Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Robots of Dawn (Robot #3)

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 12,630 ratings · 289 reviews

A millennium into the future two advances have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the Galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov's Robot novels chronicle the unlikely partnership between a New York City detective and a humanoid robot who must learn to work together.

Detective Elijah Baiey is called to the Spacer world Aurora to solve...more

Paperback, 435 pages

Published March 1st 1994 by Spectra (first published 1983)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books

175th out of 2,946 books — 12,386 voters

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Best Science Fiction

89th out of 879 books — 888 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 26, 2007 Punk rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

SF. This is the third in the R. Daneel Olivaw series and Detective Elijah Baley has been sent off-planet to Aurora to investigate a roboticide. He's loaded on a spacer ship, deloused, and then sent to his quarters where he's to remain for the duration of the journey. Everything's so foreign and uncomfortable that Elijah can't help himself when he sees Daneel come through the door -- he hugs him.

These books are all still about the love between a man and his humaniform robot. Over the course of th...more SF. This is the third in the R. Daneel Olivaw series and Detective Elijah Baley has been sent off-planet to Aurora to investigate a roboticide. He's loaded on a spacer ship, deloused, and then sent to his quarters where he's to remain for the duration of the journey. Everything's so foreign and uncomfortable that Elijah can't help himself when he sees Daneel come through the door -- he hugs him.

These books are all still about the love between a man and his humaniform robot. Over the course of the trilogy, Elijah goes from hating robots on principal, to grudgingly working with one, to actively liking Daneel, to thinking of him not as a robot, but as a friend. Elijah overcomes his prejudices (most of them), opens his mind, and starts considering alternate ways of thinking, spearheading a movement to return earthlings to the soil and send them out into space to relieve the stress on an already crowded Earth. This book is a little less Elijah/Daneel intensive because Daneel spends a lot of his time on Aurora chillin' in a wall niche, but there's still plenty of love. Actual textual love. Observe:

"Yes, Dr. Vasilia. My choice in the matter -- the Earthman over you -- arises not only out of Dr. Fastolfe's instructions, but because the Earthman and I are partners in this investigation and because--" Daneel paused as though puzzled by what he was about to say, and then said it anyway, "--we are friends."

Vasilia said, "Friends? An Earthman and a humaniform robot? Well, there is a match. Neither quite human."

Baley said, sharply, "Nevertheless bound by friendship. Do not, for your own sake, test the force of our--" Now it was he who paused and, as though to his own surprise, completed the sentence impossibly, "--love."

Love! I was eating crackers at the time and nearly choked. The really fabulous thing about all this is the suggestion that it's a just a short hop away from Daneel and Elijah actually being in love. After all, this is the book that introduces the phrase "robot husband" and features Elijah thinking he'd cuddle up to Daneel for comfort if only he were human. And then he pretty much does it anyway. I'm telling you, all about the love.(less)

like 10 likes · see review

Mar 07, 2010 Raj rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, whodunnit

Plainclothesman Elijah Baley is back in space, sent by Earth at the request of Aurora, the oldest and most powerful of the Spacer worlds, to investigate the 'murder' of a humanoid robot. At stake is not just his own career, but the entire future of Earth and the future Galactic Empire.

It was in this book that Asimov starts sowing the seeds to start connecting his Galactic Empire/Foundation books with his Robot series, with one of the characters explicitly talking about psychohistory in a chain t...more

like 5 likes · see review

Nov 15, 2010 Giacomo Boccardo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Elijah Baley ha ormai più di quarant’anni. Contro gli usi e la morale comuni, Elijah promuove un movimento volto a riavvicinare la popolazione al mondo esterno rispetto agli “abissi d’acciaio” in cui gli abitanti della Terra vivono. Questo nell’ottica di una futura colonizzazione di altri pianeti, idea balenata nella testa di Elijah dopo le vicende avvenute pochi anni prima, narrate in “Abissi d’Acciaio” e “Il Sole Nudo“, che gli hanno fatto capire l’importanza della colonizzazione spaziale per...more Elijah Baley ha ormai più di quarant’anni. Contro gli usi e la morale comuni, Elijah promuove un movimento volto a riavvicinare la popolazione al mondo esterno rispetto agli “abissi d’acciaio” in cui gli abitanti della Terra vivono. Questo nell’ottica di una futura colonizzazione di altri pianeti, idea balenata nella testa di Elijah dopo le vicende avvenute pochi anni prima, narrate in “Abissi d’Acciaio” e “Il Sole Nudo“, che gli hanno fatto capire l’importanza della colonizzazione spaziale per la salvaguardia della razza terrestre, confinata sulla Terra dagli Spaziali.

