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Robot #1-3
Роботите - том 1
Стоманените пещери
Голото слънце
Роботите на зората
Поредицата „Роботите“ е съставена от романи и разкази с главни герои позитронните роботи. Макар и почти съвършени човешки творения, те се подчиняват на Трите закона на роботиката, които не им позволяват да се обърнат срещу своите създатели. Общото във всички романи и разкази от цикъла е темата за морала в общуването между хората и роботите.
В първите четири романа „Стоманените пещери“, „Голото слънце“, „Роботите на Зората“ и „Роботите и Империята“ детектив Илайджа Бейли и неговият партньор Р. (робот) Данийл Оливо разследват конфликтите между космолитите – потомците на хората, заселили се на други планети – и обитателите на свръхнаселената Земя.
СТОМАНЕНИТЕ ПЕЩЕРИ
Далеч напред в бъдещето две открития са променили хода на човешката история: колонизирането на Галактиката и създаването на позитронния мозък.
Подобно на повечето хора, оставени на съдбата си на свръхнаселената Земя, нюйоркският полицай Илайджа Бейли не храни топли чувства към арогантните космолити и техните помощници – роботите. Но един от знатните космолити е убит и Бейли трябва да поеме разследването заедно с Р. Данийл Оливо. Най-неприятното е, че „Р.“ означава „робот“ и позитронният партньор на детектива е пълно копие на жертвата!
ГОЛОТО СЛЪНЦЕ
На красивата планета Солария, един от петдесетте Външни свята, шепа колонизатори водят отшелнически живот и всички техни нужди са задоволявани от верните им роботи. Уплашени от технологичното превъзходство на космолитите, милиардите земляни са се скрили в огромни подземни градове и не искат да допуснат роботите в своя свят. Но детектив Илайджа Бейли не споделя тази ненавист към позитронните роботи, защото е работил с един от тях – Р. Данийл Оливо. И когато властите на Солария молят за помощ от Земята, Бейли и Р. Данийл Оливо пристигат на тази странна и провокативна планета, за да разплетат едно невъзможно убийство.
РОБОТИТЕ НА ЗОРАТА
След успеха в разследването на едно невъзможно убийство на загадъчната Солария детективът Илайджа Бейли се е сдобил с междузвездна слава и е решен на немислима дързост – да излезе под открито небе и да изведе земляните от техните стоманени пещери.
Но в идеалния космолитски свят, наречен Аврора, се случва нещо, с което единствено детектив Бейли може да се справи. Той трябва да разследва убийство на хуманоиден робот – сериозно престъпление в най-високоразвитото общество от Външните светове.
Тази поредна невъзможна задача отново ще срещне Бейли с верния Р. Данийл и ще го накара да открие, че в едно съвършено общество има твърде много несъвършенства.
Голото слънце
Роботите на зората
Поредицата „Роботите“ е съставена от романи и разкази с главни герои позитронните роботи. Макар и почти съвършени човешки творения, те се подчиняват на Трите закона на роботиката, които не им позволяват да се обърнат срещу своите създатели. Общото във всички романи и разкази от цикъла е темата за морала в общуването между хората и роботите.
В първите четири романа „Стоманените пещери“, „Голото слънце“, „Роботите на Зората“ и „Роботите и Империята“ детектив Илайджа Бейли и неговият партньор Р. (робот) Данийл Оливо разследват конфликтите между космолитите – потомците на хората, заселили се на други планети – и обитателите на свръхнаселената Земя.
СТОМАНЕНИТЕ ПЕЩЕРИ
Далеч напред в бъдещето две открития са променили хода на човешката история: колонизирането на Галактиката и създаването на позитронния мозък.
Подобно на повечето хора, оставени на съдбата си на свръхнаселената Земя, нюйоркският полицай Илайджа Бейли не храни топли чувства към арогантните космолити и техните помощници – роботите. Но един от знатните космолити е убит и Бейли трябва да поеме разследването заедно с Р. Данийл Оливо. Най-неприятното е, че „Р.“ означава „робот“ и позитронният партньор на детектива е пълно копие на жертвата!
ГОЛОТО СЛЪНЦЕ
На красивата планета Солария, един от петдесетте Външни свята, шепа колонизатори водят отшелнически живот и всички техни нужди са задоволявани от верните им роботи. Уплашени от технологичното превъзходство на космолитите, милиардите земляни са се скрили в огромни подземни градове и не искат да допуснат роботите в своя свят. Но детектив Илайджа Бейли не споделя тази ненавист към позитронните роботи, защото е работил с един от тях – Р. Данийл Оливо. И когато властите на Солария молят за помощ от Земята, Бейли и Р. Данийл Оливо пристигат на тази странна и провокативна планета, за да разплетат едно невъзможно убийство.
РОБОТИТЕ НА ЗОРАТА
След успеха в разследването на едно невъзможно убийство на загадъчната Солария детективът Илайджа Бейли се е сдобил с междузвездна слава и е решен на немислима дързост – да излезе под открито небе и да изведе земляните от техните стоманени пещери.
Но в идеалния космолитски свят, наречен Аврора, се случва нещо, с което единствено детектив Бейли може да се справи. Той трябва да разследва убийство на хуманоиден робот – сериозно престъпление в най-високоразвитото общество от Външните светове.
Тази поредна невъзможна задача отново ще срещне Бейли с верния Р. Данийл и ще го накара да открие, че в едно съвършено общество има твърде много несъвършенства.
832 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1952
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,467 books28.9k 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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January 29, 2026
This is a great series. I decided to read it after reading a review on Goodreads. I do not read a lot of fiction and read even less science fiction. Once upon a time, it was my favorite genre. I still enjoy it, but I am extremely picky. I like science in my science fiction.
Asimov is a writer of classic science fiction. He is undoubtedly one of the greats. I purchased the book as a hardcover volume that included both stories and hence am reviewing them together. Each can be purchased as individual publications.
In searching through my recollection of science fiction that I have read, I think that these two science fiction stories that I have read that were also classic murder mysteries. I am sure there are others out there and I have certainly read thrillers that involved solving a mystery, but nothing quite like this. It has a Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet science fiction feel to it. I had a good time with these two stories.
Both of these books involved the "murder in a locked room" scenario. In the first, Caves of Steel, we have Baley, a humble detective solving a mystery of who killed an off-world scientist in an Earth spaceport that apparently could be accessed by no one. Baley is aided by a very human appearing robot named R. Daneel Olivaw from an off-world planet known as Aurora. He must overcome his distaste for robots and work with Olivaw to solve the crime. The ending was a bit of a surprise for me. I will say no more other than that the title refers to Earthmen living in underground cities.
The Naked Sun refers to the setting of the next novel, which takes place on a world called Solaria. Murder is unknown there yet one has been committed. Detective Baley is called to investigate and is once again aided by R. Daneel Olivaw. This time the robot takes on a more "Dr. Watson" type role to Baley's "Holmes". Once again, the murder appears to be unlikely and point to one person. This one i had figured out much of the outcome prior to the big reveal at the end. Nonetheless, there was a twist I did not foresee in the last few pages.
Who should read this book? Anyone who loves a good classic mystery like those written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie would probably appreciate the story even though they occur in the distant future. Also, anyone who loves the science in classic science fiction will enjoy the books. Asimov is truly one of the greats. Finally, good science fiction is prescient. Think of the works of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Robert Heinlein and Ray Bradbury. Asimov is one of the greats. These novels deal with nearly sentient robots and the human fears of their misuse or replacement. This is directly relevant to discussions on Artificial Intelligence today. No matter which of these reasons cause you to read the book, it is a classic worth reading.
Asimov is a writer of classic science fiction. He is undoubtedly one of the greats. I purchased the book as a hardcover volume that included both stories and hence am reviewing them together. Each can be purchased as individual publications.
In searching through my recollection of science fiction that I have read, I think that these two science fiction stories that I have read that were also classic murder mysteries. I am sure there are others out there and I have certainly read thrillers that involved solving a mystery, but nothing quite like this. It has a Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet science fiction feel to it. I had a good time with these two stories.
Both of these books involved the "murder in a locked room" scenario. In the first, Caves of Steel, we have Baley, a humble detective solving a mystery of who killed an off-world scientist in an Earth spaceport that apparently could be accessed by no one. Baley is aided by a very human appearing robot named R. Daneel Olivaw from an off-world planet known as Aurora. He must overcome his distaste for robots and work with Olivaw to solve the crime. The ending was a bit of a surprise for me. I will say no more other than that the title refers to Earthmen living in underground cities.
The Naked Sun refers to the setting of the next novel, which takes place on a world called Solaria. Murder is unknown there yet one has been committed. Detective Baley is called to investigate and is once again aided by R. Daneel Olivaw. This time the robot takes on a more "Dr. Watson" type role to Baley's "Holmes". Once again, the murder appears to be unlikely and point to one person. This one i had figured out much of the outcome prior to the big reveal at the end. Nonetheless, there was a twist I did not foresee in the last few pages.
Who should read this book? Anyone who loves a good classic mystery like those written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie would probably appreciate the story even though they occur in the distant future. Also, anyone who loves the science in classic science fiction will enjoy the books. Asimov is truly one of the greats. Finally, good science fiction is prescient. Think of the works of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Robert Heinlein and Ray Bradbury. Asimov is one of the greats. These novels deal with nearly sentient robots and the human fears of their misuse or replacement. This is directly relevant to discussions on Artificial Intelligence today. No matter which of these reasons cause you to read the book, it is a classic worth reading.
