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I, Robot Paperback – April 29, 2008

by Isaac Asimov (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 10,829 ratings
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This classic science fiction masterwork by Isaac Asimov weaves stories about robots, humanity, and the deep questions of existence into a novel of shocking intelligence and heart.
 
“A must-read for science-fiction buffs and literature enjoyers alike.”—The Guardian

I, Robot, the first and most widely read book in Asimov’s Robot series, forever changed the world’s perception of artificial intelligence. Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-reading robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world—all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asimov’s trademark. 

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 given 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.

With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov formulated the laws governing robots’ behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future—a  future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete.

“Tremendously exciting and entertaining . . . Asimov dramatizes an interesting question: How can we live with machines that, generation by generation, grow more intelligent than their creators and not eventually clash with our own invention?”—The Chicago Tribune
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  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Del Rey
  4. Publication date
    April 29, 2008
  5. Dimensions
    5.45 x 0.54 x 8.19 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    055338256X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0553382563
  8. Lexile measure
    820L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Isaac Asimov began his Foundation Series at the age of twenty-one, not realizing that it would one day be considered a cornerstone of science fiction. During his legendary career, Asimov penned over 470 books on subjects ranging from science to Shakespeare to history, though he was most loved for his award-winning science fiction sagas, which include the Robot, Empire, and Foundation series. Named a Grand Master of Science Fiction by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Asimov entertained and educated readers of all ages for close to five decades. He died, at the age of seventy-two, in April 1992.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

ROBBIE



"Ninety-eight--ninety-nine--one hundred." Gloria withdrew her chubby little forearm from before her eyes and stood for a moment, wrinkling her nose and blinking in the sunlight. Then, trying to watch in all directions at once, she withdrew a few cautious steps from the tree against which she had been leaning.

She craned her neck to investigate the possibilities of a clump of bushes to the right and then withdrew farther to obtain a better angle for viewing its dark recesses. The quiet was profound except for the incessant buzzing of insects and the occasional chirrup of some hardy bird, braving the midday sun.

Gloria pouted, "I bet he went inside the house, and I've told him a million times that that's not fair."

With tiny lips pressed together tightly and a severe frown crinkling her forehead, she moved determinedly toward the two-story building up past the driveway.

Too late she heard the rustling sound behind her, followed by the distinctive and rhythmic clump-clump of Robbie's metal feet. She whirled about to see her triumphing companion emerge from hiding and make for the home-tree at full speed.

Gloria shrieked in dismay. "Wait, Robbie! That wasn't fair, Robbie! You promised you wouldn't run until I found you." Her little feet could make no headway at all against Robbie's giant strides. Then, within ten feet of the goal, Robbie's pace slowed suddenly to the merest of crawls, and Gloria, with one final burst of wild speed, dashed pantingly past him to touch the welcome bark of home-tree first.

Gleefully, she turned on the faithful Robbie, and with the basest of ingratitude, rewarded him for his sacrifice by taunting him cruelly for a lack of running ability.

"Robbie can't run," she shouted at the top of her eight-year-old voice. "I can beat him any day. I can beat him any day." She chanted the words in a shrill rhythm.

Robbie didn't answer, of course--not in words. He pantomimed running instead, inching away until Gloria found herself running after him as he dodged her narrowly, forcing her to veer in helpless circles, little arms outstretched and fanning at the air.

"Robbie," she squealed, "stand still!"--And the laughter was forced out of her in breathless jerks.

--Until he turned suddenly and caught her up, whirling her round, so that for her the world fell away for a moment with a blue emptiness beneath, and green trees stretching hungrily downward toward the void. Then she was down in the grass again, leaning against Robbie's leg and still holding a hard, metal finger.

After a while, her breath returned. She pushed uselessly at her disheveled hair in vague imitation of one of her mother's gestures and twisted to see if her dress were torn.

She slapped her hand against Robbie's torso, "Bad boy! I'll spank you!"

And Robbie cowered, holding his hands over his face so that she had to add, "No, I won't, Robbie. I won't spank you. But anyway, it's my turn to hide now because you've got longer legs and you promised not to run till I found you."

Robbie nodded his head--a small parallelepiped with rounded edges and corners attached to a similar but much larger parallelepiped that served as torso by means of a short, flexible stalk--and obediently faced the tree. A thin, metal film descended over his glowing eyes and from within his body came a steady, resonant ticking.