In questo contesto, le capacità di Elijah vengono richieste sul pianeta Aurora, dove un robot umanoide presenta un danneggiamento mentale tale da essere irreversibile e, perciò, considerato al pari dello stato di morte umana. Elijah è il primo terrestre a mettere piede su Aurora dopo l’epoca dei primi colonizzatori ed il suo compito è quello di dimostrare l’innocenza del dottor Han Fastolfe, autoproclamatosi come l’unico in grado di poter indurre in un robot un totale congelamento mentale senza lasciare alcuna traccia. Con la morte di Jander Panell, l’unico robot umanoide esistente risulta essere Daneel Olivaw, primo ed unico prototipo della sua specie. Tuttavia, lo stesso dottore dichiara la propria innocenza adducendo come spiegazione un fatto da lui stesso ritenuto enormemente improbabile, quale un evento spontaneo verificatosi nei circuiti positronici del cervello del robot che abbia indotto tale stato di congelamento mentale.

Elijah si trova dunque ad affrontare un enigma apparentemente insolubile, conscio che un suo fallimento lo porterebbe ad essere il capro espiatorio per il governo terrestre, rovinandogli tanto la vita personale quanto quella professionale, così come verrebbero destabilizzati i rapporti tra Aurora e la Terra. A rendere ancora più complessa la situazione è l’incontro con Gladia Delmarre, conosciuta in precedenza su Solaria nel corso delle vicende narrate ne “Il Sole Nudo“: anche lei è implicata nella vicenda poiché Jander Panell le era stato prestato da Fastolfe.

Il resto della recensione presso http://snurl.com/4bbfh .

(less)

like · see review

May 13, 2013 Charles Zigmund rated it 5 of 5 stars

Isaac Asimov's later science fiction novels were written at the insistence of his publisher. He had turned from writing science fiction in the 1950s to churning out scores of books of fact -- on science, history, Shakespeare, the Bible and other subjects, for many years. For whatever reason, esthetics or profits, his publisher was not about to see a great science fiction writer permanently retire from the genre that had made him famous, and started demanding more SF. Asimov complied, and began w...more

like · see review

May 04, 2013 Parallel Worlds rated it 4 of 5 stars

Intended Audience: Adult

Sexual content: Y

Ace/Genderqueer characters: Y

Rating: PG-13/R for sexual content

Writing style: 4/5

Likable characters: 3/5

Plot/Concents: 4/5
Elijah Baley has returned from Solaria a changed man, much more open to the idea of settling other worlds now that he is not so dependent on the womblike Cities of Earth. Normally he’d be thrilled at a chance to visit Aurora, the crown jewel of the Spacer worlds, but not when it’s to solve yet another impossible murder. If he doesn’t...more

like · see review

Jan 29, 2013 Sakacaca rated it 5 of 5 stars

*Clap Clap...
La verga de judas invertida... este es el mejor libro de Asimov que me he leido hasta la fecha. Este libro continua la historia, creo que un par de años despues del Naked Sun. Leyendo la biografia de Asimov, el mae lo escribio un pingazo de tiempo despues y se nota, es diferente. Los primeros dos no le llegan a la cintura a este 3er libro de al serie. No se si es por los dos anteriores o por el hecho que el misterio a resolver en verdad parece imposible pero... es un arte puesta en...more

like 2 likes · see review

Dec 22, 2012 Jacob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The third novel in the chronicles of Baley and his humaniform robot pal Daneel. This book contains the same pluses as the other two: beige and lightly purple prose, a nice mystery that isn't utterly impenetrable (although there is one element in the tale I'm sure others would find that would make this claim particular of mine seem forced), fully fleshed-out world with its own psychology and society and social problems, etc. This novel is has some detractions though. Daneel slides fully into robo...more

like · see review

Dec 06, 2012 sologdin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nerd-boiled, speculative

Nutshell: always already famous detective concerns himself with the setting-significant wrongful decommission of an AI dildo.

