Classic Trash discussion

This topic is for those who want to discuss the book in progress. No spoilers please!

Just started re-reading this story today. The description of New York City is horrific. I chose to live as far out in the country as I can get. I can't imagine living in a domed city or buildings with no windows. The idea of that many people bundled together gives me the hives!

Does anybody think that Azimov's room-type dwellings with common areas for food and entertaining is a logical choice for large populations and scarce resources? When is efficiency going too far? Can there really be a substitute for most of our nutrients? How about soy and tofu?

I think people can make the choices themselves; however, trouble arises when government forces these choices on us. Remember the old movie, Soylent Green, a green wafer advertised to contain "high-energy plankton". That movie shows what happens when government and corporations take over. As a 15+ year vegetarian, the ending of that movie makes me shudder!

Scary, but overpopulation is pushing us toward these rash solutions.

BTW, saw this old clip from Mystery Science Theater 3000, where they encounter an Asimov Doomsday Device with hilarious consequences: http://youtu.be/xzYMYPTNV8A

I just picked the book up at my library, so I will be joining in this discussion.

Not too far into the book, but so far it's interesting. I think living as the transitional generation, as these people are, would be hard. The population hasn't gone down enough for things to get better, even though reproductive laws have been put into place. I think if you were born into this world and never knew anything else, you wouldn't mind food and the lack of private space as much.

I just started it too. Wasn't sure I would be into it because I did not love Asimov's Foundation, but this is much more up my alley. I'm about 1/4 of the way in and starting to really enjoy it.

Of all the things that I find horrifying about this future (I don't do so well in crowded areas anymore) is the lack of bathroom privacy. I think the dudes are correct in ignoring each other.

Just a little background info, Asminov developed the "literary" relationship between humans and robots in a series of short stories published as I, Robot in the 1950's.

The three laws of Robotics:
1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm
2) A robot must obey orders givein to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Can someone explain something for me? I'm a little confused by Spacetown. Who lives there - aliens? people born on space colonies who returned to earth? Why are they there?

I think people born on space colonies who returned to earth, but I don't know why they are there yet.

Well, after reading chapter 9, it seems that finding out why the Spacers are there is the key to the whole mystery. If that's true, then I guess the answer should be posted in the Finished section for this book. I was glad to see that Baley didn't believe the lame reason the Spacer Dr. Fastolfe gave him. I was ready to throw the book across the room, if it had been true. It was alot of nonsense, to me.

The social commentary is what makes this book so interesting, even more interesting than the who-dunnit.

Kathy wrote: "The social commentary is what makes this book so interesting, even more interesting than the who-dunnit."

I can agree with that.