Read
May 22, 2014This series combines Asimov's fondness for the locked room mystery and science fiction in an explicit way. The principal hero is Elijah Bailey, an everyday detective working in the city, yet who will also become the prophet of human exploration and settlement of the universe.
The basic set up of the series is that the population of Earth lives in huge covered cities, almost completely sealed off from the outside world. One character in The Caves of Steel has a window in his office which is considered something wondrously strange .
Space is inhabited, logically enough, by the Spacers. They are descendants of human settlers, who have colonised a number of planets. They are an aristocratic bunch, tall and long lived, dependant on robots which do, depending on the planet, all or most of the menial work. The robots then form a slave class and the Spacers are a cross between the slave owning elites of colonial societies and the ancient Greeks. An explicit link with US race attitudes is established by having the Spacers refer to Robots as 'Boy' when addressing them directly.
The Spacers are apparently dominant in a variety of ways in comparison with the Earth and in The Caves of Steel are busy forcing the people of Earth to adopt Robot labour for plot reasons.
The Spacers and the Earthlings suggest two competing visions of the USA. One of tight urban life, the other the expansive life of the suburbs and countryside. One is claustrophobic with its dining canteens, rationing and state allocated housing. The other expansive, a leisure society, but also sterile. Shades of Herodotus here, soft lands make for soft people and perhaps a 1950s anxiety that too much material affluence is not a good thing. The new settlers that the Earth will eventually send out will be new homesteaders on new space Americas (this time however without pesky indigenous inhabitants). This science fiction is the present idolising the past, but in space.
The second book in the series, The Naked Sun, posits an extreme settler society, in which everyone is so effete and tended to by technology that they prefer robots to people. They dislike socialisation and avoid physical contact. The details of this society are quite interesting read now in the light of the internet and the degree to which technology enables remote relationships. Anyhow there has been a murder on the planet and in order to have a plot Earthling detective Elijah Bailey is brought in to solve it (this seemed much more sensible when I read this as a child), discovering a fiendish plan to conquer the universe using robots in the process (a plot idea that appears as if recycled in Life the Universe and Everything, but as Marx predicted for it to re-emerge as comedy it naturally, first time round must be tragic).
Elijah Bailey is convinced by the end of The Naked Sun that Earth must colonise the universe thinking that the Spacers, who lack vitality, will be too lazy to do so without robots. For hand wavy reasons he doesn't think that the previous pattern of settlement will repeat itself, or that the new planets will simply repeat what ever patterns of life led to humanity on Earth being constricted inside megacities, perhaps because he believes the frontier can be infinite never reaching the event horizon of the USA's 1890 census.
In the post war period Asimov wrote short stories, longer short stories, groups of linked short stories and then short novels like The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun. However when he returned to this series in the 1983 The Robots of Dawn it was with a fashionably lengthy tome that felt as though designed to fill in gaps but didn't offer much substantial itself. I assume this was due to changes in publishing, writing for magazines in the 1950s had by the 1980s not just given way to massive shoulder pads but also huge advances and unnecessarily fat books, publishing was awash with cash apparently.
Despite their origin in locked door mysteries, there is inevitably in these novels a split between the moral and the political resolution of these cases. The Detective and his robot partner inevitably solve the crime, but on moral grounds invariably let the perpetrator off, then fixing things to achieve a politically desirable result. There is a basic sense of the law and justice as insufficient yet necessary institutions, inferior to the moral qualities of the heroes. The hero here is not the hero because he can out fight everybody else - in a world of robots this is a vain accomplishment, the hero here is distinguished from the ordinary man by his virtues.
The role of technology in these stories in particular follows along the guidelines set out by Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Too little is bad and so is too much, however, Asimov suggests, there is a golden mean that would enable space homesteaders and the noble rough-hewn virtues of an idealised American frontier society to spread across the universe. Fiction, even with spaceships and robots, isn't the best place to find originality, so I wonder how far Asimov was recycling the ideas and ideals of the stories he had read as a child in the stories he was to write as an adult.
The basic set up of the series is that the population of Earth lives in huge covered cities, almost completely sealed off from the outside world. One character in The Caves of Steel has a window in his office which is considered something wondrously strange .
Space is inhabited, logically enough, by the Spacers. They are descendants of human settlers, who have colonised a number of planets. They are an aristocratic bunch, tall and long lived, dependant on robots which do, depending on the planet, all or most of the menial work. The robots then form a slave class and the Spacers are a cross between the slave owning elites of colonial societies and the ancient Greeks. An explicit link with US race attitudes is established by having the Spacers refer to Robots as 'Boy' when addressing them directly.
The Spacers are apparently dominant in a variety of ways in comparison with the Earth and in The Caves of Steel are busy forcing the people of Earth to adopt Robot labour for plot reasons.
The Spacers and the Earthlings suggest two competing visions of the USA. One of tight urban life, the other the expansive life of the suburbs and countryside. One is claustrophobic with its dining canteens, rationing and state allocated housing. The other expansive, a leisure society, but also sterile. Shades of Herodotus here, soft lands make for soft people and perhaps a 1950s anxiety that too much material affluence is not a good thing. The new settlers that the Earth will eventually send out will be new homesteaders on new space Americas (this time however without pesky indigenous inhabitants). This science fiction is the present idolising the past, but in space.
The second book in the series, The Naked Sun, posits an extreme settler society, in which everyone is so effete and tended to by technology that they prefer robots to people. They dislike socialisation and avoid physical contact. The details of this society are quite interesting read now in the light of the internet and the degree to which technology enables remote relationships. Anyhow there has been a murder on the planet and in order to have a plot Earthling detective Elijah Bailey is brought in to solve it (this seemed much more sensible when I read this as a child), discovering a fiendish plan to conquer the universe using robots in the process (a plot idea that appears as if recycled in Life the Universe and Everything, but as Marx predicted for it to re-emerge as comedy it naturally, first time round must be tragic).
Elijah Bailey is convinced by the end of The Naked Sun that Earth must colonise the universe thinking that the Spacers, who lack vitality, will be too lazy to do so without robots. For hand wavy reasons he doesn't think that the previous pattern of settlement will repeat itself, or that the new planets will simply repeat what ever patterns of life led to humanity on Earth being constricted inside megacities, perhaps because he believes the frontier can be infinite never reaching the event horizon of the USA's 1890 census.
In the post war period Asimov wrote short stories, longer short stories, groups of linked short stories and then short novels like The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun. However when he returned to this series in the 1983 The Robots of Dawn it was with a fashionably lengthy tome that felt as though designed to fill in gaps but didn't offer much substantial itself. I assume this was due to changes in publishing, writing for magazines in the 1950s had by the 1980s not just given way to massive shoulder pads but also huge advances and unnecessarily fat books, publishing was awash with cash apparently.
Despite their origin in locked door mysteries, there is inevitably in these novels a split between the moral and the political resolution of these cases. The Detective and his robot partner inevitably solve the crime, but on moral grounds invariably let the perpetrator off, then fixing things to achieve a politically desirable result. There is a basic sense of the law and justice as insufficient yet necessary institutions, inferior to the moral qualities of the heroes. The hero here is not the hero because he can out fight everybody else - in a world of robots this is a vain accomplishment, the hero here is distinguished from the ordinary man by his virtues.
The role of technology in these stories in particular follows along the guidelines set out by Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Too little is bad and so is too much, however, Asimov suggests, there is a golden mean that would enable space homesteaders and the noble rough-hewn virtues of an idealised American frontier society to spread across the universe. Fiction, even with spaceships and robots, isn't the best place to find originality, so I wonder how far Asimov was recycling the ideas and ideals of the stories he had read as a child in the stories he was to write as an adult.
October 11, 2022
It was probably around 1977 that I became fully aware that this specific edition of this novel had sat on my dad's bookshelf, probably since before I was born. It's strange to say, but that freakish cover with the vacuum-cleaner robot was a fixture in my house, as I said, likely from before I was born, to the day of my father's death in 2018. The stranger thing, I suppose, is that I have not read it until now. When my parents passed away (both within two months of each other - but that heartbreaking story is for another day), we got rid of most of their books. Many I had already read or owned, and most of the rest I wasn't terribly interested in. Dad had purged his collection back in the '90s or so, and, well, mom read romance novels almost exclusively, so . . .
But this one I kept. I can't look at the book without thinking about my dad. He was a huge fan of science fiction and of Isaac Asimov in particular. I gave some of the Foundation material a go some time ago, but wasn't floored by it. It was . . . good. But didn't strike me as amazing. But I had read many other books that my dad had (or had recommended to me) and he read some that I gave to him.
And what did my dad see in The Robot Novels? I can't tell you, but I can tell you what I saw.
First off, I'm convinced that Asimov wasn't really a science fiction author. At least not with this book. Sure, it's got all the trappings - robots (obviously), enclosed cities cut off from nature (the "Steel Caves" referred to in the first novel), spaceships, and blasters. But really, this is a noir novel along the lines of The Maltese Falcon or The Big Sleep.
Secondly, Asimov was a product of his time. The use of the term "boy" for robots, the undercurrent of sexism, etc. While these things are not as blatant as, say, Lovecraft's racism or the sexism of E.E. Smith's Triplanetary, you can sense that Asimov was writing at a time when society was starting to "deal" with these subjects.
