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Robot #4
Roboti i carstvo
Isaac Asimov's Robots and Empire heralds a major landmark in the Asimovian galaxy of science-fiction. For it not only presents the sequel to The Robots of Dawn, but also interweaves all three of Asimov's classic series: Robot, Foundation, and Empire.
Two hundred years have passed since The Robots of Dawn and Elijah Baley, the beloved hero of the Earthpeople, is dead. The future of the Universe is at a crossroads. Though the forces of the sinister Spacers, Dr. Kelden Amadiro has never forgotten - or forgiven - his humiliating defeat at the hands of Elijah. Now, with vengeance burning in his heart, he is more determined than ever to bring about the total annihilation of the planet Earth.
But Amadiro has not counted on the equally determined Lady Gladia. Devoted to Elijah Baley, the Auroran beauty has taken the legacy of her fallen lover, vowing to stop the Spacers at any cost. With her two robot companions, Daneel and Giskard, she prepares to set into motion a daring and dangerous plan ... a plan whose success - or failure - will forever seal the fate of Earth and all who live there.
Two hundred years have passed since The Robots of Dawn and Elijah Baley, the beloved hero of the Earthpeople, is dead. The future of the Universe is at a crossroads. Though the forces of the sinister Spacers, Dr. Kelden Amadiro has never forgotten - or forgiven - his humiliating defeat at the hands of Elijah. Now, with vengeance burning in his heart, he is more determined than ever to bring about the total annihilation of the planet Earth.
But Amadiro has not counted on the equally determined Lady Gladia. Devoted to Elijah Baley, the Auroran beauty has taken the legacy of her fallen lover, vowing to stop the Spacers at any cost. With her two robot companions, Daneel and Giskard, she prepares to set into motion a daring and dangerous plan ... a plan whose success - or failure - will forever seal the fate of Earth and all who live there.
334 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 1985
566 people are currently reading
18337 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,337 books27.8k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,357 reviews
February 26, 2022
Robot series, book #4 - Two centuries have passed and the tensions between the Spacers and the Earth continue as the Settlers have, and are, colonising numerous planets. Focusing on the long-lived 'Spacer' and robot characters from the previous books, Asimov focused on the next significant steps for mankind's growth and reach for the stars, and the hurdles that needed to be overcome to reach them.
Despite being written over 30 years after the first novel in the series Asimov manages to hold true and provide extensive continuity from the novels and the short story collections. The world building in this series is second to none as it spans centuries, and in effect, documents the developments of the human race through the eyes of a few key individuals and two robots. He uses this book to further tie-in psychohistory and the Foundation series, but above everything is in depth look at the working of robot physiology and psychology are peerless. A fascinating, and surprisingly compelling read/narrative. Asimov's intention with this (and the previous) book was to bridge the Robot and Galactic Empire/Foundation serials, which he does, so goddamn well! 8.5 out of 12.
2012 read
Despite being written over 30 years after the first novel in the series Asimov manages to hold true and provide extensive continuity from the novels and the short story collections. The world building in this series is second to none as it spans centuries, and in effect, documents the developments of the human race through the eyes of a few key individuals and two robots. He uses this book to further tie-in psychohistory and the Foundation series, but above everything is in depth look at the working of robot physiology and psychology are peerless. A fascinating, and surprisingly compelling read/narrative. Asimov's intention with this (and the previous) book was to bridge the Robot and Galactic Empire/Foundation serials, which he does, so goddamn well! 8.5 out of 12.
2012 read
December 8, 2025
Whether we’re the future or just the opening act for whoever shows up in a thousand years—irrelevant. This will always be TIMELESS. And honestly, I’m just grateful I exist in the same era to witness even a tiny speck of a mind like this.
August 22, 2021
Group Read August 2021
So this was Group Read for the SF Afficianados Group for August 2021. So I have to say that this is one of my favourite books. In some strange way, I find it very emotional, the love of a true friend, just strikes a chord with me. R Daneel and R Giskard, robots that had been true friends of the Earth detective, Elijah Bailey and now they are helping his many times descendant.
As I said 2 years ago when I read this, Asimov has to be one of the world's greatest story tellers, and these detective "Robot" novels and the subsequent (intrinsically linked) Foundation novels are in my opinion certainly on a par with JRR Tolkein's LOTR.
Holiday Read October 2019
This is the third book I’ve finished on this holiday and the second I’ve borrowed from the “library” in these fabulous apartments.
The fact that I actually have it at home is neither here nor there, I fancied reading it and like, there it was sandwiched between 2 gooey romances, about the only sf book in the shelves. So in between swims, walks and food (yum) I have finished a second book over 400 pages (Origin being the first).
Those who read my reviews, (are there any of you ??), will know that I have a penchant for Golden Age SciFi, and whilst I know this is not truly Golden Age it is Asimov. And I’m my humble opinion a real classic of his despite his advancing years when he wrote it.
(As an aside, apologies for any spooling mastooks, I’m on my iPhone as trying to write a review on a Kindle is worse, why is that Amazon ?)
So this book reacquaints us with Gladia Solaria, R Daneel and R Giskard, the latter 2 being favourite novel characters of mine. In addition there are even a couple of flashbacks to scenes with Lije Bayley, add in a typical Asimov mystery ( See Caves of Steel etc) and one has to ask, what is not to enjoy 😉
Seriously this book races along at a fair old crack and gives you everything you want from an Asimov “Robot” novel. Drama, excitement, adventure, pathos and sadness. Yes sadness, I won’t say when, but on one occasion I even had tears in my eyes. I reckon it was just the sun tan lotion 😬
I am now thinking that I must read the rest of the Robot and Lije Bayley novels on my return to England
An easy 5 ⭐️s
So this was Group Read for the SF Afficianados Group for August 2021. So I have to say that this is one of my favourite books. In some strange way, I find it very emotional, the love of a true friend, just strikes a chord with me. R Daneel and R Giskard, robots that had been true friends of the Earth detective, Elijah Bailey and now they are helping his many times descendant.
As I said 2 years ago when I read this, Asimov has to be one of the world's greatest story tellers, and these detective "Robot" novels and the subsequent (intrinsically linked) Foundation novels are in my opinion certainly on a par with JRR Tolkein's LOTR.
Holiday Read October 2019
This is the third book I’ve finished on this holiday and the second I’ve borrowed from the “library” in these fabulous apartments.
The fact that I actually have it at home is neither here nor there, I fancied reading it and like, there it was sandwiched between 2 gooey romances, about the only sf book in the shelves. So in between swims, walks and food (yum) I have finished a second book over 400 pages (Origin being the first).
Those who read my reviews, (are there any of you ??), will know that I have a penchant for Golden Age SciFi, and whilst I know this is not truly Golden Age it is Asimov. And I’m my humble opinion a real classic of his despite his advancing years when he wrote it.
(As an aside, apologies for any spooling mastooks, I’m on my iPhone as trying to write a review on a Kindle is worse, why is that Amazon ?)
