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Asimov's idealistic vision of a world made better by robots is truly a beautiful thing. In his collection I, Robot he explores the tragectory of robot development through the eyes of robo-psychologist Dr. Susan Calvin.
Dr. Susan Calvin is one of my most favorite characters in sci-fi. She's knowledgable, hardworking, pragmatic, and a bit robotic herself; truly a woman after my own (robo)heart. More so, Calvin acts as an advocate for robots both as utilitarian machines, as well as their moral superiority in regard to their adherence to the three laws of robotics. By her own admission,
"I like robots. I like them considerably better than I do human beings. If a robot can be created capable of being a civil executive, I think he'd make the best one possible. By the Laws of Robotics, he'd be incapable of harming humans, incapable of tyranny, of corruption, of stupidity, or prejudice. And after he had served a decent term, he would leave, even though he were immortal, because it would be impossible for him to hurt humans by letting them know that a robot had ruled them. It would be most ideal."
Admittedly today, in 2019, it has been found that code and machines are in fact capable of bias, and even prejudice. It's true that a robot is only as good and capable as the human(s) that create it. But Issac Asimov's robots are so great, because he was so optimistic. So if they ever came to be, I for one would welcome our robot overlords. Of course if they are robots of a Terminator persuasion, I would have to opt for a Sarah Connor approach, but I digress.
Of this short story collection, my favorite would have to be "Robbie." It is such a sweet tale, and one that is appropriate for all ages. In a world with dozens of (heartfelt) tales of young boys and their dogs, this one story about a little girl and her over-sized robot is more than welcome. No dog could ever replace Robbie.
So all that said, of course I recommend I, Robot. The only reason I do not rate this book higher is that I already read many of these stories (and more) in the later-published Robot Visions. This version is curated through Dr. Calvin, the other with Asimov’s nonfiction speculation and greater body of work. Both are excellent and deserve a shot.
Rating: I, Recommend
Dr. Susan Calvin is one of my most favorite characters in sci-fi. She's knowledgable, hardworking, pragmatic, and a bit robotic herself; truly a woman after my own (robo)heart. More so, Calvin acts as an advocate for robots both as utilitarian machines, as well as their moral superiority in regard to their adherence to the three laws of robotics. By her own admission,
"I like robots. I like them considerably better than I do human beings. If a robot can be created capable of being a civil executive, I think he'd make the best one possible. By the Laws of Robotics, he'd be incapable of harming humans, incapable of tyranny, of corruption, of stupidity, or prejudice. And after he had served a decent term, he would leave, even though he were immortal, because it would be impossible for him to hurt humans by letting them know that a robot had ruled them. It would be most ideal."
Admittedly today, in 2019, it has been found that code and machines are in fact capable of bias, and even prejudice. It's true that a robot is only as good and capable as the human(s) that create it. But Issac Asimov's robots are so great, because he was so optimistic. So if they ever came to be, I for one would welcome our robot overlords. Of course if they are robots of a Terminator persuasion, I would have to opt for a Sarah Connor approach, but I digress.
Of this short story collection, my favorite would have to be "Robbie." It is such a sweet tale, and one that is appropriate for all ages. In a world with dozens of (heartfelt) tales of young boys and their dogs, this one story about a little girl and her over-sized robot is more than welcome. No dog could ever replace Robbie.
So all that said, of course I recommend I, Robot. The only reason I do not rate this book higher is that I already read many of these stories (and more) in the later-published Robot Visions. This version is curated through Dr. Calvin, the other with Asimov’s nonfiction speculation and greater body of work. Both are excellent and deserve a shot.
Rating: I, Recommend