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I, Robot: Short Stories
A human being is a soft, weak creature. It needs constant supplies of air, water, and food; it has to spend a third of its life asleep, and it can't work if the temperature is too hot or too cold. But a robot is made of strong metal. It uses electrical energy directly, never sleeps, and can work in any temperature. It is stronger, more efficient - and sometimes more human than human beings. Isaac Asimov was one of the greatest science-fiction writers, and these short stories give us an unforgettable and terrifying vision of the future.
104 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2000
3 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Rowena Akinyemi
43 books32 followersRowena Akinyemi is British, and after many years in Africa, she now lives and works in Cambridge. She was worked in English Language Teaching for twenty years, in Africa and England, and has been writing ELT fiction for ten years. Love or money? Was her first story for the Oxford Bookworms Library, and she has now written several other stories for the series, including Remeber Miranda and The Witches of Pendle (both at Stage 1). She has also written books for children. One of her favourite pastimes is reading detective stories.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 23, 2020
When I picked this up at Oxfam, I didn't realize it was an abbreviated retelling because the only author on the cover is Asimov. I'll be holding on to this for my nephew who might be interested in this in a year or two and will see that I get a copy of the actual book for myself to see the stories in their full, unsimplified form.
November 4, 2015
1. Oxford level5
2. 11/4=190min
3. future, fiction, robot, space, problem, law, coexistence
4.(a)There was silence for a long moment and then Dr Calvin got up from her chair. 'And that is all,' she said. 'I saw it now, when robots are the only real hope for the safety of human beings. I will see no more. My life is over. You will see what comes next.'
(b)What I hoped when I read this passage is the only real hope for the safety of human beings is not realized in the future. Although the quality of robots is actually much improving now, I think we, human beings, should not entirely depend on the robots because we have lived for ages without robots and if we depend on them too much, we might not be able to do what we can do naturally.
5. This book is about the future. I was surprized that human beings can send robots to Mercury and do some research in it on 2015 in this book. The real life is not same as that though. In this book, many troubles related with robots happen. And all of robots were given intellect. What I think is that robots are so useful and make our life more convinient, but we should not give intellect to them because if they broke, they might hurt human. Now the automatic driving system is developing. But I am against that because, like I said, if the cars broke, there are possibilities that they kill people. I don't hate robot but, in my opinion, we should make the perfect system to make robots under contorl.
2. 11/4=190min
3. future, fiction, robot, space, problem, law, coexistence
4.(a)There was silence for a long moment and then Dr Calvin got up from her chair. 'And that is all,' she said. 'I saw it now, when robots are the only real hope for the safety of human beings. I will see no more. My life is over. You will see what comes next.'
(b)What I hoped when I read this passage is the only real hope for the safety of human beings is not realized in the future. Although the quality of robots is actually much improving now, I think we, human beings, should not entirely depend on the robots because we have lived for ages without robots and if we depend on them too much, we might not be able to do what we can do naturally.
5. This book is about the future. I was surprized that human beings can send robots to Mercury and do some research in it on 2015 in this book. The real life is not same as that though. In this book, many troubles related with robots happen. And all of robots were given intellect. What I think is that robots are so useful and make our life more convinient, but we should not give intellect to them because if they broke, they might hurt human. Now the automatic driving system is developing. But I am against that because, like I said, if the cars broke, there are possibilities that they kill people. I don't hate robot but, in my opinion, we should make the perfect system to make robots under contorl.
April 4, 2016
3,5/5.
Cuando vi que el nivel de esta adaptación era de 5 pensé que no entendería nada, pero no ha sido para nada así. Me pareció bastante sencillo, y ha conseguido que le coja el gustillo a esto de leer en inglés.
Las historias han estado muy bien, pero como siempre digo cuando leo historias, es que me falta mas, que necesito saber más. Por eso no le pongo más nota. Pero me ha gustado bastante.
Cuando vi que el nivel de esta adaptación era de 5 pensé que no entendería nada, pero no ha sido para nada así. Me pareció bastante sencillo, y ha conseguido que le coja el gustillo a esto de leer en inglés.
