I, Robot

I didn't find the stories about the psychology of robots as interesting as I think other people do I think it was made up problems that are given weird solutions.

But it was entertaining enough to read.

So hard to remember that most of these stories are EIGHTY years old. (Until they are horrified about trashing $30K on a robot – like that is some astronomical sum!) Lots of food for thought here, though. (Revised rating to 3 because I want to give myself more space on the upper end.)

Quite similar to Foundation in that Asimov sets up a sort of logic puzzle/scenario, and then tests its limits and capabilities in several short stories. I, Robot had a stronger throughline that Foundation which I enjoyed, and it felt more traditional sci-fi whereas the earlier Foundation stories were more generally political stories.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Can’t wait to read more of Asimov’s Robot series. It’s more of a collection of short stories or even thought experiments. My favorite of them all was “Liar”. It didn’t end up how I thought it was going to at first. The progression through the stories was nice, it kept them all connected. It definitely makes you think about the future of humanity and how it’s interlinked with AI.

Rating: 3.18 leaves out of 5-Characters: 2.75/5 -Cover: 1/5-Story: 2.5/5-Writing: 5/5Genre: Classic, Fantasy, Scifi-Classic: 5/5-Fantasy: 1/5-Scifi: 5/5Type: EbookWorth?: Maybe? If you like robots, sure.Hated Disliked Meh It Was Okay Liked Really Liked LovedI got to around 50% into the book and just couldn't take it anymore. I liked the movie but, shocker, nothing like the book. It wasn't bad presay but it was a drag for me.

The doorway for me on this book are the ideas. It’s amazing to me how relevant these ideas are to today, even though we haven’t advanced in ways Asimov imagined for our year.

The greater point is that people have not advanced since this writing. We still distrust our own creations. We’re don’t understand how our creations (algorithms and AI) work. Is it because we cannot control them? Or do we fears they will reflect our own short comings in the end?

Certamente foi o livro que impulsionou minha curiosidade sobre as máquinas e robôs inteligentes no geral, pois aborda o tema apresentando ideias que nunca imaginamos ou que passam pelas nossas cabeças quando estamos em frente a um computador que nos fornece todas as respostas que precisamos; como "será que daqui uns anos essa coisa vai criar consciência?" ou "será que um dia ela vai nos matar?".

Apresentar as diferentes ideias em um só livro ficou mais fácil da maneira como Asimov pensou, isto é, através de uma entrevista de uma personagem que trabalhava com robôs e, como citado ao final do livro, viu eles evoluírem pouco a pouco. Dessa forma, foi possível entreter e surpreender-se com diferentes histórias das "máquinas com cérebros positrônicos". Essa evolução também é perceptível ao leitor, já que no primeiro capítulo acompanhamos um robô "doméstico" e comparável a animais de estimação e no último um político de aspectos tão humanos que não se sabia ao certo sua natureza.

Além disso, Isaac mostrou-se um grande detentor de conhecimento científico, pois narrava com detalhes os objetos e acontecimentos da ficção apresentando dados profundos, aumentando a imersão do leitor. Sem contar com sua criatividade perante às histórias dos robôs que me surpreendeu bastante, como no capítulo "Razão", pois nunca havia pensado em uma máquina que não acreditasse que fora criada por um humano e que o planeta Terra não existe.

Sem dúvidas um ótimo livro, indispensável para os amantes de ficção científica e robótica.

Format read: Paperback
Reading time: 5-7h
Tags: philosophical, science fiction, speculative, robotics, artificial intelligence
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 10/10

Summary & Review
Told from the perspective of Dr. Susan Calvin, I, Robot is a collection of short stories that covers several decades of robotic research and implementation. Here's a short breakdown of each story:

1. Robbie (5★)
The first story in the book is that of Robbie, a first gen robot model that cannot speak and whose primary task is taking care of children. Robbie and his charge, Gloria, make a great pair as they play games together and spend all their time in each other's company. One day, Gloria's mother decides that the robot has to go because Gloria is not socializing with other children, preferring instead to spend her days with Robbie. Robbie is sent back to U.S. Robotics to be decommissioned and turned into a line worker at the factory. Gloria goes through great pains to be reunited with her friend and shows that robots are more than just mindless machines.