Lastly, Asimov is a good, solid writer. But don't expect anything fancy. Like its noir predecessors, The Robot Novels are a working-man's prose work. I'm not sure if this was an intentional choice by Asimov or the next step in science fiction writerly-ness, one step removed from the pulps. But there seems to be a neo-Hemingway sensibility to the prose itself. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. And the job, as they say, needs doing.
Overall, I really enjoyed the read. The plot was a twisty as you'd expect from a quasi-noir novel in a science fiction setting. The characters, while showing their "age," were interesting and while not three-dimensional, they were also not two-dimensional, filling some fractal character space in between. Will I read it again? Probably not. But I might be convinced to dip into another Asimov down the road, who knows?
To tie this one off, one of my proudest moments as a writer came when I was able to tell my dad that my story "The Auctioneer and the Antiquarian, or, 1962" was to appear in Asimov's magazine. He was effusive in his praise, something that was counter to his demeanor most of the time. It really is one of my happiest memories of my dad. Little did I know that ten years later, he would be gone and I would be collecting from his belongings the copy of the magazine that I had sent to him.
Folks, ten years can slip away very, very quickly.
Hold on.
But this one I kept. I can't look at the book without thinking about my dad. He was a huge fan of science fiction and of Isaac Asimov in particular. I gave some of the Foundation material a go some time ago, but wasn't floored by it. It was . . . good. But didn't strike me as amazing. But I had read many other books that my dad had (or had recommended to me) and he read some that I gave to him.
And what did my dad see in The Robot Novels? I can't tell you, but I can tell you what I saw.
First off, I'm convinced that Asimov wasn't really a science fiction author. At least not with this book. Sure, it's got all the trappings - robots (obviously), enclosed cities cut off from nature (the "Steel Caves" referred to in the first novel), spaceships, and blasters. But really, this is a noir novel along the lines of The Maltese Falcon or The Big Sleep.
Secondly, Asimov was a product of his time. The use of the term "boy" for robots, the undercurrent of sexism, etc. While these things are not as blatant as, say, Lovecraft's racism or the sexism of E.E. Smith's Triplanetary, you can sense that Asimov was writing at a time when society was starting to "deal" with these subjects.
Lastly, Asimov is a good, solid writer. But don't expect anything fancy. Like its noir predecessors, The Robot Novels are a working-man's prose work. I'm not sure if this was an intentional choice by Asimov or the next step in science fiction writerly-ness, one step removed from the pulps. But there seems to be a neo-Hemingway sensibility to the prose itself. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. And the job, as they say, needs doing.
Overall, I really enjoyed the read. The plot was a twisty as you'd expect from a quasi-noir novel in a science fiction setting. The characters, while showing their "age," were interesting and while not three-dimensional, they were also not two-dimensional, filling some fractal character space in between. Will I read it again? Probably not. But I might be convinced to dip into another Asimov down the road, who knows?
To tie this one off, one of my proudest moments as a writer came when I was able to tell my dad that my story "The Auctioneer and the Antiquarian, or, 1962" was to appear in Asimov's magazine. He was effusive in his praise, something that was counter to his demeanor most of the time. It really is one of my happiest memories of my dad. Little did I know that ten years later, he would be gone and I would be collecting from his belongings the copy of the magazine that I had sent to him.
Folks, ten years can slip away very, very quickly.
Hold on.
September 1, 2009
One word, and one word only, need be used to succinctly describe Asimov's robot novels: Jehoshaphat! While I realize that the first two novels of this omnibus were written during a period of publishing history particularly rife with taboos, long since abandoned in more modern literature, the fact remains that Asimov could barely write more than two pages without using Elijah Baley's non-expletive. While I usually find Asimov's writing to be both quixotic and enjoyable, these three novels felt stilted and unnatural.
What's more, Baley is not an admirable character: he's crass, uncouth, boring, tediously agoraphobic, bigoted, and needlessly racist. The last two points apply to most of the characters in the books, which was probably Asimov's intention; however, I could not help but wince whenever Baley would call a robot "boy". To the collection's credit, The Robots of Dawn does do much to present Baley as a more three-dimensional figure. In fact, I would label the latter book to be the real gem of the collection, going as far as it does to establish connections to Empire and Foundation.
What's more, Baley is not an admirable character: he's crass, uncouth, boring, tediously agoraphobic, bigoted, and needlessly racist. The last two points apply to most of the characters in the books, which was probably Asimov's intention; however, I could not help but wince whenever Baley would call a robot "boy". To the collection's credit, The Robots of Dawn does do much to present Baley as a more three-dimensional figure. In fact, I would label the latter book to be the real gem of the collection, going as far as it does to establish connections to Empire and Foundation.
June 11, 2016
Роботите могат да съществуват редом с хората: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Да преразказвам и анализирам ”Стоманените пещери” и “Голото слънце” смисъл няма. И двете са класически творби от зората на най-доброто време на научната фантастика, което май приключи някъде през 90-те, макар че проблясъци безспорно има – “Слепоглед” на Уотс, “Битие” на Брин, “Бъдеще” на Глуховски, “Посланическото градче” на Миевил, “Марсианецът” на Уеър, “Момиче на пружина” на Бачигалупи, “Илион” и “Олимп” на Дан Симънс и други. И в двете има сериозни криминални загадки, които нюйорският полицай Илайджа Бейли, типичен жител на огромните затворени мегаполиси, в които земляните са се самозатворили, трябва да разследва, неохотно сътруднчиейки си с робота Данийл Оливо. Традиции, предубеждения, страхове – всичко е наяве, а силните и слабите страни на хората и роботите са обследвани внимателно от Азимов. Възможни сценарии за бъдещето? Отчасти поне със сигурност.
Издателска къща БАРД
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Да преразказвам и анализирам ”Стоманените пещери” и “Голото слънце” смисъл няма. И двете са класически творби от зората на най-доброто време на научната фантастика, което май приключи някъде през 90-те, макар че проблясъци безспорно има – “Слепоглед” на Уотс, “Битие” на Брин, “Бъдеще” на Глуховски, “Посланическото градче” на Миевил, “Марсианецът” на Уеър, “Момиче на пружина” на Бачигалупи, “Илион” и “Олимп” на Дан Симънс и други. И в двете има сериозни криминални загадки, които нюйорският полицай Илайджа Бейли, типичен жител на огромните затворени мегаполиси, в които земляните са се самозатворили, трябва да разследва, неохотно сътруднчиейки си с робота Данийл Оливо. Традиции, предубеждения, страхове – всичко е наяве, а силните и слабите страни на хората и роботите са обследвани внимателно от Азимов. Възможни сценарии за бъдещето? Отчасти поне със сигурност.
Издателска къща БАРД
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
October 9, 2019
Excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent. That’s what each of the stars that I gave this book represents. Actually, it kind of bothers me that I found this old “book club” edition, which contains the first two books in the series, because I can’t review them separately. So at least for now, this review pertains to the first book only, The Caves of Steel.
Lets start with the name: terrible. But who cares.
I will start by saying, prior to this, the only Asimov I had read was the first Foundation which I didn’t really like. Then two books ago I read a collection of his short stories which really piqued my interest in giving him another shot. This book has had such an impression on me that I am seriously considering reading Foundation over again! It’s been a long while, and my palate might have changed since.
Ok, this book had me hooked from beginning to end. I’ve seen the Will Smith movie which this book apparently wasn’t based on but it didn’t matter, I couldn’t separate the two in my mind (anyway there are plenty of similarities between them and movie was definitely at least inspired by this book). So given that I, Robot was contained completely on Earth, Asimov’s world building took me by surprise. And I love a good world building. He did it right too: give bits and pieces of the state of the universe to paint a background for the beautiful work of art that is the plot.
Here’s a granular point: I liked how Lije’s motive to solve this case (this book is a detective story if you didn’t know) wasn’t a righteous one in the beginning it made it feel more original; it added depth to the main character and didn’t ask you to like him right away.
The novel is short and not difficult to read (it is a page turner for sure - bombs drop at every close of a chapter). But don’t let that fool you: it is expertly written! Asimov will go off on what you think are unimportant tangents only to come back to them later and you realize every single thing he wrote was carefully, meticulously chosen and worded. And that’s not to say it’s superficial either; this book has depth and is rife with symbolism and meaning. Environmentalism, racism, religion (especially religion!) are themes the author tackles in this seemingly simple book.
Not really a spoiler at all: the only shortcoming of this book is that the perp was basically who I thought it was all along. I guess I didn’t expect to be able to guess it cause I’m usually bad at guessing endings (especially because I don’t try; I prefer to just be along for the ride). But this is actually not a point against because I wanted it to be who I thought it was too. It’s so perfect a conclusion.
Speaking of conclusions, the last paragraph or so is an ending for the ages. Mic drop, game over, this book goes down as one of the best I have ever read and I don’t hand statements out like that liberally.
Lets start with the name: terrible. But who cares.
I will start by saying, prior to this, the only Asimov I had read was the first Foundation which I didn’t really like. Then two books ago I read a collection of his short stories which really piqued my interest in giving him another shot. This book has had such an impression on me that I am seriously considering reading Foundation over again! It’s been a long while, and my palate might have changed since.
