This classic science fiction masterwork by Isaac Asimov weaves stories about robots, humanity, and the deep questions of existence into a novel of shocking intelligence and heart. “A must-read for science-fiction buffs and literature enjoyers alike.”—The Guardian I, Robot, the first and most widely read book in Asimov’s Robot series, forever changed the world’s perception of artificial … the world’s perception of artificial intelligence. Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-reading robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world—all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asimov’s trademark.
The 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 or Second Law.
With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov formulated the laws governing robots’ behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future—a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete.
“Tremendously exciting and entertaining . . . Asimov dramatizes an interesting question: How can we live with machines that, generation by generation, grow more intelligent than their creators and not eventually clash with our own invention?”—The Chicago Tribune
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To complete the Mount Rushmore of sci fi, you must read everything by Sir Isaac Asimov. Might as well start with this classic that spawned a thousand imitations.
Love all of Asimov’s books in the robot series but this one is definitely the best.
Asimov invents the laws of robotics that so many Sci fi authors have followed or used in one form or another. From one of the masters in the golden age of sci fi.
Welcome to the 3 laws of robotics – here’s where it all started.
One of Asimov’s best
Have read these stories on more than one occasion, wildly entertaining and intriguing. Fun and highly interesting.
CAVEAT: The movie is more “inspired by” these stories than “based upon” them.
Oldie but goodie.
The Azimov classic. If you would understand the world of robots, etc., You must begin here. This is the source of many robotic conventions that other authors assume you already know…
Realistic Science Fiction for the time it was written and some of the stories were realistic even now. Very entertaining.
A great story by a great author
I thought it was a good example of how socialism can take over a country. Everything is orchestrated on the premise of taking care of you
No free thinking necessary.
It’s Isaac Asimov I Robot ,if you don’t like this you don’t like sci-fi.
Perhaps it’s my age and the era in which this book was written but I didn’t find it all that enjoyable to read. I already knew going into the book that it was nothing like the movie. Reading this book made me understand why they changed the story completely for the movie.
Asimov’s robot stories are classic science fiction. Easy to read, always make you think..
This book is just as enjoyable today as it was when I first read it over 40 years ago. The fact that the science portion of the stories is outdated doesn’t impact the stories very much if at all.
Very interesting to think about the power thinking robots could have in the world. It is also interesting to see the safeguards that were in place to keep humans in control, maybe.
Isaac Asaimov was a true visionary, and I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in robotics.
The movie had very little to do with the book. Syfy should produce a mini-series where each episode is one of the stories. Give the miniseries the look and feel of the time the book was written, too. Syfy won’t do this, of course. But they will produce the movie “Sharknado VIII, The Revenge.”
One by the master. No one writes like Asimov. and even today the emotions if not the science are universal. I hope his first laws of robotics eventually get used, although I doubt it. They are too logical and sensible to survive. This series of short stories about people and robots are profound and amusing.