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Summary: Good, old-fashioned entertainment.
Review: Cyber-trivia: if you want to find out how the modem manufacturer U.S. Robotics got the name, read this science fiction classic, or I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay
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Summary: maximum
Review: For me was the first book of real sci-fi, well I read in Italian 'cause my english is what it is, but was my first book and I read it so many time, that I nearly know it by my head. From that book I nearly read only books of Isaac Asimov
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Summary: One of Asimov's best anthologies!
Review: The anecdotes of Susan Calvin (a famous robot scientist). Very entertaining. The stories are listed here in order of appearance:
1."Stange Playfellow"
2."Runaround"
3."Catch That Rabbit"
4."Liar"
5."Little Lost Robot"
6."Paradoxical Escape"
7."Evidence"
8."The Evitable Conflict".
All are good, many are exceptional.
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Summary: The classic first short stories in the robot series.
Review: This is a collection of nine classic short stories about robots, each of which appeared previously in a pulp SF magazine. The stories contain Asimov's famous three "laws" of robotics as well as the positronic brain (consisting of a platinum/iridium sponge), now quite familiar with "Star Trek" fans. All of these have been great influences in both science and science fiction: 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 the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; and 3) A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First and Second Laws. It should also be noted that Asimov coined the word "robotics" in these stories, a term very common today. I really enjoyed these when I first read them as a teenager (my father had introduced me to Asimov's works). And, now rereading them many years later, I can understand why I enjoyed them. They are straight-forward science fiction in which a problem is presented and a solution posed. The first story, "Robbie," first appeared in 1940 (when Asimov 20 years old) in a slightly different form as "Strange Playfellow." Robbie is a companion robot for a child and the child's mother is apprehensive in allowing her daughter to play with it. "Runaround" (1942) is a story concerning a problem encountered by two trouble-shooters on a mining operation on the surface of Mercury. A robot has been given orders to retrieve some ore yet keeps walking in circles, to the detriment of the two human workers. They come to the conclusion that the problem lies with the three Laws and they have to find a solution. (This type of story [that is, of a problem presented needing a solution] becomes a common format for Asimov's science fiction and mystery stories.) In "Reason" (1941) the two trouble-shooters of the previous story are still on Mercury and have to reason with a robot who has been designed to take over the mining operation and energy conversion plant on Mercury. The robot has come to a conclusion that humans did not construct him and that his role is to serve the "Master" (the conversion apparatus). In "Catch That Rabbit" (1944), the two trouble shooters are on an asteroid attempting to train a robot that has control over six subsidiary robots. For some unknown reason, the robot ceases to function properly if no human is watching. "Liar!" (1941) is a story about a robot, still subject to the Three Laws, that can read minds. In "Little Lost Robot" (1947) a robot, which has had its first law modified, has hidden itself among sixty-two other robots and it has to be found. In "Escape!" (1945), a robot has to design an interstellar ship that may be hazardous to humans; yet, design it without violating the first law. "Evidence" (1946) is a story concerned with the problem of identifying a possible humaniform robot hiding itself among humans. The final short story, "The Evitable Conflict" (1950), takes place several years after the others on an Earth where much of human economics is directed through massive robot machines. There have been apparent stoppages and unexpected delays and the human overseers have to find out why. This story actually introduces the "Zeroeth Law" of Robotics: "No machine may harm humanity; or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm."
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Summary: Asimov was well schooled
Review: Each of the stories/chapters revolves around conflicts that arise within a robot when it tries to be true to the three builtin laws to varying degrees. Every single one of them struck me as a completely realistic software bug I could see arising in my code - little nuances of interpretation and feedback loops that cause the behavior exhibited to be unexpected. I loved the models of machine learning he used to show how arbitrary reality can be.
I tore through this easily in a weekend.None of the stories involve homicidal robots or robot uprisings. I can only imagine the Will Smith movie coming out is a completely different set of plots. I hope Asimov doesn't turn in his grave.
Rating: 
Summary: What's that I smell? It's the garbage that is I, Robot.
Review: OK, for the life of me, I cannot understand how Asimov has come to be revered as a great of science fiction. The dialog in this book is so overly simplistic one would think it's targeted for a grade school student. (Hmmm...On second thought, that's an insult to all grade-schoolers out there.) Characters are predictably dramatic, and the plots (yes, plots...this is a series of short stories, not a novel) definitely cross the line (and make leaps and bounds into the land) of ludicrousness. Case in point: The robot that reads minds, and has a conversation with a roboticist about the fact that she's in love with another roboticist. (Are you serious here, Izzy?!!!) In short, don't buy this garbage. Opt for any of Arthur C. Clarke's books instead. (Childhood's End, for example, would be an excellent alternative.)