Elijah is preceded in all his endeavors by the hyperreal version of himself from a "hyperwave dramatization," produced regarding the events of The Naked Sun (5). Everyone whom he meets mentions it--so the point of the novel in some ways is that the Real must tirelessly overcome a precession of hyperreality. Part of the hyperreality of the setting is the simulation of human...more Nutshell: always already famous detective concerns himself with the setting-significant wrongful decommission of an AI dildo.

Elijah is preceded in all his endeavors by the hyperreal version of himself from a "hyperwave dramatization," produced regarding the events of The Naked Sun (5). Everyone whom he meets mentions it--so the point of the novel in some ways is that the Real must tirelessly overcome a precession of hyperreality. Part of the hyperreality of the setting is the simulation of human persons in robot slave laborers. Sexuality is likewise affected by the precession of the hyperreal: after using AI dildo aforesaid, one character considers "real" sex to be "an unsatisfactory substitute" (141). We find, also, that, sans decay, "a robot corpse is much more human than a human corpse" (144). Eventually, even the simulated humans (i.e., robots) are revealed to be preceded by hyperreality, via reputation and hyperwave dramas (279). It's almost as though Baudrillard wrote this novel, and the identity of human and robot is plainly established with "the robot had no feelings, only positronic surges that mimicked feelings. (And perhaps human beings had no feelings, only neuronic surges that were interpreted as feelings.)" (304).

Other reviewers have noted the tidy progression of Elijah, from robotophobe to robot-lover in this novel. A nice moment occurs early, what is likely the anagnorisis, when Elijah "was faintly horrified to realize that he would be ready to risk his life for [Daneel Olivaw]" (49). What we have here is revolution at the level of the individual: Elijah disagrees with himself, i.e., the old arriere garde robotophobe ideology has come into confrontation with the narrative of robot rights, newly generated by his affection for a particular person. It's good stuff, and bears out well through the novel.

More FTL magic: "the ship merely left the universe and traversed something which involved no speed limit" (45).

Cool development regarding telepathic robots, first presented as a legend (79), but later revealed to be more substantial, with setting-significant implications, including psychohistory, the Zeroth Law, and so on. Psychohistory is expressly discussed, as the "laws of humanics" (104). The Zeroth is telegraphed numerous times, such as "we have labored to produce a planet which, taken as a whole, would obey the Three Laws of Robotics" and "does nothing to harm human beings" (101), or Elijah's command to Daneel "Don't worry about me; I'm one man; worry about billions" (313).

Nice link to The End of Eternity, regarding the failure of earthlings to encounter intelligent life despite spreading across space (102).

So, yeah, this is why I love Asimov--instead of saying Robots be fuckin', yo, we get stuff like: "Nothing was lacking and those portions which might be expected to be erectile were, indeed, erectile. Indeed, they were under what, in a human, would be called conscious control. [AI dildo] could tumesce and detumesce on order" (140).

Recommended for those part of the consensus of robotic rights, persons who can tell what exists inside the pseudoskin and pseudoconsciousness of the robot, and readers who assume a property right to a particular facet of progress.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Oct 19, 2012 Marco rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: english, sci-fi

In the third volume of Asimov's "Robot" series all the characters of the previous books (Elijah, Daneel, Gladia) are back. The book was written more than 20 years after the first two, and it shows. It is quite interesting to witness the cultural changes occurred in those 2 decades while reading the books. While I was reading the first two volumes, I was quite surprised by the prevalent gender inequality in the "future" societies described in the books. It was rather funny to see the shortcoming...more

like · see review

Sep 19, 2012 Eric Herboso rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: soft-science-fiction

With the introduction of Daneel's friend Giskard, the precursors of psychohistory begin here in the Robots of Dawn. As the next novel in Asimov's scifi series, this whodunit will please mystery fans and fans of the great Asimov epic alike. Not only are the events of this book integral to what occurs in future books, but the twist in the ending will take you by surprise, even after providing several clues you'll likely miss.

