Not Till We Are Lost (Bobiverse #5) by Dennis E. Taylor: A Surprising Return to Form
It’s not every day you pick up a book from an author you’re not quite sure how you feel about, but I have to admit that Dennis E. Taylor’s Not Till We Are Lost caught my attention in a curious way. As someone who has read almost everything the man has published, I approached this latest entry in the Bobiverse series with low expectations and a slightly skeptical mindset. After a somewhat rocky relationship with his work over the years, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a novel that managed to be not just entertaining, but also a reasonably solid read.
Set in the vast cosmos that Taylor so meticulously fleshed out in the earlier Bobiverse trilogy, Not Till We Are Lost revives the series with a blend of engaging mechanics and compelling mysteries. As a fan—or, as I prefer to call myself, a reader who has been in a complicated relationship with Taylor’s work—I found the three main narrative threads particularly interesting. The heart of the story revolves around a duo of Bobs exploring a seemingly deserted civilization, and I will admit that the atmosphere was both disquieting and engaging. Although some of the themes felt familiar, Taylor’s detailed mechanical explanations of technology brought a refreshing sense of realism to the narrative.
This book shines a light on the things Taylor does well: detailed discussions about engineering and technology. The pacing, which at times felt sluggish in his previous works, kept me turning pages effortlessly in this installment. I found myself genuinely engaged with the ongoing debates and scientific extrapolations, even if they sometimes teetered into territory that felt less than original. Here, the book swings from being heavy on detailed descriptions to embracing that page-turner quality, which I found lacking in his more recent offerings.
Yet, let’s not ignore the flaws; they are still woven throughout the narrative. The character work, especially with women, remains a weak spot and gives off the impression of being filtered through a stereotypical male engineer’s lens—something that made me raise an eyebrow more than once. That being said, I appreciated that this time around, these shortcomings were less intrusive to the story. The ecology chapters—especially those involving “going native” elements—offered some of Taylor’s more inspired speculative fiction, allowing me to truly look forward to those sections.
One of the standout elements of this book is how much fun it is. Yes, Taylor’s penchant for nerd culture references can be a bit tedious, and his socio-political lens can feel reductive, but I found myself enjoying the sheer escapism of it all. After a slew of less-than-stellar reads from him in the past, that was a welcome change.
So, who might enjoy Not Till We Are Lost? If you’ve ever felt the pull of science fiction that dives deep into the mechanics of technology and exploration—while still serving a plate of ease and entertainment—this book has something for you. While I won’t go as far as to highly recommend it to everyone and their brother, I can honestly say that it’s a step up from Taylor’s recent works and may serve as an enjoyable distraction for fans of the genre.
In conclusion, while I may not have emerged from this reading experience ready to proclaim myself a Dennis E. Taylor enthusiast, I certainly felt a rekindled interest in the Bobiverse. The journey through Not Till We Are Lost was unexpectedly pleasant and has left me contemplating how I view this author’s work as a whole. If nothing else, I look forward to seeing what he does next—at least with a slightly renewed sense of curiosity.
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