Customer Reviews

Robots and Empire

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Asimov, like Heinlein, came, towards the end of his career, to integrate the characters and universes from all of his major works into one huge, interconnected fictional world. This was not his original intention, but it's the way that it worked out. Chronologically, the Robot series is first - which started out in the form of short stories, and then a series of novels, of which this is the fourth - followed by the Empire and then the Foundation series. The third Robot book, The Robots of Dawn, was a sequel for which readers had to wait 25 years for. The next book, this one, came a mere two years after it. Robots and Empire, however, represents a major break from the tradition of the previous Robot books. The three subsequent books were all murder mysteries staring the Earthman Detective Elijah Baley. This book, however, is not a murder mystery, but more of a straightforward story - and Baley has been dead for over 200 years. It picks up where The Robots of Dawn left off, in a slightly different context. This is a fast-moving and quite entertaining book in its own right, and you will certainly want to read it if you enjoyed the previous three novels. It is sometimes painfully obvious, however, that this book was intended solely to provide a smooth transition from the Robot series to the Empire series. Consequently, the book does this job very well, tying up the loose ends from the previous Robot book, and clarifying what would have been several contradictions between the Robot and Empire serieses - the reason for the radioactivity on Earth, the motive behind the immigration of the Earth people, and the fact that there are no robots in the Empire novels, etc. However, this comes with a price: the book is not all that great in and of itself. There is not really that much in the way of plot - certainly not like the great mystery plots in the three previous novels; indeed, even the original robot short stories were more or less mysteries themselves. That said, despite this weakness, the book is still very fast-paced and quite fun and entertaining to read - and, of course, provides the necessary transition between the two serieses. Whatever the book's individual merit, you will want to read it if you plan on going through the series. This vast integration of all these epic stories, this book included, show the visionary and plotting skills of Asimov, and you can not help but marvel at his unquestioned virtuostic abilities. The vast scale of this fictional universe - including also three books by other authors - can be very daunting to the neophyte. I suggest you make use of the several very helpful "Listmania Lists" at Amazon, so that you will know what order in which to read the books, and so that you can start on and enjoy the unparalleled fictional world of Isaac Asimov.

Robot and Empire is another entertaining story from the prolific writer Isaac Asimov. Set many decades after Robots of Dawn, when the Earth detective Elijah Bailey has long ago passed, Robots and Empire tells the story of Dr. Kelden Amadiro's nefarious attempt at destroying Earth and the Settlers. The Auroran Gladia, along with the robots Daneel and Giskard, must go to great lengths to protect Earth and countless lives.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the interaction between the robots Daneel and Giskard. As both characters work at deducing and anticipating Amadiro's motives and actions, it's really interesting to watch the relationship between these two as they provide much needed counsel and assistance to one another. It's very entertaining to follow along as the fly all over the galaxy in an attempt thwart Amadiro's plans. It's even more interesting to see them attempt to circumnavigate the famous 3 Laws of Robotics which they often find hinder, rather than help, their attempts at protecting Earth. I don't think I'm revealing too much to say that Daneel even goes so far as to introduce the Zeroth Law of robotics which is basically the need to protect all of humanity. This plays an integral part in the unfolding of the book.

I was pleased that the whole book moves at a speedy pace(I took less than two days to read this), with nothing seeming trivial or overly drawn out.This book is very entertaining and as it's only the fourth work I've read by Asimov, I'm moved to read more of his books. Perhaps the only real complaint about this book is that the ending is slightly anticlimatic, but rather touching and fitting. If you like Asimov's work, particularly his robot books concerning Elijah Bailey, I think you'll really enjoy this book.

"Robots and Empire" is the conclusion in the awesome science fiction series concerning R. Daneel Olivaw and new partner R. Giskard. Two hundred years have passed and although Elijah Baley has passed away, his influence remains with the technological masterpiece R. Daneel Olivaw and the extraordinarily gifted R. Giskard. Restricted by the Laws of Robotics, Daneel and Giskard must find a way to thwart any plan a certain enemy executes while unable to employ what they consider Elijah's aggressive techniques. Reading about Daneel trying to think like the great detective Elijah is moving and fun. The fond memories the robots and long-lived Spacers elicit make the novel a touching story. The brilliant detective story is a work of art.

Thank you.

I enjoyed this novel! Elijah Baley is long dead (but reappears a couple times in flashbacks) and the heroes in this novel are Daneel, Giskard, and Gladia. It's not a mystery novel like the previous books, just a straightforward novel about a couple Spacers with an evil plot of great destruction. The second half of the book really keeps you glued to the pages as the heroes eventually outwit their enemies. Sort of... Read it to learn what I mean!

The book is a bit shorter than The Robots of Dawn and moves pretty quick. The protagonists cover no less than four worlds (Aurora, Solaria, Baleyworld, Earth) in their attempt to foil their opponents' plans. In the process, Daneel deduces the Zeroeth Law of Robotics! Read the book to find out what it is...

I haven't read the later Empire or Foundation books yet (I'm going in chronological order), but it was still obvious to me that at the end of R&E Asimov sets in motion the future of Earth and the Settlers (Earthmen who colonize other systems). The far future is still uncertain as there are two major possible outcomes, one desirable and the other not. But at least we know what's bound to happen in the next few hundred years.

Ah yes, this might not be the very best Asimov, but it is good reading and prepares the reader first for the three Empire novels and then the Foundation series.

This takes up 200 years after ROBOTS OF DAWN and Elijah Bailey is long dead. However, R. Daneel Olivaw and Giscard continue and are actually the primary movers in this novel, although Gladia, a villainous descendent of hers, a descendent of Elijah's and a continuing villain from the earlier book are all important characters.

There's a lot of rather philosophical dialog between the two robots which slows down the story quite a bit, as they ponder over the ramifications of the three robotic laws and come up the the zeroth law which will in time enable R. Daneel Olivaw to return in later books.

It helps explain how Earth's descendents gain the edge over the spacers in their expansion in the galaxy. It also explains Earth's radioactivity which is referred to in later volumes.

This is straight science fiction without any of the mystery subplotting of the previous novels. There are hints of the types of power struggle which permeate the following books. Also, one must realize that this book and the preceding robot novel were written after the three Empire novels and the Foundation Trilogy.

All in all, a satisfying enough read best enjoyed when read in chronological sequence.

Asimov did not originally plan to tie all the Robot, Empire, and Foundation series together. However, as time went on, that is the direction his novels took, and certain things had to be tied together - e.g. the source of the radioactivity on Earth, the fact that there are no robots in the Empire series, etc. This book is the primary step between the Robot series and the Empire series. The plot surrounds characters familiar to readers of the previous books - the robots Daneel and Giskard, the Spacers Gladia and Amadiro, etc. Elijah Baley, hero of the first three installments, is dead (and has been for 200 year), but he lives on in flashbacks which nicely tie up his life story.

The plot itself is characteristic Asimov - a mystery that's far-reaching in its implications (robots apparently disobeying the 1st Law and murdering humans, and conflict between Earth colonists and Spacers) and that takes a number of twists before its resolution. This book is superior to the early Robot (and Empire) books in that it doesn't try to rush from one cliffhanger to the next, instead telling the story in a smooth and controlled manner.

I enjoyed the book and its style is easy and fun to read. It is a good sequel in that it would be difficult to read on its own, as it's assumed the reader knows the characters and the general situation in the galaxy (Earth vs. Spacer worlds). However, the details of the previous books are not essential to understanding, so it's easy to pick up after not having read the other books for a long time.

Although this is a fairly unusual choice, Robots and Empire is actually my favorite all time science fiction novel that i've read to date. Although Elijah Baley is dead a couple centuries ago, a number of flashbacks sum up the conclusion to his life very nicely. His descendent DG, featured in this book is also a very intriguing character. In addition, this book really explores the issue of advanced robot psychology to a greater extent than earlier novels, with many interisting discussions between Daneel and Giskard. I thought Robots of Dawn was kind of boring and lengthy at parts, but with this one, although it was nearly a hundred pages longer, it kept me a captive reader throughout the whole thing.

Yet again, you feel deeply the personalities of the worlds that are presented. On the one hand, Solaria along with the Spacer worlds in general makes you feel as if they are old and weary people, living in stagnant comfort under the constant pamperage of their millions of robots. And on the other, Earth and its colony worlds, so full of hope and life. In this universe we find R. Daneel Olivaw, still staggering from the death of his dearest friend Lije Baley, and his new robot friend R. Giskard Reventlov beginning to get strange new ideas about protecting humanity as a whole, while their other dearest human friend Gladia goes on a spiritual pilgrimage to Earth and its colonies and discovers much about the nature of life and happiness. Truly touching from a certain perspective.

"Robots and Empire" is the continuation of the robot stories and at the same time is the link to Asimov's empire and foundation novels. Apart from explaining how Earth became radioactive (not by nuclear war as he first intended) it also effectively closes the robot novels with a very satisfying ending. What I particularly like about this story and which makes it much better than "The Robots of Dawn" is that it is set many years after the death of Elijah Baley where the Spacer Worlds no longer play such a significant role as they did in the first novels. Furthermore we visit the Settler world Baley World and the strange Spacer world Solaria. What I miss though is an answer to what really happened to Solaria. In my view we do not get this in later novels either. The robots R. Daneel Olivaw and R. Giskard Reventlov are again key figures and without them the development of humanity and the colonization of the galaxy would at this point probably have stagnated. "Robots and Empire" also contains a description of Elijah Baley's last moments so you do not feel that he is suddenly out of the picture. I think that this is one of Asimov's best novels one of the reasons being that many of the things described in this novel is revisited later in "Foundation and Earth". This is a "must read" for all Asimov fans but do take your time to read at least the first 3 robot novels. It makes this one so much better.

This is the sequel to "The Robots of Dawn" (which happens to be my favorite Asimov Robot novel.) As such, it is must reading for anyone who is a fan of Asimov's Robot and Empire series, as this story unites the two, explains how Planet Earth became a backwater, and explains how unlimited human colonization of the Galaxy begins.

Elijah Bayley is dead, but Robots Giskard and Daneel are carrying on his work, sort of. More would be telling, but this is an interesting story, although not nearly as engaging as "The Robots of Dawn" in my opinion. The novel also has some tiresome anachronisms dealing with nuclear power that already dates it.

This one moves a bit too slowly to fully engage the reader, and it drags at times. Also, in this story Daneel and Giskard start to act in a fashion that I just don't accept. These are machines, and I am not sure that I am persuaded that they can reprogram themselves to act in the manner that this story suggests. Well, the great Asimov created these characters, so I suppose ultimately it was for him to say, but that is my own opinion, as a long-time die-hard Asimov fan.

Overall, all Asimov fans will enjoy this novel, even if it is not, perhaps, Asimov's best.