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Robot Geneticists #2

Brain Recyclers

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Immortality is a prison of fear.

With humanity out in the open, Eve and her sisters are now the subject of worldwide adoration—and constant surveillance. With Eve as humanity’s spokeswoman, it’s up to her to bargain for the freedom she craves now that’s she’s had a taste of it.

But Eve’s pleas fall on deaf ears. Hers is only one voice, lost in a committee of robots hundreds of years her senior. No amount of earnestness can overcome the crushing inertia of the Human Committee.

With no prospect of gaining room to breathe within the rules, Eve hatches a plot to escape and finds out exactly why the robots have tried so hard to keep the humans safe.

The Brain Recyclers are out there.

They want to be human again.

They will stop at nothing.

Brain Recyclers is the second book in the Project Transhuman series. For fans of old-school science fiction where robots are people and any problem can be solved (or created) with enough scientists. If you've ever wondered what the world would be like if scientists who'd read I, Robot created a race of robots, or if you ever wondered what might be more dangerous to clone than dinosaurs, this is the series for you.

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2017

126 people are currently reading
114 people want to read

About the author

J.S. Morin

193 books613 followers
I am a creator of worlds and a destroyer of words. As a fantasy writer, my works range from traditional epics to futuristic fantasy with starships. I have worked as an unpaid Little League pitcher, a cashier, a student library aide, a factory grunt, a cubicle drone, and an engineer--there is some overlap in the last two.

Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that's all I do for a living.

I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author's privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don't dance, can't sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.

My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.

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5 stars
167 (44%)
4 stars
131 (34%)
3 stars
71 (18%)
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10 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Alex Sheldon.
68 reviews12 followers
November 1, 2018
A solid sequel to Extinction Reversed whilst exhibiting some very skilful storytelling.
How J.S. Morin doesn't have this series stocked in major bookstores is damn shame, because they are up there with every other above average sci-fi saga/series.

I was initially going to give this 4 stars, which is still a complimentary high rating in my mind, only because it was fairly predictable and also leaned more towards a YA style of story, but there was still a twist here and there and I'm glad it was not entirely focused on our teenage protagonist(s) this time round.
But it was the 'trial' segment towards the end that won me over and sealed the 5 star mark.