Those who are rereading the Asimov series of scifi books will truly appre...more

like · see review

Aug 23, 2012 Sesana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Really 3.5 stars, and my least favorite of Asimov's Robot books. The story heavily features characters talking (and talking...) about sex in the most detached and clinical terms possible. It also includes a major character casually committing adultery with no thought of the spouse. Nice.

And yet, I still liked it. Asimov is a skilled writer, and I greatly enjoyed seeing Baley and Daneel again. The mystery solution took me somewhat by surprise this time. There are a lot of connections between his...more

like 2 likes · see review

Dec 10, 2011 Jim rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm a fan of Isaac Asimov: for that reason, I do NOT recommend this book. I do like the basic story, when you can find it.

This is the third in a series of SF/whodunit/Robot books. It started with Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun, written in the ‘50s. This one was written 30 years later. We have the detective back, and a reuse of a couple characters previously encountered.

He references a couple of his short stories/novellas as ancient folklore, which is entertaining for the fan.
--He references “L...more I'm a fan of Isaac Asimov: for that reason, I do NOT recommend this book. I do like the basic story, when you can find it.

This is the third in a series of SF/whodunit/Robot books. It started with Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun, written in the ‘50s. This one was written 30 years later. We have the detective back, and a reuse of a couple characters previously encountered.

He references a couple of his short stories/novellas as ancient folklore, which is entertaining for the fan.
--He references “Liar” (compilation “I, Robot”), which is a fun story.
--He indirectly references The Bicentennial Man (compilation “The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories,” expanded to the novel “The Positronic Man”): one person is called “Little Miss” and the statement “a robot that was supposed to have undergone ‘gradual humanization’." A more thought provoking story, if you allow it to be.
--I think I’ve forgotten another that I noticed, but c’est la vie.

He also references forward to the Foundation series. He speaks of human expansion to a galactic empire (currently Earth plus 50 planets inhabited) and references psychohistory. I particularly dislike the introduction of even the word “psychohistory” here, as I think it dilutes its use if one goes on to read the foundation series.

Late in life he attempted to tie all his novels together into one continuous timeline, and it appears he had that in mind when he wrote this. To be blunt, I thought that was stupid, but that’s not why I disliked this novel.

Long clinical type discussion of the sexual mores of the three planets involved. If you missed it the first time, or second time, or third time, don’t worry, he assumes you’re as slow as his detective seems to be on understanding these concepts. But don’t worry, he does throw in a real encounter, abstract enough to not be too ‘offensive’ and in such a way as to almost not be adultery, but at least he thinks of his wife momentarily (that is, he’s ill and isn’t quite sure it is real).

The dichotomy of brilliance and ignorance of the detective bothered me. Too many tangential conversations annoyed me, as he did not have much time and wanted to keep his interviews focused.

I don’t know how much of Asimov I’m going to re-read (I’ve read all of his SF and several of his mysteries), but it’s been a long time since I’ve read them, and I’m (for the most part) enjoying it. I believe you could probably skip this book and between the first two and the next/last of the Robot SF/Mystery series (Robots and Empire) you could fill in all the blanks.

