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Robot #0.3
The Complete Robot
THE COMPLETE ROBOT is the definitive anthology of Asimov's stunning visions of a robotic future...
In these stories, Isaac Asimov creates the Three Laws of Robotics and ushers in the Robot Age: when Earth is ruled by master-machines and when robots are more human than mankind.
In these stories, Isaac Asimov creates the Three Laws of Robotics and ushers in the Robot Age: when Earth is ruled by master-machines and when robots are more human than mankind.
688 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 9, 1982
1360 people are currently reading
12885 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,337 books27.8k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 754 reviews
June 23, 2022
Asimov wrote 37 short stories set in and around his Robot series, this book contains 31 of them. The stories pretty much sum up Asimov's contribution to robotics (he invented the word) in sci-fi and the real world, because unlike most of his peers he mostly saw robots as a tool for the growth of human kind and most of the issues around them being logistical, technological, psychological etc.
After reading a fair amount of Asimov's Robot series this year (2021), his ideas and writing were still captivating enough to grab my attention, but with the same mind and reality involved story after story did start to feel repetitive in 31 story, 600+ pages book. The cream of the crop, and deservedly made into a movie is Asimov's Robot-as-pathos story - The Bicentennial Man (10 out of 12, Five Star Read)... the overall collection I rate around 7 out of 12, Three Stars. :)
Note: All the short stories in The Rest of the Robots appear in this collection.
2021 read
After reading a fair amount of Asimov's Robot series this year (2021), his ideas and writing were still captivating enough to grab my attention, but with the same mind and reality involved story after story did start to feel repetitive in 31 story, 600+ pages book. The cream of the crop, and deservedly made into a movie is Asimov's Robot-as-pathos story - The Bicentennial Man (10 out of 12, Five Star Read)... the overall collection I rate around 7 out of 12, Three Stars. :)
Note: All the short stories in The Rest of the Robots appear in this collection.
2021 read
August 3, 2022
3.5(3.4)/5 ⭐
or 105.5/155
"Human beings can tolerate an immortal robot, for it doesn’t matter how long a machine lasts. They cannot tolerate an immortal human being, since their own mortality is endurable only so long as it is universal.”
’The Complete Robot’ by Isaac Asimov contains 31 of the 37 short stories he wrote for the ‘Robot Series’, making it the most comprehensive collection available. The stories within include all those from both ‘I, Robot’ (minus the framing story) and ‘The Rest of The Robots’ alongside many more. Written over 3 decades and spanning several hundred “Fictional-world” years, Asimov utilises these pages to explore the famous Three Laws of Robotics, a concept created by the man himself, in great depth. Upon first reading, the Laws seem entirely elementary and uncomplicated:
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 Laws
However, upon finishing the collection, one moves forward with a firm foundational knowledge of the incredible complexity that dwells below the surface of these 3 basic principles. Asimov investigates, in his stories, the plethora of problematic scenarios that the development of a robot’s positronic brain presents. Robots are rarely presented as either menace or pathos, but instead are simply coldly logical and very intelligent “beings” with the ability to interpret the 3 laws in a seemingly unlimited variation of (usually unforeseen and unpredicatable) ways, providing many a wt absolute f moment.
”Today’s Science Fiction is tomorrow’s Science Fact”. If anyone’s work lives up to this saying, it’s Asimov’s. The shear number of prophetic darts this guy threw at the proverbial dart board of probable future events, and hit within close proximity of the bull’s eye, is simply astounding! Even of the events that have not yet come to pass, and possibly will not, there are few that stretch the imagination so far as to make them entirely unbelievable or inconceivable. Asimov’s Sci-Fi is one that is grounded and governed by real science and if/when he pushes the boundaries of possibility, he always has a potentially feasible, even if not highly probable, explanation.
”All normal life, Peter, consciously or otherwise, resents domination. If the domination is by an inferior, or by a supposed inferior, the resentment becomes stronger.”
“Asimov’s writing is too dry”. I’ve come across this statement countless times but can confidently say, based purely off his short fiction, that it’s not one I’ll be repeating. I found at times that he was capable of creating tension through great dialogue (‘The Tercentenary Incident’ and ‘Let’s get together’), he was quite funny (‘Victory Unintentional’) and could also tug on the heart strings when the time was right (‘The Bicentennial Man’). I also enjoyed the way in which all of our silly little idiosyncrasies and foolish habits are exposed to the unbiased judgement of Asimov’s Robots when viewed through the lens of their purely logical reasoning.
The collection isn’t perfect. There are a few shorts that didn’t hit the mark for me either because they weren’t substantial or thought-provoking enough. In some cases, most notably in the Susan Calvin stories, there is a great deal of chauvinism and sexist rhetoric amongst the male employees of US Robots, though I will say that Susan is always elevated to a position of superior integrity and unmatched intelligence. Asimov gives her plenty of opportunities to bite back and does she ever! At the end of the day, Calvin’s legacy as US Robot’s greatest, almost mythical status, Robo-psychologist probably shows where Asimov stands on the subject of sexism in his time and perhaps what he includes is just a true representation of his own experiences.
There is also a little bit of inconsistency in the thought processes of different robots. At times they are given a much more liberal license to abstract thought than at other times. This occasionally leads to a bit of confusion regarding interpretation of the Three Laws. There is also the case of Andrew (The Bicentennial Man) saying he is still "not quite human" after he has his robotic body replaced with that of a more human looking android. He states that his movements are still just a little bit too calculated and rigid whereas in a number of the previous stories, based more than a century earlier, there were robots hiding in plain sight disguised as people as high-profile as the President of the U.S. I highly doubt technology went backwards to such a degree.
I really enjoyed this collection of Short Stories and can’t wait to get stuck into the full-length novels in the series. I’m told that Elijah Baley (from the Short-story ‘Mirror-Image’) is the main protagonist and I quite liked the investigative/detective-type setup of that story. Side-note: I think these short stories would be phenomenal as an animated short-film collection in the same vein as Netflix’s ‘Love, Death and Robots’. Just putting it out there.
Below are just some brief synopsis’ and occasional opinions on the various stories with individual ratings. They’re not part of the actual review and were really just personal notes as I progressed through the collection. I've criminally simplified the tales in the interest of brevity so there's likely not much to be gained from reading them.
"There is no right to deny freedom to any object with a mind advanced enough to grasp the concept and desire the state.”
PART I: SOME NON-HUMAN ROBOTS
A boy's best friend: 2.5 ⭐
If you could love a robot pet and a "real" pet in equal measure and there's no discernible difference between their affection for you, is the authenticity of their love important?
Sally: 4 ⭐
A frightening preamble to a potential Positronic-motored carpocalypse. Also, kinda reminded me of an episode of 'My Strange Addiction' called 'Sex with my car'.
Someday: 4 ⭐ Asimov's predictions regarding how over-reliance on computers could lead to illiteracy, innumeracy and a general lack of fundamental human skills, prompting a role-reversal in which computers take over all important roles and all but a few humans are reduced to menial labour. A delightfully insidious tone.
PART II: SOME IMMOBILE ROBOTS
Point of View: 3⭐
Think!: 3.5 ⭐
Laser (LEG) telepathy and communicating with computers.
True Love: 2.5 ⭐
A warning on the dangers of misusing purpose-built AI. A real MJ/McCartney 'The girl is mine' type setup.
PART III: SOME METALLIC ROBOTS
Robot AL-76 Goes Astray: 4 ⭐
Robot goes missing in action, chaos ensues. A good dose of humour.
Victory Unintentional: 4.5 ⭐ Three of Earth's finest robots travel to Jupiter to find out all they can about the resident alien race who possess a hilarious superiority complex and present a potential risk to mankind.
Stranger in Paradise: 2 ⭐
Light Verse: 2.5 ⭐
A tale of maladjustment, misunderstanding and murder. A predictable "twist" (if you can call it that) and an abrupt ending.
Segregationist: 3 ⭐
Cyber-prosthetics, selective-immortality, blurring the lines between human and robot.
Robbie: 3.5 ⭐
A heart-warming friendship between a young girl and her robot nurse-maid and some terrible parenting.
PART IV: SOME HUMANOID ROBOTS
Let's Get Together: 4 ⭐
The Cold War with America's inferiority in the "Robotics Race" threatening to break the stalemate. A tale of blame games and espionage.
Mirror Image: 3.5 ⭐
Asimov uses "a game of intellectual chicken" between 2 mathematicians, who both claim to be the founders of a revolutionary new mathematical technique, as a backdrop for a little exposition on the potential for dishonesty through a loophole in the 'Three Laws of Robotics'. A crash-course in robot interrogation.
The Tercentenary Incident: 4 ⭐
A sci-fi mystery set in 2076. An assassination attempt on the President, a cover-up and Question Marks around the laws of robotics. Great, tense dialogue.
PART V: POWELL AND DONOVAN
First Law: 2 ⭐ A tall tale about a robot that breaks the first law.
Runaround: 3 ⭐
On a hot as hell Mercury, Powell and Donovan are in a race against time to break SPD13 (aka Speedy) out of a vicious "drunken" logic cycle created by confusion between and increased 3rd law potential and a decreased 2nd law potential.
Reason: 4.5 ⭐
Sent to Solar Station B.119 5 to commission Robot QT-I (Cutie) and evaluate whether it is able to run the station without further human involvement, D and P quickly find themselves having to try to convince said bot of it's origins and end up in an arm wrestle for command of the station. I'm beginning to feel as though, through cold reasoning alone, some robots are able to bypass the 3 laws or at least produce an undesired result due to an unforeseen interpretation/situational re-prioritisation of the laws.
Catch that Rabbit: 2.5 ⭐
PART VI: SUSAN CALVIN
Liar!: 3 ⭐
Telepathic ability and a very literal interpretation of the First Law combine to give us, Herbie, a people pleasing robot. The first of the Susan Calvin stories and, wow! Hell hath no fury...!
Satisfaction Guaranteed: 3.5 ⭐
A story of transformation as Claire Belmont's feelings for a robot housekeeper prototype go from fear, to acceptance, to admiration, to (dare I say it) lust and ultimately self-disgust (at feeling such a way for an AI). Side note: In this story, Susan Calvin is described as having "the cold, faraway look of someone who has worked with machines so long that a little of the steel had entered her blood". Asimov is drawing quite the picture of Susan!
Lenny: 2.5 ⭐
Susan Calvin takes on the responsibility of teaching Lenny, a robot with a faulty positronic brain, to speak. She suggests that if she were able to teach Lenny new things from scratch (If robots could learn) than in the future, they may be able to produce robots with only primary pathways that could adopt different secondaries when required to do specific jobs making them "as versatile as human beings". Rife with chauvinism and sexist banter.
Galley Slave: 3.5 ⭐
US Robots lease robot EZ-27 to Northeastern University to be used as a proof reader/"Galley slave". After some allegedly inaccurate, career-ending corrections are made by "Easy" to a Professor's Magnum Opus, US Robots (along with Susan Calvin) find themselves in court as defendants. The final scene will have you questioning which side you were rooting for during the trial with an interesting debate on the potential for machines to replace man as creator/artist, "destroying the handcraftsman". An expansion on the idea put forth in "someday".
Little Lost Robot: 4 ⭐
Under government pressure, and without consultation with Dr.Calvin, US Robots have developed a number of NS-2 models with a modified First Law (deletion of the "not allowing a human to come to harm through inaction part"). Now, one has gone missing amongst 62 identical, un-serialed robots on the Hyperatomic Drive and it's up to Susan and Bogert to find it. A contemplative cat-and-mouse thriller that displays the incredible danger in modifying any of the 3 Laws.
Risk: 3.5 ⭐
The Parsec, along with it's robot pilot, is set for it's first trip into hyperspace but upon initiation, something on-board malfunctions. Someone must board the ship, at great risk to themselves and find the fault in order to deactivate the hyper drive. Calvin proves herself adept as a human psychologist as well as a robopsychologist as, in a characteristic display, she skillfully puppeteers the situation.
Escape: 3.5 ⭐
The paths of Susan Calvin and Powell and Donovan cross as 'Consolidated Robots', a rival to 'US robots' in the field of calculating machines, challenges the latter to create the first 'Hyperatomic/interstellar Drive', a task that, due to it's inherent dilemma regarding conflict with the First Law, destroyed their own machine.
Evidence: 3.5 ⭐
In the lead up to a Mayor election, candidate Stephen Byerley is accused of being a robot by "new school" politician, Francis Quinn. Alfred Lanning of US Robots is blackmailed into getting, begrudgingly, involved and with the help of Susan Calvin must help determine the truth of the accusations.
The Evitable Conflict: 3.5 ⭐
Presumably years after the previous Calvin story, Earth's economy is now Entirely based upon the decisions of calculating machines that have the good of humanity at heart. "The population of Earth knows that there will be no unemployment, no overproduction or shortages. Waste and famine are words in history books". Only there have been a number of problems presenting themselves all in a short period and Stephen Byerley (now employed as World Coordinator) has enlisted the help of Susan to discover the cause. Given any serious thought, quite a frightening conclusion!
Feminine Intuition: 3.5 ⭐
A robot built by Susan Calvin's successor, Clinton Madarian, is killed alongside it's creator holding information regarding 3 planets with a high probability of habitability. Susan, now in her 80s and long since retired is called in, to Bogert's displeasure, with the goal of retracing Madarian's steps and recovering said information. The last of the Susan Calvin stories and old age hasn't taken any of the edge off her trademark sharpness or the chill from her frosty demeanour.
PART VII: TWO CLIMAXES
... That Thou Art Mindful Of Him: 4 ⭐
A classic robot-as-menace story. How does a robot interpret the Three Laws when they begin to identify as human.The cold reasoning of George 9 and 10 along with their subtle manipulation of Harriman is insidious indeed.
The Bicentennial Man: 5 ⭐
Asimov’s philosophical and heartfelt masterpiece and the standout in the collection. Andrew Martin, a robot who has loyally served a family for decades wishes for his freedom and it is granted. Andrew’s story spans two centuries and sees him bear witness to the passing of several generations of the family that first purchased him and the ultimate end of the family-line. There is something so saddening about watching an essentially immortal being passing through time, watching generations of members of the same family pass away one after another until he is all that remains. What a terribly unique and lonely experience. Andrew begins a personal journey in which he seeks to become more and more human, ultimately culminating in a fight for full human rights. Along the way, he contributes to the human world in the fields of artistry, literature and prosthetics and in many ways becomes the very definition of “human”. All that stands in his way are the fears and prejudices of man.
or 105.5/155
"Human beings can tolerate an immortal robot, for it doesn’t matter how long a machine lasts. They cannot tolerate an immortal human being, since their own mortality is endurable only so long as it is universal.”
’The Complete Robot’ by Isaac Asimov contains 31 of the 37 short stories he wrote for the ‘Robot Series’, making it the most comprehensive collection available. The stories within include all those from both ‘I, Robot’ (minus the framing story) and ‘The Rest of The Robots’ alongside many more. Written over 3 decades and spanning several hundred “Fictional-world” years, Asimov utilises these pages to explore the famous Three Laws of Robotics, a concept created by the man himself, in great depth. Upon first reading, the Laws seem entirely elementary and uncomplicated:
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 Laws
However, upon finishing the collection, one moves forward with a firm foundational knowledge of the incredible complexity that dwells below the surface of these 3 basic principles. Asimov investigates, in his stories, the plethora of problematic scenarios that the development of a robot’s positronic brain presents. Robots are rarely presented as either menace or pathos, but instead are simply coldly logical and very intelligent “beings” with the ability to interpret the 3 laws in a seemingly unlimited variation of (usually unforeseen and unpredicatable) ways, providing many a wt absolute f moment.