So this book reacquaints us with Gladia Solaria, R Daneel and R Giskard, the latter 2 being favourite novel characters of mine. In addition there are even a couple of flashbacks to scenes with Lije Bayley, add in a typical Asimov mystery ( See Caves of Steel etc) and one has to ask, what is not to enjoy 😉
Seriously this book races along at a fair old crack and gives you everything you want from an Asimov “Robot” novel. Drama, excitement, adventure, pathos and sadness. Yes sadness, I won’t say when, but on one occasion I even had tears in my eyes. I reckon it was just the sun tan lotion 😬
I am now thinking that I must read the rest of the Robot and Lije Bayley novels on my return to England
An easy 5 ⭐️s
July 14, 2021
Sigh. Love this book. It’s always bittersweet for me to read since it is the last of the four Robot novels, and I will miss the characters (until my next reading in a couple of years!). (As usual, this book can be read as a standalone book without having to read the previous books in the series.)
This story, again, features Elijah Baley, the hard-boiled detective from Earth (although in a surprising way – no spoiler here!), and his robot partner, Daneel Olivaw. We also still have Gladia who has been the love interest in the two books previous to this one. She really comes into herself in this book, and I just love her. Daneel is joined in his work by another robot, Giskard, who was featured very briefly in the book before this one, but this time, Giskard wins your heart.
In this story, it is planet Earth that is in danger of destruction, and a large part of the mystery in the book is not who is going to destroy it, but how. We know there’s an “evil plot” and a truly unlikable “dastardly doer.” What we must discover along with our detectives is how it is to be done – so they can stop it, of course.
I must say, there is a part of this book that gets me crying every time… even when I know it’s coming. Considering I read everything aloud to my hubby, you can imagine how difficult this passage is as I am choking on my words, sniffling, and trying to swallow around the lump in my throat as I read. And yet, that passage is so wonderful that I have to read it, I have to wallow for those moments. No, I’m not going to give even one detail, but I consider it a testimony to the writing and the character development, that I am consistently reduced to a sniveling wreck.
Finally, while this book was written three decades after the first book in the Empire series, this book is a good lead up to the first book in that series (which isn’t actually a series – they are three standalone novels that much later have been dubbed “a series”), which makes for a very satisfying jumping off point if you are interested in reading on… Happily, if you are not interested in reading on and getting into the next series, the ending of this book very nicely finishes up the Robot series, and leaves you completely satisfied.
This story, again, features Elijah Baley, the hard-boiled detective from Earth (although in a surprising way – no spoiler here!), and his robot partner, Daneel Olivaw. We also still have Gladia who has been the love interest in the two books previous to this one. She really comes into herself in this book, and I just love her. Daneel is joined in his work by another robot, Giskard, who was featured very briefly in the book before this one, but this time, Giskard wins your heart.
In this story, it is planet Earth that is in danger of destruction, and a large part of the mystery in the book is not who is going to destroy it, but how. We know there’s an “evil plot” and a truly unlikable “dastardly doer.” What we must discover along with our detectives is how it is to be done – so they can stop it, of course.
I must say, there is a part of this book that gets me crying every time… even when I know it’s coming. Considering I read everything aloud to my hubby, you can imagine how difficult this passage is as I am choking on my words, sniffling, and trying to swallow around the lump in my throat as I read. And yet, that passage is so wonderful that I have to read it, I have to wallow for those moments. No, I’m not going to give even one detail, but I consider it a testimony to the writing and the character development, that I am consistently reduced to a sniveling wreck.
Finally, while this book was written three decades after the first book in the Empire series, this book is a good lead up to the first book in that series (which isn’t actually a series – they are three standalone novels that much later have been dubbed “a series”), which makes for a very satisfying jumping off point if you are interested in reading on… Happily, if you are not interested in reading on and getting into the next series, the ending of this book very nicely finishes up the Robot series, and leaves you completely satisfied.
January 10, 2023
All I have to say is that I love Daneel very much.
August 21, 2023
Quarto ed ultimo romanzo del ciclo dei robot che precede quello dell'Impero composto da altri tre romanzi che poi si collega al principale ciclo della Fondazione. Asimov cerca di unire i tre cicli aggiungendo romanzi ma il risultato non mi convince.
Abbiamo idee già affrontate in altri romanzi di Asimov con ripetizioni di concetti e dialoghi poco illuminati. Piacevole ma non da applausi.
Mancano i momenti in cui la trama mi ha sorpreso, intrigato nella risoluzione del nuovo caso da risolvere o stupito con dialoghi o tematiche di spessore. Tutto nella media.
Questa volta Asimov si limita a portare alla stampa un capitolo che non arricchisce il suo ciclo. Le leggi dell'editoria reclamano denaro, lo scrittore risponde svogliato.
---------------------------------------------
Fourth and last novel of the robot cycle that precedes that of the Empire composed of three other novels which then connects to the main cycle of the Foundation. Asimov tries to combine the three cycles by adding novels but the result doesn't convince me.
We have ideas already addressed in other Asimov novels with repetitions of concepts and poorly lit dialogues. Pleasant but not applause.
The moments in which the plot surprised me are missing, intrigued in the resolution of the new case to be solved or amazed with thick dialogues or themes. All average.
This time Asimov limits himself to bringing to the press a chapter that does not enrich his cycle. The laws of publishing demand money, the writer responds listlessly.
Abbiamo idee già affrontate in altri romanzi di Asimov con ripetizioni di concetti e dialoghi poco illuminati. Piacevole ma non da applausi.
Mancano i momenti in cui la trama mi ha sorpreso, intrigato nella risoluzione del nuovo caso da risolvere o stupito con dialoghi o tematiche di spessore. Tutto nella media.
Questa volta Asimov si limita a portare alla stampa un capitolo che non arricchisce il suo ciclo. Le leggi dell'editoria reclamano denaro, lo scrittore risponde svogliato.
---------------------------------------------
Fourth and last novel of the robot cycle that precedes that of the Empire composed of three other novels which then connects to the main cycle of the Foundation. Asimov tries to combine the three cycles by adding novels but the result doesn't convince me.
We have ideas already addressed in other Asimov novels with repetitions of concepts and poorly lit dialogues. Pleasant but not applause.
The moments in which the plot surprised me are missing, intrigued in the resolution of the new case to be solved or amazed with thick dialogues or themes. All average.
This time Asimov limits himself to bringing to the press a chapter that does not enrich his cycle. The laws of publishing demand money, the writer responds listlessly.
September 10, 2021
Y así termina la saga de los Robots de Asimov. Una gran saga que me ha entretenido mucho pero que esta última entrega no llega al nivel de los anteriores.
Me ha dado la sensación de que Asimov quería dejar cerrada la unión con la saga del Imperio Galáctico y más adelante con Fundación y acelera bastante los hechos para que la unión sea efectiva.
Sitúa los hechos 200 años en el futuro y ya no aparece Elijah Bailey como protagonista, centrando la acción en sus robots Daneel y Giskard. Al principio los vemos solamente como acompañantes de Gladia, la otra protagonista que aparece en otros libros, pero poco a poco van cogiendo peso y creo que la relación entre los dos robots es lo mejor del libro. Cómo se analizan las Tres Leyes de la Robótica y cómo se plantea una nueva ley me hace pensar que Asimov le dio vueltas durante toda su vida a este concepto y aquí lo termina de afinar.
Las conversaciones entre los robots es lo más disfrutable pero el resto de personajes y la trama no están a la misma altura. En esta ocasión no hay nada que el lector tenga que ir averiguando junto a los personajes: sabemos quiénes son los malos, sabemos lo que van a hacer y sabemos que al final van a estar los robots para intentar impedirlo.
Aún así, Asimov consigue salvar el final terminando la saga de una manera muy decente y dejando buen sabor de boca sabiendo lo que ocurrirá en el futuro.
Me ha dado la sensación de que Asimov quería dejar cerrada la unión con la saga del Imperio Galáctico y más adelante con Fundación y acelera bastante los hechos para que la unión sea efectiva.
Sitúa los hechos 200 años en el futuro y ya no aparece Elijah Bailey como protagonista, centrando la acción en sus robots Daneel y Giskard. Al principio los vemos solamente como acompañantes de Gladia, la otra protagonista que aparece en otros libros, pero poco a poco van cogiendo peso y creo que la relación entre los dos robots es lo mejor del libro. Cómo se analizan las Tres Leyes de la Robótica y cómo se plantea una nueva ley me hace pensar que Asimov le dio vueltas durante toda su vida a este concepto y aquí lo termina de afinar.
Las conversaciones entre los robots es lo más disfrutable pero el resto de personajes y la trama no están a la misma altura. En esta ocasión no hay nada que el lector tenga que ir averiguando junto a los personajes: sabemos quiénes son los malos, sabemos lo que van a hacer y sabemos que al final van a estar los robots para intentar impedirlo.
Aún así, Asimov consigue salvar el final terminando la saga de una manera muy decente y dejando buen sabor de boca sabiendo lo que ocurrirá en el futuro.
April 17, 2020
"Queremos la Galaxia, toda la Galaxia. Queremos colonizar y poblar cada planeta habitable que haya en ella, y establecer nada menos que el Imperio Galáctico."
Admito que soy víctima de la subjetividad, existe algún tipo de inercia literaria acumulada por la satisfacción de sus novelas anteriores. A mí me ha fascinado desde muy joven el universo de Asimov y, aunque empecé por la saga final, Fundación, decidí retroceder miles de años en su línea del tiempo para leerlo todo y ¡vaya que ha valido la pena!
Me gusta pensar que el inicio de todo es "El fin de la eternidad", la novela con la que se hace posible el viaje interestelar; y que "Némesis" es el punto medio entre la era pre- y post-interestelar, antes de "Bóvedas de acero". No sé si esto estaba dentro de los planes de Asimov pero es algo que prefiero no descartar.
Han pasado dos siglos desde los eventos ocurridos en "Los robots del amanecer", se le ha dado un poco más de peso a Gladia, lo cual me gustó, aunque el verdadero protagonismo es el de los robots. Estoy seguro de no haber sido el único que se ha emocionado con las escenas de Daneel y el legendario Elijah (es increible cómo sientes que extrañas ese personaje), con el discurso de Gladia en Baleymundo, o con la última escena entre Daneel y Giskard. Ahora también sabemos que es en este punto en donde se empiezan a tejer los primeros hilos de la psicohistoria. Todavía no puedo decir que su intento de integrar todo su universo haya sido satisfactorio pero no cabe duda de que ha sido un cierre magistral para la saga de los robots. Te lo debemos, Susan Calvin. ¡Que siga la carrera expansionista!
Admito que soy víctima de la subjetividad, existe algún tipo de inercia literaria acumulada por la satisfacción de sus novelas anteriores. A mí me ha fascinado desde muy joven el universo de Asimov y, aunque empecé por la saga final, Fundación, decidí retroceder miles de años en su línea del tiempo para leerlo todo y ¡vaya que ha valido la pena!
Me gusta pensar que el inicio de todo es "El fin de la eternidad", la novela con la que se hace posible el viaje interestelar; y que "Némesis" es el punto medio entre la era pre- y post-interestelar, antes de "Bóvedas de acero". No sé si esto estaba dentro de los planes de Asimov pero es algo que prefiero no descartar.
Han pasado dos siglos desde los eventos ocurridos en "Los robots del amanecer", se le ha dado un poco más de peso a Gladia, lo cual me gustó, aunque el verdadero protagonismo es el de los robots. Estoy seguro de no haber sido el único que se ha emocionado con las escenas de Daneel y el legendario Elijah (es increible cómo sientes que extrañas ese personaje), con el discurso de Gladia en Baleymundo, o con la última escena entre Daneel y Giskard. Ahora también sabemos que es en este punto en donde se empiezan a tejer los primeros hilos de la psicohistoria. Todavía no puedo decir que su intento de integrar todo su universo haya sido satisfactorio pero no cabe duda de que ha sido un cierre magistral para la saga de los robots. Te lo debemos, Susan Calvin. ¡Que siga la carrera expansionista!
August 20, 2019
"Bir kompüter insana benzemez. İnsan onu fark bile etmez. Belki teknik bakımdan kompüterle robot birbirine benzer. Ama psikolojik bakımdan aralarında dünyalar kadar fark vardır."
⭐
Yine çok beğendim. Asimov'un evreni beni çok heyecanlandırıyor. O dönem hayal ettiği, kurduğu şeyler çok çok iyi.
Şimdi gelsin İmparatorluk Serisi...
⭐
⭐
Yine çok beğendim. Asimov'un evreni beni çok heyecanlandırıyor. O dönem hayal ettiği, kurduğu şeyler çok çok iyi.
Şimdi gelsin İmparatorluk Serisi...
⭐
January 18, 2025
Plakao sam kao žena. Remek delo.
February 3, 2008
It should be noted that I am a long-standing Asimov fan, so my opinion is perhaps not entirely objective. Having said that, Robots and Empire stands out to me as one of his top works. It serves to bridge his Empire/Foundation and Robots series; this is a dangerous venture, because there is always the risk of fouling one or both stories in the process. Asimov handles it admirably though, in a way that gives a satisfactory conclusion to the Elijah Baley story, and sets the scene for the way into the Galactic Empire.
The story focuses around familiar faces; Gladia, Daneel, and Giskard. The true focus of the novel is on the robots, which has always been Asimovs great strength. The passages of the novel that are essentially discussions and deliberations between the two robots are some of the most interesting parts of the novel; they are at once dear friends, earnest protectors, and subtly but pointedly inhuman. Their struggle to both serve and protect, and their discussions revolving around this dichotomy, give new depth to the characters.
Overall I highly recommend this novel to fans of either Empire, Foundation, or Robots.
The story focuses around familiar faces; Gladia, Daneel, and Giskard. The true focus of the novel is on the robots, which has always been Asimovs great strength. The passages of the novel that are essentially discussions and deliberations between the two robots are some of the most interesting parts of the novel; they are at once dear friends, earnest protectors, and subtly but pointedly inhuman. Their struggle to both serve and protect, and their discussions revolving around this dichotomy, give new depth to the characters.
Overall I highly recommend this novel to fans of either Empire, Foundation, or Robots.
January 18, 2021
Con este termino la serie de los robots y creo que fue un excelente cierre. Ahora entiendo muchas cosas que pasaron en los libros referentes a la Fundación, pero que en su momento no había comprendido.
Estoy siguiendo la lectura en el orden cronológico de la historia, por lo que ahora seguiré con la trilogía del Imperio.
Estoy siguiendo la lectura en el orden cronológico de la historia, por lo que ahora seguiré con la trilogía del Imperio.
June 26, 2025
uff
Sin palabras para el final. Que novela tan compleja... Encantado con la saga de los Robots
Sin palabras para el final. Que novela tan compleja... Encantado con la saga de los Robots
November 28, 2021
THE GREAT COMPLETIST CHALLENGE: In which I revisit older authors and attempt to read every book they ever wrote
Currently in the challenge: Isaac Asimov's Robot/Empire/Foundation | Margaret Atwood | JG Ballard | Clive Barker | Christopher Buckley | Jim Butcher's Dresden Files | Lee Child's Jack Reacher | Philip K Dick | Ian Fleming | William Gibson | Michel Houellebecq | John Irving | Kazuo Ishiguro | Shirley Jackson | John Le Carre | Bernard Malamud | Cormac McCarthy | China Mieville | Toni Morrison | VS Naipaul | Chuck Palahniuk | Tim Powers | Terry Pratchett's Discworld | Philip Roth | Neal Stephenson | Jim Thompson | John Updike | Kurt Vonnegut | Jeanette Winterson | PG Wodehouse
And so we finally come to the end of my reading of Isaac Asimov's "Robot" series, from 1950's I, Robot to today's 1985 Robots and Empire; and I have to confess, I'm relieved to do so, because the last two novels of this series that Asimov wrote in the '80s are pretty lousy indeed, with Robots and Empire seriously in the running for perhaps the worst novel he ever wrote. The motivation was noble, I'll give him that, which is one of the reasons I'm reading the entire run in the first place; namely, after writing three unrelated science-fiction trilogies back in the '50s concerning three different subjects (the "Robot" books, set in a day-after-tomorrow universe that looks similar to our own; the "Empire" books, set several millennia later, when humanity has expanded out into thousands of worlds across the galaxy; and the "Foundation" books, set several millennia after that, in which a shadowy group of intellectuals attempt to save humanity after the collapse of said empire), Asimov reapproached these books at the end of his life and realized that by writing a small number of "bridging" novels, he could turn the entire thing into one uninterrupted 15-book series chronicling 23,000 years of the human race's "future history," in the same vein as the similarly named series by his buddy Robert A. Heinlein, a series which took second place to Asimov's Foundation books when attendees of the 1966 World Science Fiction Convention voted for the greatest science-fiction series of all time*.
[*And by the way, it's fascinating to take a look at the other nominees for that award, including E.E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensmen" series from the 1930s, and Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Barsoom" series from the 1910s, and realize what a huge indication that is of the state of science-fiction in the 1960s versus now. If in the 2020s you tried to suggest to a hardcore fan that this is the best the genre has to offer, in most cases you'd get laughed right out of the room, which says a lot about how much this genre has grown and expanded in the half-century since this symbolic award was given out.]
The problem with these bridging novels, though, as I already detailed in my write-up of The Robots of Dawn last time, is that Asimov didn't have much more of an agenda with them than the need to impart about a short story's worth of information to help explain inconsistencies between the different series' settings (for example, the "Empire" books portray a galaxy where robots don't exist, and Earth is a radioactive wasteland, the exact opposite situation from the "Robot" books); but with Asimov now having achieved "grand old master" status by the last decade of his life, his publisher Doubleday wanted to milk these new novels for all they were worth, and so each of them needed to be a hefty 400 pages or so in order to justify the accolades that people were lining up ahead of time to give them.
And so that led to these cartoonishly bloated, ridiculously overwritten tomes, with Robots and Empire so far being the most guilty example out of all of them, with entire ten-page dialogue scenes that exist solely and exclusively to impart exactly one sentence of information, and even the characters often acknowledging this by exasperatingly blurting at the end of the ten pages, "Look, will you just tell me in plain words what you're trying to say?" Say what you will about 1950s science-fiction (and believe me, there's plenty to say); but at least the lack of respect and money back then, coupled with the fact that most new full-length stories in those days were first published serially in pulp magazines, led to novels that were lean and tight by necessity. By the '80s, though, when such megasuccessful franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek had brought the genre into mainstream acceptance, and a mainstream publisher with deep pockets like Doubleday made a bit more money with each extra page one of their books contained, this allowed writers like Asimov to work without a leash; and unfortunately Asimov really needed that leash in order to produce his best work, because when left alone to the delight of the sound of his own voice, he got lost in these endlessly looping conversations that would just say the same thing over and over and over, for thousands upon thousands of words at a stretch.
Plus I have to confess that I was profoundly disappointed with Asimov's decision to clean up the inconsistencies between these series by inventing a robot that happens to have telepathic abilities (revealed in the previous book in this series, which is why I don't consider it a spoiler for this book in the series), a literal definition of the "deus ex machina" copout that lazy writers have been using for thousands of years to easily get themselves out of plot jams. Asimov prided himself on his love of rationality and science, and was a champion of "hard" (i.e. actual science-based) science-fiction his entire career; so for him to clean up these series' timelines by basically saying "and then a wizard showed up and waved his magic wand and solved everything" is a huge letdown, and dishonors the science-heavy novels that first established him as a beloved master of this genre.
And of course this novel also suffers from the same thing The Robots of Dawn did immediately preceding it, which is Asimov doubling-down at the end of his life on the overt sexism and subsumed racism that people were already criticizing even in the '80s (but for more, again see my review of the previous novel), with all kinds of skeevy references here to women's pendulous breasts and pinchable asses, and seemingly no one in the future having any problem with the habit of calling robots "boy" in order to "put them in their place." As I mentioned last time, these kinds of details were only barely justifiable in the first place way back in the '50s when he first started using them, because at least he was reflecting the actual mores and language of society at the time; but for him to be consciously aware of his fans' complaints about these details by the '80s, at a time when it was most decidedly no longer kosher to say such things, just to respond by coldly declaring, "I couldn't possibly care whether the people who support my career are offended by these things or not, and just to prove it I'm going to deliberately keep using them despite their complaints," marks the sad end of a cranky old man's legacy, a former pioneer and one-time social activist who should've known better than this, and could've reacted to these issues with a lot more grace and mindfulness than he did, lending credence to the argument that this attitude had become an impenetrable fortress in the sci-fi community by the Woke 21st century, with no other option than to violently tear it down altogether.
So yes, I'm glad I took the time to read all the old "Robot" novels at least once more in my life, and read all the new ones for the first time; but whew, I'm also glad it's over, a reading experience that was checkered to say the least. Next time, the first of the "Empire" books, 1951's The Stars, Like Dust, also notable for being the very first novel Asimov ever published, so I hope you'll have a chance to join me again then.
Isaac Asimov books being reviewed for this series: I, Robot (1950) | The Caves of Steel (1954) | The Naked Sun (1957) | The Robots of Dawn (1983) | Robots and Empire (1985) | The Stars, Like Dust (1951) | The Currents of Space (1952) | Pebble in the Sky (1950) | Prelude to Foundation (1988) | Forward the Foundation (1993) | Foundation (1951) | Foundation and Empire (1952) | Second Foundation (1953) | Foundation's Edge (1982) | Foundation and Earth (1986)
Currently in the challenge: Isaac Asimov's Robot/Empire/Foundation | Margaret Atwood | JG Ballard | Clive Barker | Christopher Buckley | Jim Butcher's Dresden Files | Lee Child's Jack Reacher | Philip K Dick | Ian Fleming | William Gibson | Michel Houellebecq | John Irving | Kazuo Ishiguro | Shirley Jackson | John Le Carre | Bernard Malamud | Cormac McCarthy | China Mieville | Toni Morrison | VS Naipaul | Chuck Palahniuk | Tim Powers | Terry Pratchett's Discworld | Philip Roth | Neal Stephenson | Jim Thompson | John Updike | Kurt Vonnegut | Jeanette Winterson | PG Wodehouse
And so we finally come to the end of my reading of Isaac Asimov's "Robot" series, from 1950's I, Robot to today's 1985 Robots and Empire; and I have to confess, I'm relieved to do so, because the last two novels of this series that Asimov wrote in the '80s are pretty lousy indeed, with Robots and Empire seriously in the running for perhaps the worst novel he ever wrote. The motivation was noble, I'll give him that, which is one of the reasons I'm reading the entire run in the first place; namely, after writing three unrelated science-fiction trilogies back in the '50s concerning three different subjects (the "Robot" books, set in a day-after-tomorrow universe that looks similar to our own; the "Empire" books, set several millennia later, when humanity has expanded out into thousands of worlds across the galaxy; and the "Foundation" books, set several millennia after that, in which a shadowy group of intellectuals attempt to save humanity after the collapse of said empire), Asimov reapproached these books at the end of his life and realized that by writing a small number of "bridging" novels, he could turn the entire thing into one uninterrupted 15-book series chronicling 23,000 years of the human race's "future history," in the same vein as the similarly named series by his buddy Robert A. Heinlein, a series which took second place to Asimov's Foundation books when attendees of the 1966 World Science Fiction Convention voted for the greatest science-fiction series of all time*.
[*And by the way, it's fascinating to take a look at the other nominees for that award, including E.E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensmen" series from the 1930s, and Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Barsoom" series from the 1910s, and realize what a huge indication that is of the state of science-fiction in the 1960s versus now. If in the 2020s you tried to suggest to a hardcore fan that this is the best the genre has to offer, in most cases you'd get laughed right out of the room, which says a lot about how much this genre has grown and expanded in the half-century since this symbolic award was given out.]
The problem with these bridging novels, though, as I already detailed in my write-up of The Robots of Dawn last time, is that Asimov didn't have much more of an agenda with them than the need to impart about a short story's worth of information to help explain inconsistencies between the different series' settings (for example, the "Empire" books portray a galaxy where robots don't exist, and Earth is a radioactive wasteland, the exact opposite situation from the "Robot" books); but with Asimov now having achieved "grand old master" status by the last decade of his life, his publisher Doubleday wanted to milk these new novels for all they were worth, and so each of them needed to be a hefty 400 pages or so in order to justify the accolades that people were lining up ahead of time to give them.
And so that led to these cartoonishly bloated, ridiculously overwritten tomes, with Robots and Empire so far being the most guilty example out of all of them, with entire ten-page dialogue scenes that exist solely and exclusively to impart exactly one sentence of information, and even the characters often acknowledging this by exasperatingly blurting at the end of the ten pages, "Look, will you just tell me in plain words what you're trying to say?" Say what you will about 1950s science-fiction (and believe me, there's plenty to say); but at least the lack of respect and money back then, coupled with the fact that most new full-length stories in those days were first published serially in pulp magazines, led to novels that were lean and tight by necessity. By the '80s, though, when such megasuccessful franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek had brought the genre into mainstream acceptance, and a mainstream publisher with deep pockets like Doubleday made a bit more money with each extra page one of their books contained, this allowed writers like Asimov to work without a leash; and unfortunately Asimov really needed that leash in order to produce his best work, because when left alone to the delight of the sound of his own voice, he got lost in these endlessly looping conversations that would just say the same thing over and over and over, for thousands upon thousands of words at a stretch.
Plus I have to confess that I was profoundly disappointed with Asimov's decision to clean up the inconsistencies between these series by inventing a robot that happens to have telepathic abilities (revealed in the previous book in this series, which is why I don't consider it a spoiler for this book in the series), a literal definition of the "deus ex machina" copout that lazy writers have been using for thousands of years to easily get themselves out of plot jams. Asimov prided himself on his love of rationality and science, and was a champion of "hard" (i.e. actual science-based) science-fiction his entire career; so for him to clean up these series' timelines by basically saying "and then a wizard showed up and waved his magic wand and solved everything" is a huge letdown, and dishonors the science-heavy novels that first established him as a beloved master of this genre.
And of course this novel also suffers from the same thing The Robots of Dawn did immediately preceding it, which is Asimov doubling-down at the end of his life on the overt sexism and subsumed racism that people were already criticizing even in the '80s (but for more, again see my review of the previous novel), with all kinds of skeevy references here to women's pendulous breasts and pinchable asses, and seemingly no one in the future having any problem with the habit of calling robots "boy" in order to "put them in their place." As I mentioned last time, these kinds of details were only barely justifiable in the first place way back in the '50s when he first started using them, because at least he was reflecting the actual mores and language of society at the time; but for him to be consciously aware of his fans' complaints about these details by the '80s, at a time when it was most decidedly no longer kosher to say such things, just to respond by coldly declaring, "I couldn't possibly care whether the people who support my career are offended by these things or not, and just to prove it I'm going to deliberately keep using them despite their complaints," marks the sad end of a cranky old man's legacy, a former pioneer and one-time social activist who should've known better than this, and could've reacted to these issues with a lot more grace and mindfulness than he did, lending credence to the argument that this attitude had become an impenetrable fortress in the sci-fi community by the Woke 21st century, with no other option than to violently tear it down altogether.
So yes, I'm glad I took the time to read all the old "Robot" novels at least once more in my life, and read all the new ones for the first time; but whew, I'm also glad it's over, a reading experience that was checkered to say the least. Next time, the first of the "Empire" books, 1951's The Stars, Like Dust, also notable for being the very first novel Asimov ever published, so I hope you'll have a chance to join me again then.
