Resumo de I. Robot - Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov?s I, Robot, published in 1950, is the first in

his Robot series of novels. Asimov, the grandfather of

speculative fiction, begins his novel in the late 20th

century and ends it in the mid-21st-century. A collection of

chronological short stories dealing with the development of

robots on Earth makes up the structure of the novel. A

journalist interviewing Dr. Susan Calvin, a psychologist who

specializes in robots, provides the framework. Each tale

deals with the moral and ethical challenges presented by

having an increasingly more human robot population serve as

workers for humans.

Throughout the book, the human aspects of the problems are

in the forefront while the technical aspects serve as

springboards for well-dramatized philosophical discussions

about such topics as anti-technological prejudice, slavery,

and the best way to achieve world peace.

Several of the stories pose the question of what happens

when one group creates an entity that is physically and in

some ways intellectually superior, but continues to treat

them as inferiors. In one episode, one robot sees himself as

a Jesus Christ-like figure bringing the word of God to the

other robots and refuses to believe that inferior humans

created him. Asimov deals with this dilemma quite
humorously.

I, Robot is as modern as this morning?s newspaper detailing

the displacement of human workers by computer technology or

discussing the controversies surrounding stem cell research.

However, one can smell the Bryl Cream, a popular fifties

men?s hair cream which tamed unruly hair into conformity, in

the interactions between the human characters.

The only main female character, Dr. Susan Calvin, is

depicted as one of the first professionals of her era.

Because of Dr. Calvin?s analytical and dispassionate

personality, some of the robots appear more human than she

does. Asimov allows her to have feelings for a colleague in

one tale about a telepathic robot, but the situation blows

up in her face. Another instance of this fifties flavor, is

the absence of profanity. Grown men get angry and say the

equivalent of ?Gee Willikers!? or curse offstage.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov poses questions that we are

grappling with today and is worth reading. His

tale-upon-tale format makes the moral and ethical dilemmas

posed by the creation of increasingly human-like robot

workers not only engaging reading, but also sparks lively

discussions after the last page has been turned.

Resumos Relacionados