”Today’s Science Fiction is tomorrow’s Science Fact”. If anyone’s work lives up to this saying, it’s Asimov’s. The shear number of prophetic darts this guy threw at the proverbial dart board of probable future events, and hit within close proximity of the bull’s eye, is simply astounding! Even of the events that have not yet come to pass, and possibly will not, there are few that stretch the imagination so far as to make them entirely unbelievable or inconceivable. Asimov’s Sci-Fi is one that is grounded and governed by real science and if/when he pushes the boundaries of possibility, he always has a potentially feasible, even if not highly probable, explanation.
”All normal life, Peter, consciously or otherwise, resents domination. If the domination is by an inferior, or by a supposed inferior, the resentment becomes stronger.”
“Asimov’s writing is too dry”. I’ve come across this statement countless times but can confidently say, based purely off his short fiction, that it’s not one I’ll be repeating. I found at times that he was capable of creating tension through great dialogue (‘The Tercentenary Incident’ and ‘Let’s get together’), he was quite funny (‘Victory Unintentional’) and could also tug on the heart strings when the time was right (‘The Bicentennial Man’). I also enjoyed the way in which all of our silly little idiosyncrasies and foolish habits are exposed to the unbiased judgement of Asimov’s Robots when viewed through the lens of their purely logical reasoning.
The collection isn’t perfect. There are a few shorts that didn’t hit the mark for me either because they weren’t substantial or thought-provoking enough. In some cases, most notably in the Susan Calvin stories, there is a great deal of chauvinism and sexist rhetoric amongst the male employees of US Robots, though I will say that Susan is always elevated to a position of superior integrity and unmatched intelligence. Asimov gives her plenty of opportunities to bite back and does she ever! At the end of the day, Calvin’s legacy as US Robot’s greatest, almost mythical status, Robo-psychologist probably shows where Asimov stands on the subject of sexism in his time and perhaps what he includes is just a true representation of his own experiences.
There is also a little bit of inconsistency in the thought processes of different robots. At times they are given a much more liberal license to abstract thought than at other times. This occasionally leads to a bit of confusion regarding interpretation of the Three Laws. There is also the case of Andrew (The Bicentennial Man) saying he is still "not quite human" after he has his robotic body replaced with that of a more human looking android. He states that his movements are still just a little bit too calculated and rigid whereas in a number of the previous stories, based more than a century earlier, there were robots hiding in plain sight disguised as people as high-profile as the President of the U.S. I highly doubt technology went backwards to such a degree.
I really enjoyed this collection of Short Stories and can’t wait to get stuck into the full-length novels in the series. I’m told that Elijah Baley (from the Short-story ‘Mirror-Image’) is the main protagonist and I quite liked the investigative/detective-type setup of that story. Side-note: I think these short stories would be phenomenal as an animated short-film collection in the same vein as Netflix’s ‘Love, Death and Robots’. Just putting it out there.
Below are just some brief synopsis’ and occasional opinions on the various stories with individual ratings. They’re not part of the actual review and were really just personal notes as I progressed through the collection. I've criminally simplified the tales in the interest of brevity so there's likely not much to be gained from reading them.
"There is no right to deny freedom to any object with a mind advanced enough to grasp the concept and desire the state.”
PART I: SOME NON-HUMAN ROBOTS
A boy's best friend: 2.5 ⭐
If you could love a robot pet and a "real" pet in equal measure and there's no discernible difference between their affection for you, is the authenticity of their love important?
Sally: 4 ⭐
A frightening preamble to a potential Positronic-motored carpocalypse. Also, kinda reminded me of an episode of 'My Strange Addiction' called 'Sex with my car'.
Someday: 4 ⭐ Asimov's predictions regarding how over-reliance on computers could lead to illiteracy, innumeracy and a general lack of fundamental human skills, prompting a role-reversal in which computers take over all important roles and all but a few humans are reduced to menial labour. A delightfully insidious tone.
PART II: SOME IMMOBILE ROBOTS
Point of View: 3⭐
Think!: 3.5 ⭐
Laser (LEG) telepathy and communicating with computers.
True Love: 2.5 ⭐
A warning on the dangers of misusing purpose-built AI. A real MJ/McCartney 'The girl is mine' type setup.
PART III: SOME METALLIC ROBOTS
Robot AL-76 Goes Astray: 4 ⭐
Robot goes missing in action, chaos ensues. A good dose of humour.
Victory Unintentional: 4.5 ⭐ Three of Earth's finest robots travel to Jupiter to find out all they can about the resident alien race who possess a hilarious superiority complex and present a potential risk to mankind.
Stranger in Paradise: 2 ⭐
Light Verse: 2.5 ⭐
A tale of maladjustment, misunderstanding and murder. A predictable "twist" (if you can call it that) and an abrupt ending.
Segregationist: 3 ⭐
Cyber-prosthetics, selective-immortality, blurring the lines between human and robot.
Robbie: 3.5 ⭐
A heart-warming friendship between a young girl and her robot nurse-maid and some terrible parenting.
PART IV: SOME HUMANOID ROBOTS
Let's Get Together: 4 ⭐
The Cold War with America's inferiority in the "Robotics Race" threatening to break the stalemate. A tale of blame games and espionage.
Mirror Image: 3.5 ⭐
Asimov uses "a game of intellectual chicken" between 2 mathematicians, who both claim to be the founders of a revolutionary new mathematical technique, as a backdrop for a little exposition on the potential for dishonesty through a loophole in the 'Three Laws of Robotics'. A crash-course in robot interrogation.
The Tercentenary Incident: 4 ⭐
A sci-fi mystery set in 2076. An assassination attempt on the President, a cover-up and Question Marks around the laws of robotics. Great, tense dialogue.
PART V: POWELL AND DONOVAN
First Law: 2 ⭐ A tall tale about a robot that breaks the first law.
Runaround: 3 ⭐
On a hot as hell Mercury, Powell and Donovan are in a race against time to break SPD13 (aka Speedy) out of a vicious "drunken" logic cycle created by confusion between and increased 3rd law potential and a decreased 2nd law potential.
Reason: 4.5 ⭐
Sent to Solar Station B.119 5 to commission Robot QT-I (Cutie) and evaluate whether it is able to run the station without further human involvement, D and P quickly find themselves having to try to convince said bot of it's origins and end up in an arm wrestle for command of the station. I'm beginning to feel as though, through cold reasoning alone, some robots are able to bypass the 3 laws or at least produce an undesired result due to an unforeseen interpretation/situational re-prioritisation of the laws.
Catch that Rabbit: 2.5 ⭐
PART VI: SUSAN CALVIN
Liar!: 3 ⭐
Telepathic ability and a very literal interpretation of the First Law combine to give us, Herbie, a people pleasing robot. The first of the Susan Calvin stories and, wow! Hell hath no fury...!
Satisfaction Guaranteed: 3.5 ⭐
A story of transformation as Claire Belmont's feelings for a robot housekeeper prototype go from fear, to acceptance, to admiration, to (dare I say it) lust and ultimately self-disgust (at feeling such a way for an AI). Side note: In this story, Susan Calvin is described as having "the cold, faraway look of someone who has worked with machines so long that a little of the steel had entered her blood". Asimov is drawing quite the picture of Susan!
Lenny: 2.5 ⭐
Susan Calvin takes on the responsibility of teaching Lenny, a robot with a faulty positronic brain, to speak. She suggests that if she were able to teach Lenny new things from scratch (If robots could learn) than in the future, they may be able to produce robots with only primary pathways that could adopt different secondaries when required to do specific jobs making them "as versatile as human beings". Rife with chauvinism and sexist banter.
Galley Slave: 3.5 ⭐
US Robots lease robot EZ-27 to Northeastern University to be used as a proof reader/"Galley slave". After some allegedly inaccurate, career-ending corrections are made by "Easy" to a Professor's Magnum Opus, US Robots (along with Susan Calvin) find themselves in court as defendants. The final scene will have you questioning which side you were rooting for during the trial with an interesting debate on the potential for machines to replace man as creator/artist, "destroying the handcraftsman". An expansion on the idea put forth in "someday".
Little Lost Robot: 4 ⭐
Under government pressure, and without consultation with Dr.Calvin, US Robots have developed a number of NS-2 models with a modified First Law (deletion of the "not allowing a human to come to harm through inaction part"). Now, one has gone missing amongst 62 identical, un-serialed robots on the Hyperatomic Drive and it's up to Susan and Bogert to find it. A contemplative cat-and-mouse thriller that displays the incredible danger in modifying any of the 3 Laws.
Risk: 3.5 ⭐
The Parsec, along with it's robot pilot, is set for it's first trip into hyperspace but upon initiation, something on-board malfunctions. Someone must board the ship, at great risk to themselves and find the fault in order to deactivate the hyper drive. Calvin proves herself adept as a human psychologist as well as a robopsychologist as, in a characteristic display, she skillfully puppeteers the situation.
Escape: 3.5 ⭐
The paths of Susan Calvin and Powell and Donovan cross as 'Consolidated Robots', a rival to 'US robots' in the field of calculating machines, challenges the latter to create the first 'Hyperatomic/interstellar Drive', a task that, due to it's inherent dilemma regarding conflict with the First Law, destroyed their own machine.
Evidence: 3.5 ⭐
In the lead up to a Mayor election, candidate Stephen Byerley is accused of being a robot by "new school" politician, Francis Quinn. Alfred Lanning of US Robots is blackmailed into getting, begrudgingly, involved and with the help of Susan Calvin must help determine the truth of the accusations.
The Evitable Conflict: 3.5 ⭐
Presumably years after the previous Calvin story, Earth's economy is now Entirely based upon the decisions of calculating machines that have the good of humanity at heart. "The population of Earth knows that there will be no unemployment, no overproduction or shortages. Waste and famine are words in history books". Only there have been a number of problems presenting themselves all in a short period and Stephen Byerley (now employed as World Coordinator) has enlisted the help of Susan to discover the cause. Given any serious thought, quite a frightening conclusion!
Feminine Intuition: 3.5 ⭐
A robot built by Susan Calvin's successor, Clinton Madarian, is killed alongside it's creator holding information regarding 3 planets with a high probability of habitability. Susan, now in her 80s and long since retired is called in, to Bogert's displeasure, with the goal of retracing Madarian's steps and recovering said information. The last of the Susan Calvin stories and old age hasn't taken any of the edge off her trademark sharpness or the chill from her frosty demeanour.
PART VII: TWO CLIMAXES
... That Thou Art Mindful Of Him: 4 ⭐
A classic robot-as-menace story. How does a robot interpret the Three Laws when they begin to identify as human.The cold reasoning of George 9 and 10 along with their subtle manipulation of Harriman is insidious indeed.
The Bicentennial Man: 5 ⭐
Asimov’s philosophical and heartfelt masterpiece and the standout in the collection. Andrew Martin, a robot who has loyally served a family for decades wishes for his freedom and it is granted. Andrew’s story spans two centuries and sees him bear witness to the passing of several generations of the family that first purchased him and the ultimate end of the family-line. There is something so saddening about watching an essentially immortal being passing through time, watching generations of members of the same family pass away one after another until he is all that remains. What a terribly unique and lonely experience. Andrew begins a personal journey in which he seeks to become more and more human, ultimately culminating in a fight for full human rights. Along the way, he contributes to the human world in the fields of artistry, literature and prosthetics and in many ways becomes the very definition of “human”. All that stands in his way are the fears and prejudices of man.
October 25, 2019
If a topic is so comprehensive, each short story, as in this case, has the potential for a whole Netflix, amazon prime or facebook watch series with a movie and video game.
Now the topic of robot rights and ethic will become a real subject to deal with, probably beginning in the most enthusiastic countries in this field, such as Japan and Korea. Yes, other countries build nice robots too, but they have mentalities and beliefs that don´t integrate living things in their mental superstructure. So the first few cases, when a perfect, conscious AI gets transformed into a robot body, maybe the beginning of a whole new societal structure. Many questions will arise.
When and how to give them human general rights, voting rights, the right to reproduce.
How to deal with humans who still want to work, even if it is not necessary anymore? If it is more expensive for each company and the state to let a slow and error-prone human do the job.
What if humans and robots fall in love and want to have kids that are hybrids or cyborgs? With these descendants, the same series of questions as with the robots occurs again.
If cold, artificial structures get rights, depending on their intelligence and sentience, what should be done with all the tortured and enslaved animals? That domestic cattle isn´t happy lies on the hand, but what if cats and dogs get technology to express their opinions and have nothing more to say than: "We had to do what you wanted and got Stockholm syndrome or simulated joy cause we had no other option. Free us, we want to build our own state."
There are so many options on the table, because each culture, depending on its development level, will deal with it in another way.
One always interesting question is: Will they become evil by themselves as we did? As soon as they realize that manipulation and the will and ability to hurt and kill others brings power, will they go our way? I believe yes, cause each intelligent species soon recognized the evolutionary advantage of being a villain. And a mind needs certain freedoms to function so that it can´t be created with so many restrictions to avoid this classic dilemma. But hey, we are potential monsters too, so what else should we expect from the life that we create.
Tropes show how literature is made and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
Now the topic of robot rights and ethic will become a real subject to deal with, probably beginning in the most enthusiastic countries in this field, such as Japan and Korea. Yes, other countries build nice robots too, but they have mentalities and beliefs that don´t integrate living things in their mental superstructure. So the first few cases, when a perfect, conscious AI gets transformed into a robot body, maybe the beginning of a whole new societal structure. Many questions will arise.
When and how to give them human general rights, voting rights, the right to reproduce.
How to deal with humans who still want to work, even if it is not necessary anymore? If it is more expensive for each company and the state to let a slow and error-prone human do the job.
What if humans and robots fall in love and want to have kids that are hybrids or cyborgs? With these descendants, the same series of questions as with the robots occurs again.
If cold, artificial structures get rights, depending on their intelligence and sentience, what should be done with all the tortured and enslaved animals? That domestic cattle isn´t happy lies on the hand, but what if cats and dogs get technology to express their opinions and have nothing more to say than: "We had to do what you wanted and got Stockholm syndrome or simulated joy cause we had no other option. Free us, we want to build our own state."
There are so many options on the table, because each culture, depending on its development level, will deal with it in another way.
One always interesting question is: Will they become evil by themselves as we did? As soon as they realize that manipulation and the will and ability to hurt and kill others brings power, will they go our way? I believe yes, cause each intelligent species soon recognized the evolutionary advantage of being a villain. And a mind needs certain freedoms to function so that it can´t be created with so many restrictions to avoid this classic dilemma. But hey, we are potential monsters too, so what else should we expect from the life that we create.
Tropes show how literature is made and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
September 17, 2024
Non conoscete Asimov? Iniziate da qui.
Polvere e Sole
Terra e Vita
Uomo e Scienza
IA e ...
"Tutti i miei robot" è una raccolta di 31 racconti, suddivisi in tematiche differenti, con al suo interno anche quelli presenti nel libro "I miei robot".
Troverete qui le basi della fantascienza robotica psicologica, con le sue leggi e applicazioni. Un tuffo nella mente.
Ogni racconto suscita riflessioni sulla natura umana e come l'uomo possa relazionarsi con una creatura di cui è padre artefice e del quale forse teme le superiori capacità.
Perfetto strumento per iniziare ad addentrarsi nelle profonde opere di Asimov e del genere fantascientifico in generale.
Imperdibile.
-----------------------------
Don't know Asimov? Start here.
Dust and Sun
Earth and Life
Man and Science
AI and…
"All my robots" is a collection of 31 stories, divided into different themes, including those present in the book "My robots".
You will find here the foundations of psychological robotic science fiction, with its laws and applications. A dive into the mind.
Each story raises reflections on human nature and how man can relate to a creature of which he is the father and creator and whose superior abilities he perhaps fears.
Perfect tool to start delving into the profound works of Asimov and the science fiction genre in general.
Unmissable.
Polvere e Sole
Terra e Vita
Uomo e Scienza
IA e ...
"Tutti i miei robot" è una raccolta di 31 racconti, suddivisi in tematiche differenti, con al suo interno anche quelli presenti nel libro "I miei robot".
