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AI Reborn #1
Refurbished
Dead before thirty. Reborn as an AI at two hundred. Eric lives a normal life. He has a job. A girlfriend. He owns an apartment. He matters. And then he dies. He wakes up a couple of centuries later inside an advanced infantry robot whose AI core harbors his consciousness. In industry parlance, he is what's known as a Mind Refurb. Eric is soon thrust into an experimental army unit known as the Bolt Eaters, composed of fellow Mind Refurbs. Thrown into the latest cesspools of war and conflict across the world, the Bolt Eaters make short work of any opponents. It's almost a cakewalk for the high-tech robots. His latest deployment is just about to end, and Eric is looking forward to spending the next few months exploring the different virtual reality worlds available to AIs like himself, when aliens decide to invade, stranding his unit in the middle of nowhere, cut off from all support. That's right, the feces has smashed right through the fan, and now he must face the ultimate test with the machines he has come to know as a deadly game of cat and mouse, played against a technologically superior, utterly alien foe; a game whose stakes include not just their lives, but the lives of every man, woman, and child on the planet. It's time to matter once more.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2018
1161 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Hooke
102 books509 followersIsaac Hooke is the best-selling author of the Ethan Galaal series of thriller novels, as well as the SF-themed ATLAS trilogy. When Isaac isn't writing, publishing, and blogging, he's busy cycling and taking pictures in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He has a degree in Engineering Physics.
You can follow Isaac on Twitter @IsaacHooke and his website http://IsaacHooke.com.
You can follow Isaac on Twitter @IsaacHooke and his website http://IsaacHooke.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 13, 2018
Ok, this is a new series by an author I have read for a long time. I’m glad to see him going with a different story-line other than the Argonauts. Still, this one has similar features. Eric (no last name as I can find) is the main character in this book. He is killed in the first few pages. Yeah, he’s involved in an armed robbery and gets shot in the head. He’s definitely dead!
Well, how do you write a story about a dead guy? This is one way. Eric regains consciousness only to find out that he’s really been dead for about two-hundred years. Now he’s not. But he’s not actually a human any more either! No, Eric had a policy that allowed his engrams to be stored until such time as they might technologically be re-used in an advanced age. Now, two-hundred years later, his brain has been written into a digital brain encased in a metallic robot. He’s not actually a cyborg, but a robot with an A.I. built from his old brain. His emotions have been tamped down so that he can’t really react to his current situation until he has passed all the required test. You see, some people brought back as robots don’t take to well to the transformation. There is some pretty strange science going on and I don’t understand all of it.
Lets just say that Eric has accepted what he now is. And what he now is, is a soldier for the government still fighting terrorist! While he once did a stint in the Army and did fight terrorist then, he thought he was finished with that, but now he’s right back in the fight. But, this time, he doesn’t really care. He has no emotional response to the situation so everything he does seems to be OK. All his other military team members are also robots coming from the same process as him. They also have few emotions, but, with their programmable brains, they have learned how to fight very well and very effectively. Eric finds that he has all that knowledge also and isn’t really in training, but just getting used to his new surroundings.
As I said, this is kind of a strange book. These robots can escape their situation by going into virtual realities (VR) and become whomever they wish to be and do whatever they want. So, they can act, look, and be human in VR and that’s how they past most of their time while not fighting.
Then something happens. It might be aliens, but in their part of the world, every piece of metal is gone as well as all the humans. Something has hit Earth or at least part of it and destroyed most all living things. Eric believes they have a new enemy to fight, but due to his programming, he can only fight if the enemy attacks first. That’s not going to work, so Eric begins working on a way to restore his and his robot friends emotions; to take control of their own destiny.
They might not live to see that freedom and they might not even be able to handle it. Still he presses on. Things are going to change as if they haven’t changed enough already.
Well, how do you write a story about a dead guy? This is one way. Eric regains consciousness only to find out that he’s really been dead for about two-hundred years. Now he’s not. But he’s not actually a human any more either! No, Eric had a policy that allowed his engrams to be stored until such time as they might technologically be re-used in an advanced age. Now, two-hundred years later, his brain has been written into a digital brain encased in a metallic robot. He’s not actually a cyborg, but a robot with an A.I. built from his old brain. His emotions have been tamped down so that he can’t really react to his current situation until he has passed all the required test. You see, some people brought back as robots don’t take to well to the transformation. There is some pretty strange science going on and I don’t understand all of it.