What is sort of enjoyable is these are also, sometimes, referred to as the Lije Baley novels (or Elijah Baley novels) even though the last only has his influence and not his character, since he dies prior to the timeline of the last book.
(less)

like 1 like · see review

Oct 17, 2010 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, sf-adventures-investigations-and-mi, award-nominee-hugo, multiple-award-nominee, award-nominee-locus

4.0 stars. This is either the third or fourth book in the Robot series (depending on whether you want to include the short story collection I, Robot as the first book in the series. In this book, written in 1983, begins the process of integrating the Robot series with Asimov's Foundation series and provides an explanation regarding why robots are not part of the Galactic Empire of the Foundation series. It also does a credible job of planting the seeds of the science of psychohistory made so fam...more

like 6 likes · see review

Mar 21, 2010 Thermalsatsuma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

Another case of murder for Detective Elijah Baley and his robot partner R. Daneel Olivaw to investigate, but what makes this case unusual is that the victim is an advanced robot who has been placed into a state of irreversible mental lock. The only person with sufficient skill in robotics to have done such a thing is the robot's designer Dr Fastolfe who happens to be Earth's only ally in a political schism between Earth and the Spacer worlds. Is this a plot to discredit the progressive faction o...more

like 1 like · see review

May 30, 2009 The_Mad_Swede rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, 2009, asimov

The third of Asimov's Robot novels, following after The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun, has plainsclothesman Elijah Baley from Earth once more team up with R. Daneel Olivaw to solve a mystery. This time it is a matter of roboticide and on the leading Spacer planet Aurora. Baley is called in and has to make full use of his deductive skills under pressing circumstances, the least of which not being his having to venture abroad on the outside.

Asimov clearly grew into a more skilled writer in term...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jul 24, 2012 Scott Rhee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The third book in Isaac Asimov's robot series, "Robots of Dawn", finds Earth detective Elijah Bailey reunited with his robot partner, Daneel Olivaw, on the planet Aurora. Sent to solve the "murder" of another humaniform robot (like Daneel, a robot that looks and, for the most part, acts like a real human), Bailey and Olivaw begin to uncover some shocking secrets about the seemingly utopian society of Aurora, and before they know it, they are caught up in a conspiracy that has deadly consequences...more

like · see review

Jul 27, 2011 Sparrow rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay sooo I was sure I had added this to my collection, seeing as how I read it in summer.....
But anyway. Biggest flaw of this book: Gladia. She's so... ew. Such a typical and boring and completely uninspiring female character (even in robots and empire, she's less than amazing, though a bit more tolerable). Annnd the villians aren't exactly amazingly original either. At all. BUT despite all that, I enjoyed the book because it introduces the wonderful and lovelable GISKARD, creator of psychohist...more

like · see review

Jan 22, 2011 Gergely rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, fiction, 20th-century

I'm rereading Asimov's robot series now, after about 12 years, and now in original version, not translation. I remembered I liked this book a lot but I forgot how many details are to this book. Or maybe, being much younger and less experienced, I couldn't appreciate the intricacies of the story? Also appreciated all the little forward-references to stories later (according to Asimov's chronology) in the Foundation series (since those were written before this book).

One unmistakable aspect of the...more

like · see review

Aug 13, 2009 Oleg Kagan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Asimov's worlds are always amazing. This, the third of a four-book series was no exception.

Much of the book was the Earth Detective Elijah Bailey moving around interviewing people and dealing with his agoraphobia. The suspense built as the plot became tighter, making me itch to drive so I can listen to what will happen next.

Two points to note:
- Asimov is a master of logic, as is his character Elijan Bailey. However, sometimes the logic steels the plot from the fact that people will behave in il...more

like 1 like · see review

Cathy Are audio versions of Asimov's books widely available? I'm on a kick, reading chronologically from Complete Robot to the last Foundation book. It migh...more
Sep 10, 2009 09:51pm

Oleg Kagan Catherine wrote: "Are audio versions of Asimov's books widely available? I'm on a kick, reading chronologically from Complete Robot to the last Founda...more
Sep 11, 2009 12:48am

Cathy Thanks, my library system is very good, so I bey I could find them. I'm so slow with audios now that I don't drive much, I think I'll keep going on my...more
Sep 11, 2009 03:37am

Jun 11, 2012 Bob rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Isaac Asimov began his robot series with a series of short stories in I, Robot in the early 1950s. Over the course of the next few years, I, Robot was joined by The Naked Sun and by the Caves of Steel. It was not until 1984 that Asimov completed the series with The Robots of Dawn.

