Thinking about Asimov's robot novels...

[Jeebo]

It's been decades since I read any of them. I'm talking about the Elijah Bailey/R. Daneel Olivaw novels. Some of them are partially set on planets that were occupied by only a dozen or so very wealthy individuals. Earth was overpopulated, people were packed on the planet almost literally elbow-to-elbow, but on those other planets, people effectively had unlimited space to spread out. And so people on those other planets had developed a phobia against being close to anybody else -- anybody human, that is. They all had armies of very realistic human-like robots to tend to their every need, but at the approach of anybody who was actually organically human, flesh-and-blood human, those obsessively agoraphobic individuals shrank back in terror.

Well, I keep thinking, we're beginning to be a bit like that now. I'm experiencing that same kind of fear whenever I am faced with the prospect of going anywhere where I might have to get close to somebody else. Monday I had to take my cat to the veterinarian and yes, there were other people there, and yes, I was worried. Tomorrow I'm going to have to take my car in for servicing, and yes, I don't look forward to it. I'm having to go to the grocery store every ten days or so, and every time, I absolutely dread it.

I'm trying to remember the names of some of those Asimov novels ... The Currents of Space? The Caves of Steel? The Robots of Dawn? If I could find my old paperback copies of them, I'd read them again. I've sure got the time. And they are sure good reads, all of them.

-- Ron

[Thomas Hurt]

1. The Robot or I, Robot series and the Foundation series...

like you I haven't read in long time. Read those back in high school.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

5. I haven't read them in years either.

I have a vague memory of thinking the final psychic confrontation with "The Mule" in the Foundation series was epic, but I can't recall those details at all now.

[captain queeg]

2. I always think of a scenario, I think it was The Martian Chronicles

Where people had become so isolated, everything was delivered to there homes so there was no need to leave, and over time people found it impossible to leave home. I don’t know if I have the right book, that was at least 40 yes ago. Back when you’d go in a book store and you’d be lucky to find a half shelf of sci-fi and Fantasy. Now there are entire sections with rows of those kinds of titles.

I remember I was out backpacking and reading Dune. Ran into a couple guys who told me about Lord of the Rings. First time I’d ever heard of it. They also turned me on to Robert E Howard and Conan. Though I ended up preferring Solomon Kane.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. You may be thinking of The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster

It is 111 years old but a good short story, easy read.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Machine_Stops

[eppur_se_muova]

6. I believe that was a Bradbury story, just not Martian Chronicles.

It involved a young boy who discovered that instead of using the teleporter, you could go Outside (yes, it was capitalized) and walk from house to house. His mother was horrified. Can't remember the title of the short story.

[bobbieinok]

4. Daneel book Caves of Steel, 1st of series, 1 I liked best. Have you read Nightfall? Great story

[Susan Calvin]

7. I like the Daneel books best

I particularly like the way Asimov worked him into the foundation series.

[SinisterPants]

8. The thing about Asimov, is that he really hated people.

He was a complete elitist, borderline fascist, complete sexist.. His solution was ALWAYS the 'strong man'

(pls don't tell me he was outspoken about Hitler and Stalin...I know, he wanted a different type of strong man.)

Most clear in his Foundation series, that he really believed most individuals were irrelevant pawns. Can't respect that, at all.

"When I was a child, I read childish things." Time to toss Asimov into the dust-bin of history, he simply doesn't hold up.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. My all time favorite Asimove book

is The End of Eternity. It really deserves to be made into a movie, or better yet a series.

I have never been able to get into his Foundation series.

And one story every single person should read every single Presidential election year is Franchise. It took a bit of searching, but here's a link to the story. Please read it. https://novels77.com/the-complete-stories/franchise-993201.html

[AlCarroll]

10. Asimov on time travel

He was the first author to not trust people to cause disaster, even on something like killing Hitler before he comes to power.

And then I found out why. He was one of the few Jewish people to not lose anyone to the Holocaust.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

11. The Naked Sun

Is the name of the novel. Features Elijah Baley (human investigator from Earth), and R. Daneel Olivaw (humanoid robot, Baley’s former assistant).

Baley is sent to Solaria to solve a murder. His impressive qualities as an investigator overcomes his lowly status as an Earthman. Earth is grossly overpopulated, folks live underground in massive multilevel cities. Processed yeast is a staple of their diet, due to population. People have a taboo/aversion to being outdoors. The Caves of Steel describes Bailey’s Earth.

Solaria is a planet that is the complete opposite of Earth. Population limited to 20,000. Everyone has his/her separate estate. Physical contact with other humans is taboo/aversion. Socialization is via holographic “Zoom” meetings only.

The Naked Sun is book three of the four part Robot Series. I read them as a kid, and recently read again. Nothing wrong with a literary salty snack or chocolate once in a while.