Ok, this book had me hooked from beginning to end. I’ve seen the Will Smith movie which this book apparently wasn’t based on but it didn’t matter, I couldn’t separate the two in my mind (anyway there are plenty of similarities between them and movie was definitely at least inspired by this book). So given that I, Robot was contained completely on Earth, Asimov’s world building took me by surprise. And I love a good world building. He did it right too: give bits and pieces of the state of the universe to paint a background for the beautiful work of art that is the plot.
Here’s a granular point: I liked how Lije’s motive to solve this case (this book is a detective story if you didn’t know) wasn’t a righteous one in the beginning it made it feel more original; it added depth to the main character and didn’t ask you to like him right away.
The novel is short and not difficult to read (it is a page turner for sure - bombs drop at every close of a chapter). But don’t let that fool you: it is expertly written! Asimov will go off on what you think are unimportant tangents only to come back to them later and you realize every single thing he wrote was carefully, meticulously chosen and worded. And that’s not to say it’s superficial either; this book has depth and is rife with symbolism and meaning. Environmentalism, racism, religion (especially religion!) are themes the author tackles in this seemingly simple book.
Not really a spoiler at all: the only shortcoming of this book is that the perp was basically who I thought it was all along. I guess I didn’t expect to be able to guess it cause I’m usually bad at guessing endings (especially because I don’t try; I prefer to just be along for the ride). But this is actually not a point against because I wanted it to be who I thought it was too. It’s so perfect a conclusion.
Speaking of conclusions, the last paragraph or so is an ending for the ages. Mic drop, game over, this book goes down as one of the best I have ever read and I don’t hand statements out like that liberally.
Want to Read
March 2, 2020I have read the first book in this collection, Caves of Steel, which I liked a lot more than Foundation. On day, I’ll get to the other 2.
October 11, 2010
These stories are amazing science-fiction. I am not a big fan of most science-fiction, but Asimov's goal was to take conventional genres and place them in a sci-fi setting. He also did not believe in fancy, elaborate writing, but instead preferred a concisely descriptive, direct approach. Despite this, his writing style is one of my favorites and will not confuse readers like other sci-fi novels will.
Both novels are detective stories in a futuristic setting, which gives rise to new complications. Even the future situation on earth is totally feasible. Moreover, the novels are not at all dated even though they were written in the 1950s.
Both novels are detective stories in a futuristic setting, which gives rise to new complications. Even the future situation on earth is totally feasible. Moreover, the novels are not at all dated even though they were written in the 1950s.
July 29, 2020
Outstanding examples of Asimov's work, I was lucky enough to buy special copies of these three with hard covers and unique art through the Science Fiction Book Club. Collectors items for sure!
May 22, 2021
The are the best murder mysteries. Crime-solving that surrounds the logic of the three laws of robotics. One of my favorite books of all time.
March 23, 2019
Another from my S-F Book Club collection from the 1970’s, this one a reread. From experience, I’d recommend reading “I, Robot” (see my review) before tackling these novels, gives you a very helpful background; I hadn’t done that the first time around, ‘nuff said. While these two novels do stand alone (the Three Laws of Robotics are mentioned but largely implied throughout). The events of these two novels take place some three thousand years after those of “I, Robot.”
This book consists of the first two Robot Novels; “The Caves of Steel” (originally published 1954) and “The Naked Sun “1957). Both have as their protagonists human/Earthian detective Elijah (“Lije”) Baley and R. (for “Robot”) Daneel Olivaw, very human-looking android, from the Outer Worlds, planets which have been settled for millenia by humans, with very sophisticated Robots as helpers (on Earth the Robots are more mechanical in appearance and are more limited in their functions; Earth people have great restrictions on Robots and there are movements to eliminate them altogether, called the Medievalists). The residents of the Outer Worlds have established a small colony near New York, called “Spacetown.” There is a great deal of animosity and distrust between Earthians, who have largely developed domes encompassing great areas, connected by underground caves (hence the first book’s title) and the more adventurous “Spacers.” The Outer Worlds are less populated, with more resources; Earth has a population of eight billion, with limited resources and a toxic atmosphere, hence the domes. Thus, these works have a sociological background, similar to, for example, Ursula K. LeGuin’s “The Left Hand of Darkness.”
With all this as background, the plot is essentially a murder mystery; Roj Sarton, an ambassador from the Spacers, who is attempting to influence Earthians to be more tolerant and accepting of Robots, and was also R. Daneel’s designer, is found murdered. Elijah is assigned by his Police Commissioner Julius Enderby to the case and is paired with R. Daneel, so this is also sort of a “culture clash which turns into a cop-buddy” story (similar to “Collision Course,” the “Rush Hour” movies and “Red Dawn.”). The investigation uncovers a complex plot amongst the Spacers and even the Mediavalists, with several characters (including Elijah’s wife Jezebel (Jessie) not being entirely who they initially appear to be. The story, then, is heavy on background description and lighter on the murder mystery, but the conclusion is quite satisfying and somewhat of a surprise.
In “The Naked Sun, Elijah is assigned to travel to Solaris, oldest and most isolated of the outer worlds, which is hostile to Earth. Rikaine Dilmarre, a “fetologist,” has been murdered. Dilmarre had been heading up the “birthing program” on Solaris, which entails very strict population control; the robots are heavily relied on and outnumber the people by the tens of thousands. Elijah is requested to assist with the investigation, largely because murder is unknown on Solaris, such that the Solarians feel they could use the help of one who has solved murders before. Elijah is again paired with R. Daneel Olivaw, who is from another outer planet, Aurora. Despite their highly developed positronic brains and their helpfulness, robots are seen as inferior to humans (indeed, Elijah refers to most of the robots on Solaris as “boy,” an obvious racist reference to America’s treatment of African-Americans). Much of the underlying aspects of the story relate to a prohibition on physical presence (“seeing”), much less touching (save with one’s spouse), with the preferred mode of interaction being well-developed holographic representation (“viewing”). Additionally. Elijah has a great deal of trouble with the wide-open cities and outdoor spaces, as well as exposure to “the naked sun,” hence the title. This is very difficult for Elijah, who is used to living in domed areas away from the toxic air on Earth, with its overpopulated underground cities.
The prime suspect for this murder is Dilmarre’s wife Gladia, who was in his physical presence when he was killed, supposedly with a blunt instrument, which cannot be located. A robot who had also been in the area is supposedly rendered nonfunctional because it had allowed harm to come to a human, in violation of the First Law of Robotics. Elijah’s investigational methods are met with resistance, as his method is to interview relevant personally in their direct presence, which he manages to be able to do with a few people, but again “viewing” is the preference. One who is more amenable to “seeing” is Gladia, who denies guilt but admits that she and Rikaine had not been getting along. Another murder, that of Soliara’s Security Chief, while dining with Elijah. Another major player is Jothan Leebig, prominent roboticist, who is secretly planning to use the robots’ positronic brains to – well, don’t want to give it all away, now. The solution to the murder is given through getting all the suspects in a room and exploring all the motives, possible weapons and hopefully a confession from the “real” murderer, a la Charlie Chan/Miss Marple/Hercule Poirot/The Thin Man, etc. But there’s a twist to the whole thing after Elijah returns to Earth.
Overall, I found these tales quite enjoyable, and I plan to read “The Robots of Dawn,” the final novel in the series, as well as the short story, “Mirror Image.” Four stars.
This book consists of the first two Robot Novels; “The Caves of Steel” (originally published 1954) and “The Naked Sun “1957). Both have as their protagonists human/Earthian detective Elijah (“Lije”) Baley and R. (for “Robot”) Daneel Olivaw, very human-looking android, from the Outer Worlds, planets which have been settled for millenia by humans, with very sophisticated Robots as helpers (on Earth the Robots are more mechanical in appearance and are more limited in their functions; Earth people have great restrictions on Robots and there are movements to eliminate them altogether, called the Medievalists). The residents of the Outer Worlds have established a small colony near New York, called “Spacetown.” There is a great deal of animosity and distrust between Earthians, who have largely developed domes encompassing great areas, connected by underground caves (hence the first book’s title) and the more adventurous “Spacers.” The Outer Worlds are less populated, with more resources; Earth has a population of eight billion, with limited resources and a toxic atmosphere, hence the domes. Thus, these works have a sociological background, similar to, for example, Ursula K. LeGuin’s “The Left Hand of Darkness.”
With all this as background, the plot is essentially a murder mystery; Roj Sarton, an ambassador from the Spacers, who is attempting to influence Earthians to be more tolerant and accepting of Robots, and was also R. Daneel’s designer, is found murdered. Elijah is assigned by his Police Commissioner Julius Enderby to the case and is paired with R. Daneel, so this is also sort of a “culture clash which turns into a cop-buddy” story (similar to “Collision Course,” the “Rush Hour” movies and “Red Dawn.”). The investigation uncovers a complex plot amongst the Spacers and even the Mediavalists, with several characters (including Elijah’s wife Jezebel (Jessie) not being entirely who they initially appear to be. The story, then, is heavy on background description and lighter on the murder mystery, but the conclusion is quite satisfying and somewhat of a surprise.
