The Singularity Trap

By: Dennis E. Taylor

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

Dennis E. Taylor, author of the best-selling Bobiverse trilogy, explores a whole different, darker world in this sci-fi stand-alone. Determined to give his wife and children a better life back home, Ivan Pritchard ventures to the edge of known space to join the crew of the Mad Astra as an asteroid miner. He's prepared for hard work and loneliness—but not the unthinkable. After coming into contact with a mysterious alien substance, Pritchard finds an unwelcome entity sharing his mind, and a disturbing physical transformation taking place. With his very humanity at stake, Pritchard must save mankind from a full-scale interstellar war.

Brought to life by prolific, award-winning narrator Ray Porter, The Singularity Trap is a thrilling adventure rife with drama and action on a truly cosmic scale. 

©2018 Dennis E. Taylor (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC. Cover illustration by Stephan Martiniere.

Disappointing

Tried my best to finish this book. As a rule I don't listen to a bad story for this long without returning it as unsatisfactory. However hoping that this book would eventually develop into something other than a cliche I tried to stick it out. Unfortunately it just never developed I'm returning it! Don't waste your credit.

The Expectations Trap

One really has to write two reviews of this book, one for Bobiverse fans and one for people are not familiar with Dennis Taylor's highly popular series. For Bob fans, the main thing is to set your expectations properly. The Bob trilogy is about a human consciousness (Bob) housed inside a computer -- the singularity, as some refer to it, the complete man-machine interface. Singularity Trap is likewise about a man (Ivan) in a machine. Both face practical and moral challenges working within their machine confines and also in the wider universe they live in.

The Bobiverse is funny and full of pop culture references, particularly well-known SF tropes like Star Trek. This book is not so funny and has only a smattering of references, it's not that kind of book. It's not trying to be funny, it's meant to be more thought-provoking, exploring a number of issues about humanity. If you set your expectations properly, especially with respect to the lack of a laugh track, there is no reason not to like this book as much as Bob -- well, almost as much, it's good (IMO) but still not quite as good as Bob.

I mean, if you're a science nerd or a science fiction nerd, what's not to like about a story that turns on game theory?

What we really have here is a re-telling of 2001: A Space Odyssey, without the inscrutable Kubrick-style mystical mumbo jumbo, just plain old Philosophy 101 mystical mumbo jumbo. The world building is deliberately paced, as in 2001, but based on a completely different scientific ballast. The moral dilemmas are more accessible and again, based more on today's reality than fifty years ago. All in all, a good one-off non-series contribution by Taylor, as long as you're not expecting another Bob.

Slightly generic and boring story.

Firstly, Ray Porter is excellent! Just like the Bobbi verse books this deals with AI in a very superficial and run of the mill way. I had a hard time getting through it. The first third of the book is good, as soon as the big reveal comes, it's all down hill from there.

On the more realistic side

Many authors of this genre bend the laws of physics, aka magic. This is on the more believable side. No faster than light travel, no ridiculous space combat, basically none of the "magic" stuff that you commonly find in other books.

It's similar to The Day The Earth Stood Still, but takes place in the middle of the next century and the story launches after astroid miners encounter something alien. The role tech plays is less gimicky than in other stories, and much more creative.

interesting but not riveting

Ray Porter knocked it out of the park as usual. However, the book itself was kinda, just ok. There were some interesting concepts and ideas, but it wasn't an edge of your seat page turner. It felt like the whole book was a build up for the real event... but then it was over.

Not a bad space book, but not stellar.... pun intended.

Excellent.

After reading the Bobiverse books, I craved more from Taylor. The Singularity Trap exceeded my expectations. I just love Taylor’s writing style and story telling ability.

As for this production, Ray Porter did an excellent job, as he always does. Also, the addition of how voices were portrayed over a phone call, radio, etc was really neat. I hope to find more audiobooks produced like this.

If you enjoyed anything Ray Porter has narrated or Dennis E. Taylor’s Bobiverse books, you will thoroughly enjoy The Singularity Trap.

Even Ray Porter couldn't save this

While Ray Porter continues to give an excellent performance, and the production of the audio version was top notch, the story totally falls flat. Bad characters, with very little or nonsensical growth, lots of redundant chapters, and a seemingly inconsistent understanding of orbital distances.

I will say that the humorous moments do work well, but that's just about the only bright spot I found in this frustrating story.

If it wasn't for Ray...

I would have never finished this book. Loved Dennis's Bobiverse books but this book is horrible. One dimensional characters, stereotypes galore, today's politics, razor thin plot and horrible science. Very slow deadliest catch start leads to what should finally give the reader some action they've been craving, but ultimately leads to disappointment. Not sure if this was a book Dennis wrote prior to the Bob books (i.e., his first book), but hopefully this isn't what we have to look forward to in the future.

What a mind $#&@

It's books like this that make you question humanity in multiple senses. I appreciate anything that gets me thinking. The other extremely enjoyable part is how real the humans are in the story, they behave most likely how we would behave in the scenario. It's horrifying and humbling.