Las historias han estado muy bien, pero como siempre digo cuando leo historias, es que me falta mas, que necesito saber más. Por eso no le pongo más nota. Pero me ha gustado bastante.
August 19, 2021
Cleaning my bookshelves, I found this collection of stories taken from the book, "I, Robot". I loved the book and I enjoyed these stories from it!
March 24, 2019
My opinion:
I like the book very much because it reads quickly. The book consists of several short stories and I like that because you always have a different turn. I did not know the author yet, but I am really really impressed by his book because the different stories constantly take you along and that keeps you fascinated. I would therefore recommend this book to anyone.
Different stories:
I have chosen the book because it has different stories. I didn’t want a book as usual, but I wanted another book. I had never read such a book before, but I enjoyed it because in every story there is a different turn and the end is always logical even though it sometimes seems farfetched. I thought the best story was Little Lost Robot because the characters would all have to work together and think to nick the right robot. Ultimately they also succeed through the logical solution: the robot that was lost had forgotten that only he knew that the radiation had different types and was not harmful, but the other robots did not know that so they picked them out.
The movie:
Because I thought it was such a good book, I have already seen the film. The film is not quite the same but I also think it is worth watching because it is also a fascinating film that drags you along all the time in the story. I really like the fact that they are exactly the same as in the book, so you can see them in real life and you can put a face on them.
Characters:
My favorite character is Gregory Powell because he is calm an humorous. He is also a very important person because he is the fixer of the robot universe. When a robot starts to developing unusual behaviour or fails traditional testing procedures, he will solve it.
I like the book very much because it reads quickly. The book consists of several short stories and I like that because you always have a different turn. I did not know the author yet, but I am really really impressed by his book because the different stories constantly take you along and that keeps you fascinated. I would therefore recommend this book to anyone.
Different stories:
I have chosen the book because it has different stories. I didn’t want a book as usual, but I wanted another book. I had never read such a book before, but I enjoyed it because in every story there is a different turn and the end is always logical even though it sometimes seems farfetched. I thought the best story was Little Lost Robot because the characters would all have to work together and think to nick the right robot. Ultimately they also succeed through the logical solution: the robot that was lost had forgotten that only he knew that the radiation had different types and was not harmful, but the other robots did not know that so they picked them out.
The movie:
Because I thought it was such a good book, I have already seen the film. The film is not quite the same but I also think it is worth watching because it is also a fascinating film that drags you along all the time in the story. I really like the fact that they are exactly the same as in the book, so you can see them in real life and you can put a face on them.
Characters:
My favorite character is Gregory Powell because he is calm an humorous. He is also a very important person because he is the fixer of the robot universe. When a robot starts to developing unusual behaviour or fails traditional testing procedures, he will solve it.
February 10, 2019
Edición adaptada a stage 5 por Rowena Akinyemi para Oxford Bookworms Library.
Versión en inglés que permite adentrarse en la lectura en idioma original para quienes aprenden inglés.
Excelentes historias sobre robots que se entrelazan en un hilo conductor común: el comportamiento de los robots que es más humano que los propios humanos.
Asimov, mundialmente conocido por sus historias de ciencia ficción, fue mucho más que un escritor, y su preocupación respecto de la humanidad y a dónde irá a parar, están reflejados en cada una de sus trabajos.
Muy recomendado.
Versión en inglés que permite adentrarse en la lectura en idioma original para quienes aprenden inglés.
Excelentes historias sobre robots que se entrelazan en un hilo conductor común: el comportamiento de los robots que es más humano que los propios humanos.
Asimov, mundialmente conocido por sus historias de ciencia ficción, fue mucho más que un escritor, y su preocupación respecto de la humanidad y a dónde irá a parar, están reflejados en cada una de sus trabajos.
Muy recomendado.
July 19, 2018
Like others, I picked this up without realizing it was a simplified version designed to support ESL students who have reached a particular level. Good idea, no doubt, but I'm not the target audience and would have preferred to read the original text. All that said, I enjoyed the stories.
December 26, 2019
After attending a lecture on the ethics of self-driving cars, I decided to re-read Asimov's "I, Robot".
Any discussion of robots killing people inevitably returns to the supposed wisdom of the ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/i-ro...
