Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov

Robots and Empire book cover

At this point if you have not read The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, and The Robots of Dawn, this review will contain plot spoilers for those novels. I highly suggest reading both of them before even reading this review.

The events in Robots and Empire take place about 200 years after The Robots of Dawn. Elijah Baley’s victory in exonerating Dr. Han Falstofe in the death of R. Jander Parnell secured his powerful position in Auroran government. Kelden Amadiro which was implicated in the death of Jander hasn’t forgotten his bitter defeat. With his support Earth was allowed to develop its colonization plans. The number of Settler worlds is increasing, and no new settlement from Spacer worlds has taken place. Actually, Solaria has severed all contact with everyone and is rumored to be empty.

Spacers begin to see they are being surpassed in technology and military power by the short-lived Earthers they despise. Daneel and Giskard play must work to uncover a plot to destroy Earth that Kelden Amadiro has started. They are assisted by Gladia and one of Elijah Bailey’s decendents D.G. Bailey. Also, a novel in this series wouldn’t be complete without a new culture to explore. We get to see the Settler planet Baleyworld.

One of the most important themes in my opinion discussed here is what the effect of increased lifespan can do to a culture. I think Asimov has drawn his cultural picture quite well in this respect. Settlers are well suited with short lifespans to explore new worlds, while Spacers with their long lives are afraid to risk them to expand. Probably the most important question involved is Asimov’s own inspection of the Three Laws of Robotics. He uses Daneel and Giskard to question the effectiveness of the Laws. It’s interesting to see the robots debate the ramifications of their actions and what conclusions they eventually come to. I especially like this novel because by the end of it you can see how Asimov has linked his Robot series with the Foundation series.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please prove you are a human * Time limit is exhausted. Please reload the CAPTCHA.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Post

Forward the Foundation by Isaac AsimovForward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Forward the Foundation book cover

I’ve read quite a few reviews of this novel and many people are disappointed because it does not tie up the questions left unanswered at the end of Foundation and Earth. Much of this disappointment comes from the fact that Forward the Foundation is the last book in the series written by Asimov just before his death. I think that the disappointed fans were looking for answers in the wrong places. This novel simply gives us a closer look at Hari Seldon and the progress of the psychohistory project at Streeling University. (more…)

Foundation coming to HBO!Foundation coming to HBO!

Home_Alone_Boy1

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

This is it! Isaac Asimov’s Foundation will finally make it to visual media. After the rights passing through a few hands, they’ve finally made their way to HBO. Check out the entire article at The Wrap where Jonah Nolan talks about the new project. I’ll definitely keeping tabs on the development. No dates were given, so I’ll try to hold back most of my excitement until I hear more.

The Wrap via The Verge

Isaac Asimov’s Inferno by Roger MacBride AllenIsaac Asimov’s Inferno by Roger MacBride Allen

Inferno book cover

    The New Laws of Robotics

  1. A robot may not injure a human being.
  2. A robot must cooperate with human beings except where such cooperation 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 Law.
  4. A robot may do as it likes, except where such action would violate the First, Second, or Third Laws.

About a year has passed since Caliban was exonerated. The Limbo project is currently using the New Law robots developed by Freda Leving in the hopes of fixing the terraforming problem. Although these robots are equipped with range restrictors to limit them to the island, an illicit smuggling trade has developed which smuggles robots out of Purgatory and helps remove the supposedly infallible restrictors. This criminal enterprise has caused much strain between Spacers and Settlers. (more…)