2. Runaround (4★)
In this story, we are introduced to recurring characters, Mike Donavan and Greg Powell, two field engineers. In Runaround, Mike and Greg are sent on a mission to Mercury to collect selenium samples with the help of a single robot, Speedy. Left to fend for themselves, Mike and Greg soon realize that Speedy is acting strange and, if he isn't fixed soon, the two humans will die on a planet far from home. This story introduces the Three Laws of Robotics by showing how Speedy is stuck in a feedback loop between the Second Law (obedience) and the Third Law (self-preservation).

3. Reason (5★)
Mike and Greg are sent to work on a space station to work on a sun beam director that sends heat and light to the Earth. While at the station, the pair assemble a new model robot, QT-1 (“Cutie”) to take over the manual duties of controlling the beam. However, Cutie is a model with a much higher form of intellect, and it soon decides for itself that the two human engineers couldn't have possibly built it. Cutie begins to worship the Beam Director itself, thinking it a god-like being, and ignores the humans entirely, thereby breaking the Three Laws. When Cutie locks up the humans and takes over the commands at the station, Mike and Greg hope against all odds that the First Law at least will hold and that Cutie will protect Earth against a dangerous solar storm.

4. Catch That Rabbit (3★)
Mike and Greg work on yet another impossible mission, this time with DV-5 (“Dave”), a robot built to mine asteroids. Dave begins to malfunction while out on the asteroid, and all the other robots who follow it begin to display the same errors. Soon, Dave and its minions start a military-like march and fail to obey Mike and Greg until the two put themselves into mortal danger and Dave has no choice but to save them.

5. Liar! (4★)
Dr Susan Calvin stars in this story as a young robopsychologist working with a team of mathematicians on a robot, RB-34 (“Herbie”), who can read minds. Herbie somehow developed an anomaly that allows it to know exactly what the humans are thinking and to answer their questions before they're asked. Dr Calvin questions Herbie about its ability, but Herbie instead plays matchmaker between Calvin and one of the mathematicians, Milton Ashe. Things turn sour when Calvin realises that Herbie has been lying to everyone to protect their feelings as per the First Law (cause no harm to humans). Angry, Calvin sets about destroying the robot with all the cruelty that only humans can muster.

6. Little Lost Robot (5★)
This story is the inspiration behind the I, Robot movie. In this tale, Dr Calvin is sent to a Hyper Base in space where the military is testing hyperspace travel with the help of sophisticated robots. Calvin finds out that these robots, model NS-2, have been modified so that the imperative of the First Law is lessened. One of the modified robots has gone ‘missing' by hiding itself in a crowd of unmodified robots, and Calvin is tasked with finding out which of the 63 robots is the dangerous, disobedient one.

7. Escape! (5★)
Dr Calvin works with the mathematicians from Liar! to develop a super-brain, bodiless robot that can calculate impossible mathematics and discover how to travel in hyperspace. The Brain builds a spaceship capable of doing this and, when Mike and Greg are sent onboard to verify the equipment, they find themselves locked in the vessel and sent into outer space by The Brain. Even though The Brain cannot break the First Law, it can bend it a little bit to allow for hyperspace travel, which translates into Mike and Greg dying briefly during ‘the jump' to and back from deep space.

The Evitable Conflict (5★)
The world has come the point where highly sophisticated and efficient robots, now known as The Machines, run all forms of production worldwide. Humans have become all but redundant in this automated society, and many nations and individual groups of people oppose the widespread use of The Machines around the world. However, as Dr Calvin uncovers, The Machines are now in complete control of humanity and, for the sake of its well-being, the Third Law (self-preservation) comes to precede over the First Law (human safety) for the sake of the First Law. The Machines are therefore declared as masters who “stand between mankind and destruction” (224), and humanity has to accept the fact that it is no longer in charge of the world.


I, Robot is a fantastic early entry in the world of robotics, and its Three Laws are used to this day, perhaps surprisingly, in real science. The novel's individual stories show the progression of robotics, from mute nursemaids to all-powerful Machines that can no longer be dismantled. Sadly, humanity has placed itself in a box with no exit. By trying to progress technologically, it has caused its own loss of independence to the machines it has created. The short stories of Robbie and Liar! are just plain heartbreaking, while Reason and The Evitable Conflict are terrifying looks at when things go wrong and robots take over the world. Asimov created an interesting-if-worrying scenario that seems all-too eerie in the 21st century as we push to develop more and more intelligent systems that can automize our lives and take work away from humans.

This is a must read for all hard SFF lovers!

4.25 rounded down.

Really not sure about this. It doesn't seem to have agreed as well as it could have. I read it because it's a classic and I needed to know the original story.

A collection of related short stories, it's amazing that the first of these were written 29 years before man walked on the moon! That said it was a little dated and hard to read at times.

I didn't know what to expect, having watched the movie and only having read the first Foundation book. I didn't expect a set of short stories tied together, but since I had recently read The Martian Chronicles it wasn't unfamiliar.

Here we have the famous introduction of the Three Laws of Robotics, which we've probably all heard. Personally, I loved the exploration of the loopholes, moral implications, and interaction between humans and robots that was present here.

I know some people don't like Dr. Susan Calvin, but I see many signs of Hari Seldon in her. Her ability to extrapolate the laws and predict how robots would act through her expertise in robopsychology was as wonderfully enjoyable as psychohistory. Her similarity to robots in being a cold person who thought more highly of robots than man was very metaphorical. There were parts of the story Liar! that belied this which I didn't really enjoy, and felt the author was portraying this woman a bit stereotypical, and she is the only substantial character that is female. Overall the book is both “of its time” in some ways and way ahead of its time in others.

I enjoyed the story “Speedy” and how they solved their problems. I liked the twists in “Reason” and the ending of “Liar!” and really enjoyed “Little Lost Robot.” “Escape” was a little weird, but I loved “Evidence.”

I'll probably continue my exploration of Asimov through the Foundation series before exploring more Robots, but very much enjoyed this book.

I love Isaac Asimov's books. This is another re-read. I'm trying to follow C.S.Lewis' recommendation of rereading books more often :-DThis is one of my favorite books, and I have reread it several times :-DIt is a collection of short stories, bound together through Susan Calvin, the robopsychologist. A brilliant woman. One of my literary heroes :-) The frame story is an interview with her about her career and life, and she tells these short stories - or they are somehow connected to what she talks about. Now, they aren't told as if someone tells them, they are true short stories. It's so interesting, how Asimov created the three laws of robotics, and then spend a lot of time trying to break them :-D Anyway, it shouldn't have been called “I, Robot”, the honor should go to [b:I, Robot 30525004 I, Robot (Adam Link, #0.1) Eando Binder https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1465707411l/30525004.SX50.jpg 51047598], which Isaac Asimov was inspired by. And the movie “I, Robot” shouldn't be called that at all, because it has very little if anything to do with Asimov's book :-D

Short-story chapters that weaved together to create a larger narrative all recounted by a single female who watched every event throughout its progression over her lifetime.

Mainly dialogue. Each chapter had its own ‘dilemma' which the characters solved by the end with some celibacy of a plot twist. This made the story very idea and plot based; a solid start to sci-fi.

Honestly, this was unexpectedly enjoyable for me. I've never much been into sci-fi but recently have been getting into it because I've realised that some works of sci-fi can be really thought-provoking and raising some interesting questions that are becoming increasingly relevant to the current times we live in. I, Robot definitely fits well into that category. It's nothing short of amazing that this was written more than half a century ago in 1950 (for context, that's at least 7 years before the first spacecraft, Sputnik 1, was launched by the USSR), yet it raises so many questions about burgeoning AI that has only gotten more relevant today, 70 years after the book was published.

The premise of the book follows a reporter who is interviewing an elderly scientist, Dr Susan Calvin, a leader and expert in her field of robopsychology. Each chapter is a short story from different eras of Dr Calvin's life, from her teenage years when the first robots were being commercially sold as non-speaking babysitters to the end of her career where Machines are literally controlling the global economy. For me, every story starts off a little hazily and blurred with technical jargon, but very quickly we see the interesting question of the story - what happens when a robot is assembled in a space station far from Earth and only regards Earth as an abstract concept? What happens when the First Law of Robotics, that a robot should never harm humans, is modified to achieve commercial gain? What happens when we create a robot that's indistinguishable from humans?