Looking forward to seeing where he takes this premise from here on.
Profile Image for Jas.
1,032 reviews
June 4, 2017
I really enjoyed Extinction Reversed, it was an incredibly clever and creative read with some very well thought out characters who brought the story to life.
Brain Recyclers is better.
Extinction Reversed was a story about the history of the robots, what had happened to Earth, the invasion, the death of humanity, and the subsequent rise of the Robots who have spent the last 1000 years rebuilding the Earth so that it is ready for the re-emergence of Humans. This is where we also learnt that there are those robots that have been experimenting with humans, bringing them back early, before the technology was ready, resulting in humans that are not quite right. And this is where we met Eve14 and her Creator Evelyn11, one of the robots that have been experimenting. Evelyn11 is trying to create a perfect vessel so that she can shed her robotic skin and return to human form, regardless of the moral and ethical ramifications of this plan.
The other major character was Charlie7, the architect of the robots, possibly the oldest of the robots, and Eve’s friend and helper. Of course at the end of Extinction Reversed, Charlie7 sacrifices himself to save Eve, and they also believe that Evelyn11 has been destroyed.
Brain Recyclers is again, a wonderfully unique story, incredibly clever and totally brilliant in its story telling.
This time around, it is more of a Human story, as we see it told from Eve’s perspective, rather than from Charlie7’s and Evelyn11’s perspective (or the many other robots encountered in book 1).
This is where we really get an understanding of how the true talent of Morin as well. Whereas the first book had a very analytical, un-emotional feel to it, this book is far more emotional, the decisions made are more erratic and illogical, made by human instinct, rather than by the cold logic of a machine. Even though each of the robots is a certain percentage of a selection of human memories, they are centuries old, and have lost the ability to think and feel as humans once used to. They do not need to eat, sleep, or need the comfort of another human being.
Whereas we clearly feel this in the second book when we can feel the characters tire, their need for sustenance, and their needs for physical and emotional support from other human beings. The contrast is rather amazing, and although subtle at times, gives a real depth to the story, and separates the Humans from the robots.
In this 2nd book, although Eve has secured her freedom from Evelyn11, she is still trying to come to terms with her new existence. She has been placed with the rest of the Eve’s, although each of them has taken a new name as they want to have their own individuality. Eve14, as the oldest of the clones, has taken a position of the Human Rights Committee, but with so few humans on Earth, her still being a child, and what few humans there are being outnumbered 100’s to 1 by robots, Eve has little to no power in any meetings she goes to, and she soon realises this. It comes even more obvious when the future of Plato comes up in a meeting, and she only barely manages to save his life and realises that the robots can quickly turn from saviours to executioners in the time it takes to blink.
And thus begins a one of the many storylines in this tale as Eve begins her mission to save Plato’s life and free him.
This leads to a very interesting adventure for Eve, and an incredible learning curve for her, not only about life outside of Evelyn11’s lab, but also about the many types of robot.
She runs into many different characters for the first book, as well as a new Human character Gemini.
I don’t want to give too much away here, but the character of Gemini is exceptional. The development from the initial introduction and then through the story is masterful, and is a true highlight of the story. The interactions between Gemini and Eve are outstanding as this part of the story unfolds.
As well as the unfolding Eve story, there is the continuing Evelyn11 story weaving through as well. Added to this is several other subplots of not just a few robots, but there are now a couple of Humans added to the mix as well now, creating a fascinating story that is not just engaging but incredibly clever.
Morin has out down himself this time around, this is one of the best books he has every written, not just for the incredible character work, but for the riveting story line that just keeps twisting in such amazing ways that you will not want to put this down.
If you have not read Extinction Reversed – get it now and read it and if you have then make sure you read the sequel Brain Recyclers as soon as possible – you won’t be disappointed!!
Profile Image for Ziggy Nixon.
1,156 reviews36 followers
April 28, 2019
2 stars. A decidedly disappointing follow-up to the 1st 'Robot Geneticists' book which had so much potential. 'Brain Recyclers' is unquestionably a Young Adult book (despite Phoebe's later "enriched vocabulary" lines) which fails to keep the momentum of Book 1 going at all, with the plot dragging along in an almost herky jerky, 'meet your page quota' pace. All the charm developed in the first book - either by getting to know the different 'robot' mixes or through the naivité of the young humans - is lost by the end of the book (taking place in yet another meeting room/committee vote environment). And sadly, real surprises are almost non-existent. I hate to say this, but I kept reading this book not out of interest but instead to finish it.

Far too much of the book focuses on less key moments - for example, we spend ages running through various mazes or tunnels or seeing that convenient computer systems reveal all we need to know - and accelerates much too quickly past situations or events that should have had much more emphasis and meaning. For example - SPOILER - the death of Eve's robotic protector James187 at the hands of Gemini is glossed over so completely that you would think the former's previous role was minor at best - and this despite his own self-professed guilt about his actions! Also, Eve's failure to truly rise up at this moment is so out of character and the entire sequence sets the book off on the wrong foot.

Also, may I say it again, but these HUGE factories make no sense. WHY are we producing food for all of Western Europe? WHY do we need a factory of this size to upgrade robots? The factory environment is a tired sci-fi plot device that doesn't work here at all. Yes, I know a darkened old factory full of pipes and all is great for low-budget filming (Hi 'Red Dwarf' fans!) but come on folks, we can do better here.

At the end of the day, what seemed to be an interesting look at how the future of man could be revived by robots has turned into a lesson in how un-robot-like the metallic characters truly are. What could be something really intriquing - for example, where memory loss of previous lives is only touched on - turns to an exposé in how a lot of them have 'evolved' into über-bureaucratic, unsympathetic, selfish A-holes instead (the readers gets the feeling all the original 27 may have fallen into this category so mixing a-hole with a-hole gives... an even bigger a-hole?). Truth be told, by the end of this book I was no longer thinking of them as robots at all anymore. I don't think the presence of a cyborg will do much to dissuade that notion.