Troverete qui le basi della fantascienza robotica psicologica, con le sue leggi e applicazioni. Un tuffo nella mente.
Ogni racconto suscita riflessioni sulla natura umana e come l'uomo possa relazionarsi con una creatura di cui è padre artefice e del quale forse teme le superiori capacità.
Perfetto strumento per iniziare ad addentrarsi nelle profonde opere di Asimov e del genere fantascientifico in generale.
Imperdibile.
-----------------------------
Don't know Asimov? Start here.
Dust and Sun
Earth and Life
Man and Science
AI and…
"All my robots" is a collection of 31 stories, divided into different themes, including those present in the book "My robots".
You will find here the foundations of psychological robotic science fiction, with its laws and applications. A dive into the mind.
Each story raises reflections on human nature and how man can relate to a creature of which he is the father and creator and whose superior abilities he perhaps fears.
Perfect tool to start delving into the profound works of Asimov and the science fiction genre in general.
Unmissable.
February 14, 2023
Strong Opinions: a Susan Calvin story
Weems landed his helijet neatly and congratulated himself on his early start. When he managed to get the coveted parking spot closest to the front gate of U.S. Robots, he always felt that the rest of the day would be a success too. He flashed his badge at the security guard and took the fast pediwalk to his office. Now he would get half an hour to work undisturbed! But he had barely hung up his hat before the visiphone buzzed.
"I'm sorry, sir," said his secretary, "but it's a Mr. Plot-Device from Clunky Exposition Weekly. He wants to interview you about your new project. Claims he has a press deadline."
Weems groaned inwardly, but agreed; it didn't make sense to antagonize the powerful magazine. A moment later, the journalist's face filled the screen.
"So," he said, trying not to be brusque. "How can I help you?"
Plot-Device smiled. "We're wondering what you'd be able to tell us about RVU5. The public is interested."
Weems seethed; the name of the robot was meant to be secret, but evidently someone had talked. He hoped he sounded unconcerned. "It's an experimental reviewing robot," he said. "Undergoing preliminary testing. It's too early to say anything."
The journalist's smile became a fraction broader. "I was just wondering," he said, "if this could have anything to do with SuperiorLiterature. Or with the Backlight craze. Or possibly with both."
Weems could no longer conceal his emotions. The leak was far worse than he had imagined. "I don't have time for that kind of thing," he snapped. "I hear people talk about the Backlight series, but I barely know what it is. Nonsense about vampires, I believe. And I certainly don't waste my evenings reviewing books on SuperiorLiterature."
Plot-Device looked at Weems with an expression of wounded innocence. "I'm sure Cecily would be distressed to hear that," he said. "She quoted your opinions on Backlight in her review yesterday. How did she put it? 'When Dad says all those mean things about Idwid, it just...' "
Weems wondered for a moment if he should hang up, but then laughed ruefully. The man was only doing his job; he had to admire his style. "Okay," he said, "you've got me. I admit it. Some people feel that the Backlight thing has gone too far. We can't have every teenage girl in the country spending her evenings discussing Idwid on the SL review site. It's unhealthy. Adults don't have time to try and move the talk in a different direction. But..."
"But robots do," concluded the journalist. "That's right, isn't it?"
"It is," agreed Weems glumly. "RVU would be able to put out fifteen thousand reviews an hour, and discuss them all simultaneously. We'd soon have the girls talking about Nancy Drew and Louisa M. Alcott again, and no one would even remember Backlight after a year. But we'd appreciate it if you didn't give this too much publicity for the moment."
Plot-Device looked at him earnestly. "Oh, no," he said. "I just wanted to make sure I got the story first. I'll be happy to—"
Weems never found out what the journalist would be happy to do, since at that moment he heard the unmistakable sound of the emergency siren. It seemed to be coming from RVU's testing lab. He instantly blanked the screen and ran towards the source of the noise. As soon as he entered the room, he could see he was too late. The robot slumped lifelessly over a keyboard; half its head had melted away, exposing sections of the ruined positronic brain. Weems clutched his own forehead. How could this have happened?
There was only one person who would be able to tell him. Mechanically, he found himself dialling Susan Calvin's extension. He was still gazing at the dead robot when she arrived.
_______________________
"I have examined the robot," said Calvin when they met again two days later, "and I can at least tell you the proximate cause of the event. RVU was faced with a catastrophic First Law violation. He believed, rightly or wrongly, that his actions were putting a human being's life in grave danger. Faced with this possibility, his self-destruct mechanism trigged. You saw the result. Now, what could he have been doing that might have threatened someone's life?"
Weems gaped at her. "I... don't understand!" he whispered. "He was reviewing books! Discussing them with people! What could be more harmless than that?"
Calvin examined him curiously. "Some people have strong opinions about books," she observed in a neutral tone. "There are cases when religious martyrs have gladly met death because of what they have read in a book. I think we need to know who RVU was talking to."
Weems sputtered. "We were in early testing! He only talked to employees of U.S. Robots, and a few members of their families! Everyone was carefully vetted beforehand. I can assure you, no religious fanatics..."
Calvin raised her hand. "I believe you. We clearly need more information. But I'm exhausted; I've been working on this non-stop for the last 48 hours. I recall you once gave me an open invitation to dinner at your home. Do you think I could accept? I suddenly feel a need for something more substantial than another nutri-bar."
Weems felt reassured. Maybe Calvin was human after all? "I'll just call my wife," he said. "She'll be delighted to finally make your acquaintance."
At the dinner table, Mrs. Weems was clearly overawed by her unexpected visitor. "I'm sorry it's only spaghetti and meatballs," she apologized for the second time. "If I'd had an hour's more notice..."
Calvin gave her a warm smile. "I can assure you that these are quite the most delicious meatballs I have ever eaten," she said. "Would you tell me the secret?"
Mrs. Weems unbent a little. "Well, it's actually very simple," she replied. "The important thing is to moisten your fingers a little before you roll them..."
Cecily joined in the conversation. "I bet Aunt Susan knew that!" she said confidently. "She knows everything! She's read all Backlight, even Long Days at High Latitudes! I wish Dad could read them too. It just kills me to hear all those nasty things he says about Idwid!" She noticed her father's expression. "I guess Aunt Susan isn't as busy as you are, Dad," she concluded abruptly.
Weems had the good grace to blush.
"Can I show you my new yPAD after dinner?" continued Cecily, prudently switching to a less sensitive topic. "I've got the Model VII..."
"Your Personal Audio Device VII?" said Calvin. "Weighs only a pound and a half, holds the equivalent of 50 long-playing records, and the minaturized nuclear power source means it never needs to be recharged. 'A million songs or your money back'. Correct? Though I'm afraid I only have a Model V."
Cecily beamed. "Aunt Susan, you really do know everything!"
"I would love to see it," said Calvin. "Though first, I must just discuss a couple of work things with your father. It won't take long."
_______________________
"Weems," said Calvin, as soon as he had closed the door of his den, "I want you to promise me something. You must not tell Cecily that she was responsible for RVU's death. I doubt the fault was all hers, but she is at a sensitive age, and it could seriously traumatize her."
Weems goggled at her. "What in Space are you talking about? How could Cecily..."
Calvin ignored him. "Please think for a moment," she continued. "You're a semantic engineer, or were until you were promoted to senior management. Tell me, what kind of language does a robot find it hardest to understand?"
"The Three Ms!" said Weems automatically. "Metaphor, Mood and..."
"Exactly," said Calvin. "Metaphorical language. It's very hard for a robot to distinguish it from literal usage. Now, when Cecily is referring to opinions that she dislikes, how does she describe the feelings they inspire in her? For example, what does she say about the disparaging remarks you have been known to make concerning Idwid?"
"It just kills..." whispered Weems, as realization dawned on him. "Oh no. It can't..."
"I'm afraid it can," continued Calvin remorselessly. "And, what's more, it did. RVU was programmed to steer teenage girls away from Backlight. That directive was hardwired into his positronic circuits. One, or, more likely, several of these girls tell him that what he's saying is going to kill them. First Law. What are his alternatives?"
"He can only destroy himself," said Weems slowly. "You're right. But, how could you know..."
Words trembled on the tip of Calvin's tongue. Because I stayed up until 4 am checking the call logs, while you went out and got drunk. Because I interviewed a dozen people before I talked to you. Because I can entertain more than one hypothesis at a time. Because I can think logically. Because I am not a fool.
Instead, she smiled. "I'm afraid I had an unfair advantage over you," she replied. "Would you believe it, I used to be a teenage girl myself."
Weems landed his helijet neatly and congratulated himself on his early start. When he managed to get the coveted parking spot closest to the front gate of U.S. Robots, he always felt that the rest of the day would be a success too. He flashed his badge at the security guard and took the fast pediwalk to his office. Now he would get half an hour to work undisturbed! But he had barely hung up his hat before the visiphone buzzed.
"I'm sorry, sir," said his secretary, "but it's a Mr. Plot-Device from Clunky Exposition Weekly. He wants to interview you about your new project. Claims he has a press deadline."
Weems groaned inwardly, but agreed; it didn't make sense to antagonize the powerful magazine. A moment later, the journalist's face filled the screen.
"So," he said, trying not to be brusque. "How can I help you?"
Plot-Device smiled. "We're wondering what you'd be able to tell us about RVU5. The public is interested."
Weems seethed; the name of the robot was meant to be secret, but evidently someone had talked. He hoped he sounded unconcerned. "It's an experimental reviewing robot," he said. "Undergoing preliminary testing. It's too early to say anything."
The journalist's smile became a fraction broader. "I was just wondering," he said, "if this could have anything to do with SuperiorLiterature. Or with the Backlight craze. Or possibly with both."
Weems could no longer conceal his emotions. The leak was far worse than he had imagined. "I don't have time for that kind of thing," he snapped. "I hear people talk about the Backlight series, but I barely know what it is. Nonsense about vampires, I believe. And I certainly don't waste my evenings reviewing books on SuperiorLiterature."
Plot-Device looked at Weems with an expression of wounded innocence. "I'm sure Cecily would be distressed to hear that," he said. "She quoted your opinions on Backlight in her review yesterday. How did she put it? 'When Dad says all those mean things about Idwid, it just...' "
Weems wondered for a moment if he should hang up, but then laughed ruefully. The man was only doing his job; he had to admire his style. "Okay," he said, "you've got me. I admit it. Some people feel that the Backlight thing has gone too far. We can't have every teenage girl in the country spending her evenings discussing Idwid on the SL review site. It's unhealthy. Adults don't have time to try and move the talk in a different direction. But..."
"But robots do," concluded the journalist. "That's right, isn't it?"
"It is," agreed Weems glumly. "RVU would be able to put out fifteen thousand reviews an hour, and discuss them all simultaneously. We'd soon have the girls talking about Nancy Drew and Louisa M. Alcott again, and no one would even remember Backlight after a year. But we'd appreciate it if you didn't give this too much publicity for the moment."
Plot-Device looked at him earnestly. "Oh, no," he said. "I just wanted to make sure I got the story first. I'll be happy to—"
Weems never found out what the journalist would be happy to do, since at that moment he heard the unmistakable sound of the emergency siren. It seemed to be coming from RVU's testing lab. He instantly blanked the screen and ran towards the source of the noise. As soon as he entered the room, he could see he was too late. The robot slumped lifelessly over a keyboard; half its head had melted away, exposing sections of the ruined positronic brain. Weems clutched his own forehead. How could this have happened?
There was only one person who would be able to tell him. Mechanically, he found himself dialling Susan Calvin's extension. He was still gazing at the dead robot when she arrived.
_______________________
"I have examined the robot," said Calvin when they met again two days later, "and I can at least tell you the proximate cause of the event. RVU was faced with a catastrophic First Law violation. He believed, rightly or wrongly, that his actions were putting a human being's life in grave danger. Faced with this possibility, his self-destruct mechanism trigged. You saw the result. Now, what could he have been doing that might have threatened someone's life?"
Weems gaped at her. "I... don't understand!" he whispered. "He was reviewing books! Discussing them with people! What could be more harmless than that?"
Calvin examined him curiously. "Some people have strong opinions about books," she observed in a neutral tone. "There are cases when religious martyrs have gladly met death because of what they have read in a book. I think we need to know who RVU was talking to."
Weems sputtered. "We were in early testing! He only talked to employees of U.S. Robots, and a few members of their families! Everyone was carefully vetted beforehand. I can assure you, no religious fanatics..."
Calvin raised her hand. "I believe you. We clearly need more information. But I'm exhausted; I've been working on this non-stop for the last 48 hours. I recall you once gave me an open invitation to dinner at your home. Do you think I could accept? I suddenly feel a need for something more substantial than another nutri-bar."
Weems felt reassured. Maybe Calvin was human after all? "I'll just call my wife," he said. "She'll be delighted to finally make your acquaintance."
At the dinner table, Mrs. Weems was clearly overawed by her unexpected visitor. "I'm sorry it's only spaghetti and meatballs," she apologized for the second time. "If I'd had an hour's more notice..."
Calvin gave her a warm smile. "I can assure you that these are quite the most delicious meatballs I have ever eaten," she said. "Would you tell me the secret?"
Mrs. Weems unbent a little. "Well, it's actually very simple," she replied. "The important thing is to moisten your fingers a little before you roll them..."
Cecily joined in the conversation. "I bet Aunt Susan knew that!" she said confidently. "She knows everything! She's read all Backlight, even Long Days at High Latitudes! I wish Dad could read them too. It just kills me to hear all those nasty things he says about Idwid!" She noticed her father's expression. "I guess Aunt Susan isn't as busy as you are, Dad," she concluded abruptly.
Weems had the good grace to blush.
"Can I show you my new yPAD after dinner?" continued Cecily, prudently switching to a less sensitive topic. "I've got the Model VII..."
"Your Personal Audio Device VII?" said Calvin. "Weighs only a pound and a half, holds the equivalent of 50 long-playing records, and the minaturized nuclear power source means it never needs to be recharged. 'A million songs or your money back'. Correct? Though I'm afraid I only have a Model V."
Cecily beamed. "Aunt Susan, you really do know everything!"
"I would love to see it," said Calvin. "Though first, I must just discuss a couple of work things with your father. It won't take long."
_______________________
"Weems," said Calvin, as soon as he had closed the door of his den, "I want you to promise me something. You must not tell Cecily that she was responsible for RVU's death. I doubt the fault was all hers, but she is at a sensitive age, and it could seriously traumatize her."
Weems goggled at her. "What in Space are you talking about? How could Cecily..."
Calvin ignored him. "Please think for a moment," she continued. "You're a semantic engineer, or were until you were promoted to senior management. Tell me, what kind of language does a robot find it hardest to understand?"
"The Three Ms!" said Weems automatically. "Metaphor, Mood and..."
"Exactly," said Calvin. "Metaphorical language. It's very hard for a robot to distinguish it from literal usage. Now, when Cecily is referring to opinions that she dislikes, how does she describe the feelings they inspire in her? For example, what does she say about the disparaging remarks you have been known to make concerning Idwid?"
"It just kills..." whispered Weems, as realization dawned on him. "Oh no. It can't..."
"I'm afraid it can," continued Calvin remorselessly. "And, what's more, it did. RVU was programmed to steer teenage girls away from Backlight. That directive was hardwired into his positronic circuits. One, or, more likely, several of these girls tell him that what he's saying is going to kill them. First Law. What are his alternatives?"
"He can only destroy himself," said Weems slowly. "You're right. But, how could you know..."
Words trembled on the tip of Calvin's tongue. Because I stayed up until 4 am checking the call logs, while you went out and got drunk. Because I interviewed a dozen people before I talked to you. Because I can entertain more than one hypothesis at a time. Because I can think logically. Because I am not a fool.
Instead, she smiled. "I'm afraid I had an unfair advantage over you," she replied. "Would you believe it, I used to be a teenage girl myself."
