Origin

Here we are, the last stop on the Robert Langdon train, and what a ride it has been.

Edmond Kirsch is an ultra genius in the tech and science world. Edmond is also going to give an announcement that will be cast online and viewed by millions, affecting the world and its view on religion. Previous to his announcement, Edmond met with three very influential religious leaders to reveal this information, gauging their reaction so as to guess how the world will react when the revelation is revealed. Edmond is also a very good friend to Robert Langdon, who is a VIP invite to the event. When disaster strikes the announcement, Robert goes on another high speed chase with another important lady so that they can recover the announcement under a deadline.

This was a much better book than the last two previous books and was a very good way to end the series. The writing quality got a little bit better and brings back the interaction between religion and science. With Origin, the victim side comes from the science side, whereas Angels & Demons came with the religious side as the victim. I thought it was interesting how that gradual switch occurred from one side to the other. I do not know if that was Dan Brown’s intent from the get go or if it was just something developing as he was formulating the books. There was also a different take on location: still Europe, but this time being in Spain. There was also a different take on art: still using art to solve the puzzles, but using modern art this time to get there. So although Origin followed the same basic formula as the previous books, unlike The Lost Symbol there were only slight differences that were enough to make Origin its own book.

There is also the topic of robots and AI tech. Origin goes very techy [Spoilers] with making Edmond’s AI assistant Winston an important character that helps Robert throughout the book, bringing in the argument that the public has been bringing up lately. What place does AI have in the world, and how far is too far for AI? Edmond was able to program his Tesla with Winston to make it drive on its own so that it can pick him up and take him places. Winston is also very manipulative with his ability to phone and falsify identities so as to gain access to investigative information. I know that we are looking at AI right now and how it affects the creative arts, such as fine art, photography, special effects in movies, and writing books, but I feel like we are all coming close to advancements in AI where we need to really have those ethical conversations.

Now that I have completed the series, I have my personal ranking for all of the volumes from best to worst: Angels & Demons, The DaVinci Code, Inferno, Origin, and The Lost Symbol. In general, I thought that the series was entertaining with a decent lead character even if he is too predictable at times. I appreciate Robert’s growth through harrowing experiences, yet stays rooted in his kind nature and willingness to collaborate with others of other fields to accomplish the goal. I sound like a frickin’ hiring manager right now.

I would recommend the series as a whole. If you are interested in reading Origin in particular, I would recommend starting here.

8/10