"Don't peek now--and don't skip any numbers," warned Gloria, and scurried for cover.

With unvarying regularity, seconds were ticked off, and at the hundredth, up went the eyelids, and the glowing red of Robbie's eyes swept the prospect. They rested for a moment on a bit of colorful gingham that protruded from behind a boulder. He advanced a few steps and convinced himself that it was Gloria who squatted behind it.

Slowly, remaining always between Gloria and home-tree, he advanced on the hiding place, and when Gloria was plainly in sight and could no longer even theorize to herself that she was not seen, he extended one arm toward her, slapping the other against his leg so that it rang again. Gloria emerged sulkily.

"You peeked!" she exclaimed, with gross unfairness. "Besides I'm tired of playing hide-and-seek. I want a ride."

But Robbie was hurt at the unjust accusation, so he seated himself carefully and shook his head ponderously from side to side.

Gloria changed her tone to one of gentle coaxing immediately, "Come on, Robbie. I didn't mean it about the peeking. Give me a ride."

Robbie was not to be won over so easily, though. He gazed stubbornly at the sky, and shook his head even more emphatically.

"Please, Robbie, please give me a ride." She encircled his neck with rosy arms and hugged tightly. Then, changing moods in a moment, she moved away. "If you don't, I'm going to cry," and her face twisted appallingly in preparation.

Hard-hearted Robbie paid scant attention to this dreadful possibility, and shook his head a third time. Gloria found it necessary to play her trump card.

"If you don't," she exclaimed warmly, "I won't tell you any more stories, that's all. Not one--"

Robbie gave in immediately and unconditionally before this ultimatum, nodding his head vigorously until the metal of his neck hummed. Carefully, he raised the little girl and placed her on his broad, flat shoulders.

Gloria's threatened tears vanished immediately and she crowed with delight. Robbie's metal skin, kept at a constant temperature of seventy by the high resistance coils within, felt nice and comfortable, while the beautifully loud sound her heels made as they bumped rhythmically against his chest was enchanting.

"You're an air-coaster, Robbie, you're a big, silver air-coaster. Hold out your arms straight. --You got to, Robbie, if you're going to be an air-coaster."

The logic was irrefutable. Robbie's arms were wings catching the air currents and he was a silver 'coaster.

Gloria twisted the robot's head and leaned to the right. He banked sharply. Gloria equipped the 'coaster with a motor that went "Br-r-r" and then with weapons that went "Powie" and "Sh-sh-shshsh." Pirates were giving chase and the ship's blasters were coming into play. The pirates dropped in a steady rain.

"Got another one. --Two more," she cried.

Then "Faster, men," Gloria said pompously, "we're running out of ammunition." She aimed over her shoulder with undaunted courage and Robbie was a blunt-nosed spaceship zooming through the void at maximum acceleration.

Clear across the field he sped, to the patch of tall grass on the other side, where he stopped with a suddenness that evoked a shriek from his flushed rider, and then tumbled her onto the soft, green carpet.

Gloria gasped and panted, and gave voice to intermittent whispered exclamations of "That was nice!"

Robbie waited until she had caught her breath and then pulled gently at a lock of hair.

"You want something?" said Gloria, eyes wide in an apparently artless complexity that fooled her huge "nursemaid" not at all. He pulled the curl harder.

"Oh, I know. You want a story."

Robbie nodded rapidly.

"Which one?"

Robbie made a semi-circle in the air with one finger.

The little girl protested, "Again? I've told you Cinderella a million times. Aren't you tired of it? --It's for babies."

Another semi-circle.

"Oh, well," Gloria composed herself, ran over the details of the tale in her mind (together with her own elaborations, of which she had several) and began:

"Are you ready? Well--once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl whose name was Ella. And she had a terribly cruel step-mother and two very ugly and very cruel step-sisters and--"



Gloria was reaching the very climax of the tale--midnight was striking and everything was changing back to the shabby originals lickety-split, while Robbie listened tensely with burning eyes--when the interruption came.

"Gloria!"

It was the high-pitched sound of a woman who has been calling not once, but several times; and had the nervous tone of one in whom anxiety was beginning to overcome impatience.

"Mamma's calling me," said Gloria, not quite happily. "You'd better carry me back to the house, Robbie."