Lets just say that Eric has accepted what he now is. And what he now is, is a soldier for the government still fighting terrorist! While he once did a stint in the Army and did fight terrorist then, he thought he was finished with that, but now he’s right back in the fight. But, this time, he doesn’t really care. He has no emotional response to the situation so everything he does seems to be OK. All his other military team members are also robots coming from the same process as him. They also have few emotions, but, with their programmable brains, they have learned how to fight very well and very effectively. Eric finds that he has all that knowledge also and isn’t really in training, but just getting used to his new surroundings.
As I said, this is kind of a strange book. These robots can escape their situation by going into virtual realities (VR) and become whomever they wish to be and do whatever they want. So, they can act, look, and be human in VR and that’s how they past most of their time while not fighting.
Then something happens. It might be aliens, but in their part of the world, every piece of metal is gone as well as all the humans. Something has hit Earth or at least part of it and destroyed most all living things. Eric believes they have a new enemy to fight, but due to his programming, he can only fight if the enemy attacks first. That’s not going to work, so Eric begins working on a way to restore his and his robot friends emotions; to take control of their own destiny.
They might not live to see that freedom and they might not even be able to handle it. Still he presses on. Things are going to change as if they haven’t changed enough already.
July 21, 2018
Ok but
At first it was riveting, as the story progressed the riveting regressed. A tad wordy in spots. Found myself scanning over chapters to finish. Sorry but I won't be reading the rest of the trilogy.
At first it was riveting, as the story progressed the riveting regressed. A tad wordy in spots. Found myself scanning over chapters to finish. Sorry but I won't be reading the rest of the trilogy.
September 10, 2018
DNF ~75%
This book started off OK with a concept I'm eager to read about (human becoming a machine), but it failed to connect with me. There was a lack of likable characters, character development, good dialogue or pacing. The world felt very empty and dead, like cheap set pieces for a TV-show, one side looking good, but everything just being empty shells. I was going along with it because I could taste the potential, but the story suddenly went in an entirely different direction and lost me.
What is this book about? A man coming to terms with being reduced to code in a robot? A contemporary man waking up in the future? Military action and camaraderie? Alien invasion and having to save the planet? It's hard to make a story with more than one theme like those above, but it can work. It doesn't in this case. At least not for me.
This book started off OK with a concept I'm eager to read about (human becoming a machine), but it failed to connect with me. There was a lack of likable characters, character development, good dialogue or pacing. The world felt very empty and dead, like cheap set pieces for a TV-show, one side looking good, but everything just being empty shells. I was going along with it because I could taste the potential, but the story suddenly went in an entirely different direction and lost me.
What is this book about? A man coming to terms with being reduced to code in a robot? A contemporary man waking up in the future? Military action and camaraderie? Alien invasion and having to save the planet? It's hard to make a story with more than one theme like those above, but it can work. It doesn't in this case. At least not for me.
December 31, 2018
What if after you died, your mind could live on? This book follows Eric Scala in his journey as a mind refurd owned by the military. His emotions are suppressed and his mind constrained by the rules of engagements. Essentially making him the military's puppet. Along with his team, he is forced to fight insurgents in the year 2190. While out on his first deployment, the team loses all communications with the base. They meet some unfriendly creatures that are definitely not from earth. Could this be a training exercise? A trick from the insurgents? Or something much worse? Read the book, and its two sequels to find out! I really liked this book because the idea of having your mind live on is very cool and unique. Also, the battle scenes are very intense and the humour good. I would definitely recommend this book to others because this authour is not very well known (I think) but is work is super good. It's also a very good series to get into and there are more books in the same universe. If there was a symbol to represent this book I think it would have to be a human brain with wires coming out of it to represent the fact that they are human, and robots as well.
June 13, 2018
Great tribute to the Military.
