I, Robot
November 23, 2006
"I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Fawcett Crest 1970 paperback edition
Nine science fiction stories tied together with a common theme (and back-story), this collection is required reading for anyone wishing to explore classic science fiction. While his characters are often the wooden stock types of 1940's and 50's sci-fi and the man couldn't write engaging dialog to save his life, this book shows exactly what Asimov does best: Creating a universe that runs by certain logical rules, and then exploiting every imaginable possibility of those rules. In this case the rules are Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics (to summarize: 1. Don't kill people. 2. Do what people tell you (except kill them). 3. Don't destroy yourself (unless it's to save someone).) Asimov takes these rules and uses them as a sort of logical game, sometimes making straight-out puzzles out of his stories, sometimes throwing in religion and politics to the mix. It's tightly wound science fiction, and a solid short story collection. (Note: In 2004 this collection was subjected to an in-name-only film adaptation that had little impact on anyone, it's only lasting effect being to make sure Will Smith's face will be plastered to the cover of this book for a few years).
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