I, Robot is a collection of short stories introducing readers to Asimov's universe where the positronic brain has allowed the creation of functional robots. The first story starts in the 90's and the rest takes place in the next century. Each story revolves around some type of Robot dilemma usually involving conflicts regarding around their ethical codes otherwise known as the three laws of robotics.
In our daily life, that are dilling with a lot of mechanisms and technologies, it is hard to keep in mind that robots (computers, washing machine, car, etc.) are man-made machines and have no human attributes or emotions; no feelings or pain (Does it hurt to die?), no love for another robot or human being. No pain, no gain, no smiles or grins from ear to ear, no crying or frowns to compound an impossible situation. It is nice, for a change, to try seeing things from their point of view.
Isaac Asimov was, of course, a mover and shaker not just in the field of science fiction, but as a science educator for the masses. His prodigious output of books and articles was one of the seven wonders of the modern world, yet it's a relatively small number of short stories and novels for which (I predict) he'll be remembered. By showing us how the three laws worked (or sometimes didn't) in these stories, he created a practical foundation for the future of robotics, and Carl Capek aside (who wrote one of the first robot stories, RUR, in 1921) Asimov is considered by many as the father of modern robotics. The Japanese in particular seem fascinated with robots and their potential, so it shouldn't be surprising that Honda named their sophisticated humanoid robot Asimo in his honor.
From a feminist perspective, the lead character of Susan Calvin, a robopsychologist whose life is the loose narrative thread that connects nine short stories about the advance of robots, is revolutionary. And she is not the only genius element of this book.
I was surprised to discover 'I, Robot' was written in 1950. Asimov's timeline portrayal of technological advances, and their wide-ranging social implications, is remarkably fresh, prophetic, even, to this day and certainly a brisker antidote to the pseudo-pop philosophical rantings of lesser imitations.
This nightmare about technology and a utopian future gone grim is scary as well as fun, and I, Robot deserves its classic status.
This abstract was checked by WhiteSmoke Solution.
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