This is the first book of a trilogy and the author published all the books at the same time. I recommend getting all of them because you won't want to stop reading. I also consider these to be a tribute to all of our military. Each book describes incidents, reactions, and emotions I believe all military personnel and units have experienced in some way. This shows how much we truly owe all of them.
This book starts with the memory of a young programmer and his memory of his death in a convenience store robbery. Fast forward 200 years and he is a brain in an experimental Military robot. He goes through integration with his platoon and training for their mission, almost completing the mission, and finding out their platoon is the only thing between Earth and humanity's survival and annihilation of everything they know and love.
This is the first book of a trilogy and the author published all the books at the same time. I recommend getting all of them because you won't want to stop reading. I also consider these to be a tribute to all of our military. Each book describes incidents, reactions, and emotions I believe all military personnel and units have experienced in some way. This shows how much we truly owe all of them.
This book starts with the memory of a young programmer and his memory of his death in a convenience store robbery. Fast forward 200 years and he is a brain in an experimental Military robot. He goes through integration with his platoon and training for their mission, almost completing the mission, and finding out their platoon is the only thing between Earth and humanity's survival and annihilation of everything they know and love.
June 7, 2018
"Get ready to meet the team."
The unexpected death of Eric, a computer programmer who had simply slipped out of a conference to buy a slushy only to be shot by a cokehead intent on robbing the store, was made even more strange when he woke again in 'the loading stage', the property of Venus Cryo, about to become a soldier, one of the Belt Eaters. Then he goes to war.
With his combination of wild immagine and comic interaction, Isaac Hooke has again launched a new series to delight. Lots of action, toe curling humour, and the melding of man and machine. His writing is visual and the characters have a reality which brings them to life and has the reader caring about them in their battle to survive the horrors encountered.
Another Isaac Hooke must for all S.F. fans.
The unexpected death of Eric, a computer programmer who had simply slipped out of a conference to buy a slushy only to be shot by a cokehead intent on robbing the store, was made even more strange when he woke again in 'the loading stage', the property of Venus Cryo, about to become a soldier, one of the Belt Eaters. Then he goes to war.
With his combination of wild immagine and comic interaction, Isaac Hooke has again launched a new series to delight. Lots of action, toe curling humour, and the melding of man and machine. His writing is visual and the characters have a reality which brings them to life and has the reader caring about them in their battle to survive the horrors encountered.
Another Isaac Hooke must for all S.F. fans.
January 15, 2019
Deadly mechs, driven by dead pilots, fight to protect the world from alien invaders.
Downloading the mind and memories of soldiers who died years before into the memory banks on a mech enabled the mech's AI to merge control with the pilot-brain. The fight against the alien invaders was fought by the mechanized minds in the Cicada mechs, while controlling hundreds of tanks, robots, drone and aircraft.
The storyline runs red with hydraulic fluid leaking from damaged mechs and the action sequences are plausible. The characters are slightly mechanical, adjusting to their metal bodies. The adjustment is easier without the pesky emotions which are suppressed by the AI.
Good story, great read. I can recommend it.
Downloading the mind and memories of soldiers who died years before into the memory banks on a mech enabled the mech's AI to merge control with the pilot-brain. The fight against the alien invaders was fought by the mechanized minds in the Cicada mechs, while controlling hundreds of tanks, robots, drone and aircraft.
The storyline runs red with hydraulic fluid leaking from damaged mechs and the action sequences are plausible. The characters are slightly mechanical, adjusting to their metal bodies. The adjustment is easier without the pesky emotions which are suppressed by the AI.
Good story, great read. I can recommend it.
June 4, 2021
I really liked the reasoning behind the Mind Refurbs as well as the refreshing tech stuff. I didn't really connect with the characters, but maybe that changes in future future books.
I didn't like the real-world references as much (7G networks) and generally think SciFi age to fast[1] when computer specs are specified (yes 16k resolution, I'm thinking about you).
[1] As in the movie Hackers from where the characters drooled over a Pentium processor that was outdated when most people saw the movie.
I didn't like the real-world references as much (7G networks) and generally think SciFi age to fast[1] when computer specs are specified (yes 16k resolution, I'm thinking about you).
[1] As in the movie Hackers from where the characters drooled over a Pentium processor that was outdated when most people saw the movie.