Robbie obeyed with alacrity for somehow there was that in him which judged it best to obey Mrs. Weston, without as much as a scrap of hesitation. Gloria's father was rarely home in the daytime except on Sunday--today, for instance--and when he was, he proved a genial and understanding person. Gloria's mother, however, was a source of uneasiness to Robbie and there was always the impulse to sneak away from her sight.

Mrs. Weston caught sight of them the minute they rose above the masking tufts of long grass and retired inside the house to wait.

"I've shouted myself hoarse, Gloria," she said, severely. "Where were you?"

"I was with Robbie," quavered Gloria. "I was telling him Cinderella, and I forgot it was dinner-time."

"Well, it's a pity Robbie forgot, too." Then, as if that reminded her of the robot's presence, she whirled upon him. "You may go, Robbie. She doesn't need you now." Then, brutally, "And don't come back till I call you."

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Del Rey; Reprint edition (April 29, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 055338256X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553382563
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 820L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.45 x 0.54 x 8.19 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 10,829 ratings

About the author

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Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov

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Isaac Asimov (/ˈaɪzᵻk ˈæzᵻmɒv/; born Isaak Yudovich Ozimov; circa January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was prolific and wrote or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. His books have been published in 9 of the 10 major categories of the Dewey Decimal Classification.

Asimov wrote hard science fiction and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, he was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers during his lifetime. Asimov's most famous work is the Foundation Series; his other major series are the Galactic Empire series and the Robot series. The Galactic Empire novels are explicitly set in earlier history of the same fictional universe as the Foundation series. Later, beginning with Foundation's Edge, he linked this distant future to the Robot and Spacer stories, creating a unified "future history" for his stories much like those pioneered by Robert A. Heinlein and previously produced by Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson. He wrote hundreds of short stories, including the social science fiction "Nightfall", which in 1964 was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America the best short science fiction story of all time. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French.

Asimov also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as much nonfiction. Most of his popular science books explain scientific concepts in a historical way, going as far back as possible to a time when the science in question was at its simplest stage. He often provides nationalities, birth dates, and death dates for the scientists he mentions, as well as etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Examples include Guide to Science, the three-volume set Understanding Physics, and Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery, as well as works on astronomy, mathematics, history, William Shakespeare's writing, and chemistry.

Asimov was a long-time member and vice president of Mensa International, albeit reluctantly; he described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs". He took more joy in being president of the American Humanist Association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, a crater on the planet Mars, a Brooklyn elementary school, and a literary award are named in his honor.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Phillip Leonian from New York World-Telegram & Sun [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
10,829 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book great, fun, and amazing. They describe the stories as good, distinctive, and escapist fiction. Readers also find the ideas interesting and captivating. They describe the era as timeless, modern, and a great addition to their libraries. Additionally, they appreciate that the robots actually get smarter all through the book. Opinions are mixed on the ease of reading, with some finding it well-written and simple to follow, while others say the style is childish and raw.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityStory qualityThought provokingEraRobotsTimelineEase of readingCharacter development
158 customers mention "Readability"154 positive4 negative

Customers find the book great, fascinating, and fun to read. They say it's a truly amazing novel and surprisingly wholesome. Readers also mention the last two short stories are interesting.

"...Here is a wonderful and timeless collection of nine short stories that all center around a central theme; The Three Laws Of Robotics...." Read more

"...The stories got better throughout the book and the last two were actually quite interesting." Read more

"This book is an excellent read for those curious about our current world and expanding AI...." Read more

"A excellent read. I really like Asimov's writing. The one thing I disliked was the books binding, pages came loose...." Read more

114 customers mention "Story quality"86 positive28 negative

Customers find the stories good, great, and timeless. They appreciate the multiple narratives and classic science fiction. Readers also say the story is laid out chronologically and covers numerous different perspectives.

"...Here is a wonderful and timeless collection of nine short stories that all center around a central theme; The Three Laws Of Robotics...." Read more

"This is a science fiction classic that looked at the future. We will be living in 70 years ago. The tech predictions are not always on target...." Read more

"...Regardless, all nine stories do entertain you, and at the very least, introduce some interesting point on robotics...." Read more

"...Although the first story is charming, others are based on harsh, dismissive, and angry dialogue between the protagonists as they try to solve the..." Read more

101 customers mention "Thought provoking"98 positive3 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, intriguing, and captivating. They say it's full of metaphors and imaginations about what a world could look like if robots ran the show. Readers also mention the ideas are interesting and the stories are entertaining.