April 11, 2018
Undoubtedly, Asimov's Robot stories set the standard for science fiction short stories around the literary world. His Three laws of Robotics are celebrated and debated even decades after its inception and his Robot stories are still described as visionary. This anthology collects almost every Robot short stories written by Asimov in his lifetime. Only six Robot short stories are left out, and 31 of his coolest and sharpest stories can be found in this collection, organized by Asimov himself to give the best flow possible.
The beauty of Asimov's tales is the verity of themes and unique problems he incorporated in his stories. His Robot stories are not mere tidbits, but it's a warning for humanity to be careful with its invention, yet reminding us that the answers can only be found with the help of science. These stories play with our logic, questions morality, and showcases the unpredictable nature of the undefined.
It's tough to pick favorites when it comes to these stories. After much deliberation, these are my top five.
Runaround (1941–42): Runaround is the spectacular story which explicitly introduced the three laws of Robotics, the recurring element which became the cornerstone of Robot stories. The story features Asimov's recurring characters, Powell and Donovon who are working on Planet Mercury when a Robot starts acting weird. The smartness of this problem presented by Asimov in the tale and the final solution is why I love this story.
Reason (1941): Another Powell and Donovon story, set on a space station. This story follows a Robot who does not believe he was created by humans because the Robots are much superior to its creator. This spectacular premise and excellent execution make it one helluva story.
Galley Slave (1957): I love courtroom dramas! This one features a case where a human accuses Robot of wrongdoing. Also features brilliant Susan Calvin, another Asimov's recurring character.
Mirror Image (1972): This story reunites the reader with Daniel R and officer Elijah Baley from Robot novels. It tells the tale of a fascinating crime involving plagiarism, reputation, robots, and the three damned laws of robotics. Get ready to brainstorm!
The Bicentennial Man (1976): Asimov calls The Bicentennial Man as his best Robot story, and he is not wrong on that matter. The scope and the themes featured in this story is vast and fascinating. The beauty of the story is its beating heart and the emotions it carries. The story tells the story of Andrew, a unique robot, and his life through generations.
My selections here are entirely subjective, as my love for pure logic precedes emotional and pulpy robot stories. A must-read collection if you are a Sci-Fi fan!
The beauty of Asimov's tales is the verity of themes and unique problems he incorporated in his stories. His Robot stories are not mere tidbits, but it's a warning for humanity to be careful with its invention, yet reminding us that the answers can only be found with the help of science. These stories play with our logic, questions morality, and showcases the unpredictable nature of the undefined.
It's tough to pick favorites when it comes to these stories. After much deliberation, these are my top five.
Runaround (1941–42): Runaround is the spectacular story which explicitly introduced the three laws of Robotics, the recurring element which became the cornerstone of Robot stories. The story features Asimov's recurring characters, Powell and Donovon who are working on Planet Mercury when a Robot starts acting weird. The smartness of this problem presented by Asimov in the tale and the final solution is why I love this story.
Reason (1941): Another Powell and Donovon story, set on a space station. This story follows a Robot who does not believe he was created by humans because the Robots are much superior to its creator. This spectacular premise and excellent execution make it one helluva story.
Galley Slave (1957): I love courtroom dramas! This one features a case where a human accuses Robot of wrongdoing. Also features brilliant Susan Calvin, another Asimov's recurring character.
Mirror Image (1972): This story reunites the reader with Daniel R and officer Elijah Baley from Robot novels. It tells the tale of a fascinating crime involving plagiarism, reputation, robots, and the three damned laws of robotics. Get ready to brainstorm!
The Bicentennial Man (1976): Asimov calls The Bicentennial Man as his best Robot story, and he is not wrong on that matter. The scope and the themes featured in this story is vast and fascinating. The beauty of the story is its beating heart and the emotions it carries. The story tells the story of Andrew, a unique robot, and his life through generations.
My selections here are entirely subjective, as my love for pure logic precedes emotional and pulpy robot stories. A must-read collection if you are a Sci-Fi fan!
September 28, 2024
Treinta y un relatos para disfrutar.
Me encantan los libros que activan mi imaginación y disparan mi curiosidad como si fuera un niño pequeño. Sentirme así, me encanta. De vez en cuando elijo libros populares con altas puntuaciones como mis próximas lecturas porque siento miedo de perder el tiempo leyendo historias desconocidas que resulten ser absurdas. Ese miedo me obliga a actuar impulsivamente para “ir a la fija” y “asegurar buenas experiencias”. Sin embargo, no siempre lo popular es lo que debemos leer para sentirnos bien. A veces, hay que escuchar la opinión de los expertos y seguir sus recomendaciones con fidelidad, así pareciera que no tienen sentido sus palabras.
Yo no quería leer este libro porque no me llamaba la atención. ¿Un libro sobre robots? ¿Para qué leerlo? De hecho, ni siquiera los robots entran entre mis temas favoritos sobre ciencia ficción. Sin embargo, una voz —tal vez fue intuición— me gritó desde lo más profundo de mí ser que no fuera desobediente y testarudo porque ya había establecido un plan de lectura: seguir el orden recomendado para leer a Asimov que se sugiere en un video de Youtube de un canal llamado JaviPons. Si bien es cierto que no todos los lectores de Asimov recomiendan ese orden, y opinan que no es necesario ser tan estrictos con el tema, la verdad es que yo ya había decidido hacerlo de ese modo. Esta vez le hice caso a esa voz, y efectivamente fue una gran decisión.
Este libro no es popular, el título y la portada no atraen la atención en absoluto, pero he resultado completamente absorto en cada una de las treinta y un historias que componen esta antología de relatos sobre robots. Me he sentido como un niño pequeño que recibe inesperadamente un gran regalo de Navidad y empieza a gritar por toda la casa con excitación. En mi caso no he llegado a gritar, pero sí he mantenido una gran sonrisa de satisfacción y deleite durante toda la lectura. Realmente la he pasado muy bien.
Por la prosa de Asimov he sentido una simpatía y una conexión muy bonita porque sus ideas me hipnotizaron, sus historias me cautivaron y el ritmo y tono que usó me mantuvo enganchado en todo momento. Para mí, Asimov es como un buen amigo que le encantan las historias y sabe perfectamente como contarlas. Al principio, no le tenía mucha confianza a esta obra, pero poco a poco fui dejándome llevar por la imaginación del autor y me sumergí por completo en la lectura. Después de esta bellísima experiencia no volveré a dudar de Asimov. ¡Qué me cuente sobre lo que le apetezca! Estoy seguro que disfrutaré cualquier historia del autor, sea la que sea.
Me he gustado muchísimo la estructura y el orden con que se presentan los cuentos en esta obra. Otro orden diferente podría afectar la experiencia de lectura, ya que sentiríamos altibajos entre la calidad de un cuento y otro. Tal vez otros lectores tengan opiniones diferentes, pero, para mí, cada cuento es mejor que el anterior. No lo digo por mi fanatismo hacia el autor, sino porque los primeros cuentos fueron sencillos (no malos), pero después se fueron transformando en cuentos más profundos que invitan a reflexionar sobre el impacto de la robótica en la vida diaria. Puede que los robots sean simples objetos sin vida que no pueden sentir, pero ¿qué pasaría si llegara el momento en que pudieran hacerlo? ¿Cómo sería nuestra reacción? ¿Acaso sentiríamos miedo, rechazo, comprensión? ¿Qué pasaría sí…? Los libros que, directa o indirectamente invitan al lector a pensar y filosofar sobre hipotéticos cambios sociales, siempre valdrán la pena darles la oportunidad. Y este libro es así. Sinceramente, esa combinación entre robótica, psicología, filosofía, evolución y adaptación me ha parecido espectacular. De los mejores aspectos que tiene el libro. Si bien es cierto que pueden leerse los relatos en cualquier orden, yo recomiendo hacerlo en el orden original. Se vive una mejor experiencia.
Lo más importante del libro es que el lector reconozca y comprenda a fondo las tres leyes de la robótica impuestas por el autor. Si las lees por primera vez pueden parecerte simples y fáciles de entender, pero a medida que avanzas en esta lectura te percatarás que estas leyes no son tan simples como creías. Cada relato, y esto es muy interesante, expondrá una situación en la que una o más de esas reglas estarán en riesgo de romperse porque los robots, sin alterar la lógica de su programación, empiezan a comportarse anómalamente. Parecerán simples fallas, pero ¿realmente lo son? Esa será la tarea del lector, descubrirlo.
Mi personaje favorito del libro sin duda alguna es la robopsicóloga Susan Calvin. ¡Está muy loca, pero me encanta! Este personaje, tan mal interpretado en la película de Yo, Robot de 2004, nos ayuda a comprender mejor el comportamiento de los robots. Como el nombre de su profesión lo indica, ella es la encargada de evaluar psicológicamente a todos los robots, determinando si presentan fallas, están diciendo mentiras o están en perfecto estado. Sin embargo, lo que realmente transmite Susan Calvin, es una pasión por los robots que cruza por más de veinte millas los límites de la obsesión, llegando a sentir más aprecio por los robots que por sus semejantes, los seres humanos. A pesar de su obsesión, es un personaje encantador por sus apuntes, su inteligencia, su humor negro y sobre todo por la atmósfera que genera su presencia en cada situación. ¡Ella es genial en todo el sentido de la palabra!
He finalizado muy satisfecho y con ansias de continuar con el siguiente libro de Asimov que, según la lista que estoy siguiendo, se llama Visiones de Robot. Tengo confianza en que mi experiencia será grata porque me siento muy contento por tener la oportunidad de leer a Asimov. Es genial cuando encuentras un autor al que le puedes regalar sin dudar un segundo de tu valioso tiempo porque te fascina su prosa y sus historias. Con pocas páginas, Asimov se ha convertido en uno de mis escritores favoritos y estoy seguro que resultaré leyéndome todos sus libros debido a la satisfacción que siento al conectarme con un pequeño trozo de su imaginación. Soy consciente que llegará el momento en que ya no haya nada nuevo que leer de su autoría, pero ese panorama está muy lejos aún. No hay razón para preocuparme. Recién comienzo este viaje precioso que espero disfrutar al máximo, instante por instante. Me siento muy feliz.
Me encantan los libros que activan mi imaginación y disparan mi curiosidad como si fuera un niño pequeño. Sentirme así, me encanta. De vez en cuando elijo libros populares con altas puntuaciones como mis próximas lecturas porque siento miedo de perder el tiempo leyendo historias desconocidas que resulten ser absurdas. Ese miedo me obliga a actuar impulsivamente para “ir a la fija” y “asegurar buenas experiencias”. Sin embargo, no siempre lo popular es lo que debemos leer para sentirnos bien. A veces, hay que escuchar la opinión de los expertos y seguir sus recomendaciones con fidelidad, así pareciera que no tienen sentido sus palabras.
Yo no quería leer este libro porque no me llamaba la atención. ¿Un libro sobre robots? ¿Para qué leerlo? De hecho, ni siquiera los robots entran entre mis temas favoritos sobre ciencia ficción. Sin embargo, una voz —tal vez fue intuición— me gritó desde lo más profundo de mí ser que no fuera desobediente y testarudo porque ya había establecido un plan de lectura: seguir el orden recomendado para leer a Asimov que se sugiere en un video de Youtube de un canal llamado JaviPons. Si bien es cierto que no todos los lectores de Asimov recomiendan ese orden, y opinan que no es necesario ser tan estrictos con el tema, la verdad es que yo ya había decidido hacerlo de ese modo. Esta vez le hice caso a esa voz, y efectivamente fue una gran decisión.
Este libro no es popular, el título y la portada no atraen la atención en absoluto, pero he resultado completamente absorto en cada una de las treinta y un historias que componen esta antología de relatos sobre robots. Me he sentido como un niño pequeño que recibe inesperadamente un gran regalo de Navidad y empieza a gritar por toda la casa con excitación. En mi caso no he llegado a gritar, pero sí he mantenido una gran sonrisa de satisfacción y deleite durante toda la lectura. Realmente la he pasado muy bien.
Por la prosa de Asimov he sentido una simpatía y una conexión muy bonita porque sus ideas me hipnotizaron, sus historias me cautivaron y el ritmo y tono que usó me mantuvo enganchado en todo momento. Para mí, Asimov es como un buen amigo que le encantan las historias y sabe perfectamente como contarlas. Al principio, no le tenía mucha confianza a esta obra, pero poco a poco fui dejándome llevar por la imaginación del autor y me sumergí por completo en la lectura. Después de esta bellísima experiencia no volveré a dudar de Asimov. ¡Qué me cuente sobre lo que le apetezca! Estoy seguro que disfrutaré cualquier historia del autor, sea la que sea.
Me he gustado muchísimo la estructura y el orden con que se presentan los cuentos en esta obra. Otro orden diferente podría afectar la experiencia de lectura, ya que sentiríamos altibajos entre la calidad de un cuento y otro. Tal vez otros lectores tengan opiniones diferentes, pero, para mí, cada cuento es mejor que el anterior. No lo digo por mi fanatismo hacia el autor, sino porque los primeros cuentos fueron sencillos (no malos), pero después se fueron transformando en cuentos más profundos que invitan a reflexionar sobre el impacto de la robótica en la vida diaria. Puede que los robots sean simples objetos sin vida que no pueden sentir, pero ¿qué pasaría si llegara el momento en que pudieran hacerlo? ¿Cómo sería nuestra reacción? ¿Acaso sentiríamos miedo, rechazo, comprensión? ¿Qué pasaría sí…? Los libros que, directa o indirectamente invitan al lector a pensar y filosofar sobre hipotéticos cambios sociales, siempre valdrán la pena darles la oportunidad. Y este libro es así. Sinceramente, esa combinación entre robótica, psicología, filosofía, evolución y adaptación me ha parecido espectacular. De los mejores aspectos que tiene el libro. Si bien es cierto que pueden leerse los relatos en cualquier orden, yo recomiendo hacerlo en el orden original. Se vive una mejor experiencia.
Lo más importante del libro es que el lector reconozca y comprenda a fondo las tres leyes de la robótica impuestas por el autor. Si las lees por primera vez pueden parecerte simples y fáciles de entender, pero a medida que avanzas en esta lectura te percatarás que estas leyes no son tan simples como creías. Cada relato, y esto es muy interesante, expondrá una situación en la que una o más de esas reglas estarán en riesgo de romperse porque los robots, sin alterar la lógica de su programación, empiezan a comportarse anómalamente. Parecerán simples fallas, pero ¿realmente lo son? Esa será la tarea del lector, descubrirlo.
Mi personaje favorito del libro sin duda alguna es la robopsicóloga Susan Calvin. ¡Está muy loca, pero me encanta! Este personaje, tan mal interpretado en la película de Yo, Robot de 2004, nos ayuda a comprender mejor el comportamiento de los robots. Como el nombre de su profesión lo indica, ella es la encargada de evaluar psicológicamente a todos los robots, determinando si presentan fallas, están diciendo mentiras o están en perfecto estado. Sin embargo, lo que realmente transmite Susan Calvin, es una pasión por los robots que cruza por más de veinte millas los límites de la obsesión, llegando a sentir más aprecio por los robots que por sus semejantes, los seres humanos. A pesar de su obsesión, es un personaje encantador por sus apuntes, su inteligencia, su humor negro y sobre todo por la atmósfera que genera su presencia en cada situación. ¡Ella es genial en todo el sentido de la palabra!
He finalizado muy satisfecho y con ansias de continuar con el siguiente libro de Asimov que, según la lista que estoy siguiendo, se llama Visiones de Robot. Tengo confianza en que mi experiencia será grata porque me siento muy contento por tener la oportunidad de leer a Asimov. Es genial cuando encuentras un autor al que le puedes regalar sin dudar un segundo de tu valioso tiempo porque te fascina su prosa y sus historias. Con pocas páginas, Asimov se ha convertido en uno de mis escritores favoritos y estoy seguro que resultaré leyéndome todos sus libros debido a la satisfacción que siento al conectarme con un pequeño trozo de su imaginación. Soy consciente que llegará el momento en que ya no haya nada nuevo que leer de su autoría, pero ese panorama está muy lejos aún. No hay razón para preocuparme. Recién comienzo este viaje precioso que espero disfrutar al máximo, instante por instante. Me siento muy feliz.