October 16, 2018
The concept of bringing a human conciseness into a robot has certainly been done before, but I appreciated that the characters actually had to grapple with the deeper meanings of what that entailed.
All in all, the story was entertaining, and reasonable well written, but I did not find the characters all that likable or easy to relate to. I did eventually start warming up to Eric, and I suspect I will pick up the next book at some point and continue reading the searies.
All in all, the story was entertaining, and reasonable well written, but I did not find the characters all that likable or easy to relate to. I did eventually start warming up to Eric, and I suspect I will pick up the next book at some point and continue reading the searies.
April 22, 2025
Maybe a bit slow, but interesting
I prefer to read a series instead of a single, stand- alone, novel. This way, you have to read only one book that is a large portion of introduction and set-up. That's what about half of this book is. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue to read past the 1st book, but Hooke left this book in a steep cliffhanger. I must admit that it's interesting enough to continue to the second book.
I prefer to read a series instead of a single, stand- alone, novel. This way, you have to read only one book that is a large portion of introduction and set-up. That's what about half of this book is. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue to read past the 1st book, but Hooke left this book in a steep cliffhanger. I must admit that it's interesting enough to continue to the second book.
June 11, 2018
A new series with a twist from author Isaac Hooke. Hooke’s writing is again, a little more adult in nature with the soldierly banter, but everything that made you love his writing before is present in this new adventure. He's changed it up again and this time he's dealing with an AI as the main character.
June 15, 2018
Good Read.
A mind is saved by cryogenically freezing the head in the past to show up in the future in a robot body. It starts slow with the first battle at the 30% mark and the alien weirdness (that was started in the summary and at the front of the book) not starting till about the 55% mark. Interesting story. End at a cliffhanger, with the next book currently available.
A mind is saved by cryogenically freezing the head in the past to show up in the future in a robot body. It starts slow with the first battle at the 30% mark and the alien weirdness (that was started in the summary and at the front of the book) not starting till about the 55% mark. Interesting story. End at a cliffhanger, with the next book currently available.
June 23, 2018
Interesting futuristic human / AI story
An interesting premise and an enjoyable read. How to react if you wake up in the future and are essentially an AI in a robot body? And then, aliens attack! (I originally said more about the aliens, but didn’t want to spoil the story for anyone. :)
I’m looking forward to reading book 2 now!
An interesting premise and an enjoyable read. How to react if you wake up in the future and are essentially an AI in a robot body? And then, aliens attack! (I originally said more about the aliens, but didn’t want to spoil the story for anyone. :)
I’m looking forward to reading book 2 now!
July 19, 2018
Three stars feels like a harsh rating for this book but it just does not do enough for me to go higher. The core idea about ancient minds being installed in new robotic bodies is original but then Isaac Hooke seems to run out of steam. I found the book a decent read but not to the point where I was motivated to go to the next in the trilogy.
August 4, 2018
Certainly a very interesting concept and started well but towards the end I got tired of pages of the same old banter between characters and the constant reminder that they weren't really human.
I found that I was skimming pages to get to the end only to find that it wasn't the end and I'd have to buy another book to find out what happens.
I found that I was skimming pages to get to the end only to find that it wasn't the end and I'd have to buy another book to find out what happens.
August 18, 2018
Soul in the machine
If you haxe read any of his previous Moth books then you get the general picture of the story but what makes this different in that this focusrs on what makes us human and how emotions defines us. Just becsuse we are copies in s can does not make us any less human.
Ive read all three in one go so this review covers all 3!
If you haxe read any of his previous Moth books then you get the general picture of the story but what makes this different in that this focusrs on what makes us human and how emotions defines us. Just becsuse we are copies in s can does not make us any less human.
Ive read all three in one go so this review covers all 3!
August 30, 2018
This is a nice Alien Invasion book, with some new ideas introduced. Nice read and well done. The only complaint I have is the robot is susceptible to dust, corrosion gas, and other very small particles. This wouldn't happen in a technology as advanced as the one required to build the AI Robots for war.
June 6, 2018
I hope this trilogy is not the end.
