fantasy#mythology#retellings#fiction#historicalfiction#audiobook#bemused#farrahrochen@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@eternalmantra
📖Title : The Count of Monte Cristo
✍️Author : Alexandre Dumas
⭐️Rating : 4.33/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Jan 01, 1844
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Summary:The Count of Monte Cristo follows Edmond Dantès, a young sailor wrongly accused of treason by jealous rivals and imprisoned in the grim Château d’If. During his long captivity he meets Abbé Faria, who educates him and reveals the location of a hidden treasure. After escaping, Dantès finds the treasure on Monte Cristo, assumes the title Count of Monte Cristo, and uses his wealth and cunning to exact elaborate revenge on those who betrayed him. Along the way he rewards the loyal and punishes the corrupt, exploring themes of justice, vengeance, mercy, and redemption.
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#classics#fiction#adventure#france#literature#novel#thecountofmontecristo#alexandredumas@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@eternalmantra
📖Title : The Haunting of Hill House
✍️Author : Shirley Jackson
⭐️Rating : 3.81/5 (Goodreads)
📆Published : Oct 16, 1959
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Summary:The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson follows Eleanor Vance, a lonely, emotionally fragile woman who joins a group invited to investigate Hill House, a mansion notorious for unexplained phenomena. Dr. Montague hopes to document supernatural activity, while the house itself seems alive—its architecture oppressive, its atmosphere deeply unsettling. As strange noises, writings on walls, and psychological disturbances intensify, Eleanor forms a dangerous bond with the house. Her growing sense of belonging blurs the line between madness and the supernatural. Ultimately, Hill House isolates Eleanor from the others, drawing her fully into its dark presence and tragic fate.
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#horror#classics#fiction#gothic#mystery#paranormal#thriller#thehauntingofhillhouse#shirleyjackson@Bookslibraryofficial@free_novellas@eternalmantra