I, Robot
Isaac Asimov
I have such mixed feelings about this book. I really, really liked it. The story was incredibly absorbing and the metaphors were significantly complex and poignant to strike me by pleasant surprise. Asimov knows how to construct a parallel future to our own and the book is chock full of subtle commentary that lets us know exactly how, in the robot-ruled future, we are truly at fault. It is no accident that the last story in the book is called "The Evitable Conflict". But where the plot itself soars to success, the prose itself is base and, at times, dreadful. I, Robot is never actually painful to read, but nonetheless there were moments where I had to groan out loud at the unbelievable characters and extraordinarily bad dialogue.
Asimov is, no doubt, a great writer. He is, however, much more concentrated when it comes to developing plot and creating (and resolving) conflict. Specific aspects of the writing seem to give way under the importance (or perhaps just the sheer brilliance) of these more focused elements. There is often overly-descriptive dialogue. Two robot field testers are not going to need to tell each other the explicit history of robotics on Earth and the development of certain prototypes. Sure, we can assume that these remarks are sarcastic, but the characters an d their relationships aren't well enough established by the time they begin to engage in this sarcastic expose. Likewise, the very form of the book also detracts a bit from its power to engage the reader. The idea of a young reporter talking to an old robotic scientist about the history of robotics is excellent, and telling the story in vignettes is, I believe, the proper form for the book. This young journalist, however, is as ignorant as the reader about his own world. The italicized passages where he interacts with the interviewee give away too much of the stories to come; when we know that certain characters are going to survive or that certain developments will or will not take hold in society, the stories themselves become less thrilling and merely fulfill expectations rather than shock. Asimov doesn't need the overarching story arc to make his point.
With all of that being a bit harsh, I must return to the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sure, the dialogue occasionally got to me and the interludes took me out of the story, but the stories and the general history of society are so compelling in themselves that I could forgive the imperfect writing. Asimov's strengths are not only his best attributes, but also outstrip others by miles. I absolutely cannot believe that this book was published in 1950. Aside from the dates (much of the story takes place in the 1990s- yikes!), I, Robot doesn't seem at all dated. This book could have been written today, and with the same power. It works both because robots per se haven't taken over society and because computers have. The view of a robotic society may be partial to the 1950s, but the idea of a society governed by artificial intelligences greater than itself is not a fantasy in this Internet Age. Have you ever won a game of chess against a computer? I didn't think so. Asimov is right on target with his assumptions that human-created technology will eventually overtake human capabilities. The robots (our computers) have the best of human reasoning and infallible logic- in spades.
Asimov's book is a critique of our need to create ever-increasing convenience. He also nails religion and reactionaries down pat. His insights on faith are, for once, non-polarizing and tolerant. Where it looks like Asimov is going to criticize religious faith (giving it, after all, to robots), that faith ends up helping everyone and makes logical sense. The Society for Humanity, a radical anti-robot society, is simply hungering for a simpler past that wasn't so simple for those living in it. I, Robot takes the trend of Americans to want it "faster and faster and now, dammit!" and extrapolates it to its fullest potential. He asks us where we're going but doesn't make it clear that artificial overlords are the worst thing for humanity after all. His humans are disenfranchised but are better off than ever. Asimov's commentary is intelligent and nuanced and transcends the book to apply directly to current life here in 2007. The book may be lacking in the points of fine literature, but it is a most thought-provoking piece that should not be ignored.
Grade: B+
Isaac Asimov
I have such mixed feelings about this book. I really, really liked it. The story was incredibly absorbing and the metaphors were significantly complex and poignant to strike me by pleasant surprise. Asimov knows how to construct a parallel future to our own and the book is chock full of subtle commentary that lets us know exactly how, in the robot-ruled future, we are truly at fault. It is no accident that the last story in the book is called "The Evitable Conflict". But where the plot itself soars to success, the prose itself is base and, at times, dreadful. I, Robot is never actually painful to read, but nonetheless there were moments where I had to groan out loud at the unbelievable characters and extraordinarily bad dialogue.
Asimov is, no doubt, a great writer. He is, however, much more concentrated when it comes to developing plot and creating (and resolving) conflict. Specific aspects of the writing seem to give way under the importance (or perhaps just the sheer brilliance) of these more focused elements. There is often overly-descriptive dialogue. Two robot field testers are not going to need to tell each other the explicit history of robotics on Earth and the development of certain prototypes. Sure, we can assume that these remarks are sarcastic, but the characters an d their relationships aren't well enough established by the time they begin to engage in this sarcastic expose. Likewise, the very form of the book also detracts a bit from its power to engage the reader. The idea of a young reporter talking to an old robotic scientist about the history of robotics is excellent, and telling the story in vignettes is, I believe, the proper form for the book. This young journalist, however, is as ignorant as the reader about his own world. The italicized passages where he interacts with the interviewee give away too much of the stories to come; when we know that certain characters are going to survive or that certain developments will or will not take hold in society, the stories themselves become less thrilling and merely fulfill expectations rather than shock. Asimov doesn't need the overarching story arc to make his point.
With all of that being a bit harsh, I must return to the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sure, the dialogue occasionally got to me and the interludes took me out of the story, but the stories and the general history of society are so compelling in themselves that I could forgive the imperfect writing. Asimov's strengths are not only his best attributes, but also outstrip others by miles. I absolutely cannot believe that this book was published in 1950. Aside from the dates (much of the story takes place in the 1990s- yikes!), I, Robot doesn't seem at all dated. This book could have been written today, and with the same power. It works both because robots per se haven't taken over society and because computers have. The view of a robotic society may be partial to the 1950s, but the idea of a society governed by artificial intelligences greater than itself is not a fantasy in this Internet Age. Have you ever won a game of chess against a computer? I didn't think so. Asimov is right on target with his assumptions that human-created technology will eventually overtake human capabilities. The robots (our computers) have the best of human reasoning and infallible logic- in spades.
Asimov's book is a critique of our need to create ever-increasing convenience. He also nails religion and reactionaries down pat. His insights on faith are, for once, non-polarizing and tolerant. Where it looks like Asimov is going to criticize religious faith (giving it, after all, to robots), that faith ends up helping everyone and makes logical sense. The Society for Humanity, a radical anti-robot society, is simply hungering for a simpler past that wasn't so simple for those living in it. I, Robot takes the trend of Americans to want it "faster and faster and now, dammit!" and extrapolates it to its fullest potential. He asks us where we're going but doesn't make it clear that artificial overlords are the worst thing for humanity after all. His humans are disenfranchised but are better off than ever. Asimov's commentary is intelligent and nuanced and transcends the book to apply directly to current life here in 2007. The book may be lacking in the points of fine literature, but it is a most thought-provoking piece that should not be ignored.
Grade: B+
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