This is a really good book, five stars. I like the characters the interaction, Max, robots, how could you go wrong. Ready to dive into the second book of the trilogy, read this in one sitting that’s how much I enjoyed it.
This is a really good book, five stars. I like the characters the interaction, Max, robots, how could you go wrong. Ready to dive into the second book of the trilogy, read this in one sitting that’s how much I enjoyed it.
June 21, 2018
Interesting take, similiar to old man's war
Good lead in, and dialogue for the protagonist during orientation for the present future. The existence of the middle Eastern religious conflicts lends an aura of realism.
Good lead in, and dialogue for the protagonist during orientation for the present future. The existence of the middle Eastern religious conflicts lends an aura of realism.
June 24, 2018
I found this book hard to put down which is probably why the reading went so fast. I was disappointed when I realized the story (of Book 1) was coming to an end. The characters were well formed and the action almost non stop. I look forward to reading the next two books in the series.
July 19, 2018
Isaac has done it again!!!
I have not yet read an Isaac Hooke novel that was not a hit. His craft with the written word is excellent and his novels show it. Very easy to slide into one of his novels and become captivated. This novel is a pleasure to read. Keep it up Isaac.
I have not yet read an Isaac Hooke novel that was not a hit. His craft with the written word is excellent and his novels show it. Very easy to slide into one of his novels and become captivated. This novel is a pleasure to read. Keep it up Isaac.
September 14, 2018
Meh
Bland action book. Too much negative philosophy. Action was good but lacked risk as its hard for a me to care about an emotionless robot without emotion, true autonomy or any amount of individuality. Premise was good. Delivery was lack luster.
Bland action book. Too much negative philosophy. Action was good but lacked risk as its hard for a me to care about an emotionless robot without emotion, true autonomy or any amount of individuality. Premise was good. Delivery was lack luster.
April 20, 2020
Really fun
I have always enjoyed military scifi. I found this author from Chris Fox's magitech series. But Hooke does such a good job with the science, it is really fun. I read Hooke's Breaker series first, which I enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to this whole Mind Refurb series.
I have always enjoyed military scifi. I found this author from Chris Fox's magitech series. But Hooke does such a good job with the science, it is really fun. I read Hooke's Breaker series first, which I enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to this whole Mind Refurb series.
August 18, 2020
Excellent!
Can't do just a sentence or two, gotta do twenty words. Good story, enjoyable. Commanders fight the last war, so they load the human robots with programming for it. But then something new happens and the old is not good enough. Looking forward to the next book!
Can't do just a sentence or two, gotta do twenty words. Good story, enjoyable. Commanders fight the last war, so they load the human robots with programming for it. But then something new happens and the old is not good enough. Looking forward to the next book!
May 10, 2022
Interesting concept
Interesting concept an incredible amount of detail of robots having human emotions terribly boring not exciting but boring don't think I will bother with any other books in this series.
Interesting concept an incredible amount of detail of robots having human emotions terribly boring not exciting but boring don't think I will bother with any other books in this series.
June 9, 2018
Awesome Story
I loved this story. Once I started reading I couldn't out it down. Full of action and suspense. I cares if to get the next book in the series.
I loved this story. Once I started reading I couldn't out it down. Full of action and suspense. I cares if to get the next book in the series.
June 18, 2018
Interesting premis. Likable characters and plenty action.
Interesting premis. Likable characters and plenty action. A fun new series I can’t wait to read the next book rebooted
Interesting premis. Likable characters and plenty action. A fun new series I can’t wait to read the next book rebooted
June 20, 2018
Unique!
This story is quite unique! I really enjoyed the characters, they were very well developed. Well written with few mistakes and flows well too. Read this!
This story is quite unique! I really enjoyed the characters, they were very well developed. Well written with few mistakes and flows well too. Read this!
June 23, 2018
Excellent read
This was a very well thought out and explained book. I will definitely be reading the remainder of the series.
This was a very well thought out and explained book. I will definitely be reading the remainder of the series.
June 25, 2018
Really good book
A reAlly go book , just like the the atlas books and d the ones that followed that trilogy and so forth
A reAlly go book , just like the the atlas books and d the ones that followed that trilogy and so forth
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews