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Summary: Another wonderful Asimov Story
Review: Robot and Empire is another entertaining story from the prolific writer Isaac Asimov. Set many decades after Robots of Dawn, when the Earth detective Elijah Bailey has long ago passed, Robots and Empire tells the story of Dr. Kelden Amadiro's nefarious attempt at destroying Earth and the Settlers. The Auroran Gladia, along with the robots Daneel and Giskard, must go to great lengths to protect Earth and countless lives. What I really enjoyed about this book was the interaction between the robots Daneel and Giskard. As both characters work at deducing and anticipating Amadiro's motives and actions, it's really interesting to watch the relationship between these two as they provide much needed counsel and assistance to one another. It's very entertaining to follow along as the fly all over the galaxy in an attempt thwart Amadiro's plans. It's even more interesting to see them attempt to circumnavigate the famous 3 Laws of Robotics which they often find hinder, rather than help, their attempts at protecting Earth. I don't think I'm revealing too much to say that Daneel even goes so far as to introduce the Zeroth Law of robotics which is basically the need to protect all of humanity. This plays an integral part in the unfolding of the book. I was pleased that the whole book moves at a speedy pace(I took less than two days to read this), with nothing seeming trivial or overly drawn out.This book is very entertaining and as it's only the fourth work I've read by Asimov, I'm moved to read more of his books. Perhaps the only real complaint about this book is that the ending is slightly anticlimatic, but rather touching and fitting. If you like Asimov's work, particularly his robot books concerning Elijah Bailey, I think you'll really enjoy this book.
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Summary: Horrible.
Review: Simply amazing. Beats poisoning yr system w sleeping pills any day.
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Summary: The merging of the Robot and Empire series is furthered
Review: Some two hundred years have passed since The Robots of Dawn, and the great Elijah Baley is long dead. The intervening years have seen a vast and continuing expansion of Earth people into new worlds. These new inhabitants are called Settlers, and are reviled by the venerable Spacers, with the feeling being mutual. Dr. Fastolfe, who favored the Earth colonization effort, has recently died, but his enemies live on. And a peculiar crisis has arisen. On the planet Solaria, since abandoned by those who called the world home, there remains a vast robot population, without human masters. A Settler ship approaches the Spacer world of Aurora with a request to "borrow" Gladia, the only known Solarian whose location is certain. It is the Settlers' belief that only she might be able to assist them with their problem, that of humans being murdered on Solaria, BY ROBOTS! As the First Law should never allow such to occur, all sides are uncertain how to proceed. Gladia indeed does accompany the Settler mission, along with her loyal robots Daneel and Giskard. The realization that the Solarians when abandoning their planet arranged so that no other humans were to be tolerated becomes certain, despite the seeming contradiction. Surviving the initial mission, Gladia is then taken on a triumphal tour of sorts, as her association with the Settler-worshipped Elijah makes her an idol to the Settlers, who can scarcely believe her to be the same woman known to have been a contamporary of Elijah. Also, despite the hatred of the Settlers for robots (as associated with Spacers), Daneel and Giskard are permitted, for similar reasons, though still openly despised. Her tour takes her to Earth, where a clandestine mission by those Auroran elements who hate Earth and the Settlers is nearly to fruition. And only Daneel and Giskard are free and knowledgeable enough to investigate the matter. It is this mission and its result that really tie in the Robot, Empire, and Foundation series. This novel detailed the causes of several previously mysterious states mentioned in those farther future series. Asimov again showcased his plotting ability, while being careful to not contradict those occurences known in the later novels. As an end to the Robot series, there remains a large mystery to be solved, paving the way for future efforts.
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Summary: The robot series continues...
Review: The series continues to get better as it progresses and by this time you are begining to see glipses into the Foundation series and Empire series. Not a story to be missed!
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Summary: The robot series continues...
Review: The series continues to get better as it progresses and by this time you are begining to see glipses into the Foundation series and Empire series. Not a story to be missed!
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Summary: Well if you want to finish the reading..
Review: This book goes between the Empire era and Robot era(for there's no more robots in the Empire). This book worth to read for that reason. However as an individual book, it isn't very great book. The story is quite well planned and the consequences of this book go on and on on other empire books...and that's all for this book. This book doesn't have great mystery to solve or some great adventure - this book just shows what happened to the characters and places after the Robots of Dawn and how will it affect the future. This book is nothing but a finishing touch of Robot series. Nothing more.
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Summary: Robots and Empire
Review: This book is an excellent show of human emotions and a mixtureof conspiracy with mystery. R. Daneel and R. Giskard, who are robots,are put in a place where the world around them are changing.Contained by the Three Laws of Robotics, they quest to solve the urge to question reality and create the Zeroth Law. This is an excellent book if you like science fiction. END
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Summary: Forced plot, full of contradictions
Review: This book is inteded to be a link between the robot novels and the foundation novels. I read it because I loved the other robot books, but found it to be utterly boring and contradictory. The author knows where he wants to end up and labors horrendously to get there. The way they end up with the zeroeth law is unconvincing. I used to love Asimov's books because the conclusions were reached in a very logical way. Not in this one. Each step is painfully forced. One moment the robots are saying that there is nothing beyond the 3 laws and the next they are rebelling against those laws, with really very weak arguments to support it. When I read prelude to foudation, I wondered how the servile and over polite Daneel from the robot series had become the manipulating, role playing and arrogant guy in prelude to foundation. The answer was not satisfying. Another thing I found unsettling is that the zeroth law, in the foundation series, is obeyed because Daneel's existence depends on the survival of humanity, which makes the 3rd law take precedence over the rest. One of the many contradictions... Read the naked sun and forget about this one!
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Summary: Great Book but worrying political ideas...
Review: This is probably one of the greatest books i've ever read; Asimov opened my eyes, made me think with his works. These foundation and robot series , and especially this one, are great novels but they can also be read as an expression of it's author's ideas. One of them, the famous "0" law is worrying because Asimov seems to agree with it. When reading this book we have to remember that the sacrifice of one man for Humanity to live in peace is an exchange that inspired those who made the 20th century the bloodshed it was...
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Summary: This book sucks.
Review: This is the worst Asimov book I've read. The idea that robots, which are supposed to operate on logic and reason, can reach such rediculous conclusions is disgusting. And to make matters worse, they turn out to be ABSOLUTELY CORRECT! I was rolling my eyes for half of this book.
If you are already a fan of Asimov's books, then by all means buy this book. But make sure you've already read the entire robot series, or nothing in this book will make any sense. Although the plot ties the robot series with the empire and foundation books, I don't think it is a necessary read. The plot IMHO doesn't add much toward understanding the evolution of the empire.
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