32. i, Robot

32. i, Robot by Isaac Asimov (9/14/2011 - 10/1/2011)

This book was truly awesome. Its contents are so different from the previous Asimov story I read (Foundation) that I was barely sure that both novels were written by the same author.  Foundation was so removed from the action, whereas these stories plunge the reader right into the heart of robotics and its consequences.

Technically speaking, this isn't a novel -- it's a collection of short stories connected through the simple framework of a reporter interviewing Dr. Susan Calvin near the end of her life.  Each short story is Calvin recounting some conflict between robotics, humans, and the Three Laws of Robotics that create all these insane problems.  The 3 Laws are as follows:

     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 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 Law.

Each story can stand on its own without trouble -- "Robbie" is about the thin line between human and robots, "Little Lost Robot" is about a modified robot (the first Law has been altered so he can perform a certain task) who goes missing, "Reason" is about a robot who gradually comes to believe that a man-made laser is a god and will only follow its 'orders,' and so on.  The set-up makes for quick reading; each story can be easily read in one sitting, and each is so engaging that the book is genuinely hard to put down.  

The short stories included in i, Robot are:

• "Introduction" 
• "Robbie"
• "Runaround"
• "Reason"
• "Catch that Rabbit"
• "Liar!"
• "Little Lost Robot"
• "Escape!"
• "Evidence"
• "The Evitable Conflict"

I would highly recommend this book, especially if you have any interest in Asimov's writing.  I will point out that the movie i, Robot is not based on any one story from the collection but is rather a Hollywood creation in the same general universe as the rest of Asimov's robotics writings.