The murder mystery series follows Earth Detective Elijah Bailey as he is called upon to solve murders involving the "spacers", a group of humans who left Earth generations before. The Spacers advanced in many ways, whil...more

like · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Robots of Dawn is the third book in Issac Asimov's Robot Series.

Elijah Baley of Earth has been summoned to the spacer world Aurora to solve the roboticide of the humaniform robot, Jander Panel. Jander Panel's inventor, Master Roboticist Han Fastolfe, is a prominent member of an Auroran political party, and being the most intelligent and gifted roboticist in the galaxy, has been implicated in the robotic crime.

Incidentally, Fastolfe is also the biggest supporter of having Earth join the Space...more

like · see review

Jun 02, 2012 David Sarkies rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

This story would fall into the later works of Isaac Asimov, after he returned to writing fiction after spending almost two to three decades exclusively writing non-fiction, and in many cases it shows. One of the most noticeable things that you will see between the two periods of Asimov's fiction writing is that he is a lot more comfortable writing about sex and relationships in his later novels. In his earlier novels it simply does not seem to exist. However this is not surprising considering t...more This story would fall into the later works of Isaac Asimov, after he returned to writing fiction after spending almost two to three decades exclusively writing non-fiction, and in many cases it shows. One of the most noticeable things that you will see between the two periods of Asimov's fiction writing is that he is a lot more comfortable writing about sex and relationships in his later novels. In his earlier novels it simply does not seem to exist. However this is not surprising considering this almost reflects the changes in social views of sex during the intervening period.
This novel is a continuation of two of Asimov's earlier sci-fi/mystery novels starring the plainclothesman Elijah Bailey and his robotic partner Daniel Olivaw. Obviously this was not Asimov's first foray into writing crime novels as he had done this a number of times in the past, and not necessarily involving robots and science-fiction elements. However I have not read any of his other mystery novels (with the exception of Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun) so I really cannot comment on how he writes otherwise. However, Robots of Dawn does meet the high standard of Asimov's earlier novels with the added element of a lot more experience than you previously see (though his Foundation trilogy is still by far his best).
Asimov seems to use some platonic elements in his writings in that much of the book involves dialogue between two people exploring some esoteric or imaginative concept. Like many Platontic Dialogues, it involves one person (usually Bailey) asking questions and using the questions to move the reader through to a specific idea that he is exploring. However, unlike Plato, he does not draft it simply as philsophy but rather intermeshes it into a novel (which is something that simply did not exist in Plato's time).
One of the main elements that seems to come out of this novel is the exploration of robots as a means of sexual relief. In many of Asimov's other novels he seems to stumble over relationships and sex and in some cases it seems to be tacked on to the end and does not allow the novel to flow quite well. However this is not the case here as he seems to be able to weave it into the story and to be able to create a bit of believability as well as a flow through the novel. I guess the reason for this is because it plays a significant role in the story and the mystery as a whole. The idea of sex with robots is something that I have encountered before, but it is not something that has really arisin in our society as yet simply because our technology is nowhere near as advanced. While we do have very primitive robots, it seems that our robotic technologies simply have not evolved the way Asimov has pictured. In many way our robots are simply remote controlled drones that are controlled by a very limited program. Even then, we are still attempting (and failing) to create cars that drive themselves.
Another idea that Asimov explores, or rather expands upon, is the conflict between the Spacer and Earth communities. This is something that he began in Caves of Steel and continued in The Naked Sun. In this future, Earth has began to colonise planets, but after a time the colonists, known as Spacers, prevented any more people from leaving Earth, turning Earth into a crowded planet where people huddle in their underground cities and are fearful of open spaces. The Spacer worlds have developed differently, with Robots begin an accepted part of society and the people themselves becoming much more longer lived. In a way it seems that it is an allegory of many of our nations today where us white people seems to want to prevent other races from succeeding in the same way that we have for fear of them overrealming us. Unfortunately, the more we try to oppress them them more that they fight back.
Maybe the allegory is reading a little too much into this story, but it is clear that there is a superiority attitude among the spacers of the earth people, and also a noticeable fear of them overrunning them if they were allowed to leave Earth. It is a bit strange though because in the later books in the time line (such as Foundation) it does not appear that people live as long as the Spacers do, and that the occupants of the galaxy have reverted to the standard Earthling age. I guess this is one of the inconsistencies that Asimov never managed to iron out when he decided to bring his Robot stories and his Galactic Empire stories into the same universe, though the destruction of the robots is something that he did manage to do. I guess we will find out a lot more when we get to Robots and Empire, the last of the Asimov Robot/Galactic Empire novels that I am to read.(less)

like · see review

May 10, 2011 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, sci-fi, series

