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The Caves of Steel

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The late Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992) is one of my all-time sci-fi favorite writers. He is a distinguished member of the old "hard sci-fi" school that populated the `50s.

I've read this novel when I was a teenager in the mythical Argentinean sci-fi magazine "Mas Alla". It was published serialized in #11, 13 & 14, I waited eagerly the first week of every month to buy it. I've treasured my collection for more than 40 years. Time and again I reread the most outstanding novels and short stories kept there as in a time shell.

This story is the first step of a long friendship between the earthling New York detective Elijah Baley and the robot Spacer detective R. Daneel Olivaw.
Situated in a far future Earth, Humankind has divided in Spacers who dwell scattered in fifty worlds and Earthlings that remain in the Mother World, inhabiting overcrowded underground cities. Both groups distrust and despise the other.
An important Spacer is murdered and the interworld situation is critical. Elijah is put in charge of the investigation, but the Spacers force him to take R. Daneel as his partner.
Earthlings had deep rooted prejudices against robots and Baley is not an exception. On this background Asimov construct a many layered novel. At one level is a detective's story at another one a study on alien cultures interacting. In another level is a classical two unlikely police partners trying to solve a crime and getting around their differences (as in "48 hours" or "Mortal Weapon").
In a classical Asimovan way, each chapter introduces new elements and characters to the action until at last everything squares to a satisfactory ending.

Both partners will continue their adventures and mystery solving in "The Naked Sun" and "Robots of Dawn". R. Daneel will resurface at the closing volumes of the "Foundation" saga.

Enjoy one of Asimov's earlier major works!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.