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A review by adelaidemetzger_robotprophet
Norby the Mixed-Up Robot by Janet Asimov, Isaac Asimov
4.0
Hold up! My reader sense is tingling!
I couldn't help but smile the first time I, as a reader, was introduced to Norby. He's a robot with feelings and practically ignores the 3 laws of robotics, but I could feel the love for this robot radiate off the author. Asimov always thought of his robots this way--with emotions and completely lovable. Asimov himself said that Robbie, his first robots, was his favorite because that's how he wanted robots to be toward humans.
Besides the naturally simplistic plot, Norby's emotionally colorful personality takes the cake as the reason this is a children's series. When the editorial reviews said this was a "good way to introduce children to science fiction," I thought ages 6 or 7. But when I actually started reading it, I thought the technicality of some of the things discussed was too complicated and would lose children of that age (including my nephew who is around that age). The main character is 14 years old, but I think the appropriate age level for this series would be 11 and up.
I think it's interesting that for Asimov to write about robots in a way that he was particularly fond of them (in this case a robot with emotions or practically human)he had to tone down reason (including his own 3 laws) and call it a children's series. It's only a theory. I'm not saying that is the reason Norby is a children's series. But it would make sense in a way because that's what Asimov longed for in robots when he was was young and this is a great way to share his enjoyment and love for robots: Directed toward children.
This was a beautifully comedic and heartfelt transition for Asimov as he and his wife wrote their first young adult series and Norby steals the show--just as Asimov knew he would.
I couldn't help but smile the first time I, as a reader, was introduced to Norby. He's a robot with feelings and practically ignores the 3 laws of robotics, but I could feel the love for this robot radiate off the author. Asimov always thought of his robots this way--with emotions and completely lovable. Asimov himself said that Robbie, his first robots, was his favorite because that's how he wanted robots to be toward humans.
Besides the naturally simplistic plot, Norby's emotionally colorful personality takes the cake as the reason this is a children's series. When the editorial reviews said this was a "good way to introduce children to science fiction," I thought ages 6 or 7. But when I actually started reading it, I thought the technicality of some of the things discussed was too complicated and would lose children of that age (including my nephew who is around that age). The main character is 14 years old, but I think the appropriate age level for this series would be 11 and up.
I think it's interesting that for Asimov to write about robots in a way that he was particularly fond of them (in this case a robot with emotions or practically human)he had to tone down reason (including his own 3 laws) and call it a children's series. It's only a theory. I'm not saying that is the reason Norby is a children's series. But it would make sense in a way because that's what Asimov longed for in robots when he was was young and this is a great way to share his enjoyment and love for robots: Directed toward children.
This was a beautifully comedic and heartfelt transition for Asimov as he and his wife wrote their first young adult series and Norby steals the show--just as Asimov knew he would.