February 7, 2017
This happens to be a re-read because I happened to have forgotten that I read the complete short stories of Asimov when I was much younger. :) That being said, I enjoyed them the second time around too.
The three laws of robotics were obviously in play but what sticks most in my mind is the light professional tone of Asimov throughout every single story. They weren't uncomplicated, but they were definitely studies of stark spotlight stories that always had definite points to be made.
They might not be extremely good points, such as turning a robot into something that has "feminine intuition" but turning her into a Greek Oracle was funny. And then little charmers like murderous buses are always a grand treat. :)
The dryer closed-room mysteries involving robots, including the one that set out to prove a local politician as a robot, are all lightly amusing and clever, but by today's standards, they're rather short on depth. That's fine. These are classics of the 30's after all.
There is still an element of universality at least!
Some things I don't like: the underlying arguments that robots should be slaves. I know that we can make a very good argument that Asimov has plenty of stories trying to free robots, such as Centennial Man and of course the end of his Robot novels with Olivaw, but for the most part, no one questions it, and no one cares.
It's a case of too little notice, in my opinion, but at least some of it is there.
And then there are the cultural assumptions, despite the author's naysaying it, that women are inferior... which grates on me. But it's far and away the lightest and least noticeable out of Classic SF in general. I can think of 75% other classic novels that are much worse, and they're not even SF. :)
All told, though, these were very enjoyable. :)
The three laws of robotics were obviously in play but what sticks most in my mind is the light professional tone of Asimov throughout every single story. They weren't uncomplicated, but they were definitely studies of stark spotlight stories that always had definite points to be made.
They might not be extremely good points, such as turning a robot into something that has "feminine intuition" but turning her into a Greek Oracle was funny. And then little charmers like murderous buses are always a grand treat. :)
The dryer closed-room mysteries involving robots, including the one that set out to prove a local politician as a robot, are all lightly amusing and clever, but by today's standards, they're rather short on depth. That's fine. These are classics of the 30's after all.
There is still an element of universality at least!
Some things I don't like: the underlying arguments that robots should be slaves. I know that we can make a very good argument that Asimov has plenty of stories trying to free robots, such as Centennial Man and of course the end of his Robot novels with Olivaw, but for the most part, no one questions it, and no one cares.
It's a case of too little notice, in my opinion, but at least some of it is there.
And then there are the cultural assumptions, despite the author's naysaying it, that women are inferior... which grates on me. But it's far and away the lightest and least noticeable out of Classic SF in general. I can think of 75% other classic novels that are much worse, and they're not even SF. :)
All told, though, these were very enjoyable. :)
April 22, 2018
Ova zbirka prica je prosto odlicna. Asimov ima originalne ideje i svaka prica za sebe se bavi nekim, moje je laicko misljenje, potpuno logicnim i stvarnim problemom sa kojima bi se susretala vestacka inteligencija, roboti, u dodiru sa nasim ljudskim svetom i vrednostima koje gajmo. Nesto tako delikatno kao sto je robot sposoban da obavlja najistancanije radnje i pokusava da se ponasa kao ljudsko bice zaista zahteva podrobnu analizu u svakom segmentu. Ono sto Asimova cini tako velikim piscem SFa jeste taj njegov upliv, kao sto to i u imenu zanra pise, fantasticnih motiva. Sve je tako logicno i sa razlogom napisano a opet veze se za fantastiku i na momente deluje da ljudi zaista imaju kapacitet da stignu do zvezda a u isto vreme stvore jedan moralan i vise nego funkcionalan svet za sebe uz veliku pomoc masina, Asimovljevih robota.
March 9, 2020
Isaac Asimov, all'unanimità, l'autore più rappresentativo della fantascienza mondiale, qui raccoglie tutti i racconti a tema robot, della sua sconfinata produzione letteraria.
Robot, derivato da una parola slava che significa "lavoro dipendente" (non fa venire un po' i brividi?), viene "inventato" da Asimov agli albori della sua carriera, nel 1940 con il racconto "Robbie", tra i più belli in assoluto della raccolta, fino al 1977. (un anno prima scriverà un'altra pietra miliare sui robot: "L'uomo bicentenario")
E' molto difficile dare una votazione su una raccolta di racconti, qui ancora di più, perchè l'argomentazione è unica, appunto i robot, e questo potrebbe creare una qualche problematica data dal fatto che ci si potrebbe annoiare. Infatti alcuni racconti non sono stati il massimo, più che altro quelli ad argomentazione "Susan Calvin", alcuni un po' ripetitivi, ma comunque sempre molto riflessivi sulla storia dei robot (dell'umanità?).
La scrittura di Asimov è sempre splendida, affascinante, straordinaria, piena di spunti di riflessione, di una delicatezza rara, di una poeticità unica ed inimitabile. Ogni racconto è un monito alla riflessione su ciò che facciamo. La tecnologia ci sta assorbendo ormai (2018). Asimov lo aveva previsto 70 anni fa e se i cervelli positronici non esistono (ancora), tutto quello che ci racconta ora è all'ordine del giorno: civiltà meccanizzata, elettrodomestici (robot?), metropolitana senza conducente ecc...
Insomma Asi, sei un mito!
Robot, derivato da una parola slava che significa "lavoro dipendente" (non fa venire un po' i brividi?), viene "inventato" da Asimov agli albori della sua carriera, nel 1940 con il racconto "Robbie", tra i più belli in assoluto della raccolta, fino al 1977. (un anno prima scriverà un'altra pietra miliare sui robot: "L'uomo bicentenario")
E' molto difficile dare una votazione su una raccolta di racconti, qui ancora di più, perchè l'argomentazione è unica, appunto i robot, e questo potrebbe creare una qualche problematica data dal fatto che ci si potrebbe annoiare. Infatti alcuni racconti non sono stati il massimo, più che altro quelli ad argomentazione "Susan Calvin", alcuni un po' ripetitivi, ma comunque sempre molto riflessivi sulla storia dei robot (dell'umanità?).
La scrittura di Asimov è sempre splendida, affascinante, straordinaria, piena di spunti di riflessione, di una delicatezza rara, di una poeticità unica ed inimitabile. Ogni racconto è un monito alla riflessione su ciò che facciamo. La tecnologia ci sta assorbendo ormai (2018). Asimov lo aveva previsto 70 anni fa e se i cervelli positronici non esistono (ancora), tutto quello che ci racconta ora è all'ordine del giorno: civiltà meccanizzata, elettrodomestici (robot?), metropolitana senza conducente ecc...
Insomma Asi, sei un mito!
July 30, 2019
Η ιδιοφυΐα του Asimov σε όλος της το μεγαλείο.
Αν θέλετε να έρθετε σε μια πρώτη επαφή με αυτόν τον μεγάλο οραματιστή, διαβάστε αυτό το βιβλίο.
Περιέχει το μεγαλύτερο μέρος των ιστοριών που έχει γράψει ο Asimov για το "ρομποτικό" σύμπαν του, και παρόλο που δεν έχουν όλες οι ιστορίες την ίδια αξία - άλλες είναι αριστουργηματικές, άλλες μάλλον μέτριες - αξίζει να το διαβάσετε ολοκληρωμένο.
Αν θέλετε να έρθετε σε μια πρώτη επαφή με αυτόν τον μεγάλο οραματιστή, διαβάστε αυτό το βιβλίο.
Περιέχει το μεγαλύτερο μέρος των ιστοριών που έχει γράψει ο Asimov για το "ρομποτικό" σύμπαν του, και παρόλο που δεν έχουν όλες οι ιστορίες την ίδια αξία - άλλες είναι αριστουργηματικές, άλλες μάλλον μέτριες - αξίζει να το διαβάσετε ολοκληρωμένο.
March 10, 2021
4.5
Bello!
Seguirà commento dettagliato ^^
EDIT 09/03/21
Gdl con Edicola & Libreria: le nostre passioni...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Questi racconti mi sono piaciuti anche più di quelli di Io, Robot anche perchè, nella maggior parte, c'è un sottofondo di inquietudine.
Robot non umani
Il fedele amico dell'uomo ***
Carino ma molto breve. Come in Robbie, viene evidenziato che a volte i genitori proprio non capiscono.
Il bardo ***
Originale l’idea di considerare la nostra scrittura come i geroglifici dei XX secolo
Piuttosto inquietante il finale: “E il piccolo computer capì allora che i suoi compagni sarebbero diventati sempre più saggi e potenti, finché un giorno... un giorno... un giorno...!”
Sally ****
mi ha ricordato
Robot immobili
Certezza di esperto **
non mi è piaciuto, non mi ha lasciato niente.
Finalmente *** ½
Non mi stava entusiasmando più di tanto, il finale ha ribaltato le cose
Vero amore ****
Bello e tanto inquietante!
Robot di metallo
AL-76 **** ½
È forse è quello che più mi è piaciuto fino ad ora.
La reazione delle persone
È quasi comico.
Mi ha ricordato Corto circuito.
Vittoria involontaria *****
Meraviglioso.
È quello che fino adesso mi è piaciuto di più.
Se non erro è la prima volta che nei racconti compaiono
Straniero in paradiso ***
All’inizio non capivo cosa c’entrasse, arrivata alla fine del primo capitolo ho capito che era un racconto a più capitoli.
Mi ha ricordato un po’ Gattaca, con i due
Luciscultura ***
Simpatico e il finale è perfetto.
Il segregazionista *** 1/2
Mi ha ricordato Galaxy Express 999 di Leiji Matsumoto (che tra l’altro è ambientato nel 2021)
Robbie ****
Già recensito in Io, robot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Robot umanoidi
Se saremo uniti *** ½
Interessante. Un possibile sviluppo della Guerra fredda nel futuro.
Però la
La mappa di un secolo non era cambiata molto.
…
C‘era stato però anche un altro cambiamento significativo: quello dei colori.
Due generazioni prima, il loro territorio sulla mappa era di un rosso acceso…
Che dire? Colori, mappe … direi più che attuale XD :P
Immagine speculare ***
Un caso investigativo.
Vorrei saperne di più sul fatto che sembra che nessuno voglia aver a che fare con i terrestri.
Edit
Dopo aver letto Abissi d'acciaio e così approfondito la conoscenza di Elijah Baley e R. Daneel Olivaw, l'ho apprezzato di più *** 1/2 e ho capito qual è il problema con i terrestri.
Tricentenario **
Un attentato al Presidente degli Stati Uniti con risvolti inaspettati … no, a dire il vero era parecchio intuibile XD :P
Powell e Donovan
La prima legge **
Ok,
Circolo vizioso **
Essere razionale ****
Iniziativa personale **
Già recensiti in Io, robot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Susan Calvin
Bugiardo! *****
Già recensito in Io, robot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Soddisfazione garantita *****
Il tema è simile a Bugiardo!
La mente non è potuta che andare alle moderne e più sofisticate sex doll XD
Lenny ****
Anche Susan Calvin ha un lato umano.
Da notare che ancora una volta, l’imperfezione sarà la scintilla che fa scaturire un nuovo progresso
Il correttore di bozze **** ½
Un altro racconto con l’interpretazione delle tre leggi, con un finale agrodolce
Il robot scomparso ***
Già recensito in Io, robot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rischio **** ½
La manipolazione della Susan!
XD l’ha ridotto al silenzio in pochi secondi!
Grande!
Mi ha ricordato un po’ Ad Astra
Meccanismo di fuga **
La prova*****
Conflitto evitabile **
Già recensiti in Io, robot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Intuito femminile *****
Bellissimo, non per la storia in sé ma per il significato, ancora molto attuale.
L’intelligenza femminile bollata solo come intuito, l’inventiva nascosta da caratteristiche femminili per fare meno paura … e poi arriva Susan Calvin che li supera tutti, risolve la cosa in poche ore e li lascia faticare a scervellarsi.
Grazie di esistere Susan!|
O meglio grazie ad Asimov di averla creata e, considerando che il racconto è del 1969, anche di essere così progressista.
Due apoteosi
Che tu te ne prenda cura *****
È stato un crescendo dell’evoluzione fino ad arrivare a …
Bellissimo!
Mentre leggevo, mi chiedevo : come mi sarei comportata io in un mondo con robot umanoidi?
Sarei stata vittima della Sindrome di Frankenstein o li avrei accettati senza se e senza ma?
E mentre ci riflettevo ho pensato a C-3PO, a Data, ad Ash, a Bishop, a David e Roy Batty.
Ho pensato di avere davanti a me un essere dalle fattezze umane senz’anima negli occhi.
Non sono riuscita a darmi una risposta.
E il finale è la sintesi dei racconti precedenti sul perchè mi suscitano inquietudine.
E vorrei far notare che Susan, l’aveva capito e non l’aveva mai fatto
L'uomo bicentenario ****
Bello, riflessivo e triste.
Ho visto il film con Robin Williams ma non lo ricordo molto perché non ho voluto più rivederlo a causa della sua tristezza.
Il racconto è meno triste ma molto toccante.
Anche questo racconto mi ha ricordato Galaxy Express 999 e non solo.È il grande merito di Asimov (assieme a Philip K. Dick), quello di aver influenzato ed essere stato di ispirazione alla narrativa, alla cinematografia, fumetti etc., nel corso degli anni; sono tanti i riferimenti delle sue opere sparsi in giro in queste forme d’arte.
Peccato non aver mai letto prima Asimov.
Bello!
Seguirà commento dettagliato ^^
EDIT 09/03/21
Gdl con Edicola & Libreria: le nostre passioni...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Questi racconti mi sono piaciuti anche più di quelli di Io, Robot anche perchè, nella maggior parte, c'è un sottofondo di inquietudine.
Robot non umani
Il fedele amico dell'uomo ***
Carino ma molto breve. Come in Robbie, viene evidenziato che a volte i genitori proprio non capiscono.
Il bardo ***
Originale l’idea di considerare la nostra scrittura come i geroglifici dei XX secolo
Piuttosto inquietante il finale: “E il piccolo computer capì allora che i suoi compagni sarebbero diventati sempre più saggi e potenti, finché un giorno... un giorno... un giorno...!”
Sally ****
mi ha ricordato
Robot immobili
Certezza di esperto **
non mi è piaciuto, non mi ha lasciato niente.
Finalmente *** ½
Non mi stava entusiasmando più di tanto, il finale ha ribaltato le cose
Vero amore ****
Bello e tanto inquietante!
Robot di metallo
AL-76 **** ½
È forse è quello che più mi è piaciuto fino ad ora.
La reazione delle persone
È quasi comico.
Mi ha ricordato Corto circuito.
Vittoria involontaria *****
Meraviglioso.
È quello che fino adesso mi è piaciuto di più.
Se non erro è la prima volta che nei racconti compaiono
Straniero in paradiso ***
All’inizio non capivo cosa c’entrasse, arrivata alla fine del primo capitolo ho capito che era un racconto a più capitoli.
Mi ha ricordato un po’ Gattaca, con i due
Luciscultura ***
Simpatico e il finale è perfetto.
Il segregazionista *** 1/2
Mi ha ricordato Galaxy Express 999 di Leiji Matsumoto (che tra l’altro è ambientato nel 2021)
Robbie ****
Già recensito in Io, robot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Robot umanoidi
Se saremo uniti *** ½
Interessante. Un possibile sviluppo della Guerra fredda nel futuro.
Però la
La mappa di un secolo non era cambiata molto.
…
C‘era stato però anche un altro cambiamento significativo: quello dei colori.
Due generazioni prima, il loro territorio sulla mappa era di un rosso acceso…
Che dire? Colori, mappe … direi più che attuale XD :P
Immagine speculare ***
Un caso investigativo.
Vorrei saperne di più sul fatto che sembra che nessuno voglia aver a che fare con i terrestri.
Edit
Dopo aver letto Abissi d'acciaio e così approfondito la conoscenza di Elijah Baley e R. Daneel Olivaw, l'ho apprezzato di più *** 1/2 e ho capito qual è il problema con i terrestri.
Tricentenario **
Un attentato al Presidente degli Stati Uniti con risvolti inaspettati … no, a dire il vero era parecchio intuibile XD :P
Powell e Donovan
La prima legge **
Ok,
Circolo vizioso **
Essere razionale ****
Iniziativa personale **
Già recensiti in Io, robot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Susan Calvin
Bugiardo! *****
Già recensito in Io, robot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Soddisfazione garantita *****
Il tema è simile a Bugiardo!
La mente non è potuta che andare alle moderne e più sofisticate sex doll XD
Lenny ****
Anche Susan Calvin ha un lato umano.
Da notare che ancora una volta, l’imperfezione sarà la scintilla che fa scaturire un nuovo progresso
Il correttore di bozze **** ½
Un altro racconto con l’interpretazione delle tre leggi, con un finale agrodolce
Il robot scomparso ***
Già recensito in Io, robot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rischio **** ½
La manipolazione della Susan!
XD l’ha ridotto al silenzio in pochi secondi!
Grande!
Mi ha ricordato un po’ Ad Astra
Meccanismo di fuga **
La prova*****
Conflitto evitabile **
Già recensiti in Io, robot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Intuito femminile *****
Bellissimo, non per la storia in sé ma per il significato, ancora molto attuale.
L’intelligenza femminile bollata solo come intuito, l’inventiva nascosta da caratteristiche femminili per fare meno paura … e poi arriva Susan Calvin che li supera tutti, risolve la cosa in poche ore e li lascia faticare a scervellarsi.
Grazie di esistere Susan!|
O meglio grazie ad Asimov di averla creata e, considerando che il racconto è del 1969, anche di essere così progressista.
Due apoteosi
Che tu te ne prenda cura *****
È stato un crescendo dell’evoluzione fino ad arrivare a …
Bellissimo!
Mentre leggevo, mi chiedevo : come mi sarei comportata io in un mondo con robot umanoidi?
Sarei stata vittima della Sindrome di Frankenstein o li avrei accettati senza se e senza ma?
E mentre ci riflettevo ho pensato a C-3PO, a Data, ad Ash, a Bishop, a David e Roy Batty.
Ho pensato di avere davanti a me un essere dalle fattezze umane senz’anima negli occhi.
Non sono riuscita a darmi una risposta.
E il finale è la sintesi dei racconti precedenti sul perchè mi suscitano inquietudine.
E vorrei far notare che Susan, l’aveva capito e non l’aveva mai fatto
L'uomo bicentenario ****
Bello, riflessivo e triste.
Ho visto il film con Robin Williams ma non lo ricordo molto perché non ho voluto più rivederlo a causa della sua tristezza.
Il racconto è meno triste ma molto toccante.
Anche questo racconto mi ha ricordato Galaxy Express 999 e non solo.È il grande merito di Asimov (assieme a Philip K. Dick), quello di aver influenzato ed essere stato di ispirazione alla narrativa, alla cinematografia, fumetti etc., nel corso degli anni; sono tanti i riferimenti delle sue opere sparsi in giro in queste forme d’arte.
Peccato non aver mai letto prima Asimov.
January 22, 2015
This one took some time.
Not because it was hard to read, or because it was bad. I was actually saving it. I didn't enjoy binge reading the short stories. They went too fast. I ended up reading one or two between each other book I read. I read one and sort of ruminated on it for a while. It was the way I could enjoy the stories the most, I figured.
I enjoyed the various stories differently. Sometimes the puzzle/conflict it presented was the part I enjoyed the most, sometimes the way the characters interacted with each other and the robots was the best part, sometimes it was the way some of the thought provoking endings made me think back on them for days.
I didn't feel the book was too dated. The lack of computers showed sometimes, but I feel that the robots and general technology most of the time was there to support a plot or conflict inherently human. The Robot was not the issue, the way the humans dealt with it was. And that was what made the stories so good.
I feel going through almost forty stories is rather silly so, suffice to say that there are a lot of great stories in the book. A bunch of excellent ones too. And several good ones. There was not a single bad one, in my opinion. Accommodating to Goodreads rate system, there were a myriad of five, four and three stars stories. I was ready to give a round four star rating to the collection as a whole.
Then I read the last story. The Bicentennial Man. Conforming to Goodreads rate system, that one warrants some seven stars. At least.
That messed the average a bit.
Not because it was hard to read, or because it was bad. I was actually saving it. I didn't enjoy binge reading the short stories. They went too fast. I ended up reading one or two between each other book I read. I read one and sort of ruminated on it for a while. It was the way I could enjoy the stories the most, I figured.
I enjoyed the various stories differently. Sometimes the puzzle/conflict it presented was the part I enjoyed the most, sometimes the way the characters interacted with each other and the robots was the best part, sometimes it was the way some of the thought provoking endings made me think back on them for days.
I didn't feel the book was too dated. The lack of computers showed sometimes, but I feel that the robots and general technology most of the time was there to support a plot or conflict inherently human. The Robot was not the issue, the way the humans dealt with it was. And that was what made the stories so good.
I feel going through almost forty stories is rather silly so, suffice to say that there are a lot of great stories in the book. A bunch of excellent ones too. And several good ones. There was not a single bad one, in my opinion. Accommodating to Goodreads rate system, there were a myriad of five, four and three stars stories. I was ready to give a round four star rating to the collection as a whole.
Then I read the last story. The Bicentennial Man. Conforming to Goodreads rate system, that one warrants some seven stars. At least.
That messed the average a bit.
January 6, 2020
— Hace cincuenta años, Andrew fue declarado el robot
sesquicentenario. —hizo una pausa y añadió
solemnemente—: Hoy, el Señor Martin es declarado
el hombre bicentenario.
Una excelente colección de 31 de los 37 relatos cortos que escribió Asimov, algunas las había leído previamente en Yo, Robot. No estoy seguro de si exista un autor que haya superado lo que logró Asimov con sus relatos de robots; me atrevo a decir que estos relatos deben de ser de lo mejor que se haya escrito jamás sobre el tema.
El clímax de esta colección es, por supuesto, "El hombre bicentenario", ganadora de los premios Hugo y Nebula.
Ahora, a seguir con la saga de robots.
sesquicentenario. —hizo una pausa y añadió
solemnemente—: Hoy, el Señor Martin es declarado
el hombre bicentenario.
Una excelente colección de 31 de los 37 relatos cortos que escribió Asimov, algunas las había leído previamente en Yo, Robot. No estoy seguro de si exista un autor que haya superado lo que logró Asimov con sus relatos de robots; me atrevo a decir que estos relatos deben de ser de lo mejor que se haya escrito jamás sobre el tema.
El clímax de esta colección es, por supuesto, "El hombre bicentenario", ganadora de los premios Hugo y Nebula.
Ahora, a seguir con la saga de robots.
September 15, 2019
I remain firm in my opinion that these stories (some more than others) are among the most enjoyable, perfect things ever written.
January 12, 2020
(English below)
4.5/5
Las Tres Leyes de la Robótica:
Primera Ley: Un robot no debe dañar a ningún ser humano ni, por inacción, permitir que un ser humano sufra daño.
Segunda Ley: Un robot debe obedecer las órdenes que le sean dadas por un ser humano, salvo cuando dichas órdenes contravengan la Primera Ley.
Tercera Ley: Un robot debe proteger su propia existencia, siempre y cuando dicha protección no contravenga ni la Primera ni la Segunda Ley.
El robot completo de Isaac Asimov recopila muchos de sus cuentos de robots (la mayoría de ellos, previamente ya publicados en otras antologías), pero es esta una de las más completas compilaciones. Lo interesante (además de las historias, obviamente) es cómo se encuentran organizados, como cuentos de robots humanoides, no humanoides, las historias de Donovan y Powell, de Susan Calvin, etc.
Vamos a las historias. De por sí que no voy a comentar de qué trata cada uno de los cuentos, ya que hay muchos en la recopilación, pero les puedo decir que la forma de escribir de Asimov es increíble, fluida, y te atrapa al instante, incluso haciendo que te encariñes con los robots.
También plantea muchas cuestiones, incluyendo los miedos de la humanidad. ¿Hasta qué punto se quiere simular la mente del ser humano? ¿Tomarán el poder y nos derrocarán? ¿Realmente se puede confiar en que respeten las leyes de la robótica? ¿Qué pasa si hay un desperfecto técnico? ¿Qué pasa con la mano de obra humana que es reemplazada por robots?... Estos y muchos interrogantes se exploran de una manera FASCINANTE en estas historias.
Y lo increíble, es lo vigente que siguen muchas de estas preguntas y miedos, con todos los avances que hay en la actualidad con la inteligencia artificial y las cadenas de producción robotizadas. Es muy fácil, aún después de los años que han pasado de haber sido escritos, relacionar los cuentos con nuestra realidad, más de 40/50 años después.
De todos los cuentos, mis preferidos fueron Intuición Femenina (amo a Susan Calvin con todo mi ser) y El hombre del bicentenario, el cual no tengo palabras para describir, de la emoción que me produjo.
Recomiendo no sólo a El robot completo, sino también a Isaac Asimov, uno de los mayores referentes de la ciencia ficción, y definitivamente uno de mis autores favoritos.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The Three Laws of Robotics:
First Law : A robot must not harm any human being or, by inaction, allow a human being to suffer harm.
Second Law : A robot must obey the orders given to it by a human being, except when those orders contravene the First Law.
Third Law : A robot must protect its own existence, provided that such protection contravenes neither the First nor the Second Law.
Isaac Asimov's The complete robot collects many of his robot stories (most of them, previously published in other anthologies), but this is one of the most complete compilations. The interesting thing (in addition to the stories, obviously) is how they are organized, like tales of humanoid, non-humanoid robots, the stories of Donovan and Powell, of Susan Calvin, etc.
Let's go to the stories. Of course I am not going to comment on what each of the stories is about, since there are many in the compilation, but I can tell you that Asimov's writing is incredible, it catches you instantly, even making you fond of the robots.
It also raises many questions, including the fears of humanity. To what extent do we want to simulate the mind of the human being? Will they take power and overthrow us? Can you really trust them to respect the laws of robotics? What happens if there is a technical defect? What about the human workforce that is replaced by robots? ... These and many questions are explored in a FASCINATING way in these stories.
And the incredible thing is what is in force that many of these questions and fears follow, with all the advances that are currently made with artificial intelligence and robotic production chains. It is very easy, even after the years that have passed from being written, to relate the stories to our reality, more than 40/50 years later.
Of all the stories, my favorites were Female Intuition (I love Susan Calvin with all my being) and The Bicentennial Man, which I have no words to describe, of the emotion that produced me.
I recommend not only The complete robot, but also Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest references in science fiction, and definitely one of my favorite authors.
4.5/5
Las Tres Leyes de la Robótica:
Primera Ley: Un robot no debe dañar a ningún ser humano ni, por inacción, permitir que un ser humano sufra daño.
Segunda Ley: Un robot debe obedecer las órdenes que le sean dadas por un ser humano, salvo cuando dichas órdenes contravengan la Primera Ley.
Tercera Ley: Un robot debe proteger su propia existencia, siempre y cuando dicha protección no contravenga ni la Primera ni la Segunda Ley.
El robot completo de Isaac Asimov recopila muchos de sus cuentos de robots (la mayoría de ellos, previamente ya publicados en otras antologías), pero es esta una de las más completas compilaciones. Lo interesante (además de las historias, obviamente) es cómo se encuentran organizados, como cuentos de robots humanoides, no humanoides, las historias de Donovan y Powell, de Susan Calvin, etc.
Vamos a las historias. De por sí que no voy a comentar de qué trata cada uno de los cuentos, ya que hay muchos en la recopilación, pero les puedo decir que la forma de escribir de Asimov es increíble, fluida, y te atrapa al instante, incluso haciendo que te encariñes con los robots.
También plantea muchas cuestiones, incluyendo los miedos de la humanidad. ¿Hasta qué punto se quiere simular la mente del ser humano? ¿Tomarán el poder y nos derrocarán? ¿Realmente se puede confiar en que respeten las leyes de la robótica? ¿Qué pasa si hay un desperfecto técnico? ¿Qué pasa con la mano de obra humana que es reemplazada por robots?... Estos y muchos interrogantes se exploran de una manera FASCINANTE en estas historias.
Y lo increíble, es lo vigente que siguen muchas de estas preguntas y miedos, con todos los avances que hay en la actualidad con la inteligencia artificial y las cadenas de producción robotizadas. Es muy fácil, aún después de los años que han pasado de haber sido escritos, relacionar los cuentos con nuestra realidad, más de 40/50 años después.
De todos los cuentos, mis preferidos fueron Intuición Femenina (amo a Susan Calvin con todo mi ser) y El hombre del bicentenario, el cual no tengo palabras para describir, de la emoción que me produjo.
Recomiendo no sólo a El robot completo, sino también a Isaac Asimov, uno de los mayores referentes de la ciencia ficción, y definitivamente uno de mis autores favoritos.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The Three Laws of Robotics:
First Law : A robot must not harm any human being or, by inaction, allow a human being to suffer harm.
Second Law : A robot must obey the orders given to it by a human being, except when those orders contravene the First Law.
Third Law : A robot must protect its own existence, provided that such protection contravenes neither the First nor the Second Law.
Isaac Asimov's The complete robot collects many of his robot stories (most of them, previously published in other anthologies), but this is one of the most complete compilations. The interesting thing (in addition to the stories, obviously) is how they are organized, like tales of humanoid, non-humanoid robots, the stories of Donovan and Powell, of Susan Calvin, etc.
Let's go to the stories. Of course I am not going to comment on what each of the stories is about, since there are many in the compilation, but I can tell you that Asimov's writing is incredible, it catches you instantly, even making you fond of the robots.
It also raises many questions, including the fears of humanity. To what extent do we want to simulate the mind of the human being? Will they take power and overthrow us? Can you really trust them to respect the laws of robotics? What happens if there is a technical defect? What about the human workforce that is replaced by robots? ... These and many questions are explored in a FASCINATING way in these stories.
And the incredible thing is what is in force that many of these questions and fears follow, with all the advances that are currently made with artificial intelligence and robotic production chains. It is very easy, even after the years that have passed from being written, to relate the stories to our reality, more than 40/50 years later.
Of all the stories, my favorites were Female Intuition (I love Susan Calvin with all my being) and The Bicentennial Man, which I have no words to describe, of the emotion that produced me.
I recommend not only The complete robot, but also Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest references in science fiction, and definitely one of my favorite authors.
August 15, 2018
Eccomi di nuovo di fronte al grande Isaac ed ai suoi robot, dopo una separazione che risale addirittura alla mia adolescenza. Per i sedicenni degli anni 90 Asimov era senza dubbio un mito: il suo visionario mondo del futuro ancora non era stato intaccato dall' avvento delle tecnologie del ventuinesimo secolo, e legioni di studenti universitari dividevano il loro tempo tra lo studio e le avventure del ciclo dei Robot o della Fondazione.
Col tempo ho smesso di leggere fantascienza, ma aver reincontrato la robotica di Asimov quando alla fine gli anni a cui pensava sono giunti, permette di fare il punto. Isaac Asimov è uno scrittore del Novecento, forse addirittura tardo ottocentesco nel suo feroce materialismo: anche se Mondadori gli paga un giusto tributo ponendo una sua raccolta di racconti tra i classici, non si può non pensare che in realtà la sua opera invecchia.
Come molti altri scrittori di fantascienza ma anche grandi divulgatori del suo tempo, Asimov non è stato in grado di intuire completamente come la tecnologia avrebbe cambiatro la vita del secolo ventuno. Gli anni Duemila dei racconti di robot sono poco altro che i novecento con qualche astronave e qualche robot in più. Non c'è traccia della globalizzazione (il mondo del futuro in questo libro è ancora un mondo diviso a blocchi anche se non si nomina mai - MAI - il comunismo), del disastro climatico, dell'avvento della miniaturizzazione e soprattutto di Internet e della superconnessione che hanno invece cambiato così tanto (e forse non in meglio) il nostro modo di vivere.
Per altro su quest' ultimo punto lascia storditi quanto invece su altre opere (il Sole nudo, i robot dell'alba) il grande scrittore di Petrovicy abbia dimostrato grande consapevolezza del pericolo legato all'attenuamento dei rapporto con gli altri e del feroce isolazionismo che la superconnessione avrebbe provocato.
E i robot? Quello dell'intelligenza artificiale è un tema centrale del mondo di Asimov ma si potrebbe dire di tutta la scienza della seconda metà del Novecento. Il tentativo forsennato di ricondurre il paradossale comportamento umano ad equazioni matematiche ha impegnato generazioni di scienziati (tutto il lavoro conseguente al primo teorema di Godel ne è un esempio); ed è difficile non pensare che la mitica Robotica con le sue tre Leggi non sia altro che la trasposizione sul piano fantascientifico del sogno di razionale completamente l'umano, di ridurre l'uomo a macchina.
Tra gli uomini ed i robot, Suan Calvin ma anche il suo creatore Asimov preferiscono i robot, non c'è dubbio. Fortunatamente per noi, alla fine parrebbe che non siamo macchine, ed il pensiero scientifico ha rinunciato a questa vocazione demiurgica. Nel mondo dei microprocessori e delle CPU a centinaia di uscite che mandano avanti fabbriche intere, le macchine restano solo questo: macchine.
Cosa resta allora dopo questa duplice sconfitta, sia sul piano scientifico (la scienza non sta cercando di meccanicizzare l'uomo) che su quello fantascientifico (il mondo del ventunesimo secolo è MOLTO diverso da quello che gli scrittori dell'età d'oro della SCI-FI avevano immaginato)? Resta un libro bello che fa immaginare a tinte forti, molto ben scritto con una prosa chiara, lineare e piana, e resta comunque la domanda di fondo. Se per miracolo o per ricerca scientifica fossimo in grado di generare accanto all' Homo Sapiens un Homo Rationalis, ragionevole, potente ma innocuo, libero da ogni pulsione passionale maligna, col solo scopo di servire, siamo poi così sicuri che siamo in grado di rispondere con tanta sicurezza su chi sarebbe migliore?
Forse il male esiste per un motivo.
Col tempo ho smesso di leggere fantascienza, ma aver reincontrato la robotica di Asimov quando alla fine gli anni a cui pensava sono giunti, permette di fare il punto. Isaac Asimov è uno scrittore del Novecento, forse addirittura tardo ottocentesco nel suo feroce materialismo: anche se Mondadori gli paga un giusto tributo ponendo una sua raccolta di racconti tra i classici, non si può non pensare che in realtà la sua opera invecchia.
Come molti altri scrittori di fantascienza ma anche grandi divulgatori del suo tempo, Asimov non è stato in grado di intuire completamente come la tecnologia avrebbe cambiatro la vita del secolo ventuno. Gli anni Duemila dei racconti di robot sono poco altro che i novecento con qualche astronave e qualche robot in più. Non c'è traccia della globalizzazione (il mondo del futuro in questo libro è ancora un mondo diviso a blocchi anche se non si nomina mai - MAI - il comunismo), del disastro climatico, dell'avvento della miniaturizzazione e soprattutto di Internet e della superconnessione che hanno invece cambiato così tanto (e forse non in meglio) il nostro modo di vivere.
Per altro su quest' ultimo punto lascia storditi quanto invece su altre opere (il Sole nudo, i robot dell'alba) il grande scrittore di Petrovicy abbia dimostrato grande consapevolezza del pericolo legato all'attenuamento dei rapporto con gli altri e del feroce isolazionismo che la superconnessione avrebbe provocato.
E i robot? Quello dell'intelligenza artificiale è un tema centrale del mondo di Asimov ma si potrebbe dire di tutta la scienza della seconda metà del Novecento. Il tentativo forsennato di ricondurre il paradossale comportamento umano ad equazioni matematiche ha impegnato generazioni di scienziati (tutto il lavoro conseguente al primo teorema di Godel ne è un esempio); ed è difficile non pensare che la mitica Robotica con le sue tre Leggi non sia altro che la trasposizione sul piano fantascientifico del sogno di razionale completamente l'umano, di ridurre l'uomo a macchina.
Tra gli uomini ed i robot, Suan Calvin ma anche il suo creatore Asimov preferiscono i robot, non c'è dubbio. Fortunatamente per noi, alla fine parrebbe che non siamo macchine, ed il pensiero scientifico ha rinunciato a questa vocazione demiurgica. Nel mondo dei microprocessori e delle CPU a centinaia di uscite che mandano avanti fabbriche intere, le macchine restano solo questo: macchine.
Cosa resta allora dopo questa duplice sconfitta, sia sul piano scientifico (la scienza non sta cercando di meccanicizzare l'uomo) che su quello fantascientifico (il mondo del ventunesimo secolo è MOLTO diverso da quello che gli scrittori dell'età d'oro della SCI-FI avevano immaginato)? Resta un libro bello che fa immaginare a tinte forti, molto ben scritto con una prosa chiara, lineare e piana, e resta comunque la domanda di fondo. Se per miracolo o per ricerca scientifica fossimo in grado di generare accanto all' Homo Sapiens un Homo Rationalis, ragionevole, potente ma innocuo, libero da ogni pulsione passionale maligna, col solo scopo di servire, siamo poi così sicuri che siamo in grado di rispondere con tanta sicurezza su chi sarebbe migliore?
Forse il male esiste per un motivo.
December 11, 2007
Just finished reading The Complete Robot by Isaac Asimov, if you all haven’t read it you should do so. It contains all the stories from I, Robot as well, not the Will Smith paff though, it is completely different.
Here is a run down of the stories.
A Boy's Best Friend:-
A boy and his dog on the moon but the dog is a robot, what happened when his parents want to give him a real dog and what makes you love something?
Sally:-
Only cars that have positronic brains are allowed on the highways and when they are retired where do they go? This is a story about a man who loves cars and owns a Car farm where cars live out their retirement.
Someday:-
A Bard is an electronic device that tells children stories using a massive file of plots and twists. What happens when a toy is no longer appreciated, how does it feel?
Point of View:-
A short story about how children, their parents and the Multivac all think differently. I feel this is one of the weakest stories in the book.
Think!:-
Interesting story about computers and telepathy; has some interesting thoughts and twists but again is not that gripping.
True Love:-
Now this one was good, if you program a computer to think and feel like you what will it do? The main character is looking for a girlfriend and uses the main computer to look for her based on his likes and dislikes that soon become the computers too.
Robot AL-76 Goes Astray:-
Another good one about a robot that gets misplaced in rural Virginia where everyone is terrified of it, what can it do and how does it feel when it thinks it is already on the Moon? A very funny story which had me laughing at many points, this is very much like the plot of the movie Short Circuit in a way.
Victory Unintentional:-
The best story in my opinion which had me rolling on the floor. I kept picturing the Jovian’s as Man Utd fans, if you read it you will understand what I mean.
Stranger in Paradise:-
One of the more human focused stories here, more about two brothers in a Society were brothers are not common. It seems in the future that there is no marriage and people just meet to have babies then go their separate ways. Having two people from the same parents in an unknown factor and it affects the characters as they together try to create a robot to survive on Mercury.
Light Verse:-
Is okay it is about a rich older lady who loves her robots and light sculptures and she is famous for her light sculptures until a horrible thing happens to one of her robots.
Segregationist:-
Another bland one here devoted to the exploration of any racism when dealing with robots and how close we are becoming physically and anatomically.
Let's Get Together:-
An interesting one from when Cold War paranoia was at its height. What happens when your enemy is better at making robots than you and to what lengths will they go to win a war?
Well anyway it is a quick read due to the fact that it is a bunch of short stories so you can power through them easily.
Give it a try you won’t be disappointed at all.
Here is a run down of the stories.
A Boy's Best Friend:-
A boy and his dog on the moon but the dog is a robot, what happened when his parents want to give him a real dog and what makes you love something?
Sally:-
Only cars that have positronic brains are allowed on the highways and when they are retired where do they go? This is a story about a man who loves cars and owns a Car farm where cars live out their retirement.
Someday:-
A Bard is an electronic device that tells children stories using a massive file of plots and twists. What happens when a toy is no longer appreciated, how does it feel?
Point of View:-
A short story about how children, their parents and the Multivac all think differently. I feel this is one of the weakest stories in the book.
Think!:-
Interesting story about computers and telepathy; has some interesting thoughts and twists but again is not that gripping.
True Love:-
Now this one was good, if you program a computer to think and feel like you what will it do? The main character is looking for a girlfriend and uses the main computer to look for her based on his likes and dislikes that soon become the computers too.
Robot AL-76 Goes Astray:-
Another good one about a robot that gets misplaced in rural Virginia where everyone is terrified of it, what can it do and how does it feel when it thinks it is already on the Moon? A very funny story which had me laughing at many points, this is very much like the plot of the movie Short Circuit in a way.
Victory Unintentional:-
The best story in my opinion which had me rolling on the floor. I kept picturing the Jovian’s as Man Utd fans, if you read it you will understand what I mean.
Stranger in Paradise:-
One of the more human focused stories here, more about two brothers in a Society were brothers are not common. It seems in the future that there is no marriage and people just meet to have babies then go their separate ways. Having two people from the same parents in an unknown factor and it affects the characters as they together try to create a robot to survive on Mercury.
Light Verse:-
Is okay it is about a rich older lady who loves her robots and light sculptures and she is famous for her light sculptures until a horrible thing happens to one of her robots.
Segregationist:-
Another bland one here devoted to the exploration of any racism when dealing with robots and how close we are becoming physically and anatomically.
Let's Get Together:-
An interesting one from when Cold War paranoia was at its height. What happens when your enemy is better at making robots than you and to what lengths will they go to win a war?
Well anyway it is a quick read due to the fact that it is a bunch of short stories so you can power through them easily.
Give it a try you won’t be disappointed at all.
January 2, 2021
Me disponía a leer toda la saga de los Robots de Asimov, y habiéndome leído Yo, Robot y ya por la mitad del segundo, The Rest of the Robots, descubro que esta tercera parte es una recopilación de los relatos del primer y segundo libro con el añadido de un par de relatos más.
Yo sé que ha sido mi culpa por no informarme pero no he disfrutado tanto con esta recopilación como lo hice con Yo, Robot.
Lo mejor de El robot completo son los interludios de Asimov comentando cómo llego a escribir estas historias y el origen de algunos de los personajes. Pero creo que la organización es errónea. Está estructurado por temas y no cronológicamente, por lo que se pierde esa evolución de los robots en la sociedad que tan interesante me parece en Yo, Robot.
Es un buen punto de inicio para alguien que no haya leído nada de Asimov pero no te fíes de la organización de la saga que tiene Goodreads porque te puedes llevar una decepción.
Yo sé que ha sido mi culpa por no informarme pero no he disfrutado tanto con esta recopilación como lo hice con Yo, Robot.
Lo mejor de El robot completo son los interludios de Asimov comentando cómo llego a escribir estas historias y el origen de algunos de los personajes. Pero creo que la organización es errónea. Está estructurado por temas y no cronológicamente, por lo que se pierde esa evolución de los robots en la sociedad que tan interesante me parece en Yo, Robot.
Es un buen punto de inicio para alguien que no haya leído nada de Asimov pero no te fíes de la organización de la saga que tiene Goodreads porque te puedes llevar una decepción.
November 18, 2024
Revisiting the robot stories. It’s important to put these stories into context and understand how foundational and influential Asimov’s writing was. Asimov talks about these being engineering problems and mysteries as opposed to using robots as metaphor. He also states that he wasn’t writing robots as menace stories but rather robots as pathos stories, making the robots lovable and endearing, but eventually settling into robots as industrial tools.
A lot of these stories feel very dated. Asimov’s prose is fairly dry, academic and descriptive. There are plenty of bickering scientists and usually the smartest person in the room explaining what happened at the end of the story.
But it’s interesting to see where these stories took him. In thinking through all the problems that could be associated with implementing the laws of robotics, he stumbles over some fairly deep and thought-provoking ideas, such as, robot prejudice, morality and ethics, consciousness and robots becoming self-aware, when do robots overtake humanity in superiority, and how a reasoning robot comes to their conclusions.
In my opinion, some of the best in this collection are: Sally, True Love, Let’s Get Together, Runaround, Escape, The Evitable Conflict, That Thou At Mindful of Him, and by far the best one The Bicentennial Man.
A lot of these stories feel very dated. Asimov’s prose is fairly dry, academic and descriptive. There are plenty of bickering scientists and usually the smartest person in the room explaining what happened at the end of the story.
But it’s interesting to see where these stories took him. In thinking through all the problems that could be associated with implementing the laws of robotics, he stumbles over some fairly deep and thought-provoking ideas, such as, robot prejudice, morality and ethics, consciousness and robots becoming self-aware, when do robots overtake humanity in superiority, and how a reasoning robot comes to their conclusions.
In my opinion, some of the best in this collection are: Sally, True Love, Let’s Get Together, Runaround, Escape, The Evitable Conflict, That Thou At Mindful of Him, and by far the best one The Bicentennial Man.
April 28, 2013
I completely loved this book. In some of the stories, Asimov simplifies human relationships, hierarchy and psychology too much, but his philosophical implications of the three laws I find profound and compelling. His stories evoke both thought and emotion, as well as visions of the future we are most probably headed for. I cherish each moment I spent within these stories.
June 2, 2019
Robot Stories: Old and New
2 June 2019
I should point out that I read less than half of this book, but that was because most of the stories that were contained therein were also contained in some of his other collections, such as the two robot collections that I only just read. However, as is obvious from the above sentence, there were also stories in here that weren’t included (and Asimov cheekily blames his publisher for that, namely because it would encourage more sales due to the fact that there were some unpublished stories therein).
Interestingly, a lot of these unpublished stories (or I should say stories that weren’t published in I, Robot and Rest of the Robots because there were written in his second iteration of science-fiction writing. The thing was that Asimov pretty much wrote about anything and everything, and after he was exhausted from his fiction writing he decided to go and start writing non-fiction, and apparently there is very little that he didn’t actually write about – that is what really impresses me about the guy. Hey, he even wrote two volumes on the Bible.
So, the problem lies in the fact that his second iteration of stories, well, weren’t as good as the first. That doesn’t mean that they were bad, it just means that they where, well, just not as good. Still, many of them were quite enjoyable to read, and he even has an Elijah Bailey and Daneel story included, which his fans all wanted him to write, and were somewhat disappointed because, well, they wanted him to actually write a novel, not a short story.
The book though is quite interesting in how the stories are laid out, and finishes with Bicentennial Man, a story of a robot’s desire to become human. In fact, as we move through the book the common theme seems to be the movement of robots going from machines to pretty much becoming indistinguishable from humans. Of course there is one problem, and that they are functionally immortal – it does not matter how many parts of a human body is replaced, the fact that one cannot prevent the death of brain cells (as Asimov suggests) is one of the conclusions that is reached as to why humans and robots differ, and why humans are quite resistant to robots becoming more humanlike.
There are a number of interesting stories though, and all of them seem to be thought experiments around the idea of robots, and the concept of the three laws. For instance, there is one story where prosthetics get to a point where the question is then raised as to whether we are dealing with a human or an artificial construction, and as such where is the line between a robot and a human drawn. This question is explored much further in Bicentennial Man, which is quite interesting itself, especially since the robot is definitely playing a long game.
Another idea that is explored is the limits of the second law, but then as another reviewer points out, Asimov creates these laws, and then goes to the absolute extremes to test their limits. For instance, what if two humans give orders to a robot that conflict with each other – which human does the robot obey, and how does the robot determine which human to obey? Does the robot then need to determine whether the humans are of sound mind and body, and if not, does the robot then escape the second law?
As I said, the book was actually quite good, and rather enjoyable, though the problem is that a lot of Asimov’s later writings have sort of lost the spark that a lot of his earlier writings have. The problem is though that a lot of the stories are reprints, so you might find yourself skipping over quite a few that you have already read, only to get to the ones that you have yet to read.
2 June 2019
I should point out that I read less than half of this book, but that was because most of the stories that were contained therein were also contained in some of his other collections, such as the two robot collections that I only just read. However, as is obvious from the above sentence, there were also stories in here that weren’t included (and Asimov cheekily blames his publisher for that, namely because it would encourage more sales due to the fact that there were some unpublished stories therein).
Interestingly, a lot of these unpublished stories (or I should say stories that weren’t published in I, Robot and Rest of the Robots because there were written in his second iteration of science-fiction writing. The thing was that Asimov pretty much wrote about anything and everything, and after he was exhausted from his fiction writing he decided to go and start writing non-fiction, and apparently there is very little that he didn’t actually write about – that is what really impresses me about the guy. Hey, he even wrote two volumes on the Bible.
So, the problem lies in the fact that his second iteration of stories, well, weren’t as good as the first. That doesn’t mean that they were bad, it just means that they where, well, just not as good. Still, many of them were quite enjoyable to read, and he even has an Elijah Bailey and Daneel story included, which his fans all wanted him to write, and were somewhat disappointed because, well, they wanted him to actually write a novel, not a short story.
The book though is quite interesting in how the stories are laid out, and finishes with Bicentennial Man, a story of a robot’s desire to become human. In fact, as we move through the book the common theme seems to be the movement of robots going from machines to pretty much becoming indistinguishable from humans. Of course there is one problem, and that they are functionally immortal – it does not matter how many parts of a human body is replaced, the fact that one cannot prevent the death of brain cells (as Asimov suggests) is one of the conclusions that is reached as to why humans and robots differ, and why humans are quite resistant to robots becoming more humanlike.
There are a number of interesting stories though, and all of them seem to be thought experiments around the idea of robots, and the concept of the three laws. For instance, there is one story where prosthetics get to a point where the question is then raised as to whether we are dealing with a human or an artificial construction, and as such where is the line between a robot and a human drawn. This question is explored much further in Bicentennial Man, which is quite interesting itself, especially since the robot is definitely playing a long game.
Another idea that is explored is the limits of the second law, but then as another reviewer points out, Asimov creates these laws, and then goes to the absolute extremes to test their limits. For instance, what if two humans give orders to a robot that conflict with each other – which human does the robot obey, and how does the robot determine which human to obey? Does the robot then need to determine whether the humans are of sound mind and body, and if not, does the robot then escape the second law?
As I said, the book was actually quite good, and rather enjoyable, though the problem is that a lot of Asimov’s later writings have sort of lost the spark that a lot of his earlier writings have. The problem is though that a lot of the stories are reprints, so you might find yourself skipping over quite a few that you have already read, only to get to the ones that you have yet to read.
March 3, 2021
Credo non ci sia molto da dire su questa pietra miliare più di quanto critici ed estimatori abbiano già detto; e so che non avrei nemmeno le capacità per dare voce alle emozioni che sono scaturite leggendo uno ad uno questi racconti. Chi li ha già letti prima di me sa perfettamente di cosa sto parlando. A chi non li avesse ancora letti (o non li volesse per niente leggere) dico soltanto: in fondo sono solo dei robot.
December 18, 2018
Maravilloso, sorprendente, inteligente, desbordante de imaginación y lo que fue unos de los "Sense of Wonder" de mi juventud.
October 30, 2011
«Se si potesse individuare l'origine della loro avversione, la vera origine...»
«Dopo tutti questi anni» disse Li-hsing con tristezza, «voi cercate ancora di trovare motivazioni sensate al comportamento umano. Povero Andrew, non arrabbiatevi, ma questo vostro coraggio non è da uomo, ma da robot.»
{L'uomo Bicentenario.
E' impossibile trovare termini abbastanza entusiastici da descrivere questo libro in sé e per sé, dunque, per non sconfinare nel'eresia mi limiterò, in questa recensione, a parlarne da un punto di vista strettamente personale.
Cioè, dai, come si fa a non amarlo? Come si fa a non provare un subbuglio interiore di fronte a queste piccole perle? Chi ne ha letto almeno qualcuno mi capisce: sono racconti che esulano inevitabilmente dalla realtà per la loro ovvia ambientazione, ma poi si giunge ad una certa frase, ad un certo sottinteso e puff, Asimov sventola la sua bacchetta, la tua astronave precipita e ti ritrovi ancora una volta sulla Terra, ferito dalla caduta.
Le storie, oh, le storie di quest'uomo! E i suoi personaggi! Siano essi uomini o robot, hanno la capacità di uscire dalle pagine de libro e sembrarti reali, non sono patetici omuncoli senza un minimo di spessore, la loro presenza si fa sentire. Credo che sia questo uno dei punti forti di Asimov: riesce a farti diventare tutt'uno con la storia. E non è facile, credetemi, ed autori del genere sono più unici che rari.
Per dire, se alzassi gli occhi e vedessi appesa al muro della mia stanza un'olografia di Susan Calvin (lode e gloria a lei!) non ne sarei affatto stupita. E se entrassero Powell e Donovan e mi dicessero con perfetta nonchalance di prendere le mie cose che ci aspettavano per collaudare un robot su Plutone, partirei all'istante!
Ok, lo so che sto andando alle dimostrazioni per assurdo, ma questo è Asimov: se lo leggi e lo ami, ne fai uno stile di vita.
Un'ultima cosa ho da dire, poi giuro che taccio.
Qualche annetto fa, potevo avere otto o nove anni, vidi in televisione un film bellissimo, che parlava di un robot che decide di conquistare a sua libertà e diventare umano. Quel film si chiamava "L'uomo bicentenario". Non lo dimenticai, ma non riuscii più a rivederlo né a trovarlo visto che avendo nove anni il mio campo d'azione era piuttosto limitato. Così la storia mi restò nel cuore, ma il film in sé finì un tantino nel dimenticatoio, devo ammettere.
Accadde poi che all'età di circa undici anni mi beccò un febbrone da cavallo di quelli da tenerti a letto per due settimane. Disgrazia volle che proprio in quel periodo fossi sprovvista dei libri 'che piacevano a me', così il mio caro paparino dovette andare a cercarmi quelli che aveva letto lui da ragazzo. In quell'occasione scoprii Pirandello e... e scoprii anche Asimov, con "Abissi d'acciaio", in un'edizione vecchissima ma perfettamente conservata. Leggendolo, mi si accese la lampadina; trovavo delle analogie di pensiero tra la storia del Bicentenario e quella degli investigatori Elijah Bailey e Daneel R. Olivaw. Che avessi trovato la chiave per giungere alla storia misteriosa?... Le mie intuizioni si dimostrarono esatte, e fu così che dopo anni di dura separazione e giorni di dure ricerche, riuscii a trovare e a farmi regalare l'unica antologia di Asimov che possedesse il famigerato racconto, "L'uomo bicentenario", grazie al quale "Tutti i miei robot" entra a pieno titolo tra i miei libri preferiti. E' un racconto carico di un significato morale, intenso, emozionante, struggente, fantastico e fantasioso; insomma in perfetto stile asimoviano.
Perché sto qua a raccontarvi questa pappardella che non vi interessa? Non lo so, semplicemente mi andava.
Vi avevo avvertito che sarebbe stata una recensione strettamente personale.
Non abbiamo mica cervelli positronici, possiamo fare quello che vogliamo. Siamo liberi.
Giusto?
Giusto?...
February 2, 2021
Una "summa" del suo genere, anche ben organizzato per categorie.
E' un pò ridondante - proprio per la sua natura di raccolta definitiva di racconti - e talvolta si perde l'entusiasmo della lettura. Ma alcuni racconti sono molto belli nonostante l'età e certi personaggi (Susan Calvin in primis) sono eterni e indimenticabili.
E' un pò ridondante - proprio per la sua natura di raccolta definitiva di racconti - e talvolta si perde l'entusiasmo della lettura. Ma alcuni racconti sono molto belli nonostante l'età e certi personaggi (Susan Calvin in primis) sono eterni e indimenticabili.
October 31, 2010
I thank Asimov, for bringing me out of a mess which he undoubtedly would have no idea about. It goes like this, I had within me something that approached "Reader's block", I could not complete a book in almost over a month now. I tried Woolf's "Orlando" which became words and finally letters to me which made no sense, I tried Richard Dawkins's "The greatest show.." and my brain short circuited ( for no fault of Dawkin's I may add here, a most interesting piece of work that..). In desperation I turned to the one genre I had shied away from: Sci Fi...and...NIRVANA...I managed to lap all the tales that Asimov created on the mosaic of Robotics.
I particularly liked the order in which the tales were structured which portrays evolution. From Robots that were merely objects to animals and finally to androids, the tales are beautifully crafted. I join the mainstream to cheer for the Ice Lady Susan Calvin, who stands out as quite a unique protagonist. Most of the heroes in Sci Fi I have known totted guns,spewed expletives and went around offering mind-boggling explanations that others raised eyebrows at. Here was a lady who worked with robots for so long that as Asimov puts it " has some steel seep into her blood as well". By far the most profound of all works in the book was Bi-Centennial man which to put it simply was the tale with soul. Wherein all of humanity might have at one point of time or the other have wished for immortality, here was a machine that wished for a mortal life for a desire to be referred as "man". I can't but marvel at the visionary that Asimov is.
A remarkable collection of tales...Highly Recommended.
One of my favorite lines from the Bi-Centennial Man : "It has been said in this courtroom that only a human being can be free.It seems to me that only someone who wishes for freedom can be free.I wish for freedom "
I particularly liked the order in which the tales were structured which portrays evolution. From Robots that were merely objects to animals and finally to androids, the tales are beautifully crafted. I join the mainstream to cheer for the Ice Lady Susan Calvin, who stands out as quite a unique protagonist. Most of the heroes in Sci Fi I have known totted guns,spewed expletives and went around offering mind-boggling explanations that others raised eyebrows at. Here was a lady who worked with robots for so long that as Asimov puts it " has some steel seep into her blood as well". By far the most profound of all works in the book was Bi-Centennial man which to put it simply was the tale with soul. Wherein all of humanity might have at one point of time or the other have wished for immortality, here was a machine that wished for a mortal life for a desire to be referred as "man". I can't but marvel at the visionary that Asimov is.
A remarkable collection of tales...Highly Recommended.
One of my favorite lines from the Bi-Centennial Man : "It has been said in this courtroom that only a human being can be free.It seems to me that only someone who wishes for freedom can be free.I wish for freedom "
April 27, 2014
I've always liked Asimov's work -- one of my favourites has always been the expanded version of one of the short stories in this volume, The Positronic Man -- and so this was a nice familiar read for me. I've read some of the stories, while some were less familiar, but it is a bit like comfort eating: with Asimov, I know exactly what I'm getting. It'd be a bit much to start here with Asimov, I think, and read all the short stories start to finish. I'd pick a smaller collection, rather than a collected one. But if you're a fan of Asimov's robot stories, then this is definitely worth picking up -- there're some in here I wasn't really aware of.
I think what's really great about these stories is that Asimov set up some rules, and then he bent them until they became almost meaningless within the constraints of the story. You can program a robot to never harm a human being, but if it decides you are not a human being, that rule no longer applies. Who is the judge of humanness? Or the stories where the hierarchy of rules fights against itself, with a robot trapped between compulsions. I love the way Asimov explored that. He didn't just come up with a clever idea and then write robots you could sympathise with all the way; he liked stories that sympathised with robots, and he also saw how our society would really react to robots, and he got to work and told us stories that fit with what he saw.
I find it hard to talk about character or anything in Asimov's stories, about not portraying women properly, etc, because I don't think he portrays anything truly except robots. That's what he was interested in, and that's what he achieved. I can understand not liking them for that reason, but to me as a reader, it's irrelevant.
I think what's really great about these stories is that Asimov set up some rules, and then he bent them until they became almost meaningless within the constraints of the story. You can program a robot to never harm a human being, but if it decides you are not a human being, that rule no longer applies. Who is the judge of humanness? Or the stories where the hierarchy of rules fights against itself, with a robot trapped between compulsions. I love the way Asimov explored that. He didn't just come up with a clever idea and then write robots you could sympathise with all the way; he liked stories that sympathised with robots, and he also saw how our society would really react to robots, and he got to work and told us stories that fit with what he saw.
I find it hard to talk about character or anything in Asimov's stories, about not portraying women properly, etc, because I don't think he portrays anything truly except robots. That's what he was interested in, and that's what he achieved. I can understand not liking them for that reason, but to me as a reader, it's irrelevant.
July 8, 2017
(I, Robot, is the first collection of short stories. Second is The Rest of the Robots. Robot Dreams only has one new story in it. The Complete Robot is reported to be truly complete.)
Ok, the edition I read has 31 stories. Doubleday/ Nightfall, 1982. Stories originally from 1939 to 1977. Perhaps all editions the same, I dunno, but there you are.
It also has a nice concise introduction about Robot-as-Menace and Robot-as-Pathos and related thoughts, and is organized by theme or (slice of) world-built, with intros to each section, and even a Last Word, all by the author. Wonderful presentation of stories that I still enjoy after all these years, after reading them when young, finding some anthologized elsewhere, rereading, etc.
Still thought-provoking, and entertaining, and sometimes downright moving. Asimov had the smarts to close with The Bicentennial Man, a brilliant tear-jerker that moved me, and impressed me, even more this time than the others that I read it. If you're an SF fan and have not read that, you must. (It's not long, just is usually found in collections).
This read, though, I think my favorite is Feminine Intuition. I really enjoyed being able to read all the Susan Calvin stories and that one is a good 'snap' to let the dear lady finally retire.
If your spec. fic. book club ever wants to read a collection of short stories, you-all should choose this. Lots to discuss. Not just tech, but character motivations, meaning-of-life, future of men's fashion, etc....
I could easily stand to read this yet again in a decade or so. ...
Ok, the edition I read has 31 stories. Doubleday/ Nightfall, 1982. Stories originally from 1939 to 1977. Perhaps all editions the same, I dunno, but there you are.
It also has a nice concise introduction about Robot-as-Menace and Robot-as-Pathos and related thoughts, and is organized by theme or (slice of) world-built, with intros to each section, and even a Last Word, all by the author. Wonderful presentation of stories that I still enjoy after all these years, after reading them when young, finding some anthologized elsewhere, rereading, etc.
Still thought-provoking, and entertaining, and sometimes downright moving. Asimov had the smarts to close with The Bicentennial Man, a brilliant tear-jerker that moved me, and impressed me, even more this time than the others that I read it. If you're an SF fan and have not read that, you must. (It's not long, just is usually found in collections).
This read, though, I think my favorite is Feminine Intuition. I really enjoyed being able to read all the Susan Calvin stories and that one is a good 'snap' to let the dear lady finally retire.
If your spec. fic. book club ever wants to read a collection of short stories, you-all should choose this. Lots to discuss. Not just tech, but character motivations, meaning-of-life, future of men's fashion, etc....
I could easily stand to read this yet again in a decade or so. ...
May 21, 2022
Mastermind! Asimov is a genius, each story is a great read.
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