I think that I would have really liked to know Isaac Asimov. I am usually too lazy to add photos into my reviews (Applause for all you creative types out there!) but I had to share this photo from the jacket of my book:

I mean, Jehoshaphat! Have mutton chops, nerd glasses, and a bolo tie ever been so adorable? I know I don’t think so. He was, by all accounts, an incredibly brainy person (He was the vice-president of Mensa!), but, to me, his humble, plain-speaking nature really comes across in hi...more

like 6 likes · see review

May 08, 2009 Fiona Moyler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I think whether or not you are facinated with artificial intelligence will determine whether you enjoy this book. For sure, there is a fairly interesting detective story going on, but other than that the book is very long exploration of human relationships (sexual and otherwise) with robots. I really like delving into what nearly-human robots would mean for humanity so I loved the book. Admittedly for the first few hundred pages it was quite repetitive (no one on this planet could have killed hi...more

like · see review

May 13, 2013 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

*4.4
I love how Asimov keeps things interesting. That is, the plots in all three of these books so far are connected, yet vary enough to keep things interesting. This time it shifts from him solving a mystery - that is, finding a culprit - to proving someone innocent. And he once again strikes a remarkable balance between outright telling the reader the answer and allowing the answer to stem from nowhere [cough Sherlock Holmes]; I found myself shocked I hadn't realized the answer/inconsistencies...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 29, 2011 melydia rated it 3 of 5 stars

This time around, Baley is sent to Daneel’s home planet of Aurora, the first and most arrogant of the spacer worlds, to solve the "murder" of Jander the robot. Along the way he must deal with his own crippling agoraphobia, the Auroran prejudice against Earthmen, and foreign sexual mores. That last bit was the most unexpected: the lengthy and detailed discussions of sex and sexual practices, compared and contrasted among Earth, Aurora, and Solaria. I had trouble not thinking about Asimov’s doofy...more

like · see review

Jul 11, 2011 Silvio Curtis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Elijah Baley and Robot Daneel Olivaw are main characters as in The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun. Gladia Delmarre, who Baley meets on Solaria in The Naked Sun, also reappears, and Baley and Daneel are assisted by a second robot. Han Fastolfe, an expert roboticist and politician from the planet Aurora, comes under suspicion of deliberately burning out a robot, and drags Baley in to try to clear him and save his political standing. The circumstances put Baley's own career and Earth's role in th...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 02, 2011 Coyotejoe2 rated it 2 of 5 stars

First,,, thing that I learned,, do not read a book from a series with over a 10 years gap in between books. I should have learned this with the gun slinger series.

This book is a lot like how the Blues Brother got there first gig in the movie. They drive around in the dark for hours or 400 pages and then at the end just pick the first thing they see. This book only needed to be 18 pages long. The conversation between characters is like listening to Doctoral dissertation on different subjects. Th...more

like · see review

Apr 15, 2013 Anthony rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, science-fiction

This is the third in the Elijah Bailey detective/robot series by Isaac Asimov. I will be forever grateful to this novel - it opened up the genre of written science fiction to me. Up an until 1989 (while still a teenager), I had read nothing more than novelised Doctor Who stories. After reading this novel (in 1989), I raced out and bought the first two novels in the series ('The Caves of Steel'; and 'The Naked Sun') and then onto more Asimov, followed by Arthur C Clarke and more.

