Robot Visions

Rating:
Summary: The Acidic Susan Calvin
Review: I like Asimov generally, but Susan Calvin has got to be his worst protagonist -- she's arch, acerbic, narrow-minded, and rarely bearable in any form. Its a shame she figures in so much of his work. Even so, there are some good stories in this book, particularly 'The Bicentennial Man,' which manages to have scope and sustain a gentle, forlorn quality throughout.

Rating:
Summary: The Acidic Susan Calvin
Review: I like Asimov generally, but Susan Calvin has got to be his worst protagonist -- she's arch, acerbic, narrow-minded, and rarely bearable in any form. Its a shame she figures in so much of his work. Even so, there are some good stories in this book, particularly 'The Bicentennial Man,' which manages to have scope and sustain a gentle, forlorn quality throughout.

Rating:
Summary: Isaac Asimov, the king of Science Fiction
Review: Including all of "I, Robot"'s stories, a whole new story and some other great sories (even features Daneel and Baley!), this is a great robot's collection. Incuding some articles from the master, it is a must-have for Asimov, robots and sci-fi fans.

Rating:
Summary: A fine collection
Review: Like its companion _Robot Dreams_, this collection is in part an excuse to feature the haunting illustrations of Ralph McQuarrie and partly a well-chosen selection of the Good Doctor's short writings.

However, unlike _Robot Dreams_, this one really does concentrate on robots. It also includes a good chunk of Asimov's nonfiction on the subject -- and (unlike Heinlein) Asimov wrote very good nonfiction too.

Two things you should know before you buy this:

(1) It includes most of the contents of _I, Robot_, but not all -- and it also doesn't include the frame story (the interview with Susan Calvin). So even if you buy this, you'll still have to get _I, Robot_ if you don't already have it.

(2) It includes the robot stories that _aren't_ part of _I, Robot_ -- among them the very best Susan Calvin story, "Galley Slave".

At any rate, no Asimov fan will want to be without this one.

Rating:
Summary: One of two great collections of Asimov's shorts
Review: Robot Visions and Robot Dreams would not be complete without each other. Robot Visions is actually the better of the two, showing a little more variety in the stories and a little more creativity (as if you could imagine Isaac Asimov being anything but creative). If you like stories about robots, these are the stories that every other writer wishes they thought of first.

Rating:
Summary: One of two great collections of Asimov's shorts
Review: Robot Visions and Robot Dreams would not be complete without each other. Robot Visions is actually the better of the two, showing a little more variety in the stories and a little more creativity (as if you could imagine Isaac Asimov being anything but creative). If you like stories about robots, these are the stories that every other writer wishes they thought of first.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book is a great collection of Asimov's robot stories. Robot Visions was intended to be a companion to Robot Dreams. Both collections have older stories with a few new ones written for the book. You can really tell how Asimov thought about his beloved creation, the robots. The various stories show every point of view possible, from a robot's view or a man's. In the back of the novel, Asimov wrote several essays explaining his views on robotics. Definately a pleasurable read, whether you are a sci-fi fan or not.

Rating:
Summary: Great collection of stories & Asimov's thoughts on robots
Review: This is a companion book to "Robot Dreams," but unlike that book, all the stories in "Robot Visions" are actually about robots. Six of the stories also appear in the collection "I, Robot." The stories were written over a wide range of time, from 1940 to 1989, and they reflect the character of their times. (The way to check when a particular story was written is to look at the copyright page at the front of the book.) The stories cover a range of issues well, mostly hinging on the three laws of robotics that Asimov quotes and uses repeatedly. One might think going back to the well like this would result in repetetive stories, but that is not the case at all; robots are involved in these stories in jobs as mundane as checking galleys for publication to jobs as unforgiving as performing microsurgery, and in all cases Asimov carefully considers how the humans and robots--each acting on their motivations (the robots' is hardwired, of course)--interact with each other and the situations they are confronted with. One stands out: "The Bicentennial Man," about a robot who was unusually creative, and over a period of decades acts on his desire to become more independent and acquire more rights, going so far as to replace his robotic systems with organic ones in an attempt to become closer to being human.

The book includes a number of essays by Asimov about how he sees robots in the future, how he conceived of them in past stories, and what issues will crop up as mechanical intelligences become reality. These essays were written in the '70s and 80s, some apparently for American Airlines' in-flight magazine (again, check the copyright page). These essays are each relatively short, making them good bedtime reading when you're tired. The short stories earlier in the book vary in length, so they don't work as well for that purpose.

Rating:
Summary: A realistic view of robots in the future
Review: Wonderful book! It is my most favorite book. His visions of the future are neither disparaging nor overly glossy. The robots seem like actually people instead of being cold metallic objects. It is a must read for anyone who wants to read about robots!