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Summary: THE definitive work on the origin of robots
Review: ¡°I, Robot¡± is considered to be the definitive work on the origin and nature of robots. All subsequent movies, book, and television shows based on robots or containing robotic characters find their foundation in author Isaac Asimov¡¯s ¡°I, Robot¡±. This book contains 9 interconnected stories that follow the evolution of the robot from nothing more than a glorified play toy to an advanced, complex machine that is indistinguishable from humans and capable of ruling the world. Each story adds its own distinct link the robotic evolutionary tale, and many of them include the humorous subplot of two skilled, but hapless, robot operators who seem to be the lot made to suffer for the growing pains of the robots. The most remarkable aspect of ¡°I, Robot¡± is the establishment of the immutable ¡®Three Laws of Robotics¡±:
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 to 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 and Second Laws.
Throughout popular media in the past half-century you can clear examples where these laws influenced the development of robotic characters. The characters of Bishop in the movie ¡°Aliens¡± and Data from ¡°Star Trek: The Next Generation¡± are the two most notable examples.
¡°I, Robot¡± soars through its narrative, creating a fast and enjoyable read. The last tale is the only area where the book starts to lag a little bit. Yet, the strength of the previous eight stories more than compensates. ¡°I, Robot¡± is a seminal work of science fiction writing that must be read by all who profess the love the genre and even those who are merely curious about the subject.
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Summary: Robots must follow the rules...
Review: Re-reading "I, Robot" before the movie comes out was a good idea, I'm glad I did. For me, reading Asimov if often a fond trip down memory lane. But if you have never read Asimov or looking for somewhere to start, I would highly recommend "I, Robot" as a first glimpse into Asimov's world(s). Here is a wonderful and timeless collection of nine short stories that all center around a central theme; The Three Laws Of Robotics. The three laws are: 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. These laws are the central theme to each individual story, and connecting them is a running "Runaround", "Reason", and "Catch That Rabbit". Always under the direst of circumstances, they must figure out the malfunction of the robot before something terrible happens. Very entertaining stories. Some of the other stories are about Dr. Calvin's personal experiences, such as "Liar" and "Little Lost Robot", but all fall back onto the laws as their basic theme, and whether or not humans will ever accept robots among them. Once finished with "I, Robot", I very highly recommend the "Foundation" series, one of my favorite Asimov themes, along with the Robot Trilogy and another favorite, "Nightfall". Asimov has the gift of creating lively, likeable characters with a technical backdrop to his all-to-human stories, and always infuses a bit of humor into them. Truly one of the great masters of Sci-Fi, Asimov is a must-read in my opinion, and "I, Robot" is a wonderful starting point. Enjoy!
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Summary: Reading The I ,Robot Book
Review: "I, Robot" was originally the title of a story by Eando Binder (actually two brothers "E"nest and "O"tto) about their recurring hero robot, Adam Link, in the mid 1930s. Because Adam was treated sympathetically, a young Isaac Asimov, who hated stories about robots always turning on their makers, was inspired to write his own stories about sympathetic robots and the people who use them, starting with "Robbie" in 1939 (originally published in a magazine that year as "Strange Playfello"), and continuing throughout the '40s. In 1950, they were published in book form with a frame story told from the point of view of an unnamed reporter doing a story about the soon-to-retire great scientist, Dr. Susan Calvin, with the stories attributed to this reporter. The title of this book is "I, Robot" which was stolen by the unscrupulous original editor of the book, Martin Greenberg of Gnome Press. Probably because this book is more famous than the Eando Binder story, it has always had that title. These stories are classics of written science fiction because they are fun to read and they changed readers' perceptions of what robots and stories about them could be. Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics (an almost inextricable part of their programming and hardware) make the scientist ethical and make it impossible to make or robots into or use them as weapons, but provide alot of endless quirks and bugs that the human characters (one of whom shares my first and last name) have quite a run for their money trying to fix. The stories have also been influencial to real-life computer programmers, engineers, and roboticists. The first mention of the Three Laws is also the first time the word "robotics" appears in print, making Asimov the coiner of the term.
I refuse to see the movie of the same title because I can tell from the promos that it is nothing like the book in either plot or spirit. I am so offended and hurt by the fact that this movie has been made and proven popular, I can't tell you. Why would Asimov's widow and daughter allow this to happen? People who see the movie are mostly going only because of Will Smith and the special effects. It probably wouldn't have been made without Smith or some other major star involved. Yet he probably doesn't care one way or the other that there are people who care deeply about the book. The plot for the movie came, I understand, from another screenplay that had nothing to do with Asimov's stories and had been around for years. The studio simply bought the rights to Asimov's book and shoehorned his character names and Three Laws (which are apparently just a marketing slogan within the movie) into it in a misguided attempt to give the movie gravitas and attract a ready-made audience of Asimov's fans. But why try to attract his fans if you don't intend to follow the book closely? The people who read the book because they think it's going to have the same story as the movie are going to be just as disappointed, and will probably throw it away after reading the first two stories. The movie sounds like it might even be halfway decent without pretending to be based on the real "I, Robot." Maybe I'll sit through it when it is shown on cable.
Rating:
Summary: Not To Be Missed!
Review: This is a classic science fiction book, consisting of nine works of shorter fiction by Isaac Asimov linked together by the premise of Dr. Susan Calvin looking back on the history of robotics and her career on the event of her retirement. This book was published first in 1950, while the stories themselves were published in "Astounding Science Fiction" between September 1940 and June of 1950.
If I were to rate this solely on the content, it would probably be a four-star book, but I don't think one can ignore the importance roll it has played in Asimov's writing, and in the field of science fiction as a whole. It was this book that first introduced the three laws of robotics that were developed by John W. Campbell, Jr. and Asimov. This book would also lay the foundation for much of Asimov's work for the rest of his career.
This books importance to the genre has increased as time has passed. In 1952, it was rated 23rd on the Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll, it then was rated 21st in 1956, and all the way up to 12th in 1966. In addition, it was tied for 4th on the Locus All-Time Poll for Collection in 1999.
1) "Robbie" was published in September of 1940 under the title "Strange Playfellow", and is the story of a young girl who grows attached to her nursemaid robot, Robbie, against the wishes of her mother. The story is supposed to take place in 1996. This became the only story in this book to be recognized by readers separate from the book as a whole when it tied for 37th on the list of short stories in the Locus All-Time Poll in 1999.
2) "Runaround" was published in March of 1942, and in terms of the story's chronology is the first of the Greg Powell and Mike Donovan stories. They are setting up a mining operation, when their robot malfunctions where they are unable to safely reach it, and it is running around in circles. This story takes place around 2015.
3) "Reason" was published in April of 1941 and is the second of the Greg Powell and Mike Donovan stories. In this one they are bring a new type of robot to a power generating space station to set it up to run the operation so that fewer men will have to stay there. When the robot develops a religion of its own they need to determine what the consequences will be. This story takes place six months after "Runaround".
4) "Catch That Rabbit" was published in February of 1944, and is the last of the Greg Powell and Mike Donovan stories. It is probably the weakest story in the entire book. They are looking into a problem with the new multiple robot, where they sometimes fail to function when there are no humans present to watch them. This entire story appears to be written for the punch line at the end, and takes place 6 months after "Reason".
5) "Liar!" was published in May of 1941. In this story a telepathic robot is accidentally developed, and a team of experts, including Dr. Susan Calvin, try to determine what happened in the build process caused the error. This story takes place in 2021.
6) "Little Lost Robot" was published in March of 1947. In this story a specially built robot with a weakened first law has disappeared, and his hiding in a group of 62 other robots that are physically identical. Dr. Susan Calvin searches for a solution that will not force them to destroy all 63 robots. This story takes place in 2029.
7) "Escape" was published as "Paradoxical Escape" in August of 1945. In this story, Dr. Calvin tries to prevent the plans for a Hyperatomic Drive from destroying the positronic brain of U.S. Robots as happened to their competitor, `Consolidated'. This story takes place immediately after "Little Lost Robot".
8) "Evidence" was published in September of 1946. In this story a candidate for office threatens to leak a rumor that his opponent is a robot unless U.S. Robots can prove otherwise. This story takes place in 2032.
9) "The Evitable Conflict" was published in June of 1950. In this story, super robotic brains are running the world. However, there appear to be mistakes being made and Dr. Calvin is trying to determine how and why. This story takes place in 2052.
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