Continuing with the series is iffy for me at best and I can confirm that the 3rd book of this first trilogy has fallen out of my priority TBR list. C'est la vie.
Profile Image for Shannon.
128 reviews
March 9, 2021
My review has spoilers

This was a great follow-up for book 1. I don't quite get why the robot's keep humanity locked up in a hovership. It feels like a prison for all of humanity not just Plato. His is an actual prison room, but all the Eve's are on the exact same ship. When Eve14 finally gets to escape with help of one of her sisters as the book calls the Eve's. She ends up calling for James (I believe his # is 187.) James comes to her rescue after being on the wrong side in the last book. She trusts him which is why I don't understand why she didn't put up more of an attitude towards the new human. She trusts humans far to fast in the scheme of things. This new human is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Charlie25 uploaded Evelyn11 into a human body and tells her Evelyn11 is now gone your name is Gemini. So this new human just wants to get close enough to Eve so she can take her back to charlie25 and change her body, much like they change chassis. She starts getting close enough that Eve and her become friends and she starts second thinking her choices. They end up back at Kanto where they end up in a cat and mouse game essentially. Gemini eventually gives in to her humanity and helps Eve gets Charlie45 up and running. They don't stay to find out if it works though because they are trying to escape from their fate in the hovership if they are caught. They do get caught and end up in front of a committee that is supposed to look out for the well being of humanity, but has no idea what that even is anymore. That's when Charlie shows up, but not 45, 7 he tells of how he has a program to bring himself back and also tells of how Evelyn11 has been doing the same for her own gains. Nobody wants to go against Charlie7 and he eventually gets all the humans off trial.That is when they find Zeus who is also another uploaded robot. They bring this new human in without knowing he is in fact a robot. The next book should be interesting with Zeus being who he is, and supposedly their to help with humanity. Hopefully he finds humanity like Gemini did, but I really doubt it
167 reviews4 followers
July 13, 2017
Can a human mind survive the robot experience?

How would a robot society treat the first living humans in a millennium? With excitement, curiosity, caution, protection, possession...? Considering that these robots have once-human minds, all their old prejudices and insecurities are there to be executed with the efficiency of cold logic and powerful servo's.

Brain Recyclers is the second book in the Robot Geneticists series, and the better of the first two. People's motivations (human and robotic) are natural and relatable. One character's gradual moral transformation after a flesh/machine transplant (see book title) is brilliantly executed and fascinating to watch. The extended pursuit through a city-sized factory is great, and somehow more engaging than the sequence of similar chases in the first book. And the real villain, once revealed, is wonderfully chilling and dastardly.

I received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The book's tone is light, its pace is brisk and characters are fun, yet it still explores interesting questions about the nature of human life, robot life, and what makes a person. When minds can be copied, transplanted and remixed, nothing is simple anymore.
Profile Image for Donna.
63 reviews
July 26, 2025
Book two of the series continues where #1 ended. Eve14 is now living with her sisters under the watchful eye of the human committee. Plato is incarcerated. In solitary. Charlie7 is gone, and the committee will not allow another made. When Eve begins to chafe under the rules and no privacy. She decides she must sneak away, find Plato, and bring back Charlie7. She will come to realize that she was being protected and not kept prisoner. Just overprotective because of robots that wanted human bodies for themselves.
12 reviews1 follower
July 16, 2017
I thought it might be hard for the author to maintain momentum after the first book of this series, but the drama and interest built fairly quickly again.

Another refreshingly different book in the robot genre. This one really made me re-think the "what happens if I copy my brain" idea, which I enjoyed.