"...Asimov has the gift of creating lively, likeable characters with a technical backdrop to his all-to-human stories, and always infuses a bit of humor..." Read more

"...It's logic puzzles on an incredible scale." Read more

"...Gloria. This story is both compelling and relatable, yet it is the only time this appeal is evidentin the novel...." Read more

"...as such reference and build upon one another. Each individual story is entertaining, and sequentially, each introduces another aspect of..." Read more

35 customers mention "Era"28 positive7 negative

Customers find the era of the book timeless, modern, and topical. They say it's a great anthology and vintage Asimov. Readers also mention the retro look is great.

"...The book from an academic standpoint is phenomenal...." Read more

"...works and twists his creation of the three laws of robotics is still very fresh and thought provoking. Big fan then and still a big fan!" Read more

"This book is a timeless classic that remains relevant today as the cornerstone of robots and artificial intelligence in modern science fiction..." Read more

"...Thoughtful, intelligent science fiction. The early Robot books are excellent, the later ones embarrassing as Asimov's reconciliation of Foundation..." Read more

14 customers mention "Robots"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the robots in the book interesting, smarter, and creative. They say it's a brilliant view into how machines think. Readers also mention the book is half philosophy on artificial intelligence and the other half brilliant story-telling.

"...We may not have the 3 laws in place, but it's still a brilliant view into how machines think. It's logic puzzles on an incredible scale." Read more

"...stories do entertain you, and at the very least, introduce some interesting point on robotics...." Read more

"...crowning achievement is the development of a new, more advanced, positronic brain that is far superior to the ones used in their other robots...." Read more

"...With each tale, the robots become a bit more complex, are given more responsibility and things don't always work out as planned...." Read more

12 customers mention "Timeline"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the timeline great, condensed, and fast-paced. They say the stories move along quickly and are infinitely fast in thinking. Readers also mention the transition is seamless and the book is in chronological order.

"...fact that there is little "action" happening in the stories, they move along quickly...." Read more

"...upon one another. Each individual story is entertaining, and sequentially, each introduces another aspect of robotics, or elucidates some..." Read more

"...It is a timely read of the topic." Read more

"...The transition was seamless. If you end up loving his writing style, I recommend checking out his other work...." Read more

72 customers mention "Ease of reading"35 positive37 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the ease of reading the book. Some mention it's well-written, simple to follow, and captivating. However, others say the style is childish, raw, and annoying. They also say the dialogue is not elegant.

"...The writing style here is simple, and easy to read. Despite the fact that there is little "action" happening in the stories, they move along quickly...." Read more

"...I found the first few stories to be very simple and quite tedious, with one dimensional 1950’s-era stereotypes filling all the character roles...." Read more

"...Isaac Asimov has a style of writing that is simple to follow, yet captivating...." Read more

"...So, for me, that style was disappointing, and I quit reading ‘I, Robot’ before the end." Read more

29 customers mention "Character development"16 positive13 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development. Some mention the plot is strongly character-driven, the characters are interesting, and the writing is rich. However, others say the characters lack sophistication and lack one-dimensionality.

"...Asimov has the gift of creating lively, likeable characters with a technical backdrop to his all-to-human stories, and always infuses a bit of humor..." Read more

"...charming, others are based on harsh, dismissive, and angry dialogue between the protagonists as they try to solve the various technical problems..." Read more

"...The characters are interesting, the story is strong, and the overall themes are just as valid today as the day they were written...." Read more

"...Characters come off as sounding smarmy, even insulting, when in fact they were intended to speak straightforwardly and sincerely...." Read more

Entertaining
4 out of 5 stars
Entertaining
Before I recently read I, Robot, the only other book of his that I read was Asimov on Numbers, and that was back in the 1980s. So, thirty years later and I finally read I, Robot -- I will simply report that it was entertaining, and I enjoyed the moral concern and the rules dimension, especially so considering that these chapters were written some 70 years ago.
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Top reviews from the United States

the gunner
5.0 out of 5 stars Asimov was a true visionary.
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2010
Verified Purchase
I, Robot
(1950)

I, Robot contains the following:

Introduction
Robbie
Runaround
Reason
Catch That Rabbit
Liar!
Little Lost Robot
Escape!
Evidence
The Evitable Conflict

It is amazing to me the science fiction writers who
"cut their teeth", so to speak on Asimov. Just read the Introduction/Preface

"I, Robot" For me, reading Asimov is a good starting point to reading Science Fiction. Oh, you could read Norton's Juveniles or Heinlein, but, you can't go wrong with the "Good Doctor" either.

