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Cover of I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

I, Robot

Isaac Asimov

Book 1 of Robot series

  • 245 pages · about 4 hours
  • First published 1950
  • 99 editions
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1 About this book

I, Robot is a fixup novel of science fiction short stories or essays by American writer Isaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950 and were then compiled into a book for stand-alone publication by Gnome Press in 1950, in an initial edition of 5,000 copies.

The stories are woven together by a framing narrative in which the fictional Dr. Susan Calvin tells each story to a reporter (who serves as the narrator) in the 21st century. Although the stories can be read separately, they share a theme of the interaction of humans, robots, and morality, and when combined they tell a larger story of Asimov's fictional history of robotics.

  • Computers
  • Morality
  • Science fiction
  • Thrillers
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Asteroids
  • Robots
  • Robotics

2 What to expect

Nine linked short stories about robots and the people who build, test and fear them, framed as the memories of the robot psychologist Susan Calvin. Most are logic puzzles: a robot behaves oddly, and the answer lies in a conflict among the Three Laws of Robotics that govern it. The stories are clever and brisk, more interested in ideas than in character, and they grow in scale from a child's robot nursemaid to machines that help run the world.

Good for readers who want: classic science fiction, short stories, and puzzles about robots and ethics.

3 About Isaac Asimov

1920–1992

Isaac Asimov ( AZ-im-ov; c. January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. He wrote or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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