I, Robot Audiobook

This classic science fiction masterwork by Isaac Asimov weaves stories about robots, humanity, and the deep questions of existence into a novel of shocking intelligence and heart.   “A must-read for science-fiction buffs and literature enjoyers alike.”—The Guardian I, Robot, the first and most widely read book in Asimov’s Robot series, forever changed the world’s perception of artificial intelligence. Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-reading robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world—all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asimov’s trademark.  The Three Laws of Robotics: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2) A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders 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 or Second Law. With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov formulated the laws governing robots’ behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future—a  future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete. “Tremendously exciting and entertaining . . . Asimov dramatizes an interesting question: How can we live with machines that, generation by generation, grow more intelligent than their creators and not eventually clash with our own invention?”—The Chicago Tribune

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"I, Robot is a sequence of loosely connected short stories written in 1950 that take place in a "future" world (where the future is the 1990's and 2000's). The premise of the story collection is that a longtime "robot psychologist" of the main robotics company is about to retire and is being interviewed for human interest stories about her varied experiences with robots. In Asimov's future, humans invented the "positronic brain" and used this technology to create robots that are in some sense a better version of humanity, yet subservient to humanity. The positronic brain encodes three main laws, in order of importance: first, that robots cannot harm humans or allow them to come to harm, second, that they must carry out orders that humans give them, and third, that they must endeavor to prevent harm to themselves. The title, to me, indicates the heart of Asimov's idea of AI technology: all of the robots in the story have feelings, thoughts, emotions, and a strong sense of self-identity. Each story centers around a typically problematic interaction between a robot and its human keepers. I read this when I was a lot younger, and although I didn't precisely dislike it, I never had any particular interest in reading other books by Asimov. Scifi, of course, quickly becomes dated. Asimov's imagining of his future is radically different from reality. To me, it feels a bit like one of the original Star Trek episodes: fairly soaked with optimism at the abilities of man, drenched in idealism, and so absolutely earnest that it always strikes me as a little sad. It's always interesting to compare the imagined future with actuality, and although I think Asimov was much more perceptive than many of his fellows, his own biases come through clearly. War has apparently been abolished in this shiny new world, but America ("The North") is still the superior economic and social powerhouse. Engineering and mathematics are heavily male-dominated, and the single woman mentioned is also described as pathetic, robotic, cold, and having sacrificed her femininity for "masculine" analytical prowess. I think I also had a viscerally negative reaction to Asimov's characterization of Dr. Calvin, the solitary female. One of the stories is a rather gruesome representation of the scientist/spinster and her secret love for a younger man. It is portrayed as pitiful, pathetic, and ghoulish, and my knee-jerk reaction to it was anger. Even though I was in early highschool when I read it, maybe (cough) it struck me personally. If even one other woman had been positively portrayed, if there appeared to be any way in this world for a woman to be intelligent and not a pathetic little romantic internally, I don't think my reaction would have been as strong. At the same time, I think Asimov's take on the dynamics between humans and robotics--both the paranoia and disdain that stems from a hidden sense of inferiority--is fascinating. I find it especially intriguing given that this is from the 1950s, robots are used as servants/slaves to their self-proclaimed betters, and the humans refer to their robots by first name or by diminutives such as "boy"--sound familiar? What I've always been left unsure about is whether or not this was an intentional commentary on race, and if so, what Asimov's conclusions actually were. Other than this extremely interesting ambiguity, I think the reason that I never really got into these stories was their sheer earnestness. I remember finding all the stories bizarre because Asimov totally avoids the standard AI robot scifi trope: his robots are always benevolent and well-intentioned towards humanity. The First Law is paramount, and despite human fears to the contrary, while the robots make take over, they have humanity's best interests at heart. There is so clearly a "lesson" for us in each one, an obvious angle where our brains are supposed to be stretched, and that's not my favourite type of storytelling. Thinking back over it, it is very reminiscent of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, but to me at least, seems much more direct and simplistic. Overall, an interesting read both for diehard scifi fans and for individuals interested in what the 1950s view of the future was."

— Carly (4 out of 5 stars)