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Introduction

Utopia is a part of the Trilogy (Caliban and Inferno are the other two books in the Trilogy) authorized by the Asimov Foundation where in Roger MacBride Allen tries to take on the cudgels from the one and only Sir Isaac Asimov.

Given this fact, the Trilogy has panned out brilliantly with each of the three producing a searing examination of the three laws of Robotics.


The Backdrop

When the earth became too small to accommodate its people and also started becoming more radioactive, a set of adventurers flew out to discover new worlds to inhabitate. These daredevils were known as the Spacers. They flew out and terraformed (make good to live) many worlds
and settled down at these worlds. The spacers used Robots to do all their chores and all of these Robots followed the three laws of Robotics namely,

1) A Robot would not by action or inaction allow a human to come to harm.

2) A Robot would follow the orders given by a human provided First law is not broken.

3) A Robot would not allow itself to get to harm provided First Law and Second Law are not broken.

The people who settled down on earth were known as settlers and they took the cudgels to restore earth back to its old health and restore its pride. They detested Robots as they felt Robots would replace their place at work.

The Story
Governor Alvar Kresh is in the hot seat. Since his promotion from commissioner of police to Governorship, the terraforming project is going downhill all the time. The joint working between Spacers and Settlers does not seem to be working out properly. And to add to that politics between these two sides seems to be eating into most of his times.

To compound matters, the controversial New-Law Robots with much simplified laws of Robotics which does not necessarily need them to stop the death of a human and Caliban the No-Law Robot which can kill a human, seem to be the center of too many controversies.

In the midst of all this, a young kid Davlo Lentrall comes up with an eccentric plan to terraform the planet by dropping a comet on the planet and he seems convinced this is the only way by which the planet can be saved.

Kresh has very little time before the comet arrives to decide who will handle the terraforming project ? the Settlers with their expertise in such projects, the Spacers with the help of their precise Robots or the highly inexperienced and eccentric Davlo Lentrall.

Then suddenly things start moving pretty fast. A murder occurs which points to a Robot? Who killed the man? Did he die? What would be effect on the all the Old-Law Robots?

To find out the answers to all these intriguing questions check out Utopia.

Brief Cast of Characters
Alvar Kresh
Governor of Inferno and the man entrusted the unenviable job of finding a solution to Inferno?s problems.

Fredda Leving
Wife of Alvar Kresh and a robot scientist by profession. She was the inventor of the Second Law Robots and Caliban. She was strong supporter of them. But had she crossed the line in order to help them?

Tonya Welton
The slick and sometimes sinister leader of the Settlers.

Caliban
The no law Robot. The Robot who could kill people if it wanted to.

Prospero
The leader of the New-Law Robots. Something about him seemed to be in contradiction with Robots. His creativity and the desire to lead was unheard till he arrived on the scene. What deep secrets does he hold?

Davlo Lentrall
A young and ambitious youngster who feels that he has seen it all and knows all. He comes up with an eccentric plan to save Inferno. One that most people would laugh and dismiss at first instance.

Rating of this book

One of the better books on Sci-Fi, Utopia is a fitting finale to the Trilogy. The salient features of the book are:

1) A great plot.

2) The book maintainsa great pace.

3) All the characters are brilliantly evolved.

4) The complications iin the plot have been brilliantly woven.

Despite all these ravings the book also has some scope of improvement. Some portions seemed to have been unnecessarily stretched out. But these parts were few and far apart.

All in all an excellent book and must buy in the shelves of any Sci-Fi fan. A five star rating from my side.