Underwhelming.

Not much more to add that others haven’t already said. The author’s amateur status really shines in this one. Poor writing and plotting. Easier to hide it in the compelling bobiverse, but it stands out here, and it’s hard to get lost in the story.

Classic Sci-fi with a Modern Style

Dennis E Taylor has done it again it seems as this is another high quality production from him very ably voiced by Ray Porter. The storyline has a lot of the hallmarks of classic sci-fi. In fact I'd say it's perhaps "harder" sci-fi than his popular Bobiverse series. A development of his style rather than a flat continuation.

It is still however imbued with Taylor's subtle humour at times and his patient and careful characterisation. It is also once again a fairly ordinary guy trying to deal with a situation beyond comprehension and while there are many tropes traditional to the genre there is plenty of invention too.

Ray Porter does a great job with the narration with many characters voiced in distinctive ways. There are also some nice touches on the audio with radio voices when appropriate which give it additional depth.

If you liked the Bobiverse series this is closer to what I would term hard sci-fi but there's still lots to love here and I think most people would get a similar level of enjoyment out of this one too. I think Taylor has another hit on his hands and he's clearly an author that is going to be fun to follow in the future.

Simply Outstanding

Without a doubt the best science fiction book I have ever read, and I have read a lot over the last 40 years. The plot is outstandingly brilliant and you are fully transported into the story line from page 1. The narration is so good it is beyond belief. This narrator is absolutely outstanding each character’s voice unique. I am in awe. I chose this book because of its high ratings. I now completely understand and concur with those ratings. I think I am going to have to listen to it again! And I am also going to look up every other book this narrator may have performed.

Spoiled by one-dimensional characters

Beware of spoilers.

This story has several classical sci-fi tropes going back to the 1950s, not to mention some of the characterisation being reminiscent of E.E. 'Doc' Smith.. It starts with our plucky out-of-luck underdog venturing into space on a run-down asteroid mining vessel. Having gone through a fairly torturous sequence of events, he 'makes contact' with an alien artefact. From then on, there are a number of 'deus-ex-machina' events,which end with the Earth being saved from destruction.

Sadly, most of the main characters are as thinly drawn as our hero becomes for his initial shape-shifting escape from captivity. The Earthly political and military backgrounds are drawn in cliches. Don't get me wrong, there are some aspects which are well-written and entertaining. It's a shame that the framework is so shaky.

The performance is good and holds your attention.

Decent

Very slow in the beginning - I nearly gave up but stuck with it.

Story picked up towards the end. Found the concept was interesting and overall I was happy with the story.

Narration was good.

Average Follow Up to Bobiverse series

This might have benefited from a new narrator. Ray Porter narrated the Bobiverse series superbly and unfortunately there was similar vocal characterisation. The story sort of petered out, with similar themes from Taylor's previous series which weren't expanded upon enough. Sadly I'm afraid I can only give this book 3 stars as it doesn't get beyond average, which is a pity.

Highly recommend

This is an old story I guess but retold in a truly fascinating way. Without giving too much away the story has A good mix of good versus evil, versus the unknown. I can’t explain too much about the story as it will give away what is a very clever plot. I highly recommend this as an audio book as literally I couldn’t stop listening the pace and narration are superb

Thoroughly entertaining if not 100% original

Thoroughly entertaining if not 100% original, a simple but well flushed out story with good character development and sound science to back it up

Love this...

Dennis E Taylor has delivered again. As has Ray Porter. And Audible.

The Bobiverse series may or may not have run its course, but evidently Dennis had plenty of life left in his old notes to come up with this great story. This comment is not meant to be negative in the slightest - this story is not a broth made of stale leftovers, but it has almost certainly arisen from ideas that didn't make it into the Bobiverse.

Ray Porter does an excellent job of narration, as before, and it doesn't at all come across as odd that Bob and Ivan sound alike. It's like having dinner with your old friend's pleasingly urbane younger brother.

The humour is still there, if maybe a little dryer (no Simpsons references that I recognised, for one). The characters are as rounded, and the protagonists as agreeable, as one would expect from Taylor. Perhaps, as another reviewer noted, the sci-fi is a little 'harder' than in the Bobiverse, but we're talking nanobots and LaGrange points vs Von Neumann probes and .. err LaGrange points. There's honestly not much in it IMO. And the arch-antagonists (the Others) in the Bobiverse used nanites, anyway.

I think Audible made a great decision in recognising the combined talents of Taylor as an author and Porter as a performer, and I hope this won't be the last we see from this dream team.

a really good almost believable story!

I love the technical and scientific detail and the accuracy of it. characters were very believable as was the plot - could really believe something like this would be played out! can't wait for the next book by taylor

Boring

I had to force myself to finish this book. The characters are empty shells and you aren't really given any reason to care about any if them. Almost the other way, I almost feel a dislike for Ivan for being a dry, souless main character, who really doesn't feel that upset about losing his family.

The whole thing kept feeling like might be building up to something but then the ending turned out to be equally un-exiting.

And. So. Many. Meetings.