Any discussion of robots killing people inevitably returns to the supposed wisdom of the ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/i-ro...
November 13, 2017
A pretty decent short story collection, although a bit too short somehow
August 2, 2019
I thought I’d try reading these short stories in a different genre, but unfortunately this book definitely wasn’t for me. If you love Sci Fi, them this is an ideal read.
March 28, 2025
I didn't realise I'd picked up a simplified version of Asimov's tales, so whilst I enjoyed the stories, I didn't get to enjoy his prose. At least I know I'm a level 5 bookworm now though haha
November 1, 2017
Español:
“I, Robot” (Yo, Robot) es una antología de cuentos de ciencia ficción escritos por el autor ruso Isaac Asimov. Asimov es bien conocido por haber creado las “3 leyes de la robótica”, leyes que deben de seguir todos los robots y que se encuentran implantadas en sus cerebros positrónicos (palabra también inventada por el autor).
En este libro se dan a conocer estas leyes y luego se nos presentan una serie de cuentos (en esta edición 6, aunque en la original son 9) donde se dan diferentes problemas respecto a estas leyes.
En esta edición (para estudiantes) se presentan los cuentos:
¬ “Runaround” (Círculo Vicioso)
¬ “Reason” (Razón)
¬ “Catch That Rabbit” (Atrapa a esa Liebre)
¬ “Liar!” (¡Mentiroso!)
¬ “Little Lost Robot” (Pequeño Robot Perdido)
¬ “Evidence” (Evidencia)
Faltando así los cuentos “Robbie”, “Escape!” (¡Fuga!) y “The Evitable Conflict” (El Conflicto Evitable).
Los cuentos son interesantes y divertidos. No es una lectura complicada en lo absoluto. El único pero que se le puede encontrar al libro es que le falta 1/3 del original.
Definitivamente debo leer los otros tres cuentos y continuar leyendo al autor, quien podría llegar a ser de mis autores favoritos de ciencia ficción junto con Bradbury.
English:
“I, Robot” is an anthology of science fiction stories written by the Russian author Isaac Asimov. Asimov is known for having created the “3 laws of robotics”, laws that must follow all the robots and that implanted in their positronic brains (word also invented by the author).
In this book these laws are made known and then we are presented with a series of stories (6 in this edition, although 9 in the original) where there are different problems regarding these laws.
In this edition (for students) the stories that are present are:
¬ “Runaround”
¬ “Reason”
¬ “Catch That Rabbit”
¬ Liar!
¬ Little Lost Robot
¬ Evidence
Missing the stories “Robbie”, “Escape!” and “The Evitable Conflict”.
The stories are interesting and fun. It isn’t a complicated reading at all. The only one but that can be found in the book is that is missing a 1/3 of the original.
I must definitely read the other three stories and continue reading the author, who could become one of my favorite science fiction authors along with Bradbury.
“I, Robot” (Yo, Robot) es una antología de cuentos de ciencia ficción escritos por el autor ruso Isaac Asimov. Asimov es bien conocido por haber creado las “3 leyes de la robótica”, leyes que deben de seguir todos los robots y que se encuentran implantadas en sus cerebros positrónicos (palabra también inventada por el autor).
En este libro se dan a conocer estas leyes y luego se nos presentan una serie de cuentos (en esta edición 6, aunque en la original son 9) donde se dan diferentes problemas respecto a estas leyes.
En esta edición (para estudiantes) se presentan los cuentos:
¬ “Runaround” (Círculo Vicioso)
¬ “Reason” (Razón)
¬ “Catch That Rabbit” (Atrapa a esa Liebre)
¬ “Liar!” (¡Mentiroso!)
¬ “Little Lost Robot” (Pequeño Robot Perdido)
¬ “Evidence” (Evidencia)
Faltando así los cuentos “Robbie”, “Escape!” (¡Fuga!) y “The Evitable Conflict” (El Conflicto Evitable).
Los cuentos son interesantes y divertidos. No es una lectura complicada en lo absoluto. El único pero que se le puede encontrar al libro es que le falta 1/3 del original.
Definitivamente debo leer los otros tres cuentos y continuar leyendo al autor, quien podría llegar a ser de mis autores favoritos de ciencia ficción junto con Bradbury.