I was a little afraid when I started this one because the beginning of the second story felt very stale and technical to me (one of the reasons why I avoided sci-fi for a long time), but I was pleasantly surprised pretty quickly. (Almost) every single story sucked me in. When I started on the next story, I usually had to finish it before I could put the book down. The dilemmas and the questions each story poses with robots were just so fascinating and so thought-provoking, and also presented in such an engaging way.

All the stories were very memorable but I think the standout one for me was “Reason”, with the premise it creates. Two astronauts assemble a robot on site in their space station to help with the running of it, but the robot ends up being so intelligent that it not only questions the existence of Earth and space itself, thinking them to be just delusions on the astronauts' parts. It develops a religious mania, insisting that it is a mysterious “Maker” directing the astronauts' actions and purposes, and now that the astronauts have outlived their usefulness, it is now up to the robot to step up and be the Maker's prophet. More shockingly, it also disbelieves that the astronauts could've built them in the first place, because it, perhaps correctly, assesses human beings as being vastly inferior to robots in every way, and therefore it is impossible that an inferior entity could have constructed another entity superior to itself. The robot is so convincing that the astronauts actually start questioning themselves and second-guessing the existence of Earth.

Anyway, whether you like sci-fi or not, as long as you like thought-provoking speculative fiction or even just admiring how prophetic a book could be from 70 years ago, this is definitely one I'd recommend anyone to read. It's incredibly short and in such bite-sized pieces that it's also easy to breeze through.

1.5 ⭐

What a flipping snooze fest. So glad I'm in this century and not Asimov's. It started out promising and slowly, irritatingly deteriorated from there. That goes without saying anything about the misogyny and antiquated science and theories. This book made my ears bleed, figuratively, but damn am I glad to be done this chore.

Thanks Mr Junblut for the recommendation... Or not.

I thought it was great. I found myself reading a chapter straight which is generally rare for me considering I get tired reading like 20 pages. It reads less of a linear story and more short stories that involves the same themes and characters that sometimes references previous stories. I definitely look forward to the next books and I plan to re-read this book sometime in the future!

It's like sci-fi Sherlock Holmes with robots. A sequence of “mystery” short stories that are loosely related, but could each be read independently. I found it very entertaining and easy to read (Asimov himself once described his writing style as evolving around one principle: “to be clear”). There were many very interesting ideas posed in the book; one of my favorites was: “if humans had infallible robots to govern and direct them, would they let the robots do so? Or would human pride and distrust win out?”

I also have to laud Asimov for how convincing his sci-fi is. Each of these stories feels like it could happen in the next few decades. And for writing in 1950, Asimov's foresight is definitely impressive.

Last fun fact: J.R.R. Tolkien, who once said he generally disliked “modern books,” made an exception of Asimov. I doubt my recommendation would be of greater value than J.R.R. Tolkien's, so listen to him!

Absolutely loved it. Susan Calvin is a memorable character.

Also hate the folks who made the movie. What were they thinking?

Nothing like the movie. I have no idea what they were thinking. This was really an interesting collection of short stories. It was nothing like I expected. It has some surprisingly interesting thought problems and ideas in it.

Un clásico que no puede faltar !!!

I, Robot is a collection of 9 science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov. These appeared in the magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950. They were then compiled into a book for stand-alone publication by Gnome Press in 1950. The stories are woven together by a framing narrative. The narrator is Dr. Susan Calvin, chief robopsychologist at U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc., the major manufacturer of robots . She tells each story to a reporter (who serves as the narrator) in the 21st century. While you can read the stories as stand alone pieces, they share similar themes. This is the interaction of humans, robots, and morality. Read as one they tell a larger story of Asimov's fictional history of robotics.

The book also contains the short story in which Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics first appear:
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.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

These are vague enough to allow complications to arise from the interpretations of them. Not only by humans, but by the robots themselves.

