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> Robots and Empire |
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Author:
Isaac Asimov
By Collins
Average Customer Rating:  
List Price: $14.45
Our Price: $8.04
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780586062005
ISBN: 0586062009
Label: Collins
Manufacturer: Collins
Number Of Pages: 512
Publication Date: 1994-01-10
Publisher: Collins
Studio: Collins |
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Product Description
Isaac Asmiov's classic novel about the decline and fall of Solaria. Gladia Delmarre's homeworld, the Spacer planet Solaria, has been abandoned - by its human population. Countless robots remain there. And when traders from Settler worlds attempt to salvage them, the robots of Solaria turn to killing...in defiance of the Three Laws of Robotics. Pax Robotica Long ago, Gladia's robots Daneel and Giskard played a vital role in opening the worlds beyond the Solar system to Settlers from Earth. Now the conscience-stricken robots are faced with an even greater challenge. Either the sacred Three Laws of Robotics are in ruins - or a new, superior Law must be established to bring peace to the galaxy. With Madam Gladia and D.G. Baley - the captain of the Settler traders and a descendant of the robots' friend Elijah Baley - Daneel and Giskard travel to the robot stronghold of Solaria...where they uncover a sinister Spacer plot to destroy Earth itself.
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Ties Robot and Empire series together, 2009-09-02
Asimov did a great job with this book, written in 1985, to tie up the Robot series of books, and lay the groundwork in as smooth a transition to the Empire books as possible without being too revisionist (with regards to the Earth). Not bad considering that the books, which would later be grouped together as the Empire novels, were written about 30 years earlier. This book has a fast pace and a smooth flow, and I would recommend it to any fan of Asimov's, especially those who enjoyed Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, and The Robots of Dawn.
Another future for mankind, 2010-03-14
Part of the Robot and Empire series, by Asimov. Begins on an overcrowded and environmentally-challenged Earth. The population lives almost entirely underground and suffers from agoraphobia when exposed to the open landscape. This is also the profile for the protagonist of the book, the previous Asimov-hero and policeman Elijah Baley.
This book follows Baley on his second trip into outer space, to the Earth's first-settled Spacer world, Aurora. As with his first space trip, Baley must unwind a web of daunting intrigues to solve a crime, this one of roboticide committed on Aurora. If he is successful he will pave the way for Earth's further development of space. If not, mankind's expansion throughout the universe will grind to a halt.
Asimov uses a successful formula of crime, investigation and solution around which to entwine his streamlined thoughts of humanity's constant need to explore and tame the unknown.
Another great Asimov view of one of mankind's possible futures.
Best robot characters I've ever seen, 2008-11-08
I am re-reading all of Asimov's novels, and I am surprised to find myself rating this book higher than the Foundation series. In fact right now I believe it is Asimov's best novel. Generally I am not that interested in robots, but in this case I was enthralled with Asimov's brilliant characterizations of Daneel and Giscard as evolving beings. The two robots, one of them humaniform and the other telepathic, engage in philosophical discussions about what the First Law (not harming a human being) really means. Their definition of "harm" gradually expands to include the general well-being of humanity. As they follow this logic to its conclusion, they transcend their own programming, to the point where they have evolved from mechanical slaves to near-gods. In fact these robots are nobler than most human beings, as they have no selfish or base motives at all.
I was also fascinated with Asimov's nuanced portrayal of Gladia, the Solarian woman who first appeared in The Naked Sun. In that novel she started off as a self-absorbed aristocrat, like all Solarians. By the time she appears in this novel, (several hundred years later) she has evolved beyond the Spacers' prejudices and found the strength to become a public spokeswoman for peace between Spacers and Settlers.
As another reviewer said, I was not happy with the idea that Earth had to be destroyed in the interests of creating a galactic Empire. I definitely don't believe that Earth is unique as an abode of intelligent life, and that the universe is full of empty planets just waiting for humans to move in. As we are finding new planets around other suns, it is quite improbable that humans are alone in the universe. However, I will ignore these reservations and accept Asimov's writing on his own terms.
At the end of this book I was really wishing for another novel, which would show what finally happened between the Spacers and Settlers.
 Not Asimov's best, but a very fun read, 2008-10-28
This is the sequel to "The Robots of Dawn" (which happens to be my favorite Asimov Robot novel.) As such, it is must reading for anyone who is a fan of Asimov's Robot and Empire series, as this story unites the two, explains how Planet Earth became a backwater, and explains how unlimited human colonization of the Galaxy begins.
Elijah Bayley is dead, but Robots Giskard and Daneel are carrying on his work, sort of. More would be telling, but this is an interesting story, although not nearly as engaging as "The Robots of Dawn" in my opinion. The novel also has some tiresome anachronisms dealing with nuclear power that already dates it.
This one moves a bit too slowly to fully engage the reader, and it drags at times. Also, in this story Daneel and Giskard start to act in a fashion that I just don't accept. These are machines, and I am not sure that I am persuaded that they can reprogram themselves to act in the manner that this story suggests. Well, the great Asimov created these characters, so I suppose ultimately it was for him to say, but that is my own opinion, as a long-time die-hard Asimov fan.
Overall, all Asimov fans will enjoy this novel, even if it is not, perhaps, Asimov's best.
How the Robot Casaer's began. (Giskard then Daniel), 2009-03-22
Daniel replaces Giskard as the new mind reading robot. Giskard was the first robot Casaer and Daniel has become the second.
The zeroeth law allows Robots to interpret humanity according to psychohistory. Giskard can violate the three laws of robotics, if the urgency to save humanity exceeds the directives of the three laws. The first three laws presuppose humanity possesses the higher morality and knows best their future. The zeroeth law enslaves humanity to the mind altering capabilities of Giskard and now Daniel.
A Robot can kill and maim and destroy. Giskard destroyed the female robot, whose intent was the destroy Gladia Solaria. Next, Giskard altered the neural pathways of Vasilia Aliena when she attempted to take possession of Giskard. Self defense rational was a high enough reason too forfeit the first three law of Robotics. Next, Giskard tampers with Amadiro brain and allows Mandumus (a descendant of Elijah Baley) too using the nuclear intensifier to radiate the earths crust and force earth people to migrate out into space over the next twenty decades. Giskard's actions shutdown part of his positron brain because of irreconcibile problems associate with the immoral act. Giskard can not divorce himself from the pain and suffering caused from the plot. Giskard then transfers his mind reading ability to Daniel. Daniel becomes the new robot emperor.
The sneaky Elijah Baley had a child with Gloria Solaria. The descendants settle a world called Baley World. Robots think humans are Solarians. Settlers and Spacers are not consider humans. Gloria visits Baley World with her lover, D.G and speaks Solarian to them. Gladia is the daughter of Fastolfe. Fastolfe developed two positronic robots, one being Daniel. Fifty humanoid robots were built by Fastolfe, but all deactivated.
Mandumus descends from Elijah Baley and equally immoral. Mandumus joins Amadiro and tell him of his plot to rid the world of humans. Mandumus wants the humanoid robots reactivated. Amadiro took the director of Robotic Institute position from Fastolfe. Amadiro plans to use the nuclear intensifier, at three mile Island, to destory the earth's crust resulting in mass genocide. Giskard damages Amadiro's brain, and carries out an alternate strategy, force exodus.
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