My memories of '...more This is the third in the Elijah Bailey detective/robot series by Isaac Asimov. I will be forever grateful to this novel - it opened up the genre of written science fiction to me. Up an until 1989 (while still a teenager), I had read nothing more than novelised Doctor Who stories. After reading this novel (in 1989), I raced out and bought the first two novels in the series ('The Caves of Steel'; and 'The Naked Sun') and then onto more Asimov, followed by Arthur C Clarke and more.

My memories of 'The Robots of Dawn' had been romanticised. Having just completed reading the novel, for the second time, I was disappointed. My memories had made it more than it was. Furthermore, my memories also bled together with another novel, since a lot a of events that I was expecting to happen didn't occur. I must have been remembering 'Robots and Empire', another story by Asimov that more strongly ties his Robot novels and his Galactic Empire novels (i.e. Foundation series) together.

So, 'The Robots of Dawn' sees Elijah Bailey being invited to Aurora to investigated the 'death' (possible 'murder') of a humaniform robot. Upon arrival, most of the "action" is in the form of dialog as Elijah Bailey sets about trying to solve the mystery. And there is a lot of dialog. Elijah Bailey, has overcome most of his fear of being outdoors, so this avenue cannot be explored much. The direction that is now explored is human reliance on automation; while also continuing to explore the fact that humans like to build fences (i.e. to wall themselves in).

There are very overt links with 'Foundation' - Asimov obviously trying to tie his universe together.

Towards the end of his life, for me, Asimov's story telling suffered. It was loosing subtlety, care and that romantic nature of exploring the universe. And having just re-read 'The Robots of Dawn', this seems to be where that transition commenced.

There is something like 26 years between the publication of 'The Naked Sun' (the second book in the series, published 1957) and 'The Robots of Dawn' (published 1983). In some ways, the gap in years between the two novels isn't that noticeable, such as Elijah Bailey behaving as he did in the first two novels (with a little character development). I think the main difference is the long-winded nature of telling the story. However, the very last chapter was worth it. It produced a sense of melancholy and hope - at the same time. Unfortunately, my romantic memories of the story have been ruined and for that I am sad.(less)

like · see review

May 02, 2012 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-fiction, sci-fi

This installment of the Robots series seemed to me to be the one most focused on addressing the question of what it means to be human. Asimov juxtaposes robot and human behavior throughout the book to demonstrate that, what appears to be human weakness and inferiority, is actually what makes us *superior* to robots. Our strength is not mechanical, it's emotional. We don't perform millions of calculations per second, but we can determine the human value of a well-thought phrase or punishment for...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (47)

More editions...

Genres

Science Fiction

502 users

Mystery

87 users

Science Fiction > Robots

53 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

44 users

Mystery > Detective

21 users

Classics

19 users

Novels

15 users

Mystery > Crime

13 users

Fantasy

9 users

Science > Technology

8 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov was a Russian-born, American author, a professor of biochemistry, and a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books.

Professor Asimov is generally considered the most prolific writer of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. He has works published in nine of the te...more Isaac Asimov was a Russian-born, American author, a professor of biochemistry, and a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books.

Professor Asimov is generally considered the most prolific writer of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. He has works published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System (lacking only an entry in the 100s category of Philosophy).

Asimov is widely considered a master of the science-fiction genre and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, 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, both of which he later tied into the same fictional universe as the Foundation Series to create 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 penned numerous short stories, among them "Nightfall", which in 1964 was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America the best short science fiction story of all time, a title many still honor. He also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as a great amount of nonfiction. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French.

Most of Asimov's popularized 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 his Guide to Science, the three volume set Understanding Physics, and Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery.

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, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, a Brooklyn, NY elementary school, and two different Isaac Asimov Awards are named in his honor.

----------------------------------------
Isaac Asimov. (2007, November 29). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:50, November 29, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t...(less)

More about Isaac Asimov...

Books by Isaac Asimov

The Foundation Trilogy (Foundation, #1-3)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Robots Of Dawn

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Robots of Dawn
avg rating	preview: The Robots of Dawn Goodreads rating: 4.02 (12630 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41810.The_Robots_of_Dawn?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351030933l/41810.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41810.The_Robots_of_Dawn?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov[/url]

The Robots of Dawn (Robot #3)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website