I, Robot is an essential read for science-fiction buffs. The questions it poses about Artificial Intelligence, and the misconception that we all live in a golden age of technology. In summary, I, Robot is a thought-provoking, thrilling, and enjoyable book.

Entretenida y, sobre todo, indispensable, a mi parecer, para continuar con la Saga de los Robots.

En esta serie de relatos cortos de la era “Calviniana” se plantean los problemas que surgen con los primeros robots y las Tres Leyes de la Robótica. Se puede apreciar el enorme progreso tecnológico y científico conforme se va avanzando con los relatos. Hay algunos datos que todo fan del universo creado por Asimov estará contento de conocer. ¡Descúbranlos!

Why have I not read Asimov before?! Overall, I found “I, Robot” to be fresh, well-written, truly enjoyable and am very happy my Great Books book club chose this selection.

Unlike some science fiction series, the world building didn't get in the way of the story. In fact, the stories were much more about ethics, psychology, and sociology.

One of the biggest surprises is that very little seemed dated. Certainly, there were moments or phrases, but what Asimov got right is humanity and its seeming unwillingness to change (despite thinking it's changing) even when change may bring about a better future.

Another surprise, which I only learned by reading other Goodreads reviews after finishing the novel, is that the book is actually a collection of short stories published individually, then later woven together with the Susan Calvin interviews. Frankly, the technique was so effective that it didn't even occur to me, but other folks at the meeting noticed it right away.

One of the most interesting discussions we had today was around whether robots and humans have free will in the book's world. If humans have created robots who can create a smoother future, but robots must factor in human error (intentional and unintentional), then how much room is there for free will?

Several other books await, but I plan to return to the next installment in the Robot series and then follow to the Foundation Series.

Below are the discussion questions that our leader write for today's meeting.

Discussion Questions for I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

I, Robot began as a series of short stories written by Asimov for publication in various science fiction magazines. He later assembled the stories into a novel which used the Chinese box technique of having a reporter interview Doctor Susan Calvin, a robopsychologist at U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men. The book marks the first appearance of Asimov's three laws of robotics, which 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 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 or Second Law.
The three laws have become generally accepted throughout the world of science fiction, as well as in the real world, as behavioral models for robots.
The book shares a few common elements with the movie I, Robot which appeared in 2004, starring Will Smith.
Questions:
1. Did you like the framing technique of the reporter interviewing Dr. Susan Calvin? Why or why not?
2. Which short story, if any, did you like best? Why?
3. Can the three laws be circumvented? How? Does Asimov demonstrate this in the novel?
4. How are the three laws circumvented in the movie, I, Robot?
5. In later novels, Asimov explores the notion that robots can act to protect humans from themselves. He explores this in “Little Lost Robot.” How does this address the question of free will?
6. Some of the figures Asimov used for the cost of robots, space exploration, etc. seem vastly understated in the novel. Why do you think his costs for construction (as an example NS2 robots in “Little Lost Robot” cost $30,000 each) were so low? What do these costs say about the advance of inflation since the time the stories were written?
7. How does the U.S Robotics and Mechanical Men Corporation get around the first law in “Little Lost Robot” and the movie I, Robot? Do you think this programming would work?
8. Do you think that Steven Byerely is a man or a robot in the short story “Evidence”? What evidence do you have to support your conclusion?
9. In the movie I, Robot, Dr. Lanning was seen as a pleasant, kind individual. In the book, he is seen as being somewhat domineering, obsessive individual. Which portrayal do you like better?
10. In the final story, “The Evitable Conflict,” Asimov postulates that the machines (i.e. robots) will someday make all decisions regarding large scale human interactions. Once again, this seems to invalidate free will, or does it? How does this story form the basis of such movies as the Terminator series, Mad Max, etc.? Asimov also uses this assumption as the premise for his Foundation series of novels. Does such a scenario seem believable? Why or why not?

«Lo he vivido desde el principio, cuando los robots no podían hablar, hasta el final, cuando se interpusieron entre la Humanidad y la destrucción. Ya no veré nada más. Usted verá lo que viene ahora... ».

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