In “The Naked Sun, Elijah is assigned to travel to Solaris, oldest and most isolated of the outer worlds, which is hostile to Earth. Rikaine Dilmarre, a “fetologist,” has been murdered. Dilmarre had been heading up the “birthing program” on Solaris, which entails very strict population control; the robots are heavily relied on and outnumber the people by the tens of thousands. Elijah is requested to assist with the investigation, largely because murder is unknown on Solaris, such that the Solarians feel they could use the help of one who has solved murders before. Elijah is again paired with R. Daneel Olivaw, who is from another outer planet, Aurora. Despite their highly developed positronic brains and their helpfulness, robots are seen as inferior to humans (indeed, Elijah refers to most of the robots on Solaris as “boy,” an obvious racist reference to America’s treatment of African-Americans). Much of the underlying aspects of the story relate to a prohibition on physical presence (“seeing”), much less touching (save with one’s spouse), with the preferred mode of interaction being well-developed holographic representation (“viewing”). Additionally. Elijah has a great deal of trouble with the wide-open cities and outdoor spaces, as well as exposure to “the naked sun,” hence the title. This is very difficult for Elijah, who is used to living in domed areas away from the toxic air on Earth, with its overpopulated underground cities.
The prime suspect for this murder is Dilmarre’s wife Gladia, who was in his physical presence when he was killed, supposedly with a blunt instrument, which cannot be located. A robot who had also been in the area is supposedly rendered nonfunctional because it had allowed harm to come to a human, in violation of the First Law of Robotics. Elijah’s investigational methods are met with resistance, as his method is to interview relevant personally in their direct presence, which he manages to be able to do with a few people, but again “viewing” is the preference. One who is more amenable to “seeing” is Gladia, who denies guilt but admits that she and Rikaine had not been getting along. Another murder, that of Soliara’s Security Chief, while dining with Elijah. Another major player is Jothan Leebig, prominent roboticist, who is secretly planning to use the robots’ positronic brains to – well, don’t want to give it all away, now. The solution to the murder is given through getting all the suspects in a room and exploring all the motives, possible weapons and hopefully a confession from the “real” murderer, a la Charlie Chan/Miss Marple/Hercule Poirot/The Thin Man, etc. But there’s a twist to the whole thing after Elijah returns to Earth.
Overall, I found these tales quite enjoyable, and I plan to read “The Robots of Dawn,” the final novel in the series, as well as the short story, “Mirror Image.” Four stars.
June 7, 2021
Reading Asimov will always be a comfort for me; his stories, characters, and ideas are just as engaging and real now as they were when I first read them.
May 4, 2017
If there's one thing the mighty Isaac Asimov excelled at, it was robots. Lots of robots.
So it isn't surprising that when Asimov wrote a trilogy of mysteries, they revolved around robots. And murder. Robots and murder together, whether as the victims or the suspected killers -- and this combination proved to be all the more compelling as Asimov sculpted an entire futuristic world where robots dwell among humans, domed cities dot the Earth, and the simple art of murder has been further complicated through robotics.
All three mysteries take place in a now-zeerusty future where the inhabitants of Earth live in enclosed city-domes, crammed in like so many sardines, with robot servants doing anything that needs to be done outside. There are many Spacer worlds such as Aurora (a free-love society) or Solaria (a place where physical proximity is considered unclean), which use their superior tech to make sure that Earth never expands outside its boundaries (even if they could manage to get outside their domes).
New York Cop Elijah Bailey is paired up with humaniform robot R. Daneel Olivaw, who possesses superior intelligence and looks almost exactly like a human. Despite Lije's dislike of robots, he and Daneel work well together, which is necessary to solve the bizarre, robot-centric murder mysteries that keep coming their way -- two Spacer scientists, and another humaniform robot. What's more, these crimes are more than simply one person killing another -- they are tied to complex political issues that could destroy Earth if Lije doesn't find the answers.
Though Isaac Asimov is best known for spinning tales of advanced intelligent robots, "The Robot Novels" relies just as heavily on political thrillers and whodunnits as it does on science fiction. In fact, he weaves together these three literary genres until they can't be separated -- each murder mystery is tied directly to the political strife and schemings on the various planets, and each murder also is tied deeply to the robots in some way. The catch is, robots are inherently programmed not to harm humans.
And through this, Asimov explores very alien ways of life -- the languid and stagnant Solaria, the cramped dark cities of Earth -- while also exploring the mistrust, fear, lack of logic, and ignorance that keep people apart. There's a lot of philosophical meditation in here, including musings on the nature of life and intelligence, and whether a robot like Daneel is truly "alive."
But Asimov is too skilled a writer to let these deeper themes bog down what is, essentially, a hard-boiled mystery/political thriller. The first two stories move along at a brisk, smooth pace, tying together the basic crime-solving methods with sci-fi issues (though robots are often implicated, they literally CAN'T commit murder). "Robots of Dawn" is a bit slower-moving, with many chapters that are a bit too meditative (Gladia gives us a blow-by-blow description of her life since she left Solaria).
Asimov also crafts the ultimate odd-couple cop duo -- Elijah Bailey is an old-fashioned cop with a quick but not infallible mind, living a formerly ordinary life until he becomes a sort of celebrity detective. What's more, he has his own biases and prejudices, but is open-minded enough to work past and despite them. Daneel makes up for Lije's shortcomings by being logical and unbiased, but he doesn't have Lije's imagination -- and he's a wonderfully endearing android sidekick.
"The Robot Novels" brings together a brilliant trilogy of futuristic murder mysteries -- lots of robots, mysterious deaths and planetary conspiracies. And of course, a cop duo at the center of it all.
So it isn't surprising that when Asimov wrote a trilogy of mysteries, they revolved around robots. And murder. Robots and murder together, whether as the victims or the suspected killers -- and this combination proved to be all the more compelling as Asimov sculpted an entire futuristic world where robots dwell among humans, domed cities dot the Earth, and the simple art of murder has been further complicated through robotics.
All three mysteries take place in a now-zeerusty future where the inhabitants of Earth live in enclosed city-domes, crammed in like so many sardines, with robot servants doing anything that needs to be done outside. There are many Spacer worlds such as Aurora (a free-love society) or Solaria (a place where physical proximity is considered unclean), which use their superior tech to make sure that Earth never expands outside its boundaries (even if they could manage to get outside their domes).
New York Cop Elijah Bailey is paired up with humaniform robot R. Daneel Olivaw, who possesses superior intelligence and looks almost exactly like a human. Despite Lije's dislike of robots, he and Daneel work well together, which is necessary to solve the bizarre, robot-centric murder mysteries that keep coming their way -- two Spacer scientists, and another humaniform robot. What's more, these crimes are more than simply one person killing another -- they are tied to complex political issues that could destroy Earth if Lije doesn't find the answers.
Though Isaac Asimov is best known for spinning tales of advanced intelligent robots, "The Robot Novels" relies just as heavily on political thrillers and whodunnits as it does on science fiction. In fact, he weaves together these three literary genres until they can't be separated -- each murder mystery is tied directly to the political strife and schemings on the various planets, and each murder also is tied deeply to the robots in some way. The catch is, robots are inherently programmed not to harm humans.
And through this, Asimov explores very alien ways of life -- the languid and stagnant Solaria, the cramped dark cities of Earth -- while also exploring the mistrust, fear, lack of logic, and ignorance that keep people apart. There's a lot of philosophical meditation in here, including musings on the nature of life and intelligence, and whether a robot like Daneel is truly "alive."
But Asimov is too skilled a writer to let these deeper themes bog down what is, essentially, a hard-boiled mystery/political thriller. The first two stories move along at a brisk, smooth pace, tying together the basic crime-solving methods with sci-fi issues (though robots are often implicated, they literally CAN'T commit murder). "Robots of Dawn" is a bit slower-moving, with many chapters that are a bit too meditative (Gladia gives us a blow-by-blow description of her life since she left Solaria).
Asimov also crafts the ultimate odd-couple cop duo -- Elijah Bailey is an old-fashioned cop with a quick but not infallible mind, living a formerly ordinary life until he becomes a sort of celebrity detective. What's more, he has his own biases and prejudices, but is open-minded enough to work past and despite them. Daneel makes up for Lije's shortcomings by being logical and unbiased, but he doesn't have Lije's imagination -- and he's a wonderfully endearing android sidekick.
"The Robot Novels" brings together a brilliant trilogy of futuristic murder mysteries -- lots of robots, mysterious deaths and planetary conspiracies. And of course, a cop duo at the center of it all.
January 8, 2024
En Bóvedas de Acero se inicia la saga de robots, algunos podrían contar a los relatos cortos de robots como el verdadero inicio, pero eso es un preludio o preámbulo. Acá, a partir de esta novela es donde se llevan a cabo los sucesos más importantes y donde hacen aparición dos personajes memorables: Elijah Baley y Daneel Olivaw.
Esta saga de robots esta mucho mejor armada que la de Fundación y hasta diría que la disfruto bastante más, ya que las precuelas y secuelas del llamado Ciclo de Trantor bajan bastante en nivel en comparación con la trilogía principal. La saga de Elijah y Daneel mantiene un nivel alto y cuenta una historia a gran escala a través de sus cuatro novelas auto conclusivas que, aunque tal vez no alcance la magnitud de Fundación, son de una importancia muy grande para la humanidad.
Bóvedas de Acero me parece una introducción casi perfecta a los personajes y al mundo planteado. Teniendo en cuenta que el libro fue publicado en el 1953, solo puedo maravillarme con lo logrado que esta.
No hay relleno, no se divaga, no hay cantidad de personajes innecesarios o redundantes, no hay soluciones mágicas o protagonistas infalibles, y sobre todo, cuando se explica algo se lo hace de forma llevadera, no se agota al lector con la información. Todo va con un ritmo adecuado y entretiene, a la vez que plantea temas importantes.