Isaac Asimov books being reviewed for this series: I, Robot (1950) | The Caves of Steel (1954) | The Naked Sun (1957) | The Robots of Dawn (1983) | Robots and Empire (1985) | The Stars, Like Dust (1951) | The Currents of Space (1952) | Pebble in the Sky (1950) | Prelude to Foundation (1988) | Forward the Foundation (1993) | Foundation (1951) | Foundation and Empire (1952) | Second Foundation (1953) | Foundation's Edge (1982) | Foundation and Earth (1986)
March 3, 2021
More of a 3.5 stars, really.
I had to balance this one in my head as a re-read from long ago, my impression of humanity's exodus into the stars, my enjoyment of Asimov in general, against a tale compared against all of SF in general.
As a friend points out regularly, one cannot judge a book on ideas alone, even if I do appreciate Asimov for his clarity and ideas. The story, the full novel, is, frankly, kinda boring. At least, I was bored.
On the other hand, I did enjoy getting a full tour of the spacer worlds, getting to know so many kinds of people, and I really enjoyed the discussions between the two awesome robots even if I didn't care all that much about the humans. It still wasn't enough to carry the full tale.
BUT. This is a necessary book for the grand future history that Asimov wrote, from Robots, to Empire, to Foundation, to beyond. I'm willing to ignore the usual complaints as long as it forwards the foundation. :)
I had to balance this one in my head as a re-read from long ago, my impression of humanity's exodus into the stars, my enjoyment of Asimov in general, against a tale compared against all of SF in general.
As a friend points out regularly, one cannot judge a book on ideas alone, even if I do appreciate Asimov for his clarity and ideas. The story, the full novel, is, frankly, kinda boring. At least, I was bored.
On the other hand, I did enjoy getting a full tour of the spacer worlds, getting to know so many kinds of people, and I really enjoyed the discussions between the two awesome robots even if I didn't care all that much about the humans. It still wasn't enough to carry the full tale.
BUT. This is a necessary book for the grand future history that Asimov wrote, from Robots, to Empire, to Foundation, to beyond. I'm willing to ignore the usual complaints as long as it forwards the foundation. :)
January 3, 2011
4.0 stars. While listed as the last of the Robot series, this is probably better discribed as the bridge novel between the Robot novels and the Foundation series. In it we see the beginnings of how the Galactic Empire got started and why there are no Robots in the distant future of the Foundation novels (except of course for R. Daneel Olivaw) who becomes the only central character to appear in both series.
In addition to being a pivotal novel in the Robot/Foundation series, it is also top space opera and a lot of fun (as I feel about all of this group of books). Good quality entertainment from one of the masters of the genre. Recommended!!
In addition to being a pivotal novel in the Robot/Foundation series, it is also top space opera and a lot of fun (as I feel about all of this group of books). Good quality entertainment from one of the masters of the genre. Recommended!!
June 15, 2021
Un libro che mi ha lasciato soddisfatto anche se con un pò di tristezza per la sua conclusione. Il racconto parte un pò sottotono e si avverte la mancanza di Baley, ma si riprende velocemente con vari avvenimenti che sostengono la storia. I due robot sono i veri protagonisti, con una serie continua ed incalzante di dialoghi che simulano le investigazioni di Baley e che in realtà analizzano sia i terrestri (e i coloni) che gli spaziali. Bello anche il ruolo di Gladia, forse un pò troppo femme fatale.
September 15, 2023
This is the fourth and final of the novels that featured robot Daneel Olivaw, and is set two centuries after the death of his human partner, Baley. The first three books functioned primarily as mystery stories, but this one has much more of a cosmic sweep as Asimov was intent on incorporating his Foundation universe and far-space novels in an overall tapestry of future history. It drags a little in spots as bits and pieces not really relevant to the current story are introduced, but I think he succeeded quite well in accomplishing what he wanted to do. I don't think this would be a good starting point for Asimov, as some prior knowledge of his three laws of robotics and psychohistory and such seems to be essential, but it's a great bridging story for fans of his classic science fiction.
June 28, 2021
CICLO DEI ROBOT vol. 4
Lettura di gruppo E&L
Che sono di parte lo sapete, ma questo libro mi è davvero piaciuto. Non mi ricordavo che fosse ambientato 200 anni dopo le vicende degli scorsi libri e che non ci fosse Baley. Ma grazie ai ricordi di Gladia e di Daneel non ne ho sentito la mancanza.
Inoltre il complotto di Mandamus e Amadiro tiene incollato alle pagine. Per non parlare del duo Daneel\Giskard che investiga e cerca di sventare la crisi.
Abbiamo anche il risvolto romantico Gladia con DG. Chi l'avrebbe detto?
Il finale devo dire che è stato triste. Ora Daneel è solo.
Non vedo l'ora di leggere il prossimo!
Lettura di gruppo E&L
Che sono di parte lo sapete, ma questo libro mi è davvero piaciuto. Non mi ricordavo che fosse ambientato 200 anni dopo le vicende degli scorsi libri e che non ci fosse Baley. Ma grazie ai ricordi di Gladia e di Daneel non ne ho sentito la mancanza.
Inoltre il complotto di Mandamus e Amadiro tiene incollato alle pagine. Per non parlare del duo Daneel\Giskard che investiga e cerca di sventare la crisi.
Abbiamo anche il risvolto romantico Gladia con DG. Chi l'avrebbe detto?
Il finale devo dire che è stato triste. Ora Daneel è solo.
Non vedo l'ora di leggere il prossimo!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2022
Προετοιμάστηκα κατάλληλα για αυτό το βιβλίο. Ήταν βλέπετε το ενδέκατο βιβλίο του Ασίμωφ που διαβάζω, αλλά το τελευταίο βιβλίο του σύμπαντος των Ρομπότ. (Όποιος θέλει πληροφορίες ή συζήτηση για τα βιβλία του Ισαάκ δηλώνω διαθέσιμος).
Λοιπόν, οι φαν του Ασίμωφ θα λατρέψουν αυτό το βιβλίο. Μπορεί ο Ηλάια Μπέιλι εδώ και δεκαετίες να είναι σκόνη και θρυψαλα, αλλά η παρουσία του είναι κάτι παραπάνω από αισθητή. Θα έλεγα ότι ως βιβλίο αφήνει τα όρια του crime Sci-fi (μέσα στα οποία κινήθηκαν τα προηγούμενα βιβλία της σειράς) και κινείται περισσότερο προς το σύμπαν του Θεμελίου.
Θεωρώ ότι ήταν το καλύτερο βιβλίο της Robot series. Ο ιδανικός επίλογος μιας εμβληματικής σειράς.
Λοιπόν, οι φαν του Ασίμωφ θα λατρέψουν αυτό το βιβλίο. Μπορεί ο Ηλάια Μπέιλι εδώ και δεκαετίες να είναι σκόνη και θρυψαλα, αλλά η παρουσία του είναι κάτι παραπάνω από αισθητή. Θα έλεγα ότι ως βιβλίο αφήνει τα όρια του crime Sci-fi (μέσα στα οποία κινήθηκαν τα προηγούμενα βιβλία της σειράς) και κινείται περισσότερο προς το σύμπαν του Θεμελίου.
Θεωρώ ότι ήταν το καλύτερο βιβλίο της Robot series. Ο ιδανικός επίλογος μιας εμβληματικής σειράς.
March 3, 2021
Well well well, look who we’ve got here. If it isn’t the idiot from the pervious novel, Amadiro. And once again, he’s up to no good.
It’s been about 200 years since Earther detective Baley has died. Yes, that made me more sad than I thought it would. He lives on in the memory of Gladia (with whom he has had an affair) and his robotic partner, R. Daneel Olivaw.
Also among the departed is Dr. Fastolfe, the creator of Daneel as well as a second robot which also belongs to Gladia (thanks to Fastolfe’s will). This other robot, R. Giskard Reventlov, has a very interesting gift considering that (technically) he’s no living human being: .
So in this new future, the people of Earth have finally overcome their fear and have started colonizing space, reaching regions even farther away than those settled by the Spacers. Which is probably why they call themselves the Settlers.
Some such Settlers have been trying to visit Solaris (the planet we were on in the previous novel) and have never been seen or heard of again. This is especially puzzling since there are no humans left on that planet, just their former robotic servants (numbering in the millions).
Which brings us to one gigantic problem the invention of the positronic brain has caused: . Personally, I don’t think it’s necessarily a problem the robots are causing directly; it’s more the extrapolation of a fundamental psychological problem with humans, called laziness.
As in the other novels before, an investigation is launched, this time conducted by Baley’s great-great-…-grandson Daneel Giskard (D.G.).
Meanwhile, the two robots are engaged in quite the desperate struggle with Amadiro and Fastolfe’s daughter (who gave R. Giskard Reventlov his ability) who have teamed up with a lunatic wanting to eradicate the humans of Earth through radioactivity.
So yeah, LOTS was happening here with many places being basically a theatre for some great drama. After all, Asimov takes us from an explored Milky Way Galaxy to a Galactic Empire with nothing less than the future of the human race being at stake along the way! Which might explain the introduction of the Zeroth Law.*
Where it all leads shall remain a secret (just read the book) but it was an awesome bridge to the Foundation books, let me tell you!
*
Perhaps I liked this best of the Robot novels thus far (except for my heavy criticism is the spoiler tag). I can’t quite say why. Maybe because we’re finally at a point where humanity has to face up to the problems hinted at and pointed to in the previous stories and which humanity had ignored so far. It felt a bit as if this was indeed the culmination of the first three novels and itself the build-up to Foundation. So we’re coming full circle (which was a bit of a surprise to me at first because I hadn’t known about these taking place in the same universe).
There is not much I can say about the writing style that I haven’t already said. It’s cozy and the novels have aged rather well. Though sometimes I think Asimov could have told the same story in a shorter book (especially novel #3). And he really was more about the ideas than the characters themselves (except for Daneel). But I love the universe he has built with his stories!
Very cool to know the beginnings of the future and I think I’ll indulge myself by (re-)reading at least a few of the robot short stories now as well.
So, ranked, these are the robot novels:
This 4th novel is my favorite as it had the biggest impact, story-wise, despite the problems. Then comes the 1st novel as it was the start of it all and thus has a charm all on its own. The 2nd novel had us on another planet for the very first time which also has a certain charm. The 3rd was my least favorite because it was far too long for the story it told and the sex bits were too weird.
It’s been about 200 years since Earther detective Baley has died. Yes, that made me more sad than I thought it would. He lives on in the memory of Gladia (with whom he has had an affair) and his robotic partner, R. Daneel Olivaw.
Also among the departed is Dr. Fastolfe, the creator of Daneel as well as a second robot which also belongs to Gladia (thanks to Fastolfe’s will). This other robot, R. Giskard Reventlov, has a very interesting gift considering that (technically) he’s no living human being: .
So in this new future, the people of Earth have finally overcome their fear and have started colonizing space, reaching regions even farther away than those settled by the Spacers. Which is probably why they call themselves the Settlers.
Some such Settlers have been trying to visit Solaris (the planet we were on in the previous novel) and have never been seen or heard of again. This is especially puzzling since there are no humans left on that planet, just their former robotic servants (numbering in the millions).
Which brings us to one gigantic problem the invention of the positronic brain has caused: . Personally, I don’t think it’s necessarily a problem the robots are causing directly; it’s more the extrapolation of a fundamental psychological problem with humans, called laziness.
As in the other novels before, an investigation is launched, this time conducted by Baley’s great-great-…-grandson Daneel Giskard (D.G.).
Meanwhile, the two robots are engaged in quite the desperate struggle with Amadiro and Fastolfe’s daughter (who gave R. Giskard Reventlov his ability) who have teamed up with a lunatic wanting to eradicate the humans of Earth through radioactivity.
So yeah, LOTS was happening here with many places being basically a theatre for some great drama. After all, Asimov takes us from an explored Milky Way Galaxy to a Galactic Empire with nothing less than the future of the human race being at stake along the way! Which might explain the introduction of the Zeroth Law.*
Where it all leads shall remain a secret (just read the book) but it was an awesome bridge to the Foundation books, let me tell you!
*
Perhaps I liked this best of the Robot novels thus far (except for my heavy criticism is the spoiler tag). I can’t quite say why. Maybe because we’re finally at a point where humanity has to face up to the problems hinted at and pointed to in the previous stories and which humanity had ignored so far. It felt a bit as if this was indeed the culmination of the first three novels and itself the build-up to Foundation. So we’re coming full circle (which was a bit of a surprise to me at first because I hadn’t known about these taking place in the same universe).
There is not much I can say about the writing style that I haven’t already said. It’s cozy and the novels have aged rather well. Though sometimes I think Asimov could have told the same story in a shorter book (especially novel #3). And he really was more about the ideas than the characters themselves (except for Daneel). But I love the universe he has built with his stories!
Very cool to know the beginnings of the future and I think I’ll indulge myself by (re-)reading at least a few of the robot short stories now as well.
So, ranked, these are the robot novels:
This 4th novel is my favorite as it had the biggest impact, story-wise, despite the problems. Then comes the 1st novel as it was the start of it all and thus has a charm all on its own. The 2nd novel had us on another planet for the very first time which also has a certain charm. The 3rd was my least favorite because it was far too long for the story it told and the sex bits were too weird.
November 10, 2018
What an adventure! I can't believe the Robot series is over. This was a very bitter sweet book for many reasons. Not only is it the ending of a series, but many things happened I didn't expect. I loved Baley, Daneel and Giskard and it just wasn't the same without detective Elijah Baley. When I heard that he died in the first chapter I immediately knew this was going to be a long trek to the end. I was happy Daneel was still alive but it wasn't the same without the two together. Overall, it was a great ending to a great series. I will definitely reread this series in the future.
July 15, 2021
Este libro hace de transición entre la serie de Robots y las precuelas de la Fundación. Y lo hace de maravilla, introduce el concepto de psico-historia, que utilizará Harry Seldon en futuras novelas, y universaliza las leyes de la robótica.
El libro parte de limitaciones importantes: cómo unir tramas escritas por Asimov con 30 años de diferencia y cómo justificar incoherencias entre las sagas de Robots y Trantor (e.g., el peso de los robots en el imperio galáctico; qué ocurre con la tierra). Para mí esta es la parte más solida y meritoria de la novela.
Por reseñar algunas deficiencias: encuentro algunos personajes con falta de carisma, como D.G Baley, y la trama en algunas partes es irrelevante. Pero en general me parece un libro recomendable.
August 1, 2023
We take yet another Asimovian jump 270 years forward and see Gladia, Daneel, and Giskard for one final adventure in this wonderful novel. There are flashbacks to Elijah, so I wasn't left completely bereft of my favorite Asimov character. I thought this was just was well done as the other books, even if the ending was a little ambiguous. The creation of the Zeroth Law was an interesting twist here and I liked all the side discussions between Giskard and Daneel. The thing holding me back from a 5-star review is that the bad guys were a bit two-dimensional and their evil plot was less convoluted and less convincing than those of the murder mysteries that Lije and Daneel had to solve previously. However, we do get the connections to the future Foundation series (I read the first 4 books) as well as the Empire one (haven't read these because even Asimov said that they were his weakest work).
I wish someone had made a movie with Lije and Daneel!
I wish someone had made a movie with Lije and Daneel!
June 30, 2022
I am sorry to give this book two stars because there was a good story in it. But that story never had a chance to take off when bogged down with pages and pages of dialogue between characters debating their options, or individual characters contemplating their lives or desires. And as much as I liked the robots in this book, the author having them stand motionless while discussing how to save Earth and its inhabitants from those plotting against them just wasn’t very compelling, no matter that the future of humankind was at stake. To top it off, the author decided to show certain events from multiple viewpoints which had him repeating those elements in the story to the detriment of it.
I knew going into this book that it wasn’t going to measure up to the previous books in the series when missing a vital main character from them, as well as a good criminal mystery. So it’s unsurprising that the best parts of this book were the looking back scenes in which Daneel, the humanoid robot, thought about “Partner Elijah,” the detective from Earth who, against all odds, formed a personal bond with him while solving crimes.
I’m not sure if I’ll continue reading more of Asimov in the future, but if I do, it will be from his Foundation series which I’ve heard Daneel appears in. Either way, I’m glad I read the Robot series. I had been wishing to read about robots who weren’t bent on destroying their creators. I found that and so much more in Daneel, especially when he paired up with Detective Elijah Baley in the previous novels in this series. These were truly memorable characters that had me forgiving the author for all the flawed elements in this classic series.
I knew going into this book that it wasn’t going to measure up to the previous books in the series when missing a vital main character from them, as well as a good criminal mystery. So it’s unsurprising that the best parts of this book were the looking back scenes in which Daneel, the humanoid robot, thought about “Partner Elijah,” the detective from Earth who, against all odds, formed a personal bond with him while solving crimes.
I’m not sure if I’ll continue reading more of Asimov in the future, but if I do, it will be from his Foundation series which I’ve heard Daneel appears in. Either way, I’m glad I read the Robot series. I had been wishing to read about robots who weren’t bent on destroying their creators. I found that and so much more in Daneel, especially when he paired up with Detective Elijah Baley in the previous novels in this series. These were truly memorable characters that had me forgiving the author for all the flawed elements in this classic series.
June 29, 2021
Lettura n. 33 - 2021 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Finito finalmente e, come al soluto, mi è piaciuto proprio tanto.
Avevo questo dubbio che, , la storia sarebbe stata un po' sottotono e forse anche un tantino noioso. Una volta abituata all'idea, però, devo dire che ho adorato anche questo sesto volume.
Il mio punto debole è lei: Gladia.
Sarà che non mi è mai sembrata all'altezza del grande Elijah Baley. È sempre stata un po' smorta, grigia ... anche se, confesso, c'è stato un leggero miglioramento. Senza contare che, finalmente!!, è riuscita a trovare 🤣
Bellissimo poi il rapporto e l'amicizia che pian pianino si instaura tra i due robot. Sono proprio una bella squadra. O meglio,
Finito finalmente e, come al soluto, mi è piaciuto proprio tanto.
Avevo questo dubbio che, , la storia sarebbe stata un po' sottotono e forse anche un tantino noioso. Una volta abituata all'idea, però, devo dire che ho adorato anche questo sesto volume.
Il mio punto debole è lei: Gladia.
Sarà che non mi è mai sembrata all'altezza del grande Elijah Baley. È sempre stata un po' smorta, grigia ... anche se, confesso, c'è stato un leggero miglioramento. Senza contare che, finalmente!!, è riuscita a trovare 🤣
Bellissimo poi il rapporto e l'amicizia che pian pianino si instaura tra i due robot. Sono proprio una bella squadra. O meglio,
September 11, 2018
Odlicna knjiga, najbolja u serijalu do sada. > Ziskar i Deniel vuku kunce u igri koja odlucuje sudbinu covecanstva. U ovom nastavku se po prvi put namece i pitanje nultog zakona i veoma je zanimljivo kako se on budi u pozitronskom mozgu Daniela R. Olivava. Gladija nalazi novi smisao zivota postajuci ambasador mira i samoproklamovani posrednik u odnosu izmedju ljudi i svemiraca. Ostali karakteri koji se pojavljuju u ovoj knjizi su takodje od krucijalnog znacaja, neki ce vas razocarati a neki drugi opet iznenaditi. Da li iz mrznje i straha moze da se rodi nesto dobro i koliko smo blizu Galktickog Carstva. Ova knjiga odgovara na sva ta pitanja.
September 29, 2022
Robots e imperio pistonea entre las novelas policiales “Los robots del amanecer”, “El sol desnudo” y la saga Fundación. El objetivo es crear las condiciones que van a propiciar el futuro imperio y posteriormente la Fundación y el nacimiento de la psicohistoria. Todo cierra para el amigo Issac.
La novela deja los elementos detectivescos de sus antecesoras y se sumerge en extensos diálogos, al estilo Asimov, muy prolijos y formales donde se hace filosofía sobre hombres y robots. La acción es mínima y el lector desea pasar al siguiente libro de la mesita de luz.
La novela deja los elementos detectivescos de sus antecesoras y se sumerge en extensos diálogos, al estilo Asimov, muy prolijos y formales donde se hace filosofía sobre hombres y robots. La acción es mínima y el lector desea pasar al siguiente libro de la mesita de luz.
June 10, 2021
Lettura super veloce, più coinvolgente rispetto ai primi volumi, lo schema è diverso, migliore, a mio avviso. Tuttavia il modo in cui è scritto non mi entusiasma, forse è invecchiato male.
November 15, 2025
So, the love between Elijah and Daneel is canon now? Excellent, now we only need the sex scene. What? That spacer woman gets to sleep with Elijah we don’t get one scene of love between that old man and his robot spacer husband? A tragedy. Oh and Earth has been flooded with radiation that will slowly kill it in a hundred years and has to be evacuated but lets stay focused on the big picture here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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