I'm off to read book three now, and am pleased to see that there is a fourth book for this series in the works.
Profile Image for Alayna.
167 reviews6 followers
February 25, 2018
What happens in a tidy, bloodless robotic society when hot-blooded humans are re-introduced to the mix? This book does an amazing job of showing us one possible outcome. As should be expected from Mr. Morin, there's a bit of a twist at the end that leaves me desperately curious to see what happens next!
Profile Image for Dave Webster.
171 reviews
September 12, 2019
Wow, this story is great. Picked up where the 1st left off and just kept going strong.
The science is really believable and very well thought out.
The story is great as well. There were many times when it had me stressed out, which does not happen often when I am reading. Goes to show how good this is.
Can't wait to see what happens next!
Profile Image for Regina.
1,098 reviews
December 13, 2019
It's been a while since I read the first book in the series. And to be honest, I kind of dreaded continuing, considering my favorite character would be missing. And while it didn't pack quite the emotional punch (for me, at least) as its predecessor, I still enjoyed some of the twists and turns the story took.
Looking forward to reading more in the series!
Profile Image for H.C TOWERS.
Author 3 books2 followers
July 8, 2020
A great novel in terms of forward-thinking and as well the great what if and what would occur if the human race only had one chance of survival no spoilers, the books and series, in general, are worth the read because it follows many characters from beginning middle and ends you will understand what I mean.
Profile Image for Jonathan E. Brickman.
49 reviews2 followers
July 17, 2017
Morin got me good with this one. I am not a robot fancier, but I tried it because of many other books he has written, and he got me. There are more worthwhile thoughts brought up in this series, than any other books I have read in which robots play significant roles.
Profile Image for Christopher Conner.
23 reviews1 follower
February 11, 2018
Awesome combination of robot and human

Very good series so far. I am loving the combination of human personalities and robots. I have read the black ocean series and wanted more from the same author. I am not disappointed.
Profile Image for Victoria Pring.
1,024 reviews2 followers
October 4, 2022
I am loving this series so far, the characters are amazing, the story keeps you interested every step of the way and the pacing is amazing. I adore Charlie and his personality and I like seeing Eve learning to be human, going to start reading the next book straight away.
Profile Image for Carole O'Brien.
211 reviews7 followers
June 20, 2017
Great action packed Science Fiction story, just as good as the first if not better, lots of twists and plenty of action, brilliant ending cannot wait for the 3rd book which is out in 7 days.
4 reviews
June 29, 2017
Excellent follow up book

Great concept for a book it's a thriller and science fiction. Robots in charge humans trying to find their way. Great read.
16 reviews
November 21, 2017
I read this series based on a recommendation and it was definitely worth the read
Profile Image for Lynne.
868 reviews13 followers
August 5, 2018
Not as good as the first book, but I still enjoyed it.
93 reviews
December 13, 2018
Fantastic Book 2

I loved the continuation of Brain Recyclers. The story just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Lynda Lafond.
111 reviews
September 14, 2019
Really enjoying this series

Good "second chapter" , complete book/story in itself, I'm headed to book 3 in the series as I still want more!
Profile Image for Scott S..
1,424 reviews29 followers
November 12, 2019
Some fascinating events in this book.

I'm getting the robot names mixed up.
Profile Image for Murtah Blake.
101 reviews
December 17, 2020
Absolutely loved the book. The whole idea was very interesting! Thank you very much for writing this.
Profile Image for Darlene.
502 reviews26 followers
June 2, 2017
I don't know how to review this book without giving away any spoilers! This book was fantastic. Had lots of twists I wasn't expecting. Just when you think the robots have humanities best interests at heart there are a few that have to spoil everything. Then we have to be on the lookout for a new human who may have an agenda of his own. This is a most unique series and I look forward to the next book.

I was give an ARC for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
31 reviews1 follower
May 27, 2017
Free ARC in exchange for honest review. As with the first book in the series, this installment was very enjoyable and easy to become immersed in. More edge-of-your-seat action and robots behaving badly. I don't want to slip any spoilers so will leave it at that. Can't wait for the next book! Thanks for the advance copy J.S. Morin :)
51 reviews1 follower
Read
July 1, 2017
Even better that book one

A great continuation to this story. The mystery, deception and secrets go ever deeper.
All my concerns about different characters were answered and now there's a new lot of questions and concerns that need to be answered for the next book.
Really looking forward to book 3.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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