Si bien algunas cosas pueden haber quedado un poco obsoletas o antiguas, la novela en sí cuenta con ese sello de clásico que se puede leer hoy en día y seguir siendo actual.
El sol desnudo transcurre unos meses después de los sucesos de la primer historia y tengo que admitir que gran parte de la historia parece más un planteamiento de ideas o un ensayo y no tanto una investigación de un crimen.
Esto hace que el libro se vuelva un poco pesado a medio camino, sin embargo, en los últimos capítulos la historia levanta bastante.
Cabe destacar al personaje de Elijah Baley con todas sus virtudes, defectos e incertidumbres. Para aquellos que siempre dicen que los personajes de Asimov no son muy buenos, creo que Elijah demuestra que no es tan cierta esa afirmación.
Hay partes que me gustaron mucho, como ver a Baley respirando aire natural y recibiendo los desnudos rayos solares, esto hace que contemple la vida de manera diferente, hace que por un instante su adoctrinamiento en la sociedad caiga y permita una visión más "abierta", cuando vuelve a las cuevas, ese pensamiento se escurre y lo abandona, tachandolo de una simple ilusión o sueño infantil.
¿Se puede soñar cuando el cielo abierto y las estrellas, cuando esa amplitud de libertad no es visible?
En estas dos historias vemos como de a poco empieza a romper o al menos combatir con esas cadenas autoimpuestas.
De Daneel no quiero hablar mucho, ya que puedo caer en algún tema que arruine la sorpresa. Y aún falta otro personaje bastante importante, pero para eso hay que llegar a la última novela de la saga: Robots e Imperio.
Esta saga de robots esta mucho mejor armada que la de Fundación y hasta diría que la disfruto bastante más, ya que las precuelas y secuelas del llamado Ciclo de Trantor bajan bastante en nivel en comparación con la trilogía principal. La saga de Elijah y Daneel mantiene un nivel alto y cuenta una historia a gran escala a través de sus cuatro novelas auto conclusivas que, aunque tal vez no alcance la magnitud de Fundación, son de una importancia muy grande para la humanidad.
Bóvedas de Acero me parece una introducción casi perfecta a los personajes y al mundo planteado. Teniendo en cuenta que el libro fue publicado en el 1953, solo puedo maravillarme con lo logrado que esta.
No hay relleno, no se divaga, no hay cantidad de personajes innecesarios o redundantes, no hay soluciones mágicas o protagonistas infalibles, y sobre todo, cuando se explica algo se lo hace de forma llevadera, no se agota al lector con la información. Todo va con un ritmo adecuado y entretiene, a la vez que plantea temas importantes.
Si bien algunas cosas pueden haber quedado un poco obsoletas o antiguas, la novela en sí cuenta con ese sello de clásico que se puede leer hoy en día y seguir siendo actual.
El sol desnudo transcurre unos meses después de los sucesos de la primer historia y tengo que admitir que gran parte de la historia parece más un planteamiento de ideas o un ensayo y no tanto una investigación de un crimen.
Esto hace que el libro se vuelva un poco pesado a medio camino, sin embargo, en los últimos capítulos la historia levanta bastante.
Cabe destacar al personaje de Elijah Baley con todas sus virtudes, defectos e incertidumbres. Para aquellos que siempre dicen que los personajes de Asimov no son muy buenos, creo que Elijah demuestra que no es tan cierta esa afirmación.
Hay partes que me gustaron mucho, como ver a Baley respirando aire natural y recibiendo los desnudos rayos solares, esto hace que contemple la vida de manera diferente, hace que por un instante su adoctrinamiento en la sociedad caiga y permita una visión más "abierta", cuando vuelve a las cuevas, ese pensamiento se escurre y lo abandona, tachandolo de una simple ilusión o sueño infantil.
¿Se puede soñar cuando el cielo abierto y las estrellas, cuando esa amplitud de libertad no es visible?
En estas dos historias vemos como de a poco empieza a romper o al menos combatir con esas cadenas autoimpuestas.
De Daneel no quiero hablar mucho, ya que puedo caer en algún tema que arruine la sorpresa. Y aún falta otro personaje bastante importante, pero para eso hay que llegar a la última novela de la saga: Robots e Imperio.
August 24, 2020
Dieses Buch vereint beide Bücher der Stahlhöhlen-Duologie in einem Band und ich gestehe, das ist gut so. Ich bin wirklich glücklich darüber, diesen Band im Bücher-Brocky entdeckt zu haben, denn es stellte sich heraus, dass diese Geschichten meine liebsten von Asimov sind.
Auch hier bedient sich der Autor wieder seinen drei berühmten Regeln, untersucht jedoch, wie weit man diese strecken und interpretieren kann. Asimov stellt sozusagen seine eigenen Ideen auf den Prüfstand. Nur schon dies ist eine enorm interessante Lektüre. Vor allem, da wir uns unterdessen wirklich der Frage nach der Künstlichen Intelligenz stellen müssen.
Dazu kommen zwei Kriminalfälle, die auf oben genannten Thesen basieren. Bei der ersten Geschichte habe ich noch mitgeraten (und richtig gelegen), bei der zweiten liess ich mich einfach treiben und liess die Handlung auf mich wirken.
Der zweite Band ist der in meinen Augen intensivere und dichtere. Der Kriminalfall tritt zugunsten Charakterentwicklung und Fragen zur modernen Technologie etwas in den Hintergrund; was dem Buch aber sehr gut tut.
Ein grandioses Stück Sci-Fi-Literatur, das so aktuell ist, als wäre es eben erst erschienen.
Auch hier bedient sich der Autor wieder seinen drei berühmten Regeln, untersucht jedoch, wie weit man diese strecken und interpretieren kann. Asimov stellt sozusagen seine eigenen Ideen auf den Prüfstand. Nur schon dies ist eine enorm interessante Lektüre. Vor allem, da wir uns unterdessen wirklich der Frage nach der Künstlichen Intelligenz stellen müssen.
Dazu kommen zwei Kriminalfälle, die auf oben genannten Thesen basieren. Bei der ersten Geschichte habe ich noch mitgeraten (und richtig gelegen), bei der zweiten liess ich mich einfach treiben und liess die Handlung auf mich wirken.
Der zweite Band ist der in meinen Augen intensivere und dichtere. Der Kriminalfall tritt zugunsten Charakterentwicklung und Fragen zur modernen Technologie etwas in den Hintergrund; was dem Buch aber sehr gut tut.
Ein grandioses Stück Sci-Fi-Literatur, das so aktuell ist, als wäre es eben erst erschienen.
March 25, 2012
When most people think of Asimov they think of Foundation and the books in that series. I think of The Caves of Steel and the books in The Robot Novels series. The protagonists are Elijah Bailey and R. Daneel Olivaw, who -SPOILER ALERT- also shows up in the final book of the Foundation series, if my memory serves me correctly.
Few books touched my imagination like The Caves of Steel and the other Elijah Bailey novels. The images burned their way into my mind. When I look to the sky I often wonder what it would be like to live in that world of steel skies. Isaac Asimov possessed a wonderful gift, the ability to write clearly and logically. He was the greatest practitioner of that art, as far as I have encountered. His vision of the future in The Robot Novels is haunting not necessarily because of how accurate it was portrayed but because of how accurately he was able to predict how technologies like robots will affect men and women on a very personal level.
Few books touched my imagination like The Caves of Steel and the other Elijah Bailey novels. The images burned their way into my mind. When I look to the sky I often wonder what it would be like to live in that world of steel skies. Isaac Asimov possessed a wonderful gift, the ability to write clearly and logically. He was the greatest practitioner of that art, as far as I have encountered. His vision of the future in The Robot Novels is haunting not necessarily because of how accurate it was portrayed but because of how accurately he was able to predict how technologies like robots will affect men and women on a very personal level.
December 1, 2013
It's between The Caves of Steel and The End of Eternity for the best Asimov book ever written--for me, anyway. That being said, I haven't read all his works, and I almost certainly never will. How many did he write? Over 400?
The Caves of Steel is a fantastic early novel by one of Sci-Fi's greats. If you don't already know this, Asimov created the 3 rules of robotic behaviour, which is his bullet-proof way of taming AIs. But Asimov spent a good amount of time trying to figure out clever ways around his own 3 Laws. Caves of Steel is the first such examination on a future Earth that is choked with over-population.
The Naked Sun is a little slower, more methodical, and has a completely inverted setting on an underpopulated world.
All the Robots and Murder novels are interesting and fun to read in their own ways. Highly recommended.
The Caves of Steel is a fantastic early novel by one of Sci-Fi's greats. If you don't already know this, Asimov created the 3 rules of robotic behaviour, which is his bullet-proof way of taming AIs. But Asimov spent a good amount of time trying to figure out clever ways around his own 3 Laws. Caves of Steel is the first such examination on a future Earth that is choked with over-population.
The Naked Sun is a little slower, more methodical, and has a completely inverted setting on an underpopulated world.
All the Robots and Murder novels are interesting and fun to read in their own ways. Highly recommended.
December 26, 2020
Especially in contrast against the Foundation books, these are a faster read, with stronger characters, and were just more fun.
You don't need to read them before the Foundation books generally, but I'd suggest reading them before Foundation & Earth and beyond. OTOH they'd also provide insight to Prelude to Foundation, IIRC.