English:
“I, Robot” is an anthology of science fiction stories written by the Russian author Isaac Asimov. Asimov is known for having created the “3 laws of robotics”, laws that must follow all the robots and that implanted in their positronic brains (word also invented by the author).
In this book these laws are made known and then we are presented with a series of stories (6 in this edition, although 9 in the original) where there are different problems regarding these laws.
In this edition (for students) the stories that are present are:
¬ “Runaround”
¬ “Reason”
¬ “Catch That Rabbit”
¬ Liar!
¬ Little Lost Robot
¬ Evidence
Missing the stories “Robbie”, “Escape!” and “The Evitable Conflict”.
The stories are interesting and fun. It isn’t a complicated reading at all. The only one but that can be found in the book is that is missing a 1/3 of the original.
I must definitely read the other three stories and continue reading the author, who could become one of my favorite science fiction authors along with Bradbury.
May 4, 2015
Rating: 2.5
I was at the (very small) local library looking for a short read and found this book by Isaac Asimov (!), but was then disappointed when I realized it was a retold simplified version, not the original text. (But really, living in Norway, I shouldn't have expected anything else.)
The book has a frame narrative, in which six stories are told. A journalist (first-person) interviews Dr Susan Calvin, the first robot psychologist, now retired, and she grudgingly tells stories about the development of robots and problems that occurred. Each story is almost like a mystery where they have to find out what caused a specific problem and solve it, somewhat like House with robots instead of people.
Overall I thought it was interesting but not really... fascinating. The only story I really liked was the last one, called Evidence. However, I think the illustrations would have been better left out.
I was at the (very small) local library looking for a short read and found this book by Isaac Asimov (!), but was then disappointed when I realized it was a retold simplified version, not the original text. (But really, living in Norway, I shouldn't have expected anything else.)
The book has a frame narrative, in which six stories are told. A journalist (first-person) interviews Dr Susan Calvin, the first robot psychologist, now retired, and she grudgingly tells stories about the development of robots and problems that occurred. Each story is almost like a mystery where they have to find out what caused a specific problem and solve it, somewhat like House with robots instead of people.
Overall I thought it was interesting but not really... fascinating. The only story I really liked was the last one, called Evidence. However, I think the illustrations would have been better left out.
February 15, 2013
Asimov is an extremely influential writer in fields of Robotics and Philosophy. These short stories introduce the '3 Laws of Robotics' which are still used today. Apart from technical stuff, these are also exciting science fiction stories that will entertain you. Will Smith starred in a good movie adaptation a few years ago too!
April 7, 2020
(4.5)
I wasn't expecting this little book to surprise me this much! I don't have much to say, but that they are nice futuristic short stories, really fresh and easy to read. Also, I remember there were nice illustrations. I might try looking for more books that have short stories since I enjoyed reading this a lot!
I wasn't expecting this little book to surprise me this much! I don't have much to say, but that they are nice futuristic short stories, really fresh and easy to read. Also, I remember there were nice illustrations. I might try looking for more books that have short stories since I enjoyed reading this a lot!
Read
January 1, 2009I, ROBOT by Isaac Asimov (1970)
November 4, 2009
This book is so interesting! I love it
June 8, 2010
Amazing!
August 14, 2010
Nice short read for in between.
October 2, 2014
Should read the real one lol, I want to know more! Gave it to Bob (Grade 7) and I think he only flipped through it because he's read the translated version before.
April 28, 2015
This book was amazing. There were amazing stories about robots and I want to read the full version now. Easy to read - I can recomend it to everybody learning english.
September 15, 2015
This book raised important issues with regards to the three laws of Robots. Now i will read the real book.
November 30, 2016
Maybe I shouldn't have read this in one sitting. Nevermind.
June 26, 2017
i'm pretty satisfied with this book.
July 25, 2018
Great introduction to Sci Fi, in adapted English (stage 5). Need to find the original.
June 2, 2019
worth reading, can't wait to read the entire series
April 2, 2020
Fantastic, stories that get the mind thinking. Will be reading more of his stuff
October 15, 2025
High school requirement for English as second-language class. Not original version.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews