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Escape!
"Escape!" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published as "Paradoxical Escape" (a publisher's change in the title) in the August 1945 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted as "Escape!" (Asimov's choice of title) in the collections I, Robot (1950) and The Complete Robot (1982).
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First published August 1, 1945
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About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,355 books28k 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 25, 2025
I wish I had escaped.
The hyperspace drive is nearly ready! All that is left to complete it is to process some complex mathematical formulas and build the ship. US Robots and Mechanical Men Inc. can be the first to accomplish it, yet there is a catch, as faster than light travel might be harmful to human beings, and create a dilemma with the First Law.
Yet another "Powell and Donovan" story, with some exiguous protagonism by Dr. Calvin, and "The Brain." This was mostly long and boring; another setting. another minor conflict with the three Laws, and a supposedly new story. How many times can you rehash the same formula in a single book without getting old? I wish I knew but I can't I haven't finished the book yet. I'm on seven of nine though.
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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1942] [23p] [Sci-Fi] [1.5] [Not Recommendable]
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★★★★★ Liar!
★★★☆☆ Robot # 0.1 - I, Robot <--
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Ojala hubiera escapado.
¡El motor de viaje hiperespacial está casi listo! Todo lo que falta para completarlo es procesar algunas complejas fórmulas matemáticas y construir la nave. US Robots and Mechanical Men Inc. puede ser la primera en lograrlo, pero hay un problema, ya que viajar a la velocidad de la luz podría ser perjudicial para los seres humanos, y crear un dilema con la Primera Ley.
Y otra historia más de "Powell y Donovan" , con algún exiguo protagonismo de la Dra. Calvin, y "El Cerebro". Esto fue en su mayor parte largo y aburrido; otro escenario, otro conflicto menor con las tres Leyes, y otra supuestamente nueva historia ¿Cuántas veces podés repetir la misma fórmula en un solo libro sin que se desgaste? Ojalá lo supiera pero no puedo, todavía no terminé el libro. Aunque voy en siete de nueve.
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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1942] [23p] [Ciencia Ficción] [1.5] [No Recomendable]
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The hyperspace drive is nearly ready! All that is left to complete it is to process some complex mathematical formulas and build the ship. US Robots and Mechanical Men Inc. can be the first to accomplish it, yet there is a catch, as faster than light travel might be harmful to human beings, and create a dilemma with the First Law.
Yet another "Powell and Donovan" story, with some exiguous protagonism by Dr. Calvin, and "The Brain." This was mostly long and boring; another setting. another minor conflict with the three Laws, and a supposedly new story. How many times can you rehash the same formula in a single book without getting old? I wish I knew but I can't I haven't finished the book yet. I'm on seven of nine though.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1942] [23p] [Sci-Fi] [1.5] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★★ Liar!
★★★☆☆ Robot # 0.1 - I, Robot <--
-----------------------------------------------
Ojala hubiera escapado.
¡El motor de viaje hiperespacial está casi listo! Todo lo que falta para completarlo es procesar algunas complejas fórmulas matemáticas y construir la nave. US Robots and Mechanical Men Inc. puede ser la primera en lograrlo, pero hay un problema, ya que viajar a la velocidad de la luz podría ser perjudicial para los seres humanos, y crear un dilema con la Primera Ley.
Y otra historia más de "Powell y Donovan" , con algún exiguo protagonismo de la Dra. Calvin, y "El Cerebro". Esto fue en su mayor parte largo y aburrido; otro escenario, otro conflicto menor con las tres Leyes, y otra supuestamente nueva historia ¿Cuántas veces podés repetir la misma fórmula en un solo libro sin que se desgaste? Ojalá lo supiera pero no puedo, todavía no terminé el libro. Aunque voy en siete de nueve.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1942] [23p] [Ciencia Ficción] [1.5] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
October 20, 2024
4.5
The 7th story in I, Robot.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape!
In this one, a robotic computing machine developes ship with hyperspace travel capability. Thus bringing in the start of the spacer worlds and eventually the galactic empire.
It's a queer and ethereal story. The most interesting parts are Susan Calvin's attempts to keep the robot sane since a hyperspace ship poses challenges to the 3 laws.
The 7th story in I, Robot.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape!
In this one, a robotic computing machine developes ship with hyperspace travel capability. Thus bringing in the start of the spacer worlds and eventually the galactic empire.
It's a queer and ethereal story. The most interesting parts are Susan Calvin's attempts to keep the robot sane since a hyperspace ship poses challenges to the 3 laws.
November 2, 2021
Collected in I, Robot and The Complete Robot this story can be read here. Susan Calvin, Donovan and Powell all feature in this story about The Brain being tasked with solving the Interstellar Travel problem.
"You get it, chief?" The general manager was wildly jubilant. "You get it? There isn't any industrial research group of any size that isn't trying to develop a space-warp engine, and Consolidated and U. S. Robots have the lead on the field with our super robot-brains. Now that they've managed to foul theirs up, we have a clear field. That's the nub, the... uh... motivation. It will take them six years at least to build another and they're sunk, unless they can break ours, too, with the same problem."
The president of U. S. Robots bulged his eyes, "Why, the dirty rats-"
Yup, corporations don't play nice. If they've lost, the best they can do is make sure they're not the only ones who lose.
The real revelation in this short story is this - that Brain, would be the best lawyer ever.
"You get it, chief?" The general manager was wildly jubilant. "You get it? There isn't any industrial research group of any size that isn't trying to develop a space-warp engine, and Consolidated and U. S. Robots have the lead on the field with our super robot-brains. Now that they've managed to foul theirs up, we have a clear field. That's the nub, the... uh... motivation. It will take them six years at least to build another and they're sunk, unless they can break ours, too, with the same problem."
The president of U. S. Robots bulged his eyes, "Why, the dirty rats-"
Yup, corporations don't play nice. If they've lost, the best they can do is make sure they're not the only ones who lose.
The real revelation in this short story is this - that Brain, would be the best lawyer ever.
July 17, 2018
It might've not been common knowledge back in the good old days of Isaac Asimov, but it is well known that anything that a human can do, can be done far more efficiently, with considerably less time and effort by a machine. It is one of the main reasons why Automation is so popular in today's society.
But what happens if you give full decision making to the machine? Yes "The Brain", had to follow the three laws of robotics, but that's about it, all other decisions were done in what the robot found to be the most efficient way to achieve the results, especially designing the ship with no manual controls, no showers.. etc
This story had a lot of potential with what could go right and wrong when letting an A.I. handle development process, but unfortunately it was severely limited by the few pages, and the short plot that the story had.
But what happens if you give full decision making to the machine? Yes "The Brain", had to follow the three laws of robotics, but that's about it, all other decisions were done in what the robot found to be the most efficient way to achieve the results, especially designing the ship with no manual controls, no showers.. etc
This story had a lot of potential with what could go right and wrong when letting an A.I. handle development process, but unfortunately it was severely limited by the few pages, and the short plot that the story had.
September 8, 2024
You can find this in
The Complete Robot
and
I, Robot
.
Powell and Donovan are back after "The Brain" creates a hyperspace drive ship: which they get stuck inside of and sent off into who knows where in hyperspace.
Another interesting look at the "Three Laws of Robotics".
Next up on the list is Evidence .
Powell and Donovan are back after "The Brain" creates a hyperspace drive ship: which they get stuck inside of and sent off into who knows where in hyperspace.
Another interesting look at the "Three Laws of Robotics".
Next up on the list is Evidence .
July 28, 2019
Honestly, this one wasn't that great. It was nice to read Powell and Donovan again, and there were some funny bits with them (beans!). I liked "The Brain" as a character, it was fun to read. But the overall story and mystery was not very interesting. Eh.
April 18, 2018
A tale that has the "space jump" as a starting point for discussion about robots' emotional intelligence. Death, suffering and transience.
April 17, 2024
I would pay to read a version of Dante's Inferno with Powell and Donovan. Read in the I, Robot collection.
May 18, 2025
3 ⭐
Cool premise, but the twist of the robot developing a sense of humor is a bit lame.
Cool premise, but the twist of the robot developing a sense of humor is a bit lame.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews