wamboldt_t's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
anton_jernberg's review against another edition
4.0
Whodunit on yet another planet. It ties in with the second book very well. You can very easily tell that Asimov improves his writing as the books go on. The earlier ones were a bit obnoxious, but these later ones flow much better
kxu65's review against another edition
5.0
This is the best book that Isaac Asimov has ever written, just base on the fact that this connects both the Robot Novels and the Foundation Novels is enough for me. This book basically is the real start of Foundation. What happened in his is shocking, its a book that all readers of Foundation should read.
themidnightlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Plainclothesman Elijah Baley is tasked with the investigation of, what he terms, a roboticide on the planet Aurora. No earthmen or earthwomen have ever been to the planet and are looked down upon by Aurorans and other Spacers in general.
Navigating in an alien culture he does not understand and where he is not welcome, Baley must find sufficient reason or evidence of the innocence of Dr Han Fastolfe, the leading roboticist on the planet (and perhaps all other worlds), in the roboticide of the only other humaniform robot, Jander (the other one is Daneel Olivaw, of course). The very fate of Earth hangs in the balance.
The case, however, is more than sufficiently complicated by the fact that that only person capable of effecting the mental freeze out that is the reason of Jander’s roboticide is Dr Fastolfe, at his own admission. But he also claims to be innocent. If no one else can freeze out a robot except Dr Fastolfe and he did not do it, who killed the robot?
It was such a delightful read! Satisfactory conclusion and excellent lead-up to the Foundation series.
What I appreciated:
1. You uncover the mystery as it is told to other characters in the book, and not before. Asimov keeps Baley’s thought process hidden till they come forth in his excellent line of questioning.
2. The foreshadowing is brilliant in hindsight. I shall say no more.
What I didn’t:
1. The male gaze. Asimov is also guilty of it, unfortunately. And otherwise common scenes were marred by Baley’s “observations” of the two women characters’ breast sizes. It added no value to the scene, to the story or the characters.
Navigating in an alien culture he does not understand and where he is not welcome, Baley must find sufficient reason or evidence of the innocence of Dr Han Fastolfe, the leading roboticist on the planet (and perhaps all other worlds), in the roboticide of the only other humaniform robot, Jander (the other one is Daneel Olivaw, of course). The very fate of Earth hangs in the balance.
The case, however, is more than sufficiently complicated by the fact that that only person capable of effecting the mental freeze out that is the reason of Jander’s roboticide is Dr Fastolfe, at his own admission. But he also claims to be innocent. If no one else can freeze out a robot except Dr Fastolfe and he did not do it, who killed the robot?
It was such a delightful read! Satisfactory conclusion and excellent lead-up to the Foundation series.
What I appreciated:
1. You uncover the mystery as it is told to other characters in the book, and not before. Asimov keeps Baley’s thought process hidden till they come forth in his excellent line of questioning.
2. The foreshadowing is brilliant in hindsight. I shall say no more.
What I didn’t:
1. The male gaze. Asimov is also guilty of it, unfortunately. And otherwise common scenes were marred by Baley’s “observations” of the two women characters’ breast sizes. It added no value to the scene, to the story or the characters.
jbleyle63's review against another edition
3.0
Third volume in Asimov's Robot mystery novels featuring Earth investigator Elijah Bailey and R. [for Robot] Daneel Olivaw which I found less satisfying than the first two entries: The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun. The plot pacing is slow and unfolds mostly through interviews conducted by Bailey. Still, this is an influential and imaginative series overall.
hylian_pirate's review against another edition
2.0
Zzzzzzz...
That was boring. This book is almost double the size of previous ones and it diluted the whole story.
I only continued reading because I knew it had a nice ending and it did. An extra star for that and for how it nicely sets up the Foundation series.
That was boring. This book is almost double the size of previous ones and it diluted the whole story.
I only continued reading because I knew it had a nice ending and it did. An extra star for that and for how it nicely sets up the Foundation series.
hskey's review against another edition
5.0
Possibly even better than Caves of Steel, or the Naked Sun. This still retains the feel of classic, yet progressive science fiction - terrific dialogue, masterful transmissions of exposition and internal monologues, rational conclusions, not overused action and an ending that gave me goosebumps and had me dreaming of the stars. Absolutely fantastic.