I am enjoying finally reading about the famous Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw, and look forward to getting The Robots of Dawn from the library soon too.
You don't need to read them before the Foundation books generally, but I'd suggest reading them before Foundation & Earth and beyond. OTOH they'd also provide insight to Prelude to Foundation, IIRC.
I am enjoying finally reading about the famous Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw, and look forward to getting The Robots of Dawn from the library soon too.
October 19, 2025
Dos novelas fanrasticas de Asimov, que enlazan los robots de Susan Calvin, con lo que se será el imperio y la fundación.
Estas historias de detectives ocurren milenios después de Susan, pero su legado perdura, un detective terrestre ayudado de un compañero robot tienen que solucionar unos delitos que son importantes para todo el planeta Tierra, y para los lineamientos que seguirá la galaxia.
https://www.buscalibre.com.co?afiliad...
Estas historias de detectives ocurren milenios después de Susan, pero su legado perdura, un detective terrestre ayudado de un compañero robot tienen que solucionar unos delitos que son importantes para todo el planeta Tierra, y para los lineamientos que seguirá la galaxia.
https://www.buscalibre.com.co?afiliad...
September 20, 2011
These were my favorites when I first started reading Asimov. I probably need to stop re-reading Asimov. When did the characters get to be so unlikeable? Especially the women. Wow. Fat housewives and embowered princesses. Dreadful. R. Daneel Olivaw will always be dear to my heart, though. These books get 3 stars and a bonus star for nostalgia.
August 13, 2026
Elijah Baley, el detective que abandonó la Ciudad (la Tierra) para resolver un asesinato en Solaria, uno de los planetas que constituyen los Mundos Exteriores.
Cuando volvió a la Ciudad ya no era suya; era un extraño en las bóvedas de acero. Así tenía que suceder, la Tierra nacería de nuevo y saldría al exterior donde le esperaría….¡Los rayos del sol desnudo!
Cuando volvió a la Ciudad ya no era suya; era un extraño en las bóvedas de acero. Así tenía que suceder, la Tierra nacería de nuevo y saldría al exterior donde le esperaría….¡Los rayos del sol desnudo!
February 4, 2020
La continuación de las bóvedas de acero y una nueva aventura con el detective Elijah Baley pero ya dejando a la Tierra un poco aparte. También una maravilla de la literatura policíaca combinada con la ciencia ficción.
Want to Read
January 6, 2012challenge- a book with nonhuman characters (in this case, robots)
October 22, 2021
Een frisse en verrassend solide combinatie van (klassieke, bijna 70-jaar oude) sci-fi en een detectiveroman.
March 30, 2022
Lectura obligatoria para todo amante de la sci-fi.
Read
May 8, 2026Jehoshaphat!
August 16, 2026
Bona novel·la policíaca de sy-fy..que cada vegada és menys ficció i més futur.
Asimov como sempre, mai falla.
Asimov como sempre, mai falla.
May 17, 2026
I recently started watching the Apple TV series Foundation, based on the books by Isaac Asimov, so I thought I'd re-read some of my Asimov books in story order instead of publication order. In the past, I'd read them as they were published. The Robot Novels: The Caves of Steel / The Naked Sun (early 1950s) were not originally part of the Foundation series (originally written in the late 1940s), but Asimov later merged his robot stories and his Foundation stories into a continuous multi-millennium saga. So this is where I'm starting (I've skipped Asimov's earliest robot short stories, available in collections such as I, Robot).
This collection is two complete novels featuring common characters. The novels are The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun. They're murder mysteries featuring Detective Elijah Baley and his partner Robot Daneel Olivaw (also known as R. Daneel Olivaw).
The Caves of Steel begins in New York City, which is considered to be three hundred years old in its current form. "To be sure, something had existed in the same geographic area before then that had been called New York City. That primitive gathering of population had existed for three thousand years, not three hundred, but it hadn't been a City." If New York City was founded in the 1600s, that means at the time of this novel, it's 3,300 years later, or the 4900s, or the 50th century. Earth is one of 50 inhabited worlds, but is by far the most heavily populated and least advanced technologically. Earthmen live in crowded, covered cities (or "Cities", to use the book's term) and suffer from learned agoraphobia; they can't go outside without having nervous breakdowns. The inhabitants of the Outer Worlds, as the other settled planets are called, are known collectively as Spacers. They have a small enclave on Earth called Spacetown, and it's a Spacer that has been found murdered. The Spacers need an Earthman to investigate the crime because they don't have a local police force, but they impose the condition that the Earthman detective be accompanied by one of their most advanced, human-form robots, R. Daneel Olivaw.
This is a challenge for Baley, because Earth is not fond of robots. Robots steal human jobs. They're necessary on the sparsely populated Outer Worlds, but are viewed with suspicion and even hatred on Earth. Fortunately, Olivaw can pass as human, unlike Earth-built robots. Olivaw's stiff, unemotional behaviour arouses distrust in some people, but most don't realize he's a robot.
The murder mystery unfolds more or less as one would expect for the genre. Baley develops a few unwarranted theories, but eventually solves the crime. There are conspiracies and cover-ups along the way. The real meat, however, is the theme, which deals with the stagnant cultures of both Earth and the Outer Worlds and what some characters think is the best way forward.
This theme is continued in The Naked Sun, when yet another Spacer is murdered a couple of years later, but this time on his home planet of Solaria. Even for a Spacer world, Solaria is sparsely populated and does not have a police force. Given Baley's success on Earth, he is specifically requested to deal with this new case, but again, the Spacers ask that he work with Olivaw, who hails from a different Spacer world called Aurora. Solarians distrust Aurorans about as much as they distrust Earthmen, so the investigation continues to be challenging. The social challenge on Solaria is that, with so few inhabitants, each person can live on their own vast estate surrounded by robot servants and never have to see another human being in the flesh. Much like Earthmen have developed an aversion to going outside, Solarians have developed an aversion to being in another person's physical presence. In general, only spouses live together (because, apparently in the 1950s when Asimov wrote this, the idea of artificial insemination was implausible), but even then, they only see each other occasionally, maintaining separate quarters within their estates. They can view each other over video calls, but rarely see each other in person.
Baley once again solves the crime, although he antagonizes several Solarians along the way by insisting on physical visits to see them. The additional challenge for Baley is that he must face his fears of the outside to travel from one estate to the next. This in turn poses a challenge for Olivaw, who is compelled by the Laws of Robotics to prevent Baley from hurting himself.
I haven't said much about Asimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics because they don't play as large a part in The Robot Novels as they do in Asimov's earlier robot short stories. In short, robots must (1) protect human beings, (2) obey all orders given by human beings, except where doing so would conflict with the First Law, and (3) protect their own existence, except where doing so would conflict with the First or Second Law. Asimov's short stories examine all sorts of ways these Laws can be circumvented or lead to unintended consequences in extreme situations. Here, in The Robot Novels, they play a minor role, although they're more prominent in The Naked Sun than in The Caves of Steel.
In The Naked Sun, Asimov contrasts robot-dependent Solaria with robot-averse Earth to show that both societies have problems. He makes the explicit case that some blend of human ambition and collegiality along with advanced technological support may make for a more stable and fulfilling society than either Earth or the Outer Worlds currently provide.
As always, Asimov uses a spare, no-nonsense writing style that is almost devoid of imagery and symbolism. I recall reading an essay of his once that said he strove not to let the writing get in the way of the story. Writing should be transparent, is how I remember it. This is not literature; it's story-telling.
I also remember being more taken with the character of R. Daneel Olivaw when I was a teenager nearly half a century ago, much as I was enthralled by characters like Star Trek's Mr. Spock and Mr. Data. From my perspective today, however, Olivaw barely registers. He is, after all, a robot as envisioned in the 1950s. He is more machine-like than either Spock or Data and isn't given that much to do. In some ways, Olivaw comes across as less personable than one of today's AI chatbots. It is fascinating to see how much more quickly AI has advanced than a mid-twentieth-century science-fiction author expected, but how poorly we've done at implementing anything like the Three Laws of Robotics.
I have a long history with these stories, and I retain my fond feelings for them. The writing feels stiff by today's standards, but the ideas are still big and thought-provoking.
This collection is two complete novels featuring common characters. The novels are The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun. They're murder mysteries featuring Detective Elijah Baley and his partner Robot Daneel Olivaw (also known as R. Daneel Olivaw).
The Caves of Steel begins in New York City, which is considered to be three hundred years old in its current form. "To be sure, something had existed in the same geographic area before then that had been called New York City. That primitive gathering of population had existed for three thousand years, not three hundred, but it hadn't been a City." If New York City was founded in the 1600s, that means at the time of this novel, it's 3,300 years later, or the 4900s, or the 50th century. Earth is one of 50 inhabited worlds, but is by far the most heavily populated and least advanced technologically. Earthmen live in crowded, covered cities (or "Cities", to use the book's term) and suffer from learned agoraphobia; they can't go outside without having nervous breakdowns. The inhabitants of the Outer Worlds, as the other settled planets are called, are known collectively as Spacers. They have a small enclave on Earth called Spacetown, and it's a Spacer that has been found murdered. The Spacers need an Earthman to investigate the crime because they don't have a local police force, but they impose the condition that the Earthman detective be accompanied by one of their most advanced, human-form robots, R. Daneel Olivaw.
This is a challenge for Baley, because Earth is not fond of robots. Robots steal human jobs. They're necessary on the sparsely populated Outer Worlds, but are viewed with suspicion and even hatred on Earth. Fortunately, Olivaw can pass as human, unlike Earth-built robots. Olivaw's stiff, unemotional behaviour arouses distrust in some people, but most don't realize he's a robot.
The murder mystery unfolds more or less as one would expect for the genre. Baley develops a few unwarranted theories, but eventually solves the crime. There are conspiracies and cover-ups along the way. The real meat, however, is the theme, which deals with the stagnant cultures of both Earth and the Outer Worlds and what some characters think is the best way forward.
This theme is continued in The Naked Sun, when yet another Spacer is murdered a couple of years later, but this time on his home planet of Solaria. Even for a Spacer world, Solaria is sparsely populated and does not have a police force. Given Baley's success on Earth, he is specifically requested to deal with this new case, but again, the Spacers ask that he work with Olivaw, who hails from a different Spacer world called Aurora. Solarians distrust Aurorans about as much as they distrust Earthmen, so the investigation continues to be challenging. The social challenge on Solaria is that, with so few inhabitants, each person can live on their own vast estate surrounded by robot servants and never have to see another human being in the flesh. Much like Earthmen have developed an aversion to going outside, Solarians have developed an aversion to being in another person's physical presence. In general, only spouses live together (because, apparently in the 1950s when Asimov wrote this, the idea of artificial insemination was implausible), but even then, they only see each other occasionally, maintaining separate quarters within their estates. They can view each other over video calls, but rarely see each other in person.
Baley once again solves the crime, although he antagonizes several Solarians along the way by insisting on physical visits to see them. The additional challenge for Baley is that he must face his fears of the outside to travel from one estate to the next. This in turn poses a challenge for Olivaw, who is compelled by the Laws of Robotics to prevent Baley from hurting himself.
I haven't said much about Asimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics because they don't play as large a part in The Robot Novels as they do in Asimov's earlier robot short stories. In short, robots must (1) protect human beings, (2) obey all orders given by human beings, except where doing so would conflict with the First Law, and (3) protect their own existence, except where doing so would conflict with the First or Second Law. Asimov's short stories examine all sorts of ways these Laws can be circumvented or lead to unintended consequences in extreme situations. Here, in The Robot Novels, they play a minor role, although they're more prominent in The Naked Sun than in The Caves of Steel.
In The Naked Sun, Asimov contrasts robot-dependent Solaria with robot-averse Earth to show that both societies have problems. He makes the explicit case that some blend of human ambition and collegiality along with advanced technological support may make for a more stable and fulfilling society than either Earth or the Outer Worlds currently provide.
As always, Asimov uses a spare, no-nonsense writing style that is almost devoid of imagery and symbolism. I recall reading an essay of his once that said he strove not to let the writing get in the way of the story. Writing should be transparent, is how I remember it. This is not literature; it's story-telling.
I also remember being more taken with the character of R. Daneel Olivaw when I was a teenager nearly half a century ago, much as I was enthralled by characters like Star Trek's Mr. Spock and Mr. Data. From my perspective today, however, Olivaw barely registers. He is, after all, a robot as envisioned in the 1950s. He is more machine-like than either Spock or Data and isn't given that much to do. In some ways, Olivaw comes across as less personable than one of today's AI chatbots. It is fascinating to see how much more quickly AI has advanced than a mid-twentieth-century science-fiction author expected, but how poorly we've done at implementing anything like the Three Laws of Robotics.
I have a long history with these stories, and I retain my fond feelings for them. The writing feels stiff by today's standards, but the ideas are still big and thought-provoking.
March 25, 2022
Good murder mysteries set at the dawn of Asimov's great Foundation Universe.
“We're forever teetering on the brink of the unknowable, and trying to understand what can't be understood.”
“The troubles of modern life come from being divorced from nature.”
“You are a practical man, Elijah. You do not moon romantically over Earth's past, despite your healthy interest in it. Nor do you stubbornly embrace the City culture of Earth's present day. We felt that people such as yourself were the ones that could lead Earthmen to the stars once more.”
“Civilizations have always been pyramidal in structure. As one climbs toward the apex of the social edifice, there is increased leisure and increasing opportunity to pursue happiness. As one climbs, one finds also fewer and fewer people to enjoy this more and more. Invariably, there is a preponderance of the dispossessed. And remember this, no matter how well off the bottom layers of the pyramid might be on an absolute scale, they are always dispossessed in comparison with the apex.”
“The Solarians have given up something mankind has had for a million years; something worth more than atomic power, cities, agriculture, tools, fire, everything; because it's something that made everything possible (...) The tribe, sir. Cooperation between individuals.”
“People who don't expect justice don't have to suffer disappointment.”
“The robot had no feelings, only positronic surges that mimicked those feelings. (And perhaps human beings had no feelings, only neuronic surges that were interpreted as feelings.)”
“Meaning well is a poor defense,”
“Are there Laws of Humanics as there are Laws of Robotics? How many Laws of Humanics might there be and how can they be expressed mathematically? I don’t know. “Perhaps, though, there may come a day when someone will work out the Laws of Humanics and then be able to predict the broad strokes of the future, and know what might be in store for humanity, instead of merely guessing as I do, and know what to do to make things better, instead of merely speculating. I dream sometimes of founding a mathematical science which I think of as ‘psychohistory,’ but I know I can’t and I fear no one ever will.”
“We're forever teetering on the brink of the unknowable, and trying to understand what can't be understood.”
“The troubles of modern life come from being divorced from nature.”
“You are a practical man, Elijah. You do not moon romantically over Earth's past, despite your healthy interest in it. Nor do you stubbornly embrace the City culture of Earth's present day. We felt that people such as yourself were the ones that could lead Earthmen to the stars once more.”
“Civilizations have always been pyramidal in structure. As one climbs toward the apex of the social edifice, there is increased leisure and increasing opportunity to pursue happiness. As one climbs, one finds also fewer and fewer people to enjoy this more and more. Invariably, there is a preponderance of the dispossessed. And remember this, no matter how well off the bottom layers of the pyramid might be on an absolute scale, they are always dispossessed in comparison with the apex.”
“The Solarians have given up something mankind has had for a million years; something worth more than atomic power, cities, agriculture, tools, fire, everything; because it's something that made everything possible (...) The tribe, sir. Cooperation between individuals.”
“People who don't expect justice don't have to suffer disappointment.”
“The robot had no feelings, only positronic surges that mimicked those feelings. (And perhaps human beings had no feelings, only neuronic surges that were interpreted as feelings.)”
“Meaning well is a poor defense,”
“Are there Laws of Humanics as there are Laws of Robotics? How many Laws of Humanics might there be and how can they be expressed mathematically? I don’t know. “Perhaps, though, there may come a day when someone will work out the Laws of Humanics and then be able to predict the broad strokes of the future, and know what might be in store for humanity, instead of merely guessing as I do, and know what to do to make things better, instead of merely speculating. I dream sometimes of founding a mathematical science which I think of as ‘psychohistory,’ but I know I can’t and I fear no one ever will.”
May 24, 2020
In trying to fill in the few remaining tidbits from my high school feast upon Asimov's science fiction, I re-read these three dectective-of-the-future novels. They all have incredibly similar structure and feel, even though the last was written decades later.
All three novels explore, in the course of unraveling the crime, how humans social and psychological makeup adapts to extreme conditions and come to lose other qualities, such as the womb-like enclosed Cities of Earth, which produce agoraphobia and the extreme social isolation and antipathy to physical touch that are central to Solaria. The novels also explore the relationship between man and robot, with definite, and at time uncomfortable, parallels to slavery, and a fear of a rising up of a free labor class that would disrupt the future. Yet by making the protagonists's partner a robot, Asimov forces us, and his characters, to face those uncomfortable latent emotions and ideas again and again. And finally, like so many of Asimov's stories, the future of mankind and the continued exploration and expansion into space to preserve humanity through growth as the only alternative to stagnation plays into the stories, increasingly so with each novel.
I'm not a huge fan of detective novels in general, and I found myself a little weary of them by the end, reading all three books in quick succession, but I think Asimov does a good job. His future, while some parts seem anachronistic now, is a believable one, and he certainly succeeded in making a credible sci-fi detective trilogy, even if these books do not match some of his other short stories and novels.
All three novels explore, in the course of unraveling the crime, how humans social and psychological makeup adapts to extreme conditions and come to lose other qualities, such as the womb-like enclosed Cities of Earth, which produce agoraphobia and the extreme social isolation and antipathy to physical touch that are central to Solaria. The novels also explore the relationship between man and robot, with definite, and at time uncomfortable, parallels to slavery, and a fear of a rising up of a free labor class that would disrupt the future. Yet by making the protagonists's partner a robot, Asimov forces us, and his characters, to face those uncomfortable latent emotions and ideas again and again. And finally, like so many of Asimov's stories, the future of mankind and the continued exploration and expansion into space to preserve humanity through growth as the only alternative to stagnation plays into the stories, increasingly so with each novel.
I'm not a huge fan of detective novels in general, and I found myself a little weary of them by the end, reading all three books in quick succession, but I think Asimov does a good job. His future, while some parts seem anachronistic now, is a believable one, and he certainly succeeded in making a credible sci-fi detective trilogy, even if these books do not match some of his other short stories and novels.
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