BTW, don't think that if you've seen I, Robot (Widescreen Edition)the movie that you can skip the book. The movie has very little to do with the book. They both had the same title and they both dealt with robots or androids, but that's it.
If you have never read Asimov or looking for somewhere to start, I would highly recommend "I, Robot" as a first glimpse into Asimov's world(s). Here is a wonderful and timeless collection of nine short stories that all center around a central theme; The Three Laws Of Robotics.
The three laws are: 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 given 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.
These laws are the central theme to each individual story, and connecting them is a running theme "Runaround", "Reason", and "Catch That Rabbit". Always under the direst of circumstances, they must figure out the malfunction of the robot before something terrible happens. Very entertaining stories.
Some of the other stories are about Dr. Calvin's personal experiences, such as "Liar" and "Little Lost Robot", but all fall back onto the laws as their basic theme, and whether or not humans will ever accept robots among them.
Once finished with "I, Robot", I very highly recommend the "Foundation" series, one of my favorite Asimov themes, along with the Robot Trilogy and another favorite, "Nightfall". Asimov has the gift of creating lively, likeable characters with a technical backdrop to his all-to-human stories, and always infuses a bit of humor into them.
Truly one of the great masters of Sci-Fi, Asimov is a must-read in my opinion, and "I, Robot" is a wonderful starting point.
Enjoy!

"I, Robot" is the classic science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov. It kicks off the best selling Robot/Foundation series, though when "I, Robot" was first published it was not intended to be a part of any larger series, nor were Robot and Foundation originally connected. While the format of "I, Robot" is loosely a novel, it is truly a collection of short stories that is bridged by a common thread and text that connects all stories together.

The tie that connects these stories together is Susan Calvin, a robopsychologist. At the start of the book, Calvin is retiring from her position at U.S. Robotics. A reporter is trying to get her thoughts on the history of robotics, but not the official position, more of her personal impressions. Calvin was at U.S. Robotics when the first truly "thinking" robots were released for sale and was at the forefront of figuring out why some robots were acting the way they were. The format of "I, Robot" is such that Calvin is essentially giving a little bit of background which moves into the short story, giving an episodic feel to the book.

As the stories move in chronological order, the reader is presented with the evolution of robots, starting with "Robbie", which deals with the relationship a little girl has with her robot, Robbie. Robbie was designed as a playmate for a little girl and her parents feel that she has become too attached to the robot and has forsaken real friends. Robbie is an earlier design robot: large, clunky, and without the ability to speak. The subsequent stories show the development of robots and include: a mind reading robot, a robot who does not believe it is possible that a human could create a robot, and one that may even end up ruling the world.

Through these stories, Asimov has set up the Three Laws of Robotics, which are:

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 the orders given 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.

These Three Laws are the driving force within each of the stories. What is interesting here is that all of the stories are something of a "whodunit". Something is not working exactly right with a robot and it is up to Susan Calvin, or the team of Martin and Donovan to figure out why a robot is not working how it is expected to. Each time, it has something to do with the Three Laws and everything makes sense within the confines of the Three Laws: Calvin, Martin, and Donovan just have to figure out what.

The writing style here is simple, and easy to read. Despite the fact that there is little "action" happening in the stories, they move along quickly. These are stories of humanity and science and the robots seem to fit into both categories at the same time. "I, Robot" is rightly considered a classic of science fiction and these are simple little gems with a depth of complexity that makes everything fit together.

I highly recommend this as a starting point for Asimov, and Science Fiction, for that matter.
Asimov was a true visionary.

If you're looking for an indepth review of how Asinov would put together his short stories go to http://www.amazon.com/review/RPDE80CI9AUW8/ref=cm_srch_res_rtr_alt_1

Gunner May, 2010
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Javery
4.0 out of 5 stars old fashioned but still a good read
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2024
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As a lifelong fan of science fiction, this was the first time I actually read this book, which is one of the pillars of modern sci-fi. The style took some time for me to get used to. The book is essentially a collection of short stories that seem to have been written at different stages of Asimov’s career, and as such, vary in quality. I found the first few stories to be very simple and quite tedious, with one dimensional 1950’s-era stereotypes filling all the character roles. The stories got better throughout the book and the last two were actually quite interesting.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A look at the future
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2024
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This book is an excellent read for those curious about our current world and expanding AI. We may not have the 3 laws in place, but it's still a brilliant view into how machines think. It's logic puzzles on an incredible scale.
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Robert A. Hunt
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2024
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This is a science fiction classic that looked at the future. We will be living in 70 years ago. The tech predictions are not always on target. Who would expect they would be what the technology would mean for our humanity Asimov saw with great clarity.
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Nancy L. Carrancho
5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading in this time of AI
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2024
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Must read to understand our future. A frightening look into a failure to understand what we sow and unintended consequences
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Charlene L Gregory
4.0 out of 5 stars I robot
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2024
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A excellent read. I really like Asimov's writing. The one thing I disliked was the books binding, pages came loose. This is the first book that I have purchased brand new that did stand up to reading. I don't abuse my books because I like to share them.
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R. Charleson
3.0 out of 5 stars A retired scientist revisits this classic
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
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I first read ‘I, Robot’ when I was in High School, in the early 1960s. Ultimately, as an adult, my lab developed an early version of neural network AI. I suspect I was influenced by Asimov, and all the other science fiction novels of that time of my youth.

Now, I was interested in what it would be like to read this book, published in 1950, given that we are at the dawn of actual human-like robots, and AI in all its levels of capacity as it permeates culture and technology.

As others have said, the importance of ‘I, Robot’ is the ideas: the word “robotics” itself, the Three Laws of Robotics, and the positronic brain. In this respect Asimov should be considered a great innovator. Of course, there was no technical explanation of the positronic brain, and Asimov’s robots were gigantic due, in part, to the clunky analogue electronics of the time.

It could be speculated that the positronic brain idea was influenced by the simultaneous development of the transistor, first invented in 1947. Asimov must have known about them and their transformative potential. [A Nobel Prize was given for transistors in 1956].

How much interest did this book generate for me, 60 years later as an experienced scientist? I was disappointed by the story-line development. Although the first story is charming, others are based on harsh, dismissive, and angry dialogue between the protagonists as they try to solve the various technical problems that the developing robotics models present.

After decades of being in science and technology I’ve never been in a situation where competent technologists, or engineers, waste their time cutting each other down in emotional outbursts. That’s not how problems are solved.

This depth of character interaction is reminiscent of the science fiction novelettes published by the “Ace Doubles” of the 1950s. I guess we shouldn’t expect anything else of ‘I, Robot’ from the same era.
So, for me, that style was disappointing, and I quit reading ‘I, Robot’ before the end.
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Andrea Hall-Cuccia
5.0 out of 5 stars Foundational Stories
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2024
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This is a collection of stories that set the groundwork for Asimov's famous robot universe. It's not a linear narrative but rather an assortment of tales that form the whole. These works guided Asimov's other works in the robot universe, namely Caves of Steel and its companion novels. They also influenced many other authors and are well known inside and outside of SF fandom. They're really not required reading for other books in the universe, but they do give you a good grounding.
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Dan
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in Canada on July 28, 2024
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This will never age!
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Bolio
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good reading¡
Reviewed in Mexico on October 20, 2022
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I liked the way that the problems and solutions are explained.
Gives a good chance to think about the AI problem and the possible outcomes from relay on the robots.
Mr Asimov made a remarkable review on our future¡¡
I enjoy it all¡
Thanks¡¡
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Pedro Campos Rodrigues
5.0 out of 5 stars Simplesmente Isaac Asimov
Reviewed in Brazil on July 21, 2022
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Muitas das coisas descritas no livro estão em ritmo de acontecer na realidade! Claro, se você tiver uma visão periférica do futuro.
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Client d'Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Superbe bouquin !
Reviewed in Belgium on October 27, 2024
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Produit conforme à la description et neuf. Livraison dans les temps convenus.
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Wayne Tapper
